Cage Mill Seed Destruction in Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for weed and volunteer grain seed control in crop farming, such as ploughing and herbicides, are inefficient and pose environmental concerns, particularly regarding herbicide resistance and soil damage.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a cage mill to fragment crop residue material during harvesting, destroying unwanted seeds by conveying it through a milling zone with counter-rotating rotors and airflow, and returning the fragmented material to the ground to prevent seed germination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ploughing is used for weed control, then weed and volunteer seed destruction is achieved, but soil structure is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional ploughing mechanical system with a cage mill mechanical system that uses rotating bars to shred crop residue and destroy seeds through mechanical impact and shear forces, eliminating the need to turn over soil while achieving equivalent weed control
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the seed destruction function from the soil disturbance process by using a separate cage mill apparatus that processes only the crop residue stream, separating the weed control objective from the harmful soil mechanical disruption
2Ease of operation
If herbicides are used for weed control, then weed management is simplified, but herbicide resistance develops and environmental concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes chemical herbicide application with a mechanical cage mill system that physically destroys seeds through shredding and impact forces, providing a non-chemical alternative that maintains operational simplicity while preventing resistance development
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the previously harmful practice of leaving intact crop residue (which protects viable seeds) into a beneficial process by using that same residue stream as the feed material for the cage mill, where the mechanical energy applied to process the residue simultaneously destroys the embedded seeds
3Quantity of substance
If crop residue is returned to ground without processing, then soil organic matter is maintained, but weed and volunteer seeds germinate
Solution Approach 1:
The cage mill extracts and destroys the seed component from the crop residue stream while leaving the organic matter components (straw, chaff) intact for return to soil, separating the harmful seed fraction from the beneficial organic matter fraction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies localized mechanical destruction only to the seed-containing portions of crop residue through the cage mill processing zone, while the processed residue maintains its overall organic matter quality and composition for beneficial soil incorporation
4Reliability
If cage mill is used for seed destruction, then weed control effectiveness increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cage mill applies mechanical energy selectively and partially - only to the extent necessary to destroy seeds within the crop residue stream, rather than processing the entire residue mass excessively, optimizing energy input to achieve the minimum required destruction efficacy
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating bars in the cage mill deliver periodic impact forces to the passing crop residue, creating pulsed mechanical action that is more energy-efficient than continuous compression or grinding, allowing energy input to be synchronized with the passage of seed-containing material
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
Achieves effective and efficient weed and volunteer seed control with high energy efficiency and reduced herbicide use, potentially reaching 98% seed destruction efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
at least one vane provided on the at least one rotor... the vane comprises an element presenting a broad face to oncoming air to generate air flow
Implementation Method 2
the rotor means comprises a first rotor and a second rotor, the second rotor being arranged downstream of the first rotor in the direction of airflow... each rotor comprising a plurality of impact elements arranged in circular concentric arrays
Implementation Method 3
each rotor comprising a plurality of impact elements arranged in circular concentric arrays... the first and second rotors are arranged for counter rotation
Implementation Method 4
the rotor means performs a milling operation on crop residue material delivered to the milling zone through the inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A method of harvesting crop material includes gathering the crop material and separating chaff material, and subjecting the chaff material to fragmentation in a cage mill to destroy unwanted seed material contained therein. Also provided is a mobile agricultural apparatus which travels with a harvesting machine during a harvesting operation to receive chaff material produced during the harvesting operation. At least one cage mill having rotors for fragmentation of the chaff material is included with the mobile apparatus, to destroy unwanted seed material contained therein. Such a cage mill includes at least a casing defining a milling zone, a rotor for performing milling, an inlet for introducing material for reduction into the milling zone, an outlet for removal of material from the milling zone, and an airflow through the milling zone to assist movement of the material through the milling zone from the inlet to the outlet.