Baler Density Door Hydraulics for Adjustable Bale Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural balers face challenges in forming bales with varying densities due to the need for different pressure levels depending on the crop material and desired density, which existing systems struggle to accommodate effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual acting fluid cylinder system with a fluid supply circuit and controller that allows for multiple fluid supply modes, enabling the density doors to exert both high and low pressures on the bale chamber, allowing for adjustable bale density formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single pressure level is used by the density doors, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot form bales with varying densities for different crop materials
Solution Approach 1:
The density doors are made movable rather than fixed, allowing their position and applied pressure to be dynamically adjusted. The fluid cylinder system enables the density doors to move between different positions (open/closed states) and apply varying pressures, transforming a static single-pressure system into a dynamic multi-pressure system that can adapt to different crop materials and density requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter applied by the density doors through controlled fluid supply to the cylinder. By varying the fluid pressure and supply timing, the system can achieve different bale densities without changing the physical structure, allowing adaptation to various crop materials through parameter adjustment rather than structural modification
2Speed
If high pressure is continuously applied by the density doors, then bale density is maximized, but the doors cannot be quickly opened when needed for different crop materials
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid supply to the density door cylinders is implemented in periodic cycles rather than continuously. The system supplies fluid to close the doors, maintains pressure during bale formation, and then releases fluid to open the doors quickly when needed. This periodic fluid supply pattern enables both rapid door movement and reliable pressure application during the critical baling phase
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous readiness for pressure application while allowing rapid transitions. The fluid cylinder system remains charged and ready to apply pressure immediately when needed, and can equally quickly release pressure to open doors. This ensures continuous operational capability with no loss of reliability during transitions between different baling operations
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
This solution allows for the formation of bales with a wide range of densities by controlling the pressure exerted by the density doors, facilitating the handling of various crop materials without the need for sophisticated electronics and enabling quick opening and closing of the doors, including the option to close the top density door without a spring.
Implementation Method 1
a dual acting fluid cylinder system with a fluid supply circuit and controller that allows for multiple fluid supply modes, enabling the density doors to exert both high and low pressures on the bale chamber
Data Source
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AI summary
A bale chamber (26) for an agricultural vehicle (10) includes: a plurality of movable density doors (210A, 210B, 210C); at least one fluid cylinder (220A, 220B) including a fluid chamber (322A, 322B), a piston (323A, 323B) disposed in the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) to separate the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) into a piston side (324A, 324B) and a rod side (325A, 325B), and a cylinder rod (221A, 221B) coupled to the piston (323A, 323B) on the rod side (325A, 325B) and configured to move at least one of the density doors (210A, 210B, 210C); and a fluid supply circuit (300) fluidly coupled to the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) and configured to supply working fluid to the fluid chamber (322A, 322B). The bale chamber (26) is characterized in that: the at least one fluid cylinder (220A, 220B) further includes a piston fluid port (326A, 326B) that fluidly couples the piston side (324A, 324B) of the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) to the fluid supply circuit (300) and a rod fluid port (327A, 327B) that fluidly couples the rod side (325A, 325B) of the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) to the fluid supply circuit (300); and the fluid supply circuit (300) further includes a fluid supply controller (310) that is selectively switchable to a first fluid supply mode and a second fluid supply mode, the fluid supply circuit (300) being configured to supply working fluid to only the piston side (324A, 324B) of the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) when the fluid supply controller (310) is in the first fluid supply mode and to supply working fluid to both the piston side (324A, 324B) and the rod side (325A, 325B) of the fluid chamber (322A, 322B) when the fluid supply controller (310) is in the second fluid supply mode.