Combine Fire Risk Index Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combine engines face a risk of fire due to airborne crop particles that can stick to engine components and ignite, especially during harvesting when engine components become hot, and existing technologies lack effective methods to dynamically assess and mitigate this risk.
Innovation Solution
A combine equipped with a controller that estimates fire risk based on various factors such as crop type, ambient temperature, humidity, and engine load, and implements corrective actions like alerting the operator or reducing harvesting speed to prevent fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the combine operates at high engine load and speed to increase harvesting productivity, then productivity increases, but the temperature of engine components increases and fire risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors multiple risk factors including engine temperature, crop particles in air intake, and weather conditions, then dynamically adjusts operations or alerts operators to maintain safety while preserving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary risk assessment by monitoring conditions before fire can occur, enabling preventive actions such as adjusting engine parameters or cleaning air intake components before dangerous temperature thresholds are reached
2Productivity
If the combine operates continuously without interruption to maintain harvesting efficiency, then productivity is maintained, but crop particles accumulate on engine components increasing fire risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors crop particle levels in the air intake continuously and provides feedback to operators or automatically adjusts operations to prevent dangerous accumulation, enabling continuous safe operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors and monitoring equipment to automatically detect and report particle accumulation levels, enabling the combine to self-monitor its own fire risk without external intervention
3Productivity
If the combine operates in dry and windy conditions to maintain harvesting speed, then productivity is maintained, but the risk of igniting airborne crop particles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors weather conditions including humidity and wind speed, and provides feedback to operators to adjust harvesting operations when conditions become favorable for fire, enabling adaptive productivity management
Solution Approach 2:
The system identifies unfavorable weather conditions in advance and takes preliminary protective actions such as reducing engine temperature or increasing air filtration before ignition risk becomes critical
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A combine (10) including an engine compartment comprising an engine (32) for propelling the combine, a feeder housing (20) for receiving cut crop, a separating system (24) for threshing the cut crop to produce grain and residue, a residue chopper (114) for chopping the residue, and a controller (310). The controller is configured to estimate risk factors that correlate to a risk of fire in the engine compartment due to airborne particles created by at least one of the cut crop, the separating system (24) or the residue chopper (114), estimate a fire risk based on the risk factors, and implement corrective action based on the estimated fire risk.