Combine Harvester Radial Distributor with Enlarged Upper Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Straw tends to jam at the inlet to the throwing rotors in existing combine harvesters, leading to operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The upper gap between the paddles and the upper side of the housing is enlarged, with a wedge-shaped design, and the paddles are made of cast steel, while the housing has a cylindrical shape to prevent straw jamming, and a chopper is included to chop straw before distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the upper gap between the paddles and the upper side of the housing is reduced to improve straw distribution precision, then the straw distribution precision is improved, but the straw becomes prone to jamming at the inlet to the throwing rotors
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with different gap dimensions at different locations: a first dimension for the upper gap and a second dimension for the lower gap, where the first dimension is larger than the second dimension. This local differentiation allows the upper gap to be sufficiently large to prevent jamming while maintaining adequate distribution precision through the smaller lower gap.
2Productivity
If the lower gap between the paddles and the bottom of the housing is increased to improve straw flow, then the straw flow is improved, but the straw distribution precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with different gap dimensions at different locations: a first dimension for the upper gap and a second dimension for the lower gap, where the first dimension is larger than the second dimension. This local differentiation allows the lower gap to be smaller for precision while the upper gap compensates for flow efficiency.
3Reliability
If the paddles are made of more durable material to improve reliability, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The material of the paddles is changed to cast steel, which provides superior durability and reliability for withstanding the demanding operating conditions of straw processing, while the design maintains simplicity through this straightforward material substitution.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A combine harvester with a radial distributor is disclosed, the housing (11) having two throwing rotors (10) in the housing (11), the throwing rotors (10) each having at least two paddles (13) and being arranged to rotate in opposite directions about two rotor axes (12) perpendicular to the throwing plane (17) in a discharge plane (17), and the housing (11) having an inlet for straw in a top surface (15) and partially enclosing the paddles (13) parallel to the discharge plane (17) and in a direction of travel of the combine harvester and being open opposite to the direction of travel for the discharge of the straw in the discharge plane (17). To avoid straw becoming jammed at the inlet to the throwing rotors (10), it is proposed that an upper gap (24) between the paddles (13) and the top (15) be at least in sections at least twice as large as a lower gap (26) between the paddles (13) and a bottom (25) of the housing (11).