Cyclone Dust Separator with Turning Airlock for Crop Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chaff savers are inefficient in collecting cannabis crop dust, resulting in excessive material volume and inadequate dust concentration, which complicates the harvesting process and requires costly drying processes, while existing technologies do not effectively separate and collect fine, oily cannabis dust without disrupting grain harvesting operations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a suction fan, cyclone unit, and turning airlock mechanism attached to a combine harvester, which creates a negative pressure chamber to separate and collect cannabis dust from crop residue, using a shroud member and container to maintain purity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional chaff savers are used to collect crop dust, then collection is performed, but excessive material volume is collected with inadequate dust concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the crop residue stream into different components using a sieve, separating fine cannabis dust from larger chaff and straw particles. This allows selective collection of high-value dust material while excluding bulk material, thereby increasing dust concentration in the collected portion without requiring full collection of all residue.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the fine cannabis dust particles from the mixed crop residue using a combination of sieving and airflow. The suction fan creates negative pressure to draw dust through the sieve, separating it from heavier chaff and straw that remain on the sieve. This extraction approach collects only the valuable dust fraction, improving concentration while reducing total collected volume.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional chaff savers collect crop dust, then material is collected, but excessive volume requires frequent discharge onto ground or into storage units
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting only the fine dust fraction through sieving and airflow, the system reduces the total volume of collected material by a significant margin compared to conventional chaff savers that collect all residue. This volume reduction means the collection container fills much more slowly, extending operational time between discharges and eliminating the need for frequent interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different treatment to different size fractions of crop residue: fine dust particles are collected via airflow through the sieve, while larger chaff and straw particles are excluded. This local quality approach ensures that only the finest, highest-value material is collected, optimizing both concentration and volume efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional chaff savers are used, then crop dust is collected, but foreign material and plant parts contaminate the collection
Solution Approach 1:
The sieve segments the crop residue based on particle size, creating a clear physical barrier that separates fine dust from larger foreign materials and plant parts. This simple geometric segmentation effectively filters contaminants without requiring complex mechanical or electronic separation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The airflow acts as an intermediary medium that selectively transports fine dust particles through the sieve while leaving larger particles behind. This气流 mediator enables separation based on aerodynamic properties, achieving high purity collection with a simple and elegant mechanism.
4Quantity of substance
If conventional harvest methods are used, then grain harvesting is performed, but crop dust mixes with ground and requires costly drying processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary separation and collection of cannabis dust directly at the harvest site, capturing fine particles before they can mix with ground moisture. By collecting dust in a controlled environment with airflow and containment, the material remains dry and ready for storage or processing without requiring additional drying steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts dust particles from the air stream using negative pressure created by the suction fan, concentrating them in a collection container. This extraction prevents dust from settling on the ground and becoming contaminated with moisture, eliminating the need for costly drying processes that would be required if dust were collected using conventional ground-based methods.
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
The system effectively separates and collects cannabis dust with reduced foreign materials, maintaining high purity and minimizing disruption to grain harvesting operations, allowing for efficient collection and storage without contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a suction fan to generate a negative pressure to draw an air flow comprising at least a portion of the crop dust separated from the crop residue
Implementation Method 2
a cyclone unit in communication with the suction fan, the cyclone unit having an inlet for receiving the air flow comprising the separated crop dust drawn by the suction fan
Implementation Method 3
an outlet having a turning airlock mechanism configured to maintain the negative pressure while discharging the separated crop dust through the outlet
Implementation Method 4
a shroud member fastened to the attachment member and extending downward to form a negative pressure chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a system for separating crop dust from crop residue produced during a harvesting operation using a combine. The system comprises an attachment member configured to be used with the combine, a shroud fastened to the attachment member and extending downward to form a negative pressure chamber; and a container for collecting the separated crop dust exiting the outlet of the cyclone unit. The attachment member comprises a suction fan to generate a negative pressure to draw an air flow comprising at least a portion of the crop dust separated from the crop residue; and a depressurized cyclone unit in communication with the suction fan, having an inlet for receiving the air flow comprising the separated crop dust drawn by the suction fan, and an outlet having a turning interlock configured to maintain the negative pressure while discharging the separated crop dust through the outlet.