Agricultural Plastic Extraction and Densification System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The removal and recycling of agricultural plastics like drip tape and plastic mulch from soil are inefficient and costly due to the need for manual labor, resulting in contamination with soil, water, and crop residue, making them unsuitable for recycling.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising mowers to cut plant material without disturbing plastics, an extractor to pull and separate plastics from the soil, and a winding device to densify them into transportable bundles, allowing for efficient collection and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hand removal of agricultural plastics is used, then plastics can be removed from the field, but labor costs are high and plastics are contaminated with soil and crop residue making them unsuitable for recycling
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the removal process into distinct functional components: mowing units that cut plant material, extractor units that pull plastics from soil, and winding units that collect plastics. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, separating plastics from contamination sources rather than requiring manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The extractor units are specifically designed to extract agricultural plastics from the soil and plant material matrix. By pulling plastics through extractor heads with rotating elements, the system separates plastics from soil and crop residue, producing cleaner material suitable for recycling while reducing labor requirements.
2Productivity
If mechanical extraction is used, then plastics can be collected efficiently, but the system complexity increases with multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into an integrated platform that combines mowing, extraction, and winding operations. The shared chassis, hydraulic system, and control architecture reduce overall system complexity despite the multiple functions performed, allowing efficient plastic collection without requiring separate standalone machines for each operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The extractor units are designed with universal applicability to handle different types of agricultural plastics (drip tape, mulch film) and can be deployed in various field conditions. The modular design allows the same basic extraction mechanism to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for specialized components for each plastic type.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple extractor heads are used to separate different plastics, then recycling quality improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments different plastic types into separate extraction streams using multiple extractor heads positioned to handle specific materials. Drip tape and mulch film are separated through dedicated extraction paths, ensuring each plastic type is collected in a condition suitable for its specific recycling process, thereby improving recycling quality through functional segmentation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for extracting and densifying agricultural plastic from a crop bed includes a mower configured to cut plant material on a crop bed. The mower includes a frame, and a brush and blade attached to the frame. The brush is preferably configured to sweep plant material along the edge of the crop bed into the path of the blade. The system further includes an extractor system having an extractor head assembly for lifting the agricultural plastic from the crop bed after mowing is completed. Embodiments of the extractor system may include a frame, a roller rotatably attached to the frame, and an extractor head assembly positioned rearward of the roller. Agricultural plastic engaged by the extractor head assembly is pulled over the roller. The system may include a winding device configured to densify the agricultural plastic after it has been extracted and lifted off the bed.