Auto-Contour System Sensitivity Adjustment for Harvesting Headers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural working machines, such as combine harvesters, face challenges in maintaining comfort during operation due to excessive sensitivity in auto-contour systems, which react strongly to minor ground bumps, causing vibrations and deteriorating cutting performance.
Innovation Solution
The auto-contour system adjusts its control sensitivity based on detected crop height changes, increasing sensitivity for significant terrain changes and reducing it for minor changes to avoid unnecessary adjustments, thereby filtering out small bumps and ensuring quick adjustments only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the sensitivity of the auto-contour system is increased to quickly adapt to ground contour changes, then the header distance to ground is adjusted rapidly, but minor ground irregularities cause excessive adjustment leading to jolts and header oscillation
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts its sensitivity based on the detected crop height changes. When significant terrain changes are detected, the system increases sensitivity for rapid adaptation. When only minor irregularities are present, the system reduces sensitivity to filter out noise. This dynamic adjustment of control parameters resolves the contradiction between fast response and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the sensitivity parameter of the control system based on the detected crop height profile. By modifying the control parameter (sensitivity) according to the terrain characteristics, the system achieves both rapid adaptation when needed and noise filtering when terrain is relatively flat, thus resolving the contradiction between speed and stability.
2Productivity
If the control sensitivity is set high to respond quickly to terrain changes, then cutting height adaptation is fast, but driver comfort deteriorates due to vibrations and jolts
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts control sensitivity based on real-time crop height detection. When significant terrain changes are anticipated, high sensitivity enables fast cutting height adaptation for maintained productivity. When terrain is relatively flat, low sensitivity filters out minor irregularities to reduce vibrations and improve driver comfort. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between productivity and comfort.
3Manufacturing precision
If the auto-contour system reacts strongly to all ground variations, then terrain adaptation is thorough, but cutting pattern deteriorates due to header oscillation
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different control sensitivities to different situations based on crop height analysis. When significant terrain changes are detected, high sensitivity ensures thorough terrain adaptation accuracy. When only minor irregularities are present, low sensitivity maintains cutting pattern stability by filtering out noise. This localized application of different control qualities resolves the contradiction between adaptation accuracy and cutting stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural machine, in particular a harvesting machine, with a header (2) for carrying out or supporting agricultural work in a field (3) with crop (4), and with an autocontour system (11) for controlling the distance of the header (2) to the ground (12) when driving through the field (3). It is proposed that the autocontour system (11) proactively takes into account a detected change in crop height (3) and adjusts the sensitivity of the control of the autocontour system (11) based on the detected change in crop height.