CAPACITIVE PARAMETER MEASUREMENT IN A SELF-PROPELLED FIELD CHOPPER

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-propelled forage harvester and a method for controlling this forage harvester.

[0002] Typically, in a self-propelled forage harvester, several crop strands, especially two, are conveyed from a header into a processing channel. These crop strands form a crop flow within the harvester, which often has an uneven and / or non-rectangular cross-sectional distribution. With two crop strands, this often results in a crop flow with an M-shaped cross-sectional distribution. Such an uneven cross-sectional distribution of the crop flow leads to poorer chopping quality, which can result in a lower cut quality with excessively long crop pieces. Furthermore, an uneven and / or non-rectangular cross-sectional distribution of the crop flow leads to uneven wear of the forage harvester's components. This uneven wear of components such as knives, cracking rollers, etc., leads to unnecessarily shortened service life.

[0003] EP 3 300 581 B1 describes a forage harvester with a measuring bar that incorporates a multitude of sensors and at least partially penetrates the crop processing channel, the measuring bar being designed to detect lateral distribution within the crop processing channel. The sensors can be designed as capacitive sensors. According to EP 3 300 581 B1, a measuring bar is arranged in the intake channel, on a chopping drum, on a conditioning roller, or on a post-acceleration drum.

[0004] The present invention is based on the objective of providing an improved or at least an alternative embodiment of a self-propelled forage harvester with a measuring device.

[0005] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0006] The present invention is based on the general concept that a measuring device of the forage harvester has several spaced-apart electrodes, wherein these electrodes are arranged in an intermediate channel of a crop processing channel of the forage harvester and form several capacitors, wherein conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters can be determined by measuring the electrical capacitances of the several capacitors. In particular, the lateral distribution of the crop can be determined by means of the measured capacitances of all capacitors, and optimization and / or improvement of the lateral distribution of the crop can be achieved in the case of a non-uniform lateral distribution of the crop.

[0007] The self-propelled forage harvester according to the invention for taking in and processing crops comprises a header for taking in crops and a crop processing channel located downstream of the header. The header can have adjustable actuators, in particular unequally adjustable and / or differently adjustable actuators, for taking in the crops. The header can be designed such that the position and / or distance and / or rotational speed of one or more actuators of the header can be controlled.

[0008] The crop processing channel has an inlet chute for feeding the crop into the forage harvester, a chopping drum for processing the crop, and a post-acceleration drum for further accelerating the crop. Furthermore, the crop processing channel has an intermediate channel for conveying the crop from the chopping drum to the post-acceleration drum and a discharge chute for ejecting the crop.

[0009] The infeed channel for feeding the harvested crop can have adjustable actuators, in particular actuators that are unequally adjustable and / or have different adjustments, for feeding the crop. The crop processing channel, especially the infeed channel, can be designed such that the position and / or distance and / or rotational speed of one or more actuators of the infeed channel can be controlled. Such actuators can be, for example, infeed drums and / or pre-compression drums.

[0010] The chopping drum can be designed and / or mounted to rotate about a chopping drum pivot axis. The post-acceleration drum can also be designed and / or mounted to rotate about a post-acceleration drum pivot axis. The chopping drum pivot axis can be aligned parallel to the post-acceleration drum pivot axis.

[0011] The forage harvester is equipped with a measuring device for recording conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters. Conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters can include the cross-sectional distribution of the conveyed crop, its moisture content, its density, and / or its throughput rate.

[0012] The cross-sectional distribution of the conveyed crop may depend on the guidance of the crop in the header and / or on the guidance of the crop in the intake channel and / or on process parameters and / or on plant parameters.

[0013] The measuring device has several spaced-apart electrodes arranged in the intermediate channel of the crop processing channel, forming multiple capacitors. By measuring the electrical capacitances of these capacitors, conveying-specific and / or crop-specific parameters can be determined. Two spaced-apart electrodes can form one capacitor. The arrangement of the electrodes in the intermediate channel has the advantage that, for example, it is possible to measure the cross-sectional distribution of the conveyed crop upstream of the post-accelerator. In contrast, downstream of the post-accelerator, the shredded crop or chopped material is constricted to such an extent that measuring the cross-sectional distribution of the conveyed crop downstream of the post-accelerator is not meaningful, for example, for the area upstream of the post-accelerator.

[0014] The electrodes can each have a protective device, in particular a weakly conductive layer and / or a non-conductive layer. This protective device can be made of a non-metallic material. For non-contact measurement, the electrodes can be arranged within at least one wall of the intermediate channel.

[0015] The capacitance of the capacitors in the intermediate channel of the crop processing channel is influenced by the shredded crop or chopped material processed by chopping drums. Chopped material has a significantly higher permittivity compared to air. This higher permittivity can be attributed to a higher water content compared to air. This property causes the capacitance of a capacitor to change when the chopped material is closer to the capacitor than air. Therefore, by measuring the electrical capacitance of the capacitors, conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters can be determined. For example, a relative change in the lateral distribution of the chopped material results in a relative change in permeability and thus a relative change in the capacitance of the capacitors.Subsequently, the actuators of the header and / or the intake channel can be controlled based on the determined conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters. Such control of these actuators can result in a uniform and / or rectangular cross-sectional distribution of the harvested crop, thus achieving improved pre-compression, particularly uniform pre-compression. A further advantage is that this allows for maximum utilization of the forage harvester. The sensor system with capacitors is suitable for all commonly used crop types, as the condition of differing permittivity compared to air is generally met by the water content of the plants.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the electrodes are arranged within at least one wall of the intermediate channel. This eliminates the need for an additional measuring strip, which would increase the flow resistance. As a result, the flow resistance for the shredded crop or chopped material within the intermediate channel can be optimized, and in particular minimized, despite the presence of electrodes. This allows for non-contact measurement of the capacitor capacitances, eliminating the need to consider potential clogging of the shredded crop or chopped material when selecting the electrode installation location.

[0017] The intermediate channel can have multiple walls, in particular two opposing walls. Several, in particular all, electrodes can be arranged within a single wall of the intermediate channel or within multiple walls of the intermediate channel, in particular within two opposing walls of the intermediate channel. The electrodes can each have a protective device, wherein the protective devices can each be formed in a surface-locking manner with an inner surface within the intermediate channel.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the crop processing channel includes a conditioning unit for conditioning the crop. The conditioning unit is arranged between the chopping drum and the post-acceleration drum, with the electrodes located in the intermediate channel between the chopping drum and the conditioning unit. A corn cracker can be used as a conditioning unit. This allows conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters to be determined upstream of the conditioning unit.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the capacitors are arranged in the intermediate channel along a transverse direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the crop, and / or the electrodes of the capacitors are spaced apart from one another with respect to a vertical direction that is oriented perpendicular to the flow direction of the crop and perpendicular to the transverse direction, so that the crop can flow through the capacitors. The transverse direction can be aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the chopping drum and / or parallel to the axis of rotation of the post-acceleration drum.

[0020] The electrodes of the capacitors can be arranged within two opposing walls of the intermediate channel. The electrodes of a capacitor can be spaced up to 200 mm apart vertically, in particular 150 mm apart. An electrode of a capacitor can have a flow length in the flow direction and a transverse length in the transverse direction. The flow length of the electrode can be two to four times as long as the transverse length of the electrode. For example, the flow length of the electrode can be 40 mm, while the transverse length of the electrode can be 22 mm. Each electrode of all capacitors can have such a configuration.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, an electrode of one capacitor forms an intermediate capacitor with an electrode of at least one further capacitor, wherein the distance between these electrodes of the intermediate capacitor is greater than the distance between the electrodes of the capacitors. It can be provided that the distance between the electrodes of the capacitors corresponds to the distance between the electrodes in the vertical direction. To enable improved resolution of the cross-sectional distribution of the conveyed crop, not only the opposite electrodes are evaluated, but also electrodes further apart. Using a previously determined sensitivity distribution matrix, the cross-sectional distribution calculation can be improved by these additional measurements. The capacitances are determined, for example, via the transverse direction.After the run, the measurement results can be evaluated using the sensitivity distribution matrix and a permittivity distribution over the transverse direction can be determined.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, a single electrode is arranged vertically spaced from a plurality of electrodes, and this single electrode forms multiple capacitors with all the vertically spaced electrodes. The plurality of electrodes spaced from the single electrode can be arranged in a plane and / or coplanarly. It can be provided that the single electrode forms a capacitor simultaneously with each of the vertically spaced electrodes. This simultaneous measurement has the advantage that errors or deviations caused by temporal changes in the throughput of the shredded crop or chopped material are minimized.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the single electrode has a larger transverse dimension than the electrodes spaced apart vertically, and / or the single electrode has a larger transverse dimension than the sum of the transverse dimensions of all electrodes spaced apart vertically. This allows the shortest distance between the single electrode and all electrodes spaced apart vertically to be reduced.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, at least two electrodes spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction, whose position is identical in the vertical direction, form a transverse capacitor. It can be provided that all electrodes of the measuring device have an identical position in the vertical direction and are spaced apart from each other in a plane, whereby the capacitance between any two electrodes can be measured, since any two electrodes each form a transverse capacitor. In other words, all electrodes can be arranged coplanarly. This allows for a very compact design.

[0025] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the measuring device includes a control unit configured to detect the capacitance of the capacitors and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor and / or the capacitance of at least one shunt capacitor. The control unit is configured to determine the lateral distribution of the harvested crop using the detected capacitances. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to control actuators of the header and / or actuators of the feed chute based on the determined lateral distribution of the harvested crop. The control unit can be configured to control the actuators of the header and / or the actuators of the feed chute based on the determined lateral distribution of the harvested crop in such a way as to homogenize the lateral distribution of the harvested crop.

[0026] The control and regulation device can be designed to simultaneously and / or concurrently detect the capacitances of all capacitors and / or the capacitances of all intermediate capacitors and / or the capacitances of all shunt capacitors.

[0027] The control device can be configured to measure the capacitances of all capacitors and / or the capacitances of all intermediate capacitors and / or the capacitances of all shunt capacitors sequentially, particularly sequentially over time. In other words, the capacitance between two electrodes is determined, followed immediately by the capacitance between two further electrodes.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the measuring device comprises at least one AC voltage generator for generating an AC voltage, and / or the measuring device has at least one amplifier unit for amplifying a signal, and / or the measuring device has at least one electrical amplifier for converting an input current into a proportional output voltage, and / or the measuring device has at least one detector, in particular at least one logarithmic detector, for converting an AC voltage into a line signal, and / or the measuring device has at least one analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, in particular a digitally interpretable signal.

[0029] The AC voltage generator can be a direct digital synthesis unit. The amplifier unit can amplify an incoming signal by a fixed and / or adjustable factor. The electrical amplifier can be a transimpedance amplifier that converts an input current into a proportional output voltage. The logarithmic detector can be configured to convert the AC voltage from a transimpedance amplifier into a power signal. The measuring device can have one or more connection components. A connection component can be an input component or an output component. Additional components, particularly sensors, can be connected to such a connection component.

[0030] In this configuration, the AC voltage generator can be electrically connected to the amplifier unit, which can be electrically connected to the first electrode of a capacitor via a connection component that forms an output stage. A second electrode of the capacitor can be positioned at a distance from the first electrode. Electrical conduction between the first and second electrodes is suppressed or does not occur. The second electrode of the capacitor can be electrically connected to another connection component that forms an input stage. This additional connection component can be electrically connected to the transimpedance amplifier. The transimpedance amplifier can be electrically connected to the detector, particularly the logarithmic detector.The detector, particularly the logarithmic detector, can be electrically connected to the amplifier unit. The amplifier unit can be electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter can be connected to another component, which forms an output component.

[0031] In an advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, at least one capacitor has two electrodes, wherein these electrodes are spaced 130 mm to 180 mm apart, in particular 150 mm, with respect to the vertical direction, and / or at least one capacitor has at least one electrode that has different lengths with respect to the transverse direction and the flow direction. This allows the design of the capacitor to be optimized with respect to the measurements of the electrical capacitances.

[0032] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method, in particular a computer-implemented method, for controlling a self-propelled forage harvester according to the invention, comprising the steps of: detecting the capacitance of the capacitors and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor and / or the capacitance of at least one transverse capacitor, determining the transverse distribution of the harvested material based on the detected capacitances, and controlling the actuators of the header and / or the actuators of the intake channel depending on the determined transverse distribution of the harvested material.

[0033] Capacitance measurement can be performed using various methods. These include charging / discharging, oscillation, and / or alternating current (AC) measurements. Capacitance can be measured in or with a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) field. The AC field can operate at a frequency from the low-frequency spectrum, specifically up to 10 MHz, 30 kHz, 3 kHz, 300 Hz, or 30 Hz. In particular, a frequency between 10 kHz and 10 MHz is suitable. Measurements can be performed serially or in parallel, meaning that individual capacitance measurements can be taken simultaneously or sequentially.

[0034] Capacitance measurements and digitization can preferably be achieved using an AC voltage method. Other possible circuits include, for example, an RC resonant circuit, an LC resonant circuit, or a charge / discharge circuit. The advantage of AC voltage measurement is its high immunity to stray capacitances and the high sampling rates it allows. Furthermore, the AC voltage method allows the frequency dimension of the AC voltage to be included in the measurement. This has the advantage of enabling compensation for the influence of humidity in the measurement results.

[0035] If the throughput is unknown, the lateral distribution can be calculated relative to the quantity of material. This information is sufficient, for example, to inform machine actuators. An additional throughput sensor signal can convert the relative distribution into an absolute lateral distribution. This relative lateral distribution signal can then improve the throughput calculation, as it captures not only the maximum height but also areas of lower utilization. Consequently, the calibrated throughput signal can still provide reliable results even after adjustments to the feed rate, since the lateral distribution can be compensated for. Furthermore, the sensor can be used to measure the total throughput if the system is calibrated and the moisture signal is included in the calculation.

[0036] In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that the detection of the capacitance of the capacitors, in particular all capacitors, and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor and / or the capacitance of at least one shunt capacitor takes place successively, and / or that the detection of the capacitance of the capacitors, in particular all capacitors, and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor and / or the capacitance of at least one shunt capacitor takes place simultaneously.

[0037] A sequential measurement of capacitances can be described as a serial measurement process. In a serial measurement process, a single electrode pair is evaluated, and the capacitance of that pair is determined. The capacitances of all capacitors and / or all intermediate capacitors and / or all shunt capacitors can be recorded sequentially, specifically in a temporal sequence. After each measurement, the next electrode pair is activated and evaluated. To enable improved resolution of the lateral distribution of the shredded crop or chopped material, it can be implemented to evaluate not only electrodes opposite each other vertically, but also those further apart. Using a previously determined sensitivity distribution matrix, these additional measurements can improve the calculation of the lateral distribution.After the measurements have been completed, the results can be evaluated using the sensitivity distribution matrix and / or a permittivity distribution with respect to the transverse direction can be determined or calculated. This permittivity distribution can be used as a control parameter for optimizing the transverse distribution of the shredded crop or chopped material. The permittivity distribution can also be used to control the actuators of the header and / or the actuators of the feed chute.

[0038] A simultaneous measurement of capacitance can be performed, for example, using a single counter electrode. This single counter electrode can be spaced vertically from a multitude of other electrodes. The single counter electrode can then form a capacitor with each of these multiple electrodes, allowing the capacitances of these capacitors to be simultaneously detected and measured. An AC voltage approach can be used for this purpose. A harmonic signal can be applied to the counter electrode. The capacitances can be continuously evaluated on one side of the sensor. This has the advantage of minimizing errors caused by changes in throughput over time. By measuring the lateral distribution, the throughput signal of the forage harvester can be optimized. This allows for the compensation of inconsistencies in the harvested material, for example, within a mat of material.Information about the lateral distribution complements, for example, a measurement of the throughput and can reduce the calibration effort, since the calibration performed is still permissible even with changes in the feed rate.

[0039] In an advantageous further development of the solution according to the invention, it is provided that an optimization of the lateral distribution of the harvested crop is initiated in the case of a non-uniform lateral distribution of the harvested crop, wherein for this purpose the actuators of the header and / or the actuators of the intake channel are controlled depending on the determined lateral distribution of the harvested crop. This allows an optimization and / or improvement of the lateral distribution of the harvested crop to be achieved in the case of a non-uniform lateral distribution of the harvested crop.

[0040] Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program, in particular a computer program product, comprising instructions that cause the device according to the invention to perform the process steps according to the invention.

[0041] Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium on which the computer program according to the invention is located.

[0042] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0043] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

[0044] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0045] They show, schematically, Fig. 1 a self-propelled forage harvester according to the prior art, Fig. 2 a two-strand intake according to the prior art, Fig. 3 a transverse distribution of crop material between intake drums according to the prior art, Fig. 3a a transverse distribution of crop material between intake drums according to the invention, Fig. 4 a cross-section of a crop processing channel according to the invention, Fig. 5 a cross-section of a measuring device according to the invention, Fig. 6 a cross-section of a further measuring device according to the invention, Fig. 7 a cross-section through a capacitor according to the invention, and Fig. 8 a measuring circuit according to the invention for determining the transverse distribution of crop material.

[0046] The Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a self-propelled forage harvester 1 representing the state of the art. The forage harvester 1 has a header 3 for taking in crop 2. During operation, the forage harvester 1 travels in a direction FR through a crop stand 2 and takes in the crop 2 with the header 3. During harvesting, the crop 2 is cut by the header 3. The cut crop 2 forms a crop flow 102, which is conveyed along a conveying direction 101.

[0047] The header 3 is interchangeably mounted on the forage harvester 1. Depending on the crop 2 and the intended harvesting purpose, various headers 3 can be used. Examples of headers 3 include a pick-up, a corn header, a mower (direct disc), a corn picker, or a cutting unit, particularly with a reel.

[0048] The header 3 picks up the crop 2 and conveys it to a crop processing channel 4 of the forage harvester 1, where the crop processing channel 4 processes the crop 2 and then conveys it to a discharge spout 100 of the forage harvester 1. The crop processing channel 4 is downstream of the header 3 with respect to the conveying direction 101.

[0049] The crop processing channel 4 has an inlet channel 5 for feeding the crop 2 into the forage harvester 1, a chopping drum 6 for processing the crop 2, and a post-acceleration drum 7 for further accelerating the crop 2. The crop processing channel 4 also has an intermediate channel 8 for conveying the crop 2 from the chopping drum 6 to the post-acceleration drum 7, wherein the intermediate channel 8 is arranged and / or formed between the chopping drum 6 and the post-acceleration drum 7 with respect to the conveying direction 101. Furthermore, the crop processing channel 4 has a discharge chute 9 for ejecting the crop 2, wherein the discharge chute 9 is arranged and / or formed downstream of the post-acceleration drum 7 with respect to the conveying direction 101. The discharge spout 100 of the forage harvester 1 is arranged and / or designed behind the discharge chute 9 with respect to the conveying direction 101.

[0050] The feed channel 5 for supplying the crop 2 can have adjustable actuators 103, 104, 105 and 106, in particular actuators that are unequally adjustable and / or differently adjustable, for supplying the crop 2. The crop processing channel 4, in particular the feed channel 5, can be designed such that the position and / or distance and / or rotational speed of one or more actuators of the feed channel 2 can be controlled. Such actuators can be, for example, feed drums 103, 104 and / or pre-compression drums 105, 106.

[0051] The intake channel 5 can have two counter-rotating intake drums 103, 104 and two counter-rotating pre-compression drums 105, 106. The two intake drums 103, 104 and the two pre-compression drums 105, 106 are arranged essentially one above the other in the vertical direction 16. The crop 3 is guided between the two intake drums 103, 104 and between the two pre-compression drums 105, 106.

[0052] A top view of a two-strand feeder with a front attachment 3 is shown, for example, in the Fig. 2 As shown. Typically, in the self-propelled forage harvester 1, several strands of crop, in particular two strands, are conveyed from a header 3 into the crop processing channel 4. These strands of crop form the crop flow 102 in the self-propelled forage harvester 4, which often does not have a uniform and / or rectangular cross-sectional distribution. Such a non-uniform and / or non-rectangular cross-sectional distribution of the crop is exemplified in the Fig. 3 depicted.

[0053] In the Fig. 3 The two intake drums 103 and 104 are shown as examples, spaced apart from each other with respect to a vertical direction 16 that is oriented transversely to the flow direction 15 of the crop 2 and transversely to the transverse direction 14. The transverse direction 14 can be parallel, in particular always parallel, to the chopping drum axis of rotation of the chopping drum 6 and / or parallel, in particular always parallel, to the post-acceleration drum axis of rotation of the post-acceleration drum 7. The flow direction 15 can be oriented parallel to a tangent of the conveying direction 101 and / or parallel to a tangent of the crop flow 102. The chopping drum axis of rotation of the chopping drum 6 and / or the post-acceleration drum axis of rotation of the post-acceleration drum 7 can be oriented transversely to the direction of travel F.

[0054] As from the Fig. 3 When two crop streams are harvested, the resulting crop flow often has an M-shaped cross-sectional distribution. Such an uneven cross-sectional distribution leads to poorer chopping quality, which can result in a lower cutting quality and excessively long crop pieces. Furthermore, a non-uniform and / or non-rectangular cross-sectional distribution of the crop flow leads to uneven wear of the forage harvester's components. This uneven wear of components such as knives, cracking rollers, etc., leads to unnecessarily shortened service lives.

[0055] The Fig. 3a bis 8 refer to the field chopper 1 according to the invention, in which the differences from the prior art according to the Fig. 1 bis 3 are shown.

[0056] The Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows a crop processing channel 4 according to the invention, which has a measuring device 10 for recording conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters. The measuring device 10 has several spaced-apart electrodes 11, which are arranged in the intermediate channel 8 of the crop processing channel 4 and form several capacitors 12. The conveying-specific parameters and / or crop-specific parameters can be determined by measuring the electrical capacitances of the several capacitors 12.

[0057] In contrast to the simplified representation in the Fig. 4 The electrodes 11 are arranged within at least one wall 110 or several walls 110 of the intermediate channel 8, such that the electrodes 11 do not create any flow resistance for the crop 2. This is exemplified in the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 hinted at.

[0058] As from the Fig. 4 As can be seen, the crop processing channel 4 can have a conditioning unit 13 for conditioning the crop 2. The conditioning unit 13 is arranged between the chopping drum 6 and the post-acceleration drum 7 with respect to the conveying direction 101. In such a configuration, the electrodes 11 are arranged in the intermediate channel 8 between the chopping drum 6 and the conditioning unit 13.

[0059] As in the Fig. 5 As shown, the capacitors 12 are arranged in the intermediate channel 8 along a transverse direction 14 perpendicular to the flow direction 15 of the crop 2. The capacitors 12 can be spaced apart from each other with respect to the transverse direction 14. The electrodes 11 of the capacitors 12 are spaced apart with respect to a vertical direction 16, which is oriented perpendicular to the flow direction 15 of the crop 2 and perpendicular to the transverse direction 14, so that the crop 2 can flow through the capacitors 12.

[0060] The Fig. 5 This indicates that an electrode 11 of a capacitor 12 can form an intermediate capacitor 17 with an electrode 11 of at least one other capacitor 12. The distance between the electrodes 11 of the intermediate capacitor 17 is greater than the distance between the electrodes 11 of the capacitors 12. Fig. 5 indicates that at least two electrodes 11 spaced apart from each other with respect to the transverse direction 14, whose position with respect to the vertical direction 16 is the same, can form a transverse capacitor 30.

[0061] The Fig. 6 Figure 11 shows by way of example that a single electrode 11 can be arranged at a distance from a plurality of electrodes 11 with respect to the vertical direction 16, wherein this single electrode 11 forms several capacitors 12 with all the electrodes 11 spaced apart with respect to the vertical direction 16. The single electrode 11 has a larger extent with respect to the transverse direction 14 than the electrodes 11 spaced apart with respect to the vertical direction 16. In addition, the single electrode 11 has a larger extent along the transverse direction 14 than the sum of the transverse extents of all electrodes 11 spaced apart with respect to the vertical direction 16 from the single or longer electrode 11. Also in the Fig. 6 At least two electrodes 11 spaced apart from each other with respect to the transverse direction 14, whose position with respect to the vertical direction 16 is the same, can form a transverse capacitor 30.

[0062] The Fig. 7 shows an example of the structure of a capacitor 12 of the Fig. 5 The capacitor 12 comprises two electrodes 11, which are spaced apart from each other with respect to the vertical direction 16 such that a crop 2 can flow between these two electrodes 11. Each electrode 11 has a protective layer 21, in particular a weakly conductive layer and / or a non-conductive layer. These protective layers 21 can be made of a non-metallic material. The protective layer 21 covers the electrodes 11 in such a way that an electrical current flow between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 11 is suppressed or does not form. Therefore, the presence of a capacitor 12 with a capacitance is always ensured. However, an electric field forms between the two electrodes 11 of the capacitor 12.

[0063] In this example, harvest crop 2 exhibits the Fig. 7 a height thickness 31, which is, for example, smaller than the distance between the protective devices 21 with respect to the vertical direction 16. Between the harvested crop 2 and the in Fig. 7 Air 22 is present in the upper protective device 21 and is symbolized by the white area. The air 22 has a different permittivity compared to the crop 2, so the capacitance of the capacitor 12 depends on the amount of crop 2 flowing through it.

[0064] The crop 2 changes the permittivity of the space between the protective devices 21, through which the electric field penetrates. The change in the capacitance of the capacitor depends on the permittivity. This change depends on both the material of the crop 2 and the material / air ratio. Since the crop 2 can be assumed to be constant across its width, the capacitance signal of the capacitor 12 depends on the amount of crop 2 in the capacitor 12. When calculating the capacitance of the capacitor, the permittivity of the protective devices 21 must also be taken into account. Furthermore, the height 31 of the crop 2 with respect to the vertical direction 16 must be considered when calculating the capacitance signal of the capacitor 12. Finally, the vertical distance 32 between the protective devices 21 with respect to the vertical direction 16 must also be considered when calculating the capacitance signal of the capacitor 12.When calculating the capacitance signal of the capacitor 12, the height thickness 36 of the protective devices 21 with respect to the height direction 16 must be taken into account.

[0065] According to the Fig. 4 The measuring device 10 includes a control and regulating device 18 configured to detect the capacitance of the capacitors 12 and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor 17 and / or the capacitance of at least one shunt capacitor 30. Furthermore, the control and regulating device 18 is configured to determine the lateral distribution of the harvested crop 2 using the detected capacitances and to control actuators of the header 3 and / or actuators of the feed channel 5 based on the determined lateral distribution of the harvested crop 2. The header 3 can be configured for this purpose such that the position and / or distance and / or rotational speed of one or more actuators of the header 3 (not shown) can be controlled.The crop processing channel 4, in particular the intake channel 5, can be configured such that the position and / or spacing and / or rotational speed of one or more actuators 103, 104, 105 and / or 106 of the intake channel can be controlled. For example, a pre-compression device 107 with several hydraulic cylinders 108 and / or electric cylinders 108 can be provided, which adjusts the spacing between the intake drums 103, 104 and / or the spacing between the pre-compression drums 105, 106. For example, the control and regulating device 18 can adjust these spacings such that, for example, an optimal lateral distribution of the crop 2 is achieved. Such an optimal lateral distribution of the crop 2 is, for example, in the Fig. 3a shown, with the spacing between the feed drums 103, 104 compared to the Fig. 3 was reduced for optimization purposes.

[0066] According to the Fig. 8 The measuring device 10 comprises at least one AC voltage generator 23 for generating an AC voltage, an amplifier unit 24 for amplifying a signal, an electrical amplifier 26 for converting an input current into a proportional output voltage, a detector 27, in particular at least one logarithmic detector, for converting an AC voltage into a line signal, a further amplifier unit 28 for amplifying a signal, and at least one analog-to-digital converter 29 for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, in particular a digitally interpretable signal.

[0067] The AC voltage generator 23 is electrically connected to the amplifier unit 24, the amplifier unit 24 being electrically connected via a connection component 25, which forms an output component, to a first electrode 11 of a capacitor 12. An input signal 19 for the capacitor 12 in the form of an AC voltage is transmitted to the first electrode 11 of the capacitor 12. A second electrode 11 of the capacitor 4 is arranged at a distance from the first electrode 11. An electrical current between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 11 is suppressed or does not form. The second electrode 11 of the capacitor 12 can be electrically connected to another connection component 25, which forms an input component. In this case, an output signal 20 of the capacitor 12 is transmitted to the connection component 25.The additional connection component 25 can be electrically connected to the transimpedance amplifier 26. The transimpedance amplifier 26 can be electrically connected to the detector 27, in particular the logarithmic detector. The detector 27, in particular the logarithmic detector, can be electrically connected to the amplifier unit 28. The amplifier unit 28 can be electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter 29. The analog-to-digital converter 29 can be connected to another connection component 25, which forms an output component. The control and regulation device 18 can be configured to control the AC voltage generator 23 and to read or measure the capacitances of the capacitors 12. Bezugszeichenliste

[0068] 1 Forage harvester 2 Crop, crop stock 3 Header 4 Crop processing channel 5 Infeed channel 6 Chopping drum 7 Post-acceleration drum 8 Intermediate channel 9 Discharge chute 10 Measuring device 11 Electrode 12 Capacitor 13 Conditioning device 14 Transverse direction 15 Flow direction 16 Vertical direction 17 Intermediate capacitor 18 Control and regulation device 19 Input signal 20 Output signal 21 Protective device 22 Air 23 AC voltage generator 24 Amplifier unit 25 Connection component 26 Electrical amplifier 27 Detector, in particular logarithmic detector 28 Amplifier unit 29 Analog-to-digital converter 30 Transverse capacitor 31 Crop thickness 32 Height spacing of protective devices 33 Height thickness of the protective devices 100 discharge spout 101 conveying direction 102 crop flow 103, 104 intake drums 105, 106 pre-compression drums 107 pre-compression device 108, 109 hydraulic cylinder and / or electric cylinder 110 wall FR direction of travel

Claims

1. A self-propelled forage harvester (1) for picking up and treating harvested material (2), - with a front attachment (3) for picking up harvested material (2), and - with a harvested material processing channel (4), which is downstream of the front attachment (3), - wherein the harvested material processing channel (4) has an intake channel (5) for feeding the harvested material (2) into the forage harvester (1), - wherein the harvested material processing channel (4) has a chopping drum (6) for processing the harvested material (2), - wherein the harvested material processing channel (4) has a post-acceleration drum (7) for post-acceleration of the harvested material (2), - wherein the harvested material processing channel (4) has an intermediate channel (8) for the further transport of the harvested material (2) from the chopping drum (6) to the post-acceleration drum (7), - wherein the harvested material processing channel (4) has a discharge chute (9) for discharging the harvested material (2), - wherein the forage harvester (1) has a measuring device (10) for detecting conveying-specific parameters and / or material-specific parameters, - in that the measuring device (10) has a plurality of electrodes (11) which are spaced apart from each other, characterized in that - the electrodes (11) are disposed in the intermediate channel (8) of the harvested material processing channel (4) and form a plurality of capacitors (12), - wherein the conveying-specific parameters and / or material-specific parameters can be determined by measurements of the electrical capacitances of the plurality of capacitors (12).

2. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device (10) is configured to determine a transverse distribution of the harvested material (2) by means of the measured capacitances of all of the capacitors (12) and to initiate an optimization of the transverse distribution of the harvested material (2) in the case of a non-uniform transverse distribution of the harvested material (2).

3. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the electrodes (11) are disposed within at least one wall (110) of the intermediate channel (8).

4. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the harvested material processing channel (4) has a conditioning device (13) for conditioning the harvested material (2), - wherein the conditioning device (13) is disposed between the chopping drum (6) and the post-acceleration drum (7), - wherein the electrodes (11) are disposed in the intermediate channel (8) between the chopping drum (6) and the conditioning device (13).

5. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the capacitors (12) in the intermediate channel (8) are disposed along a transverse direction (14) transversely to the direction of flow (15) of the harvested material (2), and / or - the electrodes (11) of the capacitors (12) are spaced apart from each other with respect to a height direction (16) which is orientated transversely to the direction of flow (15) of the harvested material (2) and transversely to the transverse direction (14), so that the harvested material (2) can flow through the capacitors (12).

6. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - an electrode (11) of a capacitor (12) forms an intermediate capacitor (17) with an electrode (11) of at least one further capacitor (12), - wherein the distance between these electrodes (11) of the intermediate capacitor (17) is greater than the separation of the electrodes (11) of the capacitors (12).

7. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - a single electrode (11) is disposed spaced apart from a plurality of electrodes (11) with respect to the height direction (16), - wherein this single electrode (11) forms a plurality of capacitors (12) with all of the electrodes (11) being spaced apart with respect to the height direction (16).

8. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that - the single electrode (11) has a larger extent with respect to the transverse direction (14) than the electrodes (11) which are spaced apart with respect to the height direction (16), and / or - the single electrode (11) has a larger extent along the transverse direction (14) than the sum of the transverse extents of all of the electrodes (11) which are spaced apart with respect to the height direction.

9. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two electrodes (11) which are spaced apart from each other with respect to the transverse direction (14) and which are at positions which coincide with respect to the height direction (16) form a transverse capacitor (30).

10. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the measuring device (10) has a controlling and regulating device (18) which is configured to detect the capacitance of the capacitors (12) and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor (17) and / or the capacitance of at least one transverse capacitor (30), - wherein the controlling and regulating device (18) is configured to determine the transverse distribution of the harvested material (2) by means of the detected capacitances, - wherein the controlling and regulating device (18) is configured to control actuators of the front attachment (3) and / or actuators of the intake channel (5) with the aid of the determined transverse distribution of the harvested material (2).

11. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the measuring device (10) has at least one alternating voltage generator (23) for generating an alternating voltage, and / or - the measuring device (10) has at least one amplifier unit (24, 28) for amplifying a signal, and / or - the measuring device (10) has at least one electrical amplifier (26) for converting an input current into a proportional output voltage, and / or - the measuring device (10) has at least one detector (27), in particular at least one logarithmic detector, for converting an alternating voltage into a line signal, and / or - the measuring device (10) has at least one analogue-to-digital converter (29) for converting an analogue signal into a digital signal.

12. The self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - at least one capacitor (12) has two electrodes (11), wherein these electrodes (11) have a separation of 130 mm to 180 mm, in particular 150 mm, with respect to the height direction (16), and / or - at least one capacitor (12) has at least one electrode (11) which has different lengths with respect to the transverse direction (14) and with respect to the direction of flow (15).

13. A method for controlling a self-propelled forage harvester (1) according to one of the preceding claims, with the steps of: - detecting the capacitance of the capacitors (12) and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor (17) and / or the capacitance of at least one transverse capacitor (30), - determining the transverse distribution of the harvested material (2) on the basis of the detected capacities, - controlling the actuators of the front attachment (3) and / or the actuators of the intake channel (5) as a function of the determined transverse distribution of the harvested material (2).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that - the detection of the capacitance of the capacitors (12) and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor (17) and / or the capacitance of at least one transverse capacitor (30) is carried out sequentially over time, and / or - the detection of the capacitance of the capacitors (12) and / or the capacitance of at least one intermediate capacitor (17) and / or the capacitance of at least one transverse capacitor (30) is carried out simultaneously.

15. The method according to claim 13 or claim 14, characterized in that an optimization of the transverse distribution of the harvested material (2) is initiated in the case of a non-uniform transverse distribution of the harvested material (2), wherein to this end, the actuators of the front attachment (3) and / or the actuators of the intake channel (5) are controlled as a function of the determined transverse distribution of the harvested material (2).