Baler Dry Matter Mass Calculation via Moisture and Weight Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balers cannot accurately determine the nutritional value of bales since the weight of a bale includes both dry matter and moisture, making it impossible to assess the nutritional value provided to animals solely based on weight.
Innovation Solution
A baler system equipped with a mass sensor, bale-dimension sensor, and moisture sensor, along with a controller that calculates the actual dry matter mass of the bale and adjusts the bale dimensions or mass to achieve a desired dry matter mass, ensuring accurate nutritional value assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bale weight is used to determine nutritional value, then measurement is simple, but accuracy of nutritional assessment deteriorates because weight includes both dry matter and moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the total bale weight into two distinct components: dry matter mass and moisture mass. The controller calculates dry matter mass by subtracting the moisture mass (derived from moisture content percentage and total weight) from the total bale weight, thereby providing an accurate nutritional value assessment while maintaining operational simplicity through automated calculation.
2Measurement precision
If moisture sensor, mass sensor, and dimension sensor are added to determine dry matter mass, then nutritional value assessment accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives real-time signals from the moisture sensor, mass sensor, and dimension sensor, processes this feedback information to calculate actual dry matter mass, compares it with desired dry matter mass, and automatically adjusts baling parameters. This closed-loop feedback system integrates multiple sensors into a unified control mechanism that improves measurement precision while managing device complexity through centralized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves multiple functions: it processes data from the moisture sensor, mass sensor, and dimension sensor; calculates dry matter mass; compares actual versus desired values; and adjusts baling parameters. By making the controller a multi-functional hub that handles all sensing and control tasks, the system reduces overall device complexity despite incorporating multiple sensors.
3Stability of the object's composition
If bale dimensions are adjusted to achieve desired dry matter mass, then nutritional consistency is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of the required bale dimensions to achieve the desired dry matter mass before completing the baling process. The controller determines the target bale size based on current moisture content and material feed rate, allowing operators to prepare and adjust parameters in advance, thereby minimizing delays and maintaining high production rates while ensuring nutritional consistency.
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 system allows for precise determination of the nutritional value of bales by distinguishing between dry matter and moisture content, enabling the production of bales with a consistent and desired nutritional value for animal feed.
Implementation Method 1
a moisture sensor configured to measure a moisture content of the bale
Implementation Method 2
a mass sensor configured to measure a total mass of the bale
Data Source
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AI summary
A baler (10) for baling crop material, the baler including a frame (14), a feed assembly (22) coupled to the frame (14), and a forming chamber (86) where the forming chamber (86) includes an inlet (90) through which crop material may pass into the forming chamber (86). The baler (10) also includes a moisture sensor (126) configured to detect the moisture content of crop material passing into the forming chamber (86), a plurality of force sensors configured to detect the mass of a bale (106) positioned within the forming chamber (86), and a controller (34) in operable communication with the moisture sensor (126) and the plurality of force sensors, and wherein the controller (34) is configured to calculate the mass of dry matter (DMMass) contained within a bale (106) positioned within the forming chamber (86).