Agricultural Tyre Pressure Control for Soil Compaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural tire pressure control systems fail to adapt effectively to different driving modes and conditions, leading to suboptimal driving stability and increased soil compaction, particularly in field sprayers where liquids are transported, due to inaccuracies in sensory determination of tire flexing and environmental influences.

Innovation Solution

An agricultural machine with a tire pressure control system that uses a computer unit to regulate tire air pressure based on driving mode, with distinct pressure ranges for road and working modes, and incorporates monitoring elements to adjust tire pressure according to the filling level and wheel load, ensuring optimal stability and minimizing soil compaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If tire pressure is reduced to increase tire contact area for reducing soil compaction, then soil compaction is reduced, but driving stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoil compactionVSAvoiddriving stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the tire pressure adjustable and adaptable to different operating conditions. The control system dynamically modifies tire pressure based on detected parameters such as machine speed, slope, and liquid load, allowing the system to optimize between soil compaction reduction and driving stability for each specific condition rather than using a fixed pressure setting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by varying the tire pressure parameter according to different operating conditions. The control system changes the pressure parameter in response to detected conditions (e.g., reducing pressure during field work to minimize compaction, increasing pressure during transport to enhance stability), thereby adapting the system performance to match the current operational context

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If tire pressure is increased to ensure driving stability on public roads, then driving stability is improved, but soil compaction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving stabilityVSAvoidsoil compaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses dynamics to transition tire pressure settings between field operation mode and road transport mode. The control system detects operational context and dynamically adjusts pressure accordingly, ensuring high pressure for stability during road travel while switching to low pressure for reduced compaction during field work, thus resolving the contradiction through temporal separation of opposing requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If tire air pressure is continuously adjusted based on sensor detection, then adaptation to environmental conditions is improved, but measurement errors lead to incorrect tire pressures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptation to environmental conditionsVSAvoidsensory determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect operational parameters (speed, slope, liquid level) and feeding this information back to the control system, which then adjusts tire pressure accordingly. The feedback mechanism allows continuous adaptation while the control algorithm processes the sensor data to compensate for measurement uncertainties and determine appropriate pressure adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control system achieves universality by integrating multiple sensor inputs (speed, slope, liquid load) and processing them through a unified control algorithm that handles various operating conditions. This multi-functional approach allows the system to adapt to diverse environmental conditions while compensating for individual sensor limitations through combined data analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Adaptability or versatility

If tire pressure is continuously changed to adapt to filling level, then adaptation to load conditions is improved, but driving characteristics deteriorate on roads

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptation to load conditionsVSAvoiddriving characteristics
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by implementing conditional continuity - tire pressure is adjusted continuously during field operations where load changes are frequent and beneficial to track, while pressure adjustments are minimized or halted during road transport where stability is prioritized. The control system dynamically determines the appropriate level of continuous adjustment based on the detected operational mode

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3415345B1Agricultural machine with tyre pressure control device and method for controlling tyre pressure
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 HORSCH LEEB APPL SYST
  • EP3415345B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3415345B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3415345B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

It is an agricultural machine (10) with a tire pressure control system, in particular a tractor-drawn or self-propelled field sprayer (12), disclosed comprising: • at least two, three or more wheels (14) pressurized with air, • at least one air pressure regulator (16) for varying the air pressure in the wheels (14), • at least one storage container (18) for carrying and providing the plant protection product to be distributed, • at least one monitoring element (20) for determining and recording the fill level of the storage container (18), • at least one distributor boom (24) pivotable between an extended working position and a folded transport position, • at least one computer unit (22) for controlling and regulating the at least one air pressure regulator (16) and for processing the data on the fill level of the storage container (18) recorded by means of the at least one monitoring element (20),In order to achieve precise control of the respective tire pressure even under changing ground conditions, and in order to avoid negative driving characteristics during road travel, the control of the air pressure regulator (16) is provided that the control of the air pressure regulator (16) is dependent on the driving mode of the agricultural machine (10), whereby a first pressure range is active in a road driving mode and a second pressure range is active in a work mode.