Combine Grain Cleaning Sieve With Independently Rotatable Louvers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural combine sieves struggle to achieve optimal grain loss levels by uniformly rotating all louvers, leading to either excessive MOG passage or reduced grain throughput, as they lack adjustability to accommodate varying grain sizes and conditions.
Innovation Solution
A sieve with independently rotatable louvers, allowing for variable spacing and angular orientation, where different sets of louvers can be adjusted independently to accommodate changing grain density and flow conditions, preventing MOG passage while ensuring efficient grain separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all louvers are uniformly rotated to increase opening size for better grain throughput, then grain flow through the sieve is faster and more direct, but increased MOG is allowed to pass through the sieve
Solution Approach 1:
The louver system is divided into multiple independently rotatable sets, allowing different sections to be optimized for different functions. Some sets can be opened wider for grain throughput while others remain more closed to prevent MOG passage, resolving the contradiction between productivity and substance loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Different louver sets are assigned different angular orientations and opening sizes based on their specific location and function in the sieve. This allows local optimization where each louver set has properties tailored to its specific role, enabling simultaneous grain throughput and MOG prevention in different areas.
2Speed
If louver opening size is increased to allow more crop material through, then upward air flow through the sieve is higher and grain flow is faster, but excessive MOG passage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The louver system is segmented into multiple independently controllable sets, allowing different opening sizes and air flow rates in different sections. This enables fast grain flow through opened sets while maintaining MOG prevention in sets with smaller openings.
Solution Approach 2:
Different louver sets have locally optimized opening sizes and orientations based on their position and function. Sets handling grain flow are opened wider for speed, while sets handling MOG separation maintain smaller openings, achieving both speed and substance retention.
3Loss of substance
If louver opening size is decreased to prevent MOG passage, then less MOG passes through the sieve, but less clean grain falls through the sieve as well
Solution Approach 1:
The louver system is divided into multiple independently adjustable sets, allowing some sets to be optimized for MOG prevention with smaller openings while other sets are optimized for grain throughput with larger openings, eliminating the trade-off.
Solution Approach 2:
Different louver sets have locally optimized properties where sets in MOG-prone areas have smaller openings to prevent passage, while sets in grain-flow areas have larger openings to maintain productivity, achieving both goals simultaneously.
4Ease of operation
If existing sieves use uniform louver rotation for different grain sizes, then the sieve structure is simple and easy to operate, but they lack adaptability to accommodate varying grain sizes and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The louver system is segmented into multiple independently adjustable sets, each capable of being optimized for different grain sizes and flow conditions. This segmentation provides adaptability while maintaining ease of operation through modular adjustment of individual sets based on specific harvesting conditions.
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
Enhances grain separation efficiency by dynamically adjusting louver spacing and orientation, reducing grain loss and MOG passage, particularly beneficial in lower yielding fields, and potentially reducing fan power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a fan directing an air flow stream upwardly and rearwardly through one or more fore to aft reciprocating sieves
Implementation Method 2
The air flow stream operates to lift and carry the lighter elements of the MOG towards the rear end of the combine
Implementation Method 3
Clean grain, being heavier, and larger pieces of MOG, which are not carried away by the air flow stream, will fall onto the surface of the upper sieve where some or all of the clean grain passes through to the lower, finer sieve
Implementation Method 4
material passes through the sieve by falling generally vertically through the spaces between the fingers or by entering the passages between the rows and falling through at the angle defined by the angular position of the rows of fingers
Data Source
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AI summary
A progressive sieve assembly (24) for an agricultural vehicle (20) includes a sieve (24) having a frame (64), a first subset of louvers (56) that are pivotably connected to the frame (64), and a second subset of louvers (58) that are also pivotably connected to the frame (64). The second subset of louvers (58) are positioned downstream of the first subset of louvers (56) as viewed in a direction of travel of grain across the sieve assembly (24). The first subset of louvers (56) are configured to pivot independently of the second subset of louvers (58), and the second subset of louvers (58) are configured to pivot independently of the first subset of louvers (56).