Elliptical Blade Soil Compaction Mitigation Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soil compaction caused by heavy vehicles, such as harvesting combines, reduces soil's ability to absorb water and air, leading to decreased crop yields and increased erosion, and existing tillage tools can exacerbate the issue by compacting the soil further.
Innovation Solution
A system integrated into the vehicle featuring a series of elliptically patterned blades affixed to a rotatable shaft, mounted behind the wheels or belts, which can be lowered into the compacted soil to mitigate compaction while mixing crop residue and chopping weeds, maintaining soil aeration and levelness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If heavy vehicles pass over the soil to perform harvesting operations, then harvesting productivity is improved, but soil compaction increases reducing water and air absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The compaction mitigation assembly performs soil loosening immediately after the vehicle wheels create compaction, during the same harvesting pass. This preliminary action prevents the formation of hard-packed soil bricks before they can set, maintaining soil structure and porosity while allowing continuous harvesting operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful compaction effect into a beneficial opportunity by using the vehicle's own motion and integrated assembly to create controlled soil disruption that immediately follows the compaction zone, transforming the compacted soil into loosened, aerated soil that enhances water infiltration and root penetration
2Object-affected harmful factors
If disc harrow is used to break up compacted soil, then soil compaction is reduced, but soil is thrown sideways and compaction is added
Solution Approach 1:
The compaction mitigation assembly extracts the harmful compaction effect by selectively disrupting only the compacted soil zones created by the vehicle wheels, leaving the rest of the soil structure undisturbed. The assembly removes compacted soil material and replaces it with loosened soil from adjacent areas, eliminating compaction without throwing soil sideways
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly applies soil loosening treatment locally only to the compacted wheel track areas, using sensors and targeted blade mechanisms to disrupt soil specifically where compaction occurs. This localized approach maintains soil aeration and structure in non-compacted areas while treating only the affected zones
3Object-affected harmful factors
If deep ripping is performed to mitigate compaction tracks, then soil compaction is reduced, but additional cost and time are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The compaction mitigation assembly merges the harvesting operation with soil treatment by integrating the assembly directly onto the harvesting vehicle. This combination allows simultaneous harvesting and compaction mitigation in a single pass, eliminating the need for separate deep ripping operations and reducing total field operation time by approximately 50%
Solution Approach 2:
The harvesting vehicle is equipped with multi-functionality by integrating the compaction mitigation assembly, allowing the same vehicle to perform both harvesting and soil treatment functions. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate tillage equipment and operations, reducing time loss and operational costs
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an assembly for mitigating soil compacted by wheels or belts of a vehicle moving over soil and carried by the vehicle. The assembly operates with a series of blades affixed to a rotatable shaft and displaying an elliptical pattern. A hood confines about the top half of the blades and spans about the width of the assembly. A motor rotates the rotatable shaft. A mounting assembly mounts the assembly to the vehicle behind and in alignment with the vehicle wheels or belts. A cylinder assembly reversibly moves the assembly from a home position downwardly into compacted soil for its mitigation.