Mower deck with torque monitoring

A grounds maintenance machine, comprising:

• a frame comprising a front end and a rear end;
• one or more drive members connected to the frame and adapted to propel the machine over a ground surface;
• a propulsion system configured to provide power to each of the one or more drive members;
• a cutting deck connected to the frame and comprising:
• a cutting blade;
• a blade spindle operatively coupled to the cutting blade;
• a deck motor operatively coupled to the blade spindle to rotate the cutting blade;
• and
• a controller comprising one or more processors and operatively coupled to the propulsion system and the cutting deck, the controller configured to:
• determine a rotational speed of the cutting blade;
• determine a current provided to the deck motor;
• determine a voltage provided to the deck motor;
• estimate a torque of the cutting blade based on the rotational speed, the current, the voltage, and a torque profile of the deck motor;
• set the rotational speed of the cutting blade to a minimum speed in response to the estimated torque being less than a lower torque threshold;
• set the rotational speed of the cutting blade to a maximum speed in response to the estimated torque being greater than an upper torque threshold;
• and
• adjust the speed of the cutting blade to a blade speed related to the estimated torque in response to the estimated torque being greater than the lower torque threshold and less than the upper torque threshold.

A method for operating a grounds maintenance machine, the method comprising:

• determining a rotational speed of a cutting blade of a cutting deck of the grounds maintenance machine;
• determining a current provided to a deck motor of the cutting deck;
• determining a voltage provided to the deck motor;
• estimating a torque of the cutting blade based on the rotational speed, the current, the voltage, and a torque profile of the deck motor;
• and
• adjusting, based on the estimated torque of the cutting blade, one or both of:
• a speed limit of a propulsion system of the grounds maintenance machine;
• and
• a speed of the cutting blade.