Baler Flywheel Brake Control for Tractor Start-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large agricultural balers with heavy flywheels face start-up issues due to high inertia, often resulting in tractor engine stalling or safety mechanisms disconnecting the power take-off, especially when coupled with less powerful tractors.
Innovation Solution
A brake system is implemented in the baler to control the flywheel's rotation, allowing it to stop in a predefined launch position, ensuring a successful start-up by providing sufficient kinetic energy for the first compression, thereby reducing the risk of stalling and eliminating the need for additional motors or complex tractor gearboxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large and heavy flywheel is used to overcome peak loads during compression, then the baler can handle high-density bales, but the tractor engine may stall or the PTO may disconnect during start-up due to high inertia
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system is activated before start-up to control the flywheel's initial rotation, ensuring it begins in an optimal position. This preliminary control action prevents the high-inertia flywheel from causing engine stalling during start-up while maintaining its ability to handle peak loads during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The brake system temporarily changes the rotational parameters of the flywheel during start-up by applying controlled braking force. This allows the flywheel to rotate at a controlled rate initially, reducing the torque demand on the tractor engine, and then releases to allow full-speed operation for handling peak compression loads
2Ease of operation
If a hydraulic motor is added to supplement torque during start-up, then the baler can start with a heavy flywheel, but the device complexity increases and a powerful hydraulic motor comparable to tractor PTO power is required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding a hydraulic motor to supplement torque, the invention extracts and utilizes the existing brake system's capability to control flywheel rotation. This removes the need for additional powerful components while achieving the same start-up assistance effect
Solution Approach 2:
The brake system serves multiple functions: it controls flywheel rotation during start-up, maintains flywheel speed during operation, and can be used for emergency stopping. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate start-up assistance devices
3Ease of operation
If a change speed gearbox is used to accelerate the flywheel in two phases, then the baler can start-up successfully, but the tractor must be equipped with a change speed gearbox which increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system acts as an intermediary between the tractor PTO and the heavy flywheel during start-up. By controlling the flywheel's rotational resistance, it mediates the torque mismatch without requiring modifications to the tractor's transmission system
Solution Approach 2:
The baler's own brake system is used to assist its own start-up process, eliminating the need for external complex transmission modifications. The brake system naturally controls the flywheel acceleration based on the tractor's available torque
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 enables the use of large balers with less powerful tractors, enhancing efficiency, safety, and start-up reliability by ensuring the flywheel gains sufficient kinetic energy before the first compression, thus preventing stalling and maintaining consistent operation.
Implementation Method 1
a brake system adapted for providing a brake force for decelerating the flywheel
Implementation Method 2
A large and heavy flywheel is required in a baler... to overcome peak loads encountered by the baler gearbox... By using a flywheel with a high inertia and running at a high speed, peak energy for the peak loads can be delivered by the flywheel
Implementation Method 3
a plunger connected to the flywheel via a crank, the plunger being adapted for performing a reciprocal movement
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural baler has a shaft, a flywheel connected to the shaft, a plunger connected to the flywheel via a crank, a brake system adapted for providing a brake force for decelerating the flywheel, at least one sensor for providing sensor data indicative for at least one moving part of the baler, and a brake control system comprising a processing system, e.g. a processor provided with an algorithm for stopping the crank in a predefined launch position range, based on a mathematical model.