Adjustable Re-Shredding Rollers for Forage Harvester Debris Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Crop debris accumulates and hardens in the housing section surrounding the cracker rollers of a forage harvester, leading to increased wear on the rollers, necessitating manual debris removal.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled forage harvester with a secondary shredding device featuring adjustable stops and an actuator-controlled mechanism to set the maximum passage gap, automatically adjusting to prevent crop component accumulation and hardening by moving rollers to a defined position during a grinding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the passage gap is reduced to break down corn kernels, then the shredding effectiveness is improved, but crop debris accumulates and hardens in the housing section causing increased roller wear
Solution Approach 1:
The roller position is made dynamically adjustable through an actuator system that can change the passage gap between minimum and maximum widths. The control device automatically adjusts the roller position based on operating conditions, transitioning from a static fixed gap to a dynamic adjustable gap that adapts to prevent debris accumulation while maintaining effective shredding when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage gap parameter is changed from a fixed value to a variable parameter that can be automatically adjusted between minimum and maximum widths. The control device monitors operating conditions and modifies the gap width parameter to optimize both shredding effectiveness and prevent crop debris hardening in the housing section.
2Reliability
If manual removal of crop debris is implemented, then roller wear is reduced, but operational interruption and maintenance time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-maintenance by automatically adjusting the roller position to maximum gap width when crop debris accumulation is detected. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for manual debris removal operations, allowing the system to clear its own housing section and prevent wear without operator intervention or operational interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device proactively adjusts the roller position to prevent crop debris from hardening in the first place. By monitoring operating conditions and preemptively increasing the passage gap, the system prevents debris accumulation before it becomes a problem, rather than waiting for manual intervention to remove hardened debris.
3Reliability
If automatic adjustment mechanism is added, then debris accumulation is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical adjustment process is replaced with an automated system using an actuator (electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic) controlled by a control device. This substitution eliminates the need for manual operation while adding automated sensing and control components that manage debris prevention through automatic roller position adjustment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents crop component hardening and wear on rollers by automatically adjusting the passage gap, ensuring uninterrupted harvesting by removing accumulated debris before it hardens, thus reducing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
The stops comprise a fluid-loaded plunger guided in the cylinder
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a self-propelled forage harvester (2) comprising at least one chopping device (6) and a re-shredding device (13), which is arranged downstream of the chopping device (6) as seen in the direction of crop flow of a crop stream (5), wherein the re-shredding device (13) has two rollers (18, 19) which delimit a passage gap, wherein one of the rollers (18, 19) is assigned adjustable stops (27, 29) for changing a passage width of the passage gap between a minimum passage width and a maximum passage width, wherein an actuator (38) is provided and configured directly or indirectly for adjusting the stops (27, 29), wherein a control device (39) is provided and configured for controlling and/or regulating the actuator (38), wherein the control device (39) controls and/or regulates the actuator (38) in such a way,so that in a defined operating situation of the forage harvester (2) the maximum passage width of the passage gap is set.,