SPREADER WITH TORQUE MEASUREMENT CONTROL AT THE SPREADING EQUIPMENT AND IMPOSING THE CROSS-SECTION

Abstract

SPREADER WITH TORQUE MEASUREMENT REGULATION ON THE SPREADING MECHANISMS AND CROSS-SECTION CONTROL. The invention relates to a spreader (100) for organic matter (50) comprising a hopper (102), an opening (106), a motorized moving floor (104), motorized spreading mechanisms (110) mounted for rotation, a motorized door (112) movable at the opening (106), a weight measurement device for the hopper (102), a torque measurement device (118) for the spreading mechanisms (110), and a control unit (120) receiving the torque measurement, the weight measurement, the height measurement of the door (112), and the speed measurement of the moving floor (104), calculating the speed that the moving floor (104) must have to maintain a target mass flow rate based on this information, and controlling the first motorized system (108) to ensure that the moving floor (104) has this speed. Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: SPREADER WITH REGULATION BY TORQUE MEASUREMENT OF THE SPREADING COMPONENTS AND IMPOSITION OF THE PASSING SECTION technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spreader which allows the spreading of organic matter on the ground and which is equipped with a moving floor control system based in particular on a measurement of the torque of the spreading elements. PREVIOUS STATE OF THE ART

[0002] A spreader ensures the spreading of organic matter such as manure on the soil.

[0003] The spreader conventionally comprises a box with an opening at the rear and a moving floor, conventionally an endless belt, which is placed in the bottom of the box and which receives the organic matter.

[0004] The spreader also includes several spreading elements arranged at the opening and mounted to rotate about vertical or horizontal axes to spread the organic matter at the rear of the spreader. Some versions include both elements as described above to break up the product to be spread and direct it towards discs with vertical axes, whose main function is then to disperse it onto the ground by centrifugal projection.

[0005] Organic matter generally exhibits varying densities because the mixture is not homogeneous.

[0006] To ensure balanced spreading of organic matter, various control systems are known, but none gives complete satisfaction. Description of the invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to propose a spreader comprising a control system which is based on a measurement of the torque of the spreading elements.

[0008] To this end, a spreader is proposed for spreading organic matter on soil, said spreader comprising:

[0009] - a case having an opening at the rear,

[0010] - a moving bottom which is disposed in the bottom of the case and intended to receive the organic matter,

[0011] - a first motorized system arranged to drive the moving floor towards the opening,

[0012] - a speed measuring device arranged to measure the speed of the moving floor,

[0013] - several spreading devices arranged at the opening and configured to spread the organic matter to the rear of the spreader, where each spreading element is mounted to rotate freely,

[0014] - a second motorized system arranged to drive the spreading devices in rotation,

[0015] - a door mounted movable in vertical translation on the body at the level of the opening,

[0016] - a third motorized system arranged to move the door alternately towards Up or down to, respectively, widen or narrow the opening,

[0017] - a height measuring device arranged to measure the height of the door,

[0018] - a weight measuring device arranged to measure the weight of matter organic material embedded in the crate

[0019] - a torque measuring device arranged to measure the torque consumed by the spreading devices, and

[0020] - a control unit arranged to receive the torque measurement from the device torque measurement, weight measurement of the weight measuring device, height measurement of the door of the height measuring device, speed measurement of the moving floor of the speed measuring device, calculate a speed that the moving floor must have to meet a target mass flow rate from this information, and control the first motorized system so that the moving floor has this speed.

[0021] Advantageously, the second motorized system comprises an engine and a transmission system arranged between the engine and the spreading elements and comprising a transmission shaft and the torque measuring device is arranged to measure the torque exerted on the transmission shaft.

[0022] Advantageously, the transmission system further comprises a distribution box and for each spreading element, a transmission subsystem, and the distribution box is arranged to transmit the rotation of the transmission shaft to each transmission subsystem.

[0023] Advantageously, the transmission shaft is connected to the second motorized system and the distribution housing through a universal joint.

[0024] Advantageously, the torque measuring device comprises two asymmetrical metallic collars, each fixed to one end of the transmission shaft, and, for each collar, an inductive sensor connected to the control unit and arranged to capture the position of said collar.

[0025] Advantageously, the torque measuring device is a torque meter mounted in series on the transmission shaft or on the cardan joints. Brief description of the drawings

[0026] The features of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will become clearer upon reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0027] [Fig-1] is a schematic representation of a spreader according to the invention,

[0028] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of an example of a system of transmission implemented in a spreader according to the invention,

[0029] [Fig.3] is a side view of a collar implemented in the transmission system of the [Fig.2],

[0030] [Fig.4] is a representation of signals measured by a measuring device torque implemented in the spreader according to the invention, and

[0031] [Fig.5] is an example of nomograms for models of height evolution of door depending on the organic matter to be spread.

[0032] DETAILED STATEMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS

[0033] Figure 1 shows a spreader 100 according to the invention. The spreader 100 ensures the spreading of an organic material 50 on a soil.

[0034] The spreader 100 includes a crate 102 which has an opening 106 at the rear and the organic matter 50 is stored in the crate 102. The spreader 100 also includes a control unit 120.

[0035] The spreader 100 also includes a moving floor 104 which is arranged horizontally in the bottom of the crate 102. The organic matter 50 is deposited on the moving floor 104. The moving floor 104 takes, for example, the form of an endless belt mounted between several rollers 104a-b, at least one of which (here the rear roller 104a) is driven in rotation by a first motorized system 108 controlled by the control unit 120.

[0036] Generally, the first motorized system 108 is arranged to drive the moving floor 104 and the organic matter 50 towards the opening 106 in a direction of movement from front to back according to the arrow 10.

[0037] The spreader 100 also includes a speed measuring device which communicates with the control unit 120 and which is arranged to measure the speed of the moving floor 104. The speed measuring device may be, for example, an inductive sensor, an optical sensor or others.

[0038] The spreader 100 also includes several spreading elements 110 (here there are two) which can take different forms such as discs with blades or hedgehogs which extend over a greater height.

[0039] The spreading elements 110 are arranged at the opening 106, and each spreading element 110 is mounted to rotate about an axis that can be vertical or horizontal. Each spreading element 110 is thus arranged to spread or homogenize the organic matter 50 which it receives from the moving floor 104 at the rear of the spreader 100 when said spreading element 110 is animated by a rotational movement.

[0040] The spreader 100 also includes a second motorized system 114 controlled by the control unit 120 and arranged to drive the spreading elements 110 in rotation.

[0041] In the embodiment of the invention shown in [Fig.1] and [Fig.2], the second motorized system 114 comprises a motor 114a and a transmission system 115 arranged between the motor 114a and the spreading devices 110.

[0042] Here the transmission system 115 includes a transmission shaft 116 which is disposed between the motor 114a and the spreading elements 110 and the transmission system 115 ensures the transmission of the movement of the motor 114a to each spreading element 110. Thus any rotational movement of the motor 114a causes the rotational movement of the spreading elements 110, in particular through the transmission shaft 116.

[0043] The transmission shaft 116 is here arranged under the body 102 and it is mounted to rotate freely relative to the body 102 by the placement at each of its ends of the bearings 208a-b.

[0044] The spreader 100 also includes a torque measuring device 118 which communicates with the control unit 120 and which is arranged to measure the torque consumed by the spreading elements 110 and which in the particular embodiment described here corresponds to the torque exerted on the transmission shaft 116 and which is the resultant of the motor torque transmitted by the second motorized system 114 and the resistive torque of the spreading elements 110 which are subjected to the organic matter 50.

[0045] The spreader 100 also includes a door 112 which is mounted movably in translation vertically on the casing 102 at the level of the opening 106. The door 112 is movable between an open position in which the door 112 does not close the opening 106 and a closed position, in which the door 112 closes the opening 106.

[0046] To carry out this movement, the spreader 100 includes a third motorized system which is controlled by the control unit 120 and which is arranged to move the door 112 alternately upwards or downwards to, respectively, widen or narrow the opening 106, as required.

[0047] In this embodiment, the door 112 is arranged between the spreading devices 110 and the moving floor 102.

[0048] The spreader 100 also includes a height measuring device which communicates with the control unit 120 and which is arranged to measure the height of door 112. The height measuring device can be, for example, an inductive sensor, a cable sensor, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or others.

[0049] The spreader 100 also includes a weight measuring device which communicates with the control unit 120 and which is arranged to measure the weight of organic matter 50 loaded in the crate 102. The weight measuring device may be, for example, instrumented shaft load cells, strain gauges, extensometers, or others.

[0050] The control unit 120 is then arranged to receive the torque measurement from the torque measuring device 118, the weight measurement from the weight measuring device, the height measurement of the door 112 from the height measuring device, the speed measurement of the moving floor 104 from the speed measuring device, calculate an instantaneous mass flow rate passing through the spreading elements 110 from this information, compare the instantaneous mass flow rate to a setpoint mass flow rate and control the first motorized system 108 according to the result of the comparison and the height measurement.

[0051] Thus, the torque consumed by the spreading elements 110 and which is exerted here on the transmission shaft 116 varies due to a change in the density of the organic matter 50, the control unit 120 is immediately informed and it can modify the speed of the first motorized system 108 and therefore of the moving floor 104 in order to keep a constant flow rate at the outlet of the spreading elements 110.

[0052] The adaptation of the speed of the moving floor 104 is thus faster than in the case of prior art methods.

[0053] The torque consumed by the spreading elements 110 has a short response time, which is necessary for precise regulation. Indeed, this torque physically represents the amount of mechanical energy required to detach the organic matter 50 from the pile on the moving floor 104, homogenize it, and accelerate the mass of the detached organic matter 50 to project it onto the ground.

[0054] These two energies add up and are of course proportional to the mass treated per unit time, i.e. to the mass flow rate and the torque measurement at the spreading devices 110 is therefore proportional to the mass flow rate and a complex calculation is not necessary to obtain it.

[0055] In addition, this torque measurement is insensitive to the vertical dynamic accelerations that the spreader 100 undergoes when moving over uneven ground.

[0056] Thus, when the instantaneous torque measurement decreases, this means that the density of the organic matter 50 decreases, and it is then necessary for the speed of the moving floor 104 to increase in order to maintain the mass flow rate and the quantity of organic matter 50 spread. The control unit 120 then includes means for control the first motorized system 108 in order to increase the speed of the moving floor 104.

[0057] Conversely, when the instantaneous torque measurement increases, this means that the density of the organic matter 50 increases, and it is then necessary for the speed of the moving floor 104 to decrease in order to maintain the mass flow rate and the quantity of organic matter 50 spread. The control unit 120 therefore includes means for controlling the first motorized system 108 so as to decrease the speed of the moving floor 104 when said torque measurement increases.

[0058] The first motorized system 108, the motor 114a and the third motorized system are preferably hydraulic motors powered from a power take-off of a tractor pulling the spreader 100.

[0059] In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the transmission system 115 further comprises a distribution box 122 which is driven by the transmission shaft 116 and which transmits the rotation of the transmission shaft 116 to each transmission subsystem 202 via, for each spreading element 110, a transmission subsystem 202.

[0060] The distribution housing 122 and each transmission subsystem 202 include mechanical components, such as sprockets, dogs, chains or others, which allow the rotation around a horizontal axis of the transmission shaft 116 to be distributed into a rotation around a vertical axis of each spreading element 110.

[0061] To ensure the transmission of rotations, even in the event of a lack of parallelism between the second motorized system 114 and the distribution housing 122, the transmission shaft 116 is mechanically connected to the second motorized system 114 and to the distribution housing 122 through a cardan joint 124a-b.

[0062] According to a particular embodiment, the torque measuring device 118 comprises a torque meter mounted in series on the transmission shaft 116 or on the cardan joints 124a-b upstream or downstream of these elements.

[0063] According to a particular embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the torque measuring device 118 comprises two collars 204a-b, each of which is asymmetrical and metallic. Each collar 204a-b is threaded onto and fixed to one end of the transmission shaft 116 (other embodiments are possible).

[0064] Each collar 204a-b has, on one half-turn, a first radius r, and on the other half-turn a second radius R greater than the first radius r. At each change of radius, the collar 204a-b has a step 302.

[0065] For each collar 204a-b, the torque measuring device 118 also includes a sensor 206a-b such as an inductive sensor connected to the control unit

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[0080] 120 and arranged to capture the position of the associated collar 204a-b and in particular the passages at the level of the steps 302. The two collars 204a-b are angularly offset around the transmission shaft 116. Such an arrangement makes it possible to measure the angular variation of the information coming from the two collars 204a-b or phase shift between the collars 204a-b, which corresponds to the torsion exerted on the transmission shaft 116 and therefore to the torque applied to it. According to a particular embodiment, the speed (vt in m / min) that the moving floor 104 must have to maintain a target mass flow rate is given by the formula: _ Qm Vt~ SxxMux where Qm (kg / s) is the mass flow rate to be monitored, where Sx (m2) is the through-section of gate 112 when the moving floor 104 is at position x, where x varies from 0 at loading to L0 when everything is unloaded, and where L0 corresponds to the length of the moving floor 104 on which the organic matter 50 is deposited, and where Mux (kg / m3) is the density at position x of the moving floor 104. The mass flow rate Qm is given by the formula: ri _ PxLwxv Um~ 600x60 where D (kg / ha) is the desired dose entered by the user into a memory of control unit 120, where Lw (m) is the working width and is entered by the user into a memory of control unit 120, and where v (km / h) is the speed of the tractor and entered by the user into a memory of the control unit 120. The passing section Sx is a function of the value of the height of the door 112 given by the height measuring device and of the width of the box 102 which is a fixed data known to the control unit 120. The height value of door 112 depends on the position x of the moving floor 104. Indeed, depending on the position of the moving floor 104, the height value is determined by nomograms which associate a position x of the moving floor 104 with a height value of door 112 and with a setpoint speed vt c of the moving floor 104. The height measuring device thus serves to confirm the position of door 112 in order to correct it if necessary. Figure 5 shows models of gate height evolution for different organic materials 50, namely a cohesive type material (502), a medium type material (504), and a powdery type material (506). In Figure 5, the x-axis is representative of the distance traveled x by the moving floor 104 as a percentage of the length of the crate 102 and the ordinate axis is representative of the height of the door 112 as a percentage of the height of organic matter 50 loaded at the start which is entered by the user at the start and stored in a memory of the control unit 120.

[0081] The density Mux at position x of the moving floor 104 depends on the initial density (MuO) at loading and is equal to the mass of organic matter 50 over its volume, where the mass can be evaluated from the data of the weight measuring device and the volume is evaluated from the volume of organic matter 50 in the crate 102.

[0082] According to a particular embodiment:

[0083] - when the position x of the moving floor 104 is less than 7% of L0, Mux is equal at 0.6 * MuO,

[0084] - when the position x of the moving floor 104 is between 7% of L0 and 10% of L0, Mux is equal to MuO, and

[0085] - when the position x of the moving bottom 104 is between 10% of L0 and 100% of L0, Mux is equal to (C / k) / (vt *Sx),

[0086] where C is the torque measured by the torque measuring device 118 and where k is the ratio between the mass of organic matter 50 lost and the integral of the torque since the beginning of the emptying.

[0087] Using these formulas and these different data, the control unit 120 can thus calculate the speed vt of the moving floor 104 to be applied, compare it to the setpoint speed vtc and control the first motorized system 108 accordingly, i.e. in acceleration or deceleration, so that the setpoint speed vte is equal to the speed vt, in other words, the control unit 120 calculates the speed vt that the moving floor 104 must have to respect the target mass flow rate from this information, and controls the first motorized system 108 so that the moving floor 104 has this speed vt.

[0088] This calculation of the speed vt is carried out continuously in order to best regulate the moving floor 104.

[0089] Fig. 4 shows examples of signals transmitted by inductive sensors 206a-b and of processing carried out on these signals by the control unit 120 to calculate the torque.

[0090] For each graph, the x-axis is time and the y-axis is the value of the signal 0 or 1.

[0091] Graph 402 is representative of a first signal transmitted by the inductive sensor 206a near the second motorized system 114.

[0092] Graph 404 is representative of a second signal transmitted by the inductive sensor 206b near the distribution box 122.

[0093] Graph 406 is representative of a first calculated signal which is the result of combining the first signal 402 and a signal at 1 through a NOT-AND gate.

[0094] Graph 408 is representative of a second calculated signal which is the result of combining the first calculated signal 406 and the signal from the other of the two inductive sensors 206b-a through a NOT-AND gate.

[0095] Graph 410 is representative of a third calculated signal which is the result of combining the second calculated signal 408 and a signal to 1 through a NOT-AND gate.

[0096] On the third signal 410, the time between two rising edges is equal to the rotation period of the transmission shaft 116 and the duration of a 1-second pulse is proportional to the rotation period of the transmission shaft 116 and to the angle of twist of the transmission shaft 116 and therefore to the torque applied to it.

[0097] A control method for the first motorized system 108 corresponds to a process for managing the speed of movement of the moving floor 104, which consists first of a pre-spreading phase that typically lasts a few milliseconds. The pre-spreading phase corresponds to an initialization and takes place before spreading; that is to say, the spreading elements 110 are not subjected to any resistive torque from the organic matter 50. The pre-spreading phase also takes place at the nominal rotational speed, which generates a residual torque.

[0098] From the measurements of the inductive sensors 206a-b, the control unit 120 recovers the signals representative of these measurements, and applies the transformations described above to the different signals to obtain the third calculated signal 410 and from there, the duration of the squares for this residual torque and the rotation period of the transmission shaft 116.

[0099] The control unit 120 then calculates an offset as the ratio of the duration of the slots to the rotation period from the third calculated signal 410.

[0100] A process for managing the speed of movement of the moving floor 104 then consists of a spreading phase which lasts throughout the spreading.

[0101] The principle is similar to that of the pre-spreading phase. From the readings of the inductive sensors 206a-b and application of the transformations described above to the different signals, the control unit 120 determines from the third calculated signal 410, the duration of the pulses for the instantaneous torque and the rotation period of the transmission shaft 116.

[0102] The control unit 120 then calculates a phase shift for this instantaneous torque as the ratio of the duration of the squares to the rotation period.

[0103] The control unit 120 then calculates the torsion suffered by the transmission shaft 116 as the difference between the offset calculated during the pre-spreading phase and the phase shift calculated instantaneously.

[0104] Since the torsion is proportional to the torque applied to the transmission shaft 116, the control unit 120 can then deduce the torque.

[0105] The spreading phase allows the speed of the first motorized system 108 to be continuously updated according to the torque.

[0106] According to a particular embodiment, the control unit 120 comprises, connected by a communication bus: a processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit); a RAM (Random Access Memory); a read-only memory, for example of the ROM (Read Only Memory) or EEPROM (Electrically-Erasable Programmable ROM) type or of the Flash type; a storage unit, such as a storage medium of the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) type, or a storage medium reader, such as an SD (Secure Digital) card reader; and an input / output interface manager.

[0107] The I / O input / output manager allows the control unit to interact with the various motorized systems and sensors.

[0108] The processor is capable of executing instructions loaded into RAM from ROM, external memory, a storage medium (such as an SD card), or a communication network (not shown). When the human-machine interface is powered on, the processor is able to read instructions from RAM and execute them. These instructions form a computer program causing the processor to implement the operating steps described above.

[0109] All or part of the steps and algorithms described herein can thus be implemented in software form by executing a set of instructions by a programmable machine, for example a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a microcontroller, or be implemented in hardware form by a dedicated machine or electronic component (chip) or a dedicated set of electronic components (chipset), for example an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Generally, the CTRL controller includes electronic circuitry adapted and configured to implement the steps and algorithms described herein.

Claims

1. Demands Spreader (100) for spreading organic matter (50) on soil, said spreader (100) comprising: - a box (102) having an opening (106) at the rear, - a moving bottom (104) which is arranged in the bottom of the crate (102) and intended to receive the organic matter (50), - a first motorized system (108) arranged to drive the moving floor (104) towards the opening (106), - a speed measuring device arranged to measure the speed of the moving bottom (104), - several spreading elements (110) arranged at the opening (106) and configured to spread the organic matter (50) at the rear of the spreader (100), where each spreading element (110) is mounted to rotate freely, - a second motorized system (114) arranged to drive the spreading components (110) in rotation, - a door (112) mounted to move vertically on the body (102) at the level of the opening (106), - a third motorized system arranged to move the door (112) alternately upwards or downwards to, respectively, widen or narrow the opening (106), - a height measuring device arranged to measure the height of the door (112), - a weight measuring device arranged to measure the weight of organic matter (50) carried in the crate (102), - a torque measuring device (118) arranged to measure the torque consumed by the spreading elements (110), and - a control unit (120) arranged to receive the torque measurement from the torque measuring device (118), the weight measurement from the weight measuring device, the height measurement of the door (112) from the height measuring device, the speed measurement of the moving floor (104) from the speed measuring device, calculate a speed (vt) that the moving floor (104) must have to meet a target mass flow rate from this information, and control the first motorized system (108) so that the moving floor (104) has this speed (vt), Where Qf» vt ~ SxxMux x du where Om (kg / s) is the mass flow rate to be monitored, where Sx (m²) is the cross-sectional area of ​​the gate (112) when the moving floor (104) is at position x, where x varies from 0 at loading to LO when everything is unloaded, and where LO corresponds to the length of the moving floor (104) on which the organic matter (50) is deposited, and where Mux (kg / m³) is the density at position x of the moving floor (104), where the mass flow rate Qm is given by the formula: xx WxLww = 600x60, where D (kg / ha) is the desired application rate entered by the user in a memory of the control unit (120), where Lw (m) is the working width entered by the user in a memory of the control unit (120), and where v (km / h) is the tractor speed entered by the user in a memory of the control unit (120), where when The x position of the moving floor (104) is less than 7% of L0, Mux is equal to 0.6 * MuO, when the x position of the moving floor (104) is between 7% of L0 and 10% of L0,Mux is equal to MuO, and when the position x of the moving floor (104) is between 10% of L0 and 100% of L0, Mux is equal to (C / k) / (v , *Sx), where C is the torque measured by the torque measuring device (118) and where k is the ratio between the mass of organic matter (50) lost and the integral of the torque since the beginning of the emptying.

2. Spreader (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the second motorized system (114) comprises a motor (114a) and a transmission system (115) arranged between the motor (114a) and the spreading elements (110) and comprising a transmission shaft (116) and in that the torque measuring device (118) is arranged to measure the torque exerted on the transmission shaft (116).

3. Spreader (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transmission system (115) further comprises a distribution box (122) and for each spreading element (110), a transmission subsystem (202), and in that the distribution box (122) is arranged to transmit the rotation of the transmission shaft (116) to each transmission subsystem (202).

4. Spreader (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive shaft (116) is connected to the second motorized system (114) and to the distribution box (122) through a cardan joint (124a-b).

5. Spreader (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the torque measuring device (118) comprises two asymmetric metallic collars (204a-b), each being fixed to one end of the transmission shaft (116), and, for each collar (204a-b), an inductive sensor (206a-b) connected to the control unit (120) and arranged to capture the position of said collar (204a-b).

6. Spreader (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the torque measuring device (118) is a torque meter mounted in series on the transmission shaft (116).

7. Spreader (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the torque measuring device (118) is a torque meter mounted in series on the cardan joints (124a-b).

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