Baler power management

A baler comprising:

• a pick-up unit for picking up crop from the ground and feeding the crop into a baling unit, wherein the baling unit is configured for receiving the crop from the pick-up unit and forming the crop into a bale;
• a control unit configured for connection to a PTO unit of a towing vehicle for driving the pick-up unit and the baling unit, wherein the baling unit can be driven with a first energy value and the pick-up unit can be driven with a second energy value;
• wherein the control unit is configured to:
• set a speed of a towing vehicle;
• receive or determine at least one of an energy consumption signal or a PTO consumption signal;
• determine a total energy value from the energy consumption signal or the PTO consumption signal, wherein the total energy value is the maximum energy currently available for transfer from the PTO unit of the towing vehicle to the baler;
• determine a baler consumption value, wherein the baler consumption value is a current total energy demand of the baler;
• compare the total energy value with the baler consumption value to determine if the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value;
• define a first actuating signal for controlling the PTO unit when the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value;
• and
• send a driving signal to adjust the speed of the towing vehicle when the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value.

A method of operating a combination of a towing vehicle and a baler, the method comprising:

• setting a drive speed of the towing vehicle with a drive train of the towing vehicle;
• determining at least one of an energy consumption signal or a PTO consumption signal of the baler;
• determining a total energy value from the energy consumption signal or the PTO consumption signal, wherein the total energy value is the maximum energy currently available for transfer from the PTO unit of the towing vehicle to the baler;
• determine a baler consumption value, wherein the baler consumption value is a current total energy demand of the baler;
• comparing the total energy value with the baler consumption value to determine if the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value;
• defining and communicating a first actuating signal for controlling a PTO unit of the towing vehicle when the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value;
• and
• sending a driving signal to adjust the speed of the towing vehicle with the drive train when the total energy value is different from the baler consumption value.