Agricultural Combine Feeder House Jam Clearing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural combine feeder houses often jam due to varying crop densities, leading to time-consuming manual removal of jammed crop material, as the ejected lump can re-enter and cause repeated jams.
Innovation Solution
A system with a variable drive and ECU-controlled conveyor system that synchronizes the feeder house and auger conveyor speeds, with a delayed startup of the belt pickup conveyor to prevent immediate re-jamming, allowing the auger to shred and feed the material gradually, and an option for immediate full-speed startup upon operator input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the belt pickup conveyor is immediately restarted at full speed after clearing a jam, then harvesting productivity is improved, but the likelihood of re-jamming increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary action by implementing a time delay before restarting the belt pickup conveyor at full speed. This delay allows the auger conveyor to first process and reduce the ejected crop material into smaller pieces, preventing immediate re-jamming while maintaining high productivity through subsequent full-speed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic action by implementing a staged restart sequence with distinct phases: an initial delay period at reduced or zero speed, followed by a transition to full operating speed. This periodic approach balances reliability during the vulnerable restart phase with productivity during steady-state operation.
2Reliability
If the feeder house conveyor is reversed multiple times to eject jammed material, then the jam is cleared, but harvesting time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by implementing an automatic clearing sequence that is initiated by a single operator input and then executes autonomously. The ECU automatically reverses the feeder house conveyor, waits for material ejection, restarts the conveyors with appropriate delays, and manages the entire clearing process without requiring continuous operator intervention or manual material removal.
3Productivity
If the belt pickup conveyor is restarted immediately after clearing, then operational continuity is maintained, but crop material may be drawn back into the feeder house causing repeated jams
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary action by implementing a time delay before restarting the belt pickup conveyor at full speed. This delay allows the auger conveyor to first process and reduce the ejected crop material into smaller pieces, preventing immediate re-jamming while maintaining high productivity through subsequent full-speed operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method of clearing a lump of cut crop material from an internal conveyor of the feeder house (102) of an agricultural combine (104) and an auger conveyor (112) of a belt pickup (100) mounted on the feeder house (102) by ejecting the lump of cut crop material to a position forward of the auger conveyor (112), then shredding the lump of cut crop material by the auger conveyor (112) and feeding the shredded portions of the lump of cut crop material into the internal conveyor, and then accelerating a belt conveyor (114) on the belt pickup (100) located immediately in front of the auger conveyor (112) to its full harvesting speed.