Hybrid power combine harvester and control method and controller thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a hybrid power combine harvester and a control method and a controller thereof, and relates to the technical field of agricultural machinery. The harvester comprises a hybrid power system which comprises a power battery and a range extender composed of an engine and a generator; a working system including a plurality of working members and a plurality of working motors that enable each working member to be driven by the motor; the walking system comprises walking wheels and walking motors used for driving the corresponding walking wheels; the control system comprises a whole vehicle controller and a plurality of motor controllers corresponding to the operation motors, the walking motors and the generators respectively. Wherein the hybrid power system responds to a power control strategy of the control system and provides power for corresponding motors in the operation system and the walking system so as to drive the harvester to walk and operate. The full-electric-drive hybrid power scheme of the harvester is achieved, and the efficiency problem caused by multi-stage mechanical transmission of a traditional harvester is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of agricultural machinery, and in particular to a hybrid power combine harvester and a control method and controller thereof. Background Art

[0002] As modern agriculture places higher and higher demands on intelligent agricultural machinery, traditional fuel-powered agricultural machinery is gradually unable to keep up with the pace of development under the new situation. Traditional fuel-powered combine harvesters use diesel engines to provide power, and transmit power to various operating parts through multi-stage mechanical transmission. There are many parts and a long transmission path, so the transmission efficiency is low, and it is easy to have failures such as belt shedding and breaking. When it is necessary to change the operating parameters, it is often necessary to replace the pulley and other operations, which is cumbersome and time-consuming, and cannot be accurately adjusted in real time. Therefore, the machine's operating performance is not stable enough, fuel consumption is high, and carbon emissions are high. In addition, the mechanical multi-stage transmission has a large delay in control response, which cannot meet the rapid response requirements of various intelligent control strategies.

[0003] Based on this, hybrid combine harvesters came into being, but the current hybrid combine harvesters are partially electric-driven, and many of their operating parts, such as grain unloading mechanisms, still rely on mechanical transmission mechanisms such as gear transmission, sprocket transmission, and pulley transmission. They cannot solve the efficiency and performance problems caused by the multi-stage mechanical transmission mentioned above, and cannot adapt to the intelligent control strategies for the corresponding operating parts. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a hybrid combine harvester and a control method and controller thereof, so as to at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the first aspect of the present application provides a hybrid power combine harvester, including: a hybrid power system, including a power battery and a range extender composed of an engine and a generator; an operating system, including multiple operating components and multiple operating motors so that each operating component is driven by a motor; a travel system, including travel wheels and travel motors for driving corresponding travel wheels; and a control system, including a vehicle controller and multiple motor controllers corresponding to each operating motor, travel motor and generator, respectively, and the vehicle controller is connected to the power battery, the motor controller and the engine. The hybrid power system responds to the power control strategy of the control system to provide power to the corresponding motors in the operating system and the travel system to drive the harvester to travel and work.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present application, the operating system includes a harvesting table system, a cleaning system, a threshing system, a grass chopping system and a grain unloading system. Furthermore, for each operating system, the operating components and their corresponding operating motors are as follows: the operating components of the harvesting table system include a reel, a cutting knife, a harvesting table augers and a conveyor belt, wherein the reel is connected to the harvesting table augers, and the cutting knife, the harvesting table augers and the conveyor belt bridge are connected to the bridge motor serving as the operating motor; the operating components of the cleaning system include a fan, a cleaning screen, a debris augers and a grain augers, wherein the fan is connected to the fan motor serving as the operating motor, and the cleaning screen, the debris augers and the grain augers are connected to the intermediate shaft motor serving as the operating motor through an intermediate shaft; the operating components of the threshing system include a threshing drum, and the threshing drum is connected to the drum motor serving as the operating motor; the grass chopping system includes a chopper, and the chopper is connected to the intermediate shaft motor through the intermediate shaft; the grain unloading system includes a grain unloading device, and the grain unloading device is connected to the grain unloading motor serving as the operating motor.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, the walking system includes front wheels and rear wheels, and the walking motor includes a front axle motor and a rear axle motor corresponding to the front wheels and the rear wheels respectively, wherein the front axle motor and the rear axle motor cooperate to realize four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive of the harvester.

[0008] The second aspect of the present application provides a harvester control method for the above-mentioned hybrid combine harvester, and includes: for harvesting operations, controlling the range extender to run continuously, and charging the power battery when the current power generation power is surplus relative to the vehicle load power, and when the load of the travel system or the operating system fluctuates, adjusting the charging and discharging of the power battery to compensate for the load fluctuation to ensure that the load of the range extender remains unchanged; and for unloading operations, shutting down the engine so that only the power battery can provide the vehicle load power.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present application, the harvester control method also includes: when the difference between the vehicle load power and the current power generation power is less than a first set threshold, only adjusting the discharge power of the power battery; when the vehicle load power is greater than the current power generation power and the corresponding difference is greater than a second set threshold, while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery, the engine speed and the generator power are increased; and when the vehicle load power is less than the current power generation power and the corresponding difference is greater than the second set threshold, while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery, the engine speed and the generator power are reduced.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the harvester control method further includes: when increasing the rotation speed of the engine, controlling the engine to operate in a high-efficiency power range determined according to an engine characteristic MAP diagram.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, the harvester control method also includes: obtaining load change information of the working components in each working system, and adjusting the walking speed of the harvester in combination with the load change information and the current power generation power to ensure the normal operation of the corresponding working components.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, the harvester control method also includes: obtaining and performing four-wheel drive control, two-wheel drive control, or switching between the two for the harvester based on the torque change information of the travel motor, the vehicle posture information, and the vehicle power demand information.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present application, the harvester control method also includes, for field transfer operations, executing: controlling the engine to drive the generator to generate electricity at a constant speed and power to drive the travel motor, and controlling the charging and discharging of the power battery to compensate for the power fluctuation of the travel motor; or controlling only the power battery to provide power to the travel motor, and until the SOC (State of Charge) of the power battery is lower than a preset lower limit, starting the engine to operate within a preset power range to provide power to the travel motor and charge the power battery, and controlling the engine to stop when the SOC of the power battery reaches a preset upper limit.

[0014] The third aspect of the present application provides a controller for a harvester, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor configured to call instructions from the memory and implement any of the above-mentioned harvester control methods when executing the instructions.

[0015] Through the above technical solution, the harvester of the embodiment of the present application is powered by a power battery and a range extender, and all its working parts and running wheels are driven by motors, and each motor has a corresponding motor controller, which cooperates with the vehicle controller to perform power distribution, thereby achieving a full electric hybrid solution, avoiding the efficiency and performance defects of traditional fuel-powered combine harvesters and partially electric-driven hybrid harvesters due to multi-stage mechanical transmission.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific implementations, they are used to explain the embodiments of the present application, but do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a hybrid power combine harvester according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 Schematically shows Figure 1 Example functional block diagram of a hybrid combine harvester;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of a harvester control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an example power control strategy executed by the harvester control method of an embodiment of the present application; and

[0022] Figure 5 The schematic diagram shows a structural block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the specific implementation methods described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the embodiments of the present application, and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] It should be noted that if there are directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) involved in the embodiments of the present application, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement of the components under a certain posture (as shown in the drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly. In addition, it should be noted that the "power", "electricity" and "energy" involved in the embodiments of the present application can be understood interchangeably.

[0025] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0026] Figure 1 The structure diagram of a hybrid power combine harvester according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. Figure 1 As shown, the hybrid combine harvester may include a hybrid power system 100 , a working system 200 , a traveling system 300 and a control system 400 .

[0027] The hybrid system 100 includes a power battery and a range extender consisting of an engine and a generator.

[0028] The operation system 200 includes a plurality of operation components and a plurality of operation motors that enable each operation component to be driven by a motor. That is, each operation component is driven by a motor. For example, the threshing drum, fan, reel, chopper and other operation components mentioned below are all driven by motors. It should be noted that each operation component can be equipped with a single operation motor, or multiple operation components can share a single operation motor, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0029] Wherein, the walking system 300 includes walking wheels and walking motors for driving corresponding walking wheels. That is, the walking wheels of the harvester are also driven by motors.

[0030] The control system 400 includes a vehicle controller and a plurality of motor controllers corresponding to the working motors, travel motors and generators respectively, and the vehicle controller is connected to the power battery, the motor controller and the engine.

[0031] Furthermore, the hybrid power system 100 responds to the power control strategy of the control system 400 to provide power to the corresponding motors in the working system 200 and the traveling system 300 to drive the harvester to travel and operate.

[0032] In this way, the harvester of the embodiment of the present application is powered by a power battery and a range extender, and all its working parts and running wheels are driven by electric motors, and each motor has a corresponding motor controller, which cooperates with the vehicle controller to perform power distribution, thereby realizing a hybrid solution equivalent to full electric drive, avoiding the efficiency and performance defects of traditional fuel-powered combine harvesters and partially electric-driven hybrid harvesters due to multi-stage mechanical transmission.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Example functional block diagram of a hybrid combine harvester. Figure 2 The implementation details of the hybrid powertrain 100 , the working system 200 , the traveling system 300 , and the control system 400 are further described.

[0034] 1. Hybrid power system 100 .

[0035] refer to Figure 2 , the design of the range extender requires that the engine and the generator are directly connected into an integrated structure. This directly connected integrated structure does not require a clutch between the two, which helps to reduce the size of the range extender. In addition, a clutch is provided between the engine and the power output shaft PTO, so that the power of the engine is respectively input into the generator and the power output shaft PTO through the clutch, which makes the power of the engine directly input into the transfer case at the PTO end without passing through the reducer, and can avoid unnecessary transmission loss. Furthermore, the range extender and the power battery are not directly connected, but the range extender is directly connected to the high-voltage power distribution system to distribute the output power to the power battery and each motor through the high-voltage power distribution system. Based on this range extender design, the harvester in this example can be directly started by reverse dragging the engine through the range extender because the engine and the generator are directly connected without a clutch. On the other hand, the range extender is always involved in the work according to the power demand, and then the energy-saving control program can be used to coordinate the output of the range extender and the power battery to ensure that the power battery SOC is within the preset range, so as to achieve the reasonable and effective distribution of energy from multiple power sources to multiple target loads, effectively reduce the load and power of the power battery, and improve the service life of the power battery. In the example power control strategy, when the engine load exceeds a preset value, the power battery will discharge to compensate for the engine's power output, thereby maintaining the stability of the engine load and saving fuel consumption.

[0036] In this way, the hybrid power system 100 in the embodiment of the present application has a direct connection between the engine and the generator, and can directly start the engine by reverse dragging through the range extender, thereby simplifying the starting structure, facilitating operation, and reducing costs; the complementary use of power batteries and range extenders realizes the reasonable and effective distribution of energy from multiple power sources to multiple target loads, which can effectively reduce the load and power of the power battery, increase the service life of the power battery, reduce the fuel consumption and carbon emissions of the entire machine, and also enables the endurance and energy saving of the entire machine to be taken into account.

[0037] 2. Operating system 200.

[0038] In the example, refer to Figure 2 The operation system 200 includes a harvesting table system, a cleaning system, a threshing system, a grass chopping system and a grain unloading system. And, for each operation system, the operation components and their corresponding operation motors are:

[0039] 1) The operating parts of the harvesting platform system include a reel, a cutting knife, a harvesting platform auger and a conveyor belt, wherein the cutting knife, the harvesting platform auger and the conveyor belt are arranged in a Figure 2 The harvester is collectively referred to as a harvesting platform, the reel is connected to the harvesting platform auger, the cutting knife, the harvesting platform auger and the conveyor belt bridge are connected to a bridge motor serving as the operating motor.

[0040] 2) The operating parts of the cleaning system include a fan, a cleaning screen, a debris auger and a grain auger, wherein the cleaning screen, the debris auger and the grain auger are arranged in a Figure 2 The fan is connected to the fan motor as the working motor, and the cleaning screen, the debris auger, and the grain auger are connected to the intermediate shaft motor as the working motor through an intermediate shaft.

[0041] 3) The operating parts of the threshing system include a threshing drum, which Figure 2 The threshing drum is referred to as a drum in the figure, and the threshing drum is connected to a drum motor serving as the operating motor.

[0042] 4) The grass chopping system includes a chopper, and the chopper is connected to the intermediate shaft motor through the intermediate shaft. The chopper is, for example, a chopper drum.

[0043] 5) The grain unloading system includes a grain unloading device. Figure 2 It is referred to as unloading in the text, and the unloading device is connected to the unloading motor serving as the operating motor.

[0044] It should be noted that the operating components and the corresponding operating motors can be directly connected, such as a fan and a fan motor, or can be connected through a reduction box or a gearbox, see Figure 2 The drum motor, grain unloading device, etc.

[0045] 3. Walking system 300.

[0046] In the example, refer to Figure 2The walking system includes front wheels and rear wheels, the front wheels include left front wheels and right front wheels, and the rear wheels include left rear wheels and right rear wheels, and the walking motor includes a front axle motor and a rear axle motor corresponding to the front wheels and the rear wheels respectively, wherein the front axle motor and the rear axle motor cooperate to realize four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive of the harvester, for example, to realize switching between four-wheel drive and front and rear two-wheel drive walking modes, so as to achieve a balance between power and economy.

[0047] It should be noted that between the travel wheels and the corresponding travel motors, for example, the front wheels are connected to the front axle motor via the front axle and the gearbox, while the rear wheels are connected to the rear axle motor via the rear axle and the reduction gearbox.

[0048] Through the above introduction to the operating system 200 and the traveling system 300, in this example, based on the structural characteristics and working characteristics of the hybrid combine harvester, taking the threshing system as an example, the threshing system and the traveling system are both driven by motors, so that combined with the power consumption curve of the drum motor, constant speed control of the threshing drum can be achieved, etc. By adaptively adjusting the traveling speed during operation and the output torque of the drum motor in real time, the operating efficiency is improved and the drum is prevented from being blocked.

[0049] 4. Control system 400.

[0050] In the example, in addition to the vehicle controller and motor controller described above, the control system 400 may also include sensors and a high-voltage power distribution system to achieve power control or operation control for the harvester. Figure 2 It is referred to as electronic control in the text, which is connected to the corresponding motor and range extender respectively; the sensor is used to collect the speed signal of the motor, etc., and send the signal to the motor controller and the vehicle controller; the vehicle controller is connected to the engine, range extender, power battery, high-voltage distribution system, and each motor controller.

[0051] For example, according to the set power control strategy, the vehicle controller calculates the real-time power based on the speed and torque signals collected by the sensor in real time, and allocates the range extender power and power battery power according to the power battery SOC, ensuring that the power output of the whole machine can meet the needs of each operating motor and keep the power battery SOC within the preset value range. At the same time, the engine load is maintained balanced, realizing the reasonable and effective allocation of energy from multiple power sources to multiple target loads.

[0052] In this example, if Figure 2 As shown, eight motor controllers can be configured, denoted as electric control 1 - electric control 8. Each motor controller responds to the strategy instructions from the vehicle controller to independently control each working motor and travel motor, which is conducive to realizing multiple control modes.

[0053] against Figure 2The collaboration of multiple systems shown, for example, when the harvester generates a workload, the engine drives the generator to generate electricity, and part of the generated electricity is directly driven by the high-voltage distribution system to drive the harvesting table system, the cleaning system, the control system, the threshing system, the walking system and the grass-chopping system, the cleaning system and the chopper, and the other part of the surplus electricity is used to charge the power battery. When the load of the operating system and the walking system fluctuates, the power battery compensates for the load fluctuation of the whole machine by continuously charging and discharging, thereby maintaining a balanced load on the engine. The range extender is controlled by the control system to ensure that the SOC of the power battery is always within the preset value range, so that the power of the power battery and the range extender is used to drive the walking system and the operating system.

[0054] In summary, all the operating parts in this example (drum, fan, bridge, grain unloading device, intermediate shaft, etc.) are driven by motors, which reduces the multi-stage transmission structure, thereby reducing energy transmission losses. Compared with fuel vehicles, taking the grain unloading device as an example, when a traditional fuel vehicle is unloading grain, the engine is in a poor economic range at idle speed, and it is necessary to increase the throttle and increase the engine speed to achieve fast grain unloading, which results in high fuel consumption. After using the motor drive of the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to unload grain without changing the engine power, thereby effectively increasing the unloading speed.

[0055] In this way, all the working parts and the running wheels of the hybrid combine harvester of the embodiment of the present application are driven by motors, which simplifies the transmission system, improves the working efficiency, has a fast response speed and a strong overload capacity. In addition, each working part is controlled by a separate motor controller, so that the working parameters can be adaptively adjusted and matched accurately in real time under different working conditions.

[0056] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a harvester control method according to an embodiment of the present application, the control method is for the above-mentioned hybrid power combine harvester and is executed by the vehicle controller, for example. Figure 3 As shown, the harvester control method may include the following steps:

[0057] S100, for the harvesting operation, controlling the range extender to run continuously, and charging the power battery when the current generated power is surplus relative to the load power of the entire vehicle, and adjusting the charging and discharging of the power battery to compensate for the load fluctuation when the load of the travel system or the operation system fluctuates, so as to ensure that the load of the range extender remains unchanged.

[0058] S200, for the grain unloading operation, shut down the engine so that the vehicle load power is provided only by the power battery.

[0059] It should be noted that the above-mentioned step S100 and step S200 are not limited by the execution order, and the execution order of the two can be swapped.

[0060] The above steps S100 and S200 are part of the power control strategy executed by the vehicle controller, which enables the engine in the range extender to work during the harvesting operation, and the power battery is continuously charged and discharged to maintain the engine load balance. Only in low-load conditions such as grain unloading operations, the engine can be turned off to avoid the engine running at low thermal efficiency and causing fuel consumption losses, thereby achieving fuel saving effects, and avoiding deep charging and discharging of the power battery, extending the life of the power battery. Moreover, a smaller capacity power battery can be selected accordingly to reduce costs. In addition, the control schemes for harvesting operations and grain unloading operations will be specifically introduced below, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the harvester control method also includes the following power following strategy: when the difference between the vehicle load power and the current power generation power is less than a first set threshold, only the discharge power of the power battery is adjusted; when the vehicle load power is greater than the current power generation power and the corresponding difference is greater than a second set threshold, while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery, the engine speed and the generator power are increased; and when the vehicle load power is less than the current power generation power and the corresponding difference is greater than a second set threshold, while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery, the engine speed and the generator power are reduced. Wherein, the first set threshold and the second set threshold are preferably smaller values, and the two may be the same or different.

[0062] In the example, when the speed of the engine is increased, the engine is controlled to operate in the high-efficiency power range determined according to the engine characteristic MAP map. That is, the engine speed is adjusted by using the engine characteristic MAP map, and the following power following strategy is implemented: the target speed of the engine is controlled by the whole machine controller, and the target speed is not only calibrated according to the high-efficiency point in the engine MAP map, but also combined with the high-efficiency range of the range extender. Most of the time, the engine not only runs at a constant speed but also at a constant load. Only when the load changes greatly and the power battery has insufficient load compensation capacity, the whole vehicle controller will send a control instruction to increase or decrease the target speed of the engine. For example, when the load power of the whole vehicle is slightly greater than the current power generation power, only the power battery discharge power is adjusted; when the load power is slightly less than the current power generation power, only the power battery discharge power is adjusted; when the load power is much greater than the current power generation power, a better advantage is found according to the engine characteristic map, and the engine speed and generator power are increased; when the load power is much less than the current power generation power, the engine speed and generator power are appropriately reduced. In this way, both the engine thermal efficiency and the motor conversion efficiency are taken into account, and the fuel consumption loss caused by the engine load fluctuation is avoided.

[0063] Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned harvesting and grain unloading operations, the harvester control method of the embodiment of the present application also includes the following steps for the field transfer operation: controlling the engine to drive the generator to generate electricity at a constant speed and power to drive the travel motor, and controlling the charging and discharging of the power battery to compensate for the power fluctuation of the travel motor; or controlling only the power battery to provide power to the travel motor, and until the SOC of the power battery is lower than the preset lower limit, starting the engine to run within a preset power range to provide power to the travel motor and charge the power battery, and controlling the engine to stop when the SOC of the power battery reaches the preset upper limit. The control scheme under the field transfer operation will be specifically introduced below, so it will not be repeated here.

[0064] The above article actually proposes a power control strategy for hybrid combine harvesters for harvesting, unloading and transfer operations. Figure 4 is a flow chart of an example power control strategy executed by the harvester control method of the embodiment of the present application, combined with Figure 4 , the above power control strategy can be described as:

[0065] According to the battery's SOC state, calculate the battery's charging and discharging power limits (for example, recorded as SOC_MAX). When the SOC is high, limit the battery's charging power; when the SOC is low, limit the battery's discharging power. Then calculate whether the current power generation is within the range that can maintain the dynamic balance of the whole machine's energy flow (i.e., the vehicle load power). If so, maintain the current range extender power to maintain the current engine load stability. If not, select the adjacent higher (if the current power generation is low) or lower (if the current power generation is high) operating point in the operating range that takes into account the efficiency of the engine and generator (determined by the engine performance MAP diagram).

[0066] Furthermore, combined with Figure 4 , a hybrid energy-saving control strategy can be developed for the hybrid combine harvester of the embodiment of the present application, for example, a dynamic battery energy management and range extender power control strategy is constructed with the power consumption of each motor, the power battery SOC, the BMS charge and discharge power meter, the engine MAP, and the generator MAP as inputs. This strategy takes into account the SOC level, power demand, range extender energy efficiency curve, engine energy efficiency, etc., regulates the charge and discharge of the power battery, and makes the generator and engine work in the high-efficiency area at the same time to achieve energy efficiency optimization of the entire system.

[0067] In addition to the above-mentioned power control strategy, the harvester control method of the embodiment of the present application also involves the following anti-blocking control strategy, driving control strategy, kinetic energy recovery strategy, etc.

[0068] With respect to the anti-blocking control strategy, the harvester control method further includes: acquiring load change information of the operating components in each operating system, and adjusting the walking speed of the harvester in combination with the load change information and the current power generation power to ensure the normal operation of the corresponding operating components.

[0069] For example, in order to address the complex and changeable crop-related parameters and give full play to the advantages of electric drive, a motor power change curve is established for the changes in roller load and bridge load (through the real-time speed and torque feedback of the roller motor and bridge motor) (this curve reflects the power and torque size and change trend of the bridge and roller, in order to monitor and predict the roller load), and the current power generation situation is taken into consideration to adaptively adjust the walking operation speed in real time to prevent roller blockage, ultimately achieving maximum feeding amount for harvesting operations and realizing efficient operations.

[0070] With respect to the driving control strategy, the harvester control method further includes: obtaining and performing four-wheel drive control, two-wheel drive control or switching between the two for the harvester based on the torque change information of the travel motor, the vehicle posture information and the vehicle power demand information.

[0071] For example, according to different working conditions, the travel system can be switched to front two-wheel drive, rear two-wheel drive, or front and rear four-wheel drive by real-time monitoring of the change in travel motor torque, the vehicle posture and the vehicle power demand. For example, when harvesting, the travel system gives priority to the front two-wheel drive to meet better steering performance and energy saving. When climbing a slope or the road surface is undulating, the rear two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive is given priority to meet the power requirements. When driving at low speed on a flat road, the front two-wheel drive is given priority to meet the steering and energy-saving requirements. When driving at high speed on a flat road, four-wheel drive is turned on to meet the power requirements. Accordingly, the embodiment of the present application can realize the switching of four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive travel modes, achieving a balance between power and economy.

[0072] Regarding the kinetic energy recovery strategy, for example, when braking downhill or in service, the travel motor will appropriately supplement the negative torque to reduce the braking distance and recover the energy during the braking process. When the combine harvester disconnects the main clutch (exits the operating state), the drum with the highest power is braked by the drum motor, and this part of the energy can also be recovered. The kinetic energy recovery strategy helps to reduce the braking distance of the harvester and recover the energy during the braking process to achieve energy-saving effects.

[0073] Combination Figure 4 The following describes in detail the control of harvesting operations, grain unloading operations and field transfer operations using the harvester control method of an embodiment of the present application.

[0074] 1. Harvesting operations.

[0075] During harvesting, the engine drives the generator to generate electricity, and supplies electricity to the travel motor, working motor and power battery. The above hybrid energy-saving control strategy is used to keep the target power of the range extender relatively constant, so as to maintain the engine load stable in the high-efficiency range in the MAP diagram, so as to achieve the purpose of fuel saving. During harvesting, the travel system gives priority to the front two-wheel drive to meet better steering performance and energy saving. At the same time, the load fluctuation of the working motor is smoothed by the charging and discharging of the power battery, and finally achieves the dynamic balance of "engine power = range extender power + battery power + travel and working motor power".

[0076] 2. Grain unloading operations.

[0077] When unloading grain, the engine load is far below the rated value and the engine thermal efficiency is very low. Therefore, when unloading grain, the engine can be stopped and the power battery can be used to drive the grain unloading motor to unload grain, thereby saving fuel. Alternatively, the engine can increase the power to near the optimal point of thermal efficiency, and the engine drives the generator to generate electricity. Part of the electricity is supplied to the grain unloading motor to complete the grain unloading work, and the excess electricity is used to charge the power battery.

[0078] 3. Transition operations.

[0079] During the transition, the engine, generator, power battery and travel motor are mainly working. Depending on the engine power and power battery capacity, the hybrid harvester can work in two states during the transition.

[0080] The first state is that the engine runs in a range with low fuel consumption and high range extender efficiency. This range is calibrated in advance by the generator MAP diagram and the engine MAP. In this range, the engine drives the generator to generate electricity at a relatively constant speed and power, thereby driving the travel motor to work. The power battery charges and discharges to compensate for the power fluctuations of the travel motor, and finally achieves a dynamic balance of "engine power = range extender power + power battery power".

[0081] The second state is that the travel motor is completely driven by the power battery. Only when the power battery SOC is lower than the lower limit of the preset value, the engine starts and continues to run in the range of lowest fuel consumption and highest range extender efficiency. This range is calibrated in advance by the generator MAP diagram and the engine MAP. At this time, the engine drives the generator to generate electricity to drive the travel motor, and the excess electric energy charges the power battery until the power battery SOC reaches the upper limit of the preset value. The engine stops and the travel system is completely driven by the power battery.

[0082] In practical applications, the engine operation range should be located in the overlap range of the lowest engine fuel consumption range and the highest generator energy efficiency range. If they do not overlap, consider running in the range with the highest comprehensive efficiency of the two. When transferring, the travel system can be switched to front two-wheel drive, rear two-wheel drive, or front and rear four-wheel drive according to the real-time road conditions. For example, when climbing a slope or the road surface is undulating, rear two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive is preferred to meet the power requirements. When driving at low speed on a flat road, front two-wheel drive is preferred to meet the needs of steering and energy saving. When driving at high speed on a flat road, four-wheel drive is turned on to meet the power requirements. When braking and going downhill, the vehicle controller can request negative torque from the travel motor to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle and achieve energy saving.

[0083] In this way, through the embodiments of the present application, the engine keeps working during the harvesting operation, the power battery is continuously charged and discharged to maintain the engine load balance, and there is no pure electric harvesting mode; in low-load conditions such as unloading operations, the engine can be turned off to avoid fuel consumption losses caused by repeated start and stop of the engine, while avoiding the engine running at low thermal efficiency, thereby achieving fuel saving effects, and avoiding deep charging and discharging of the power battery, thereby extending the life of the power battery; in transfer operations, power control strategies, anti-blocking control strategies, driving control strategies, kinetic energy recovery strategies, etc. can be flexibly executed to ensure the efficient operation, safe driving and energy-saving effects of the harvester.

[0084] Figure 5 The structure block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application is schematically shown. Figure 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a controller for a harvester, which may include: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor configured to call instructions from the memory and implement the above-mentioned harvester control method when executing the instructions. In the example, the controller is, for example, a vehicle controller of the harvester or a separately configured controller.

[0085] An embodiment of the present application also provides a machine-readable storage medium, on which instructions are stored, and the instructions are used to enable the machine to execute the above-mentioned harvester control method.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0087] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0088] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0089] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A step that specifies a function in one or more boxes.

[0090] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0091] The memory may include non-permanent memory in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0092] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer readable media does not include temporary computer readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0093] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

[0094] The above are only embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A hybrid power combine harvester, characterized in that: include: A hybrid powertrain, including a power battery and a range extender consisting of an engine and a generator; An operating system, comprising a plurality of operating components and a plurality of operating motors such that each operating component is driven by a motor; A travel system, comprising travel wheels and travel motors for driving corresponding travel wheels; and A control system, including a vehicle controller and a plurality of motor controllers corresponding to the working motors, the travel motors and the generators, wherein the vehicle controller is connected to the power battery, the motor controller and the engine; The hybrid power system responds to the power control strategy of the control system to provide power to the corresponding motors in the working system and the walking system to drive the harvester to walk and work.

2. The hybrid combine harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operation system includes a harvesting table system, a cleaning system, a threshing system, a grass chopping system and a grain unloading system; Furthermore, for each operating system, the operating components and their corresponding operating motors are: The working parts of the cutting platform system include a reel, a cutting knife, a cutting platform auger and a conveyor belt, wherein the reel is connected to the cutting platform auger, and the cutting knife, the cutting platform auger and the conveyor belt are connected to the bridge motor as the working motor; The operating parts of the cleaning system include a fan, a cleaning screen, a debris auger and a grain auger, wherein the fan is connected to the fan motor as the operating motor, and the cleaning screen, the debris auger and the grain auger are connected to the intermediate shaft motor as the operating motor through an intermediate shaft; The working parts of the threshing system include a threshing drum, and the threshing drum is connected to a drum motor serving as the working motor; The grass chopping system includes a chopper, and the chopper is connected to the intermediate shaft motor through the intermediate shaft; The grain unloading system includes a grain unloading device, and the grain unloading device is connected to a grain unloading motor serving as the operating motor.

3. The hybrid combine harvester according to claim 1, characterized in that: The travel system includes front wheels and rear wheels, and the travel motor includes a front axle motor and a rear axle motor corresponding to the front wheels and the rear wheels respectively, wherein the front axle motor and the rear axle motor cooperate to realize four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive of the harvester.

4. A harvester control method, characterized in that: The hybrid combine harvester according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: For harvesting operations, the range extender is controlled to operate continuously, and when the current power generation power is surplus relative to the load power of the entire vehicle, the power battery is charged, and when the load of the travel system or the operation system fluctuates, the charging and discharging of the power battery is adjusted to compensate for the load fluctuation, so as to ensure that the load of the range extender remains unchanged; and For grain unloading operations, the engine is turned off so that the vehicle load power is provided only by the power battery.

5. The harvester control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The harvester control method further comprises: When the difference between the vehicle load power and the current generated power is less than a first set threshold, only adjusting the discharge power of the power battery; When the vehicle load power is greater than the current generated power and the corresponding difference is greater than a second set threshold, while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery, increasing the speed of the engine and the power of the generator; and When the vehicle load power is less than the current generated power and the corresponding difference is greater than the second set threshold, the engine speed and the generator power are reduced while adjusting the discharge power of the power battery.

6. The harvester control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The harvester control method further comprises: When the engine speed is increased, the engine is controlled to operate in a high-efficiency power range determined according to an engine characteristic MAP.

7. The harvester control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The harvester control method further comprises: The load change information of the operating components in each operating system is obtained, and the walking speed of the harvester is adjusted in combination with the load change information and the current power generation to ensure the normal operation of the corresponding operating components.

8. The harvester control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The harvester control method further comprises: The torque change information of the travel motor, the vehicle posture information and the vehicle power demand information are obtained and four-wheel drive control, two-wheel drive control or switching between the two is performed on the harvester.

9. The harvester control method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that: The harvester control method further includes executing, for the field transfer operation: Control the engine to drive the generator to generate electricity at a constant speed and power to drive the travel motor to work, and control the charging and discharging of the power battery to compensate for the power fluctuation of the travel motor; or Control the power battery to provide power to the travel motor only, and until the SOC of the power battery is lower than a preset lower limit, start the engine to run within a preset power range to provide power to the travel motor and charge the power battery, and when the SOC of the power battery reaches a preset upper limit, control the engine to stop.

10. A controller for a harvester, characterized in that: include: a memory configured to store instructions; And a processor, configured to call instructions from the memory and implement the harvester control method described in any one of claims 4-9 when executing the instructions.

Images