Agricultural Chopper Air Catch Reduces Recirculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed chopping systems in agricultural machines generate significant air currents that interfere with crop flow, causing crop material to recirculate within the cutting chamber, leading to unnecessary power consumption and wear, as well as potential clogging.
Innovation Solution
The system utilizes air currents generated by the chopper to blow cut crop material out of the chopper and into a residue spreader or back to the cleaning system, employing a radially expanded section of the housing wall to form an air catch that redirects the air flow and recirculated material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-speed chopping is used to reduce residue size, then chopping efficiency is improved, but air currents interfere with crop flow causing recirculation and power loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful air currents generated by high-speed chopping into a beneficial force by using them to blow recirculated material out of the cutting chamber through the outlet. The air currents that would normally cause recirculation and power loss are instead directed to remove unwanted material, turning a harmful effect into a useful function that reduces power consumption and improves chopping efficiency.
2Productivity
If high-speed chopping is used to reduce residue size, then chopping efficiency is improved, but recirculated material causes unnecessary wear to knives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the harmful air currents generated during high-speed chopping to blow recirculated material out of the cutting chamber before it can re-enter and cause wear to the knives. This converts the harmful recirculation pattern into a beneficial removal mechanism that protects the knives from unnecessary wear while maintaining high chopping efficiency.
3Productivity
If high-speed chopping is used to reduce residue size, then chopping efficiency is improved, but excessive recirculating material can clog the chopper
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful recirculating air currents into a beneficial removal mechanism that prevents material accumulation and clogging in the cutting chamber. By using the air currents to blow recirculated material out through the outlet, the system maintains high chopping efficiency while preventing clogging that would otherwise occur from excessive recirculating 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
This approach effectively prevents recirculation of crop material, reducing power consumption and wear, while ensuring efficient removal and distribution of chopped residue, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency and reliability of the chopper system.
Implementation Method 1
High speed chopping systems generate significant air currents that can interfere with crop flow and carry crop material past chopper counter knives
Implementation Method 2
The high speed of the rotating knives generates significant air currents that can interfere with the exiting material flow and carry crop material past the counterknives and chopper housing outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural residue chopper assembly comprising a housing defining a partially enclosed cutting chamber, with respective sections of housing wall extending between an inlet and outlet, a cutting knife assembly comprising a plurality of knives extending radially to define a cutting volume, a counterknife assembly comprising one or more counterknives positioned to extend into the cutting volume, a first shear bar positioned near a downstream closing of the housing outlet, a second shear bar positioned downstream of the first shear bar near an upstream opening of the housing inlet, and an air catch formed by a radially expanded section of the housing wall between the downstream closing of the housing outlet and the upstream opening of the housing inlet. Also, an agricultural harvester machine having a residue chopper assembly.