Autonomous Grain Cart Close-Coupled Tracking Reduces Soil Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current grain harvesting practices result in excessive soil compaction and biomass contamination due to indiscriminate operation of heavy vehicles, which negatively impact crop yields and biomass quality, and pose challenges in using tramlines with larger equipment.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous self-propelled grain cart that can coordinate its tracking with a combine, utilizing a position sensing system and control system to maintain a close-coupled position, reducing soil compaction and biomass contamination by minimizing unnecessary passes and optimizing tramline usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If heavy vehicles operate indiscriminately in agricultural fields, then harvesting operations can be completed, but soil compaction increases and biomass quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grain cart incorporates a position sensing system that continuously monitors its location relative to the combine and provides feedback to the control system. The control system processes this information and automatically adjusts steering and propulsion commands to maintain precise tracking along tramlines, ensuring harvesting efficiency while minimizing soil compaction and biomass contamination through controlled, repeatable paths
Solution Approach 2:
The grain cart is equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities that allow it to self-steer and self-position relative to the combine without manual intervention. The system independently processes position data, calculates required adjustments, and executes steering commands to maintain optimal tracking, enabling the vehicle to serve itself in maintaining precise operational paths
2Productivity
If larger equipment is used to increase harvesting capacity, then productivity improves, but tramline usage becomes more difficult and soil compaction worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The grain cart features dynamically adjustable wheel or track spacing that can be modified based on the specific tramline configuration and combine size. This dynamic adaptability allows larger equipment to maintain precise tracking on various tramline widths, ensuring both high harvesting capacity and minimal soil compaction across different field conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables changes in operational parameters including track gauge, steering response characteristics, and positioning accuracy settings to optimize performance for different combine sizes and field conditions. These parameter adjustments allow large equipment to effectively use tramlines while maintaining productivity
3Quantity of substance
If multiple passes are made to harvest biomass, then complete biomass removal is achieved, but biomass quality decreases due to dirt contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The grain cart system performs preliminary positioning and tracking alignment before biomass harvesting operations begin. By pre-establishing precise tramline paths and ensuring proper equipment alignment, the system enables complete biomass removal in fewer passes without excessive soil contact, thereby maintaining biomass quality while achieving thorough harvest
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous self-propelled grain cart for short-coupled operation with a grain harvesting combine includes a frame and an operator's cab affixed to the frame. The operator's cab includes interactive controls for steering, regulating propulsion, and utility operation by an operator. A plurality of drive units propel the cart over the surface of an agricultural field. A grain hopper includes a grain bin and an unloading apparatus. A power system is electrically communicative with the drive units and the grain hopper unloading apparatus. The grain cart also includes a position sensing system, and a control system. The control system includes a central processing unit having an associated memory, a display, a user input device, and an instruction set resident in the memory. The instruction set, when executed and integrated with the position sensing system, functions to autonomously maintain a close-coupled position with respect to an operating combine.