Forage Harvester Feed Device Speed Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Forage harvesters often experience excess lengths during the chopping operation due to incorrect grasping of harvested crop by the chopping device, leading to inefficient chopping and high load on clutches, which existing automatisms and speed control methods fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A method where the controller gradually brings the feed device to a low speed before and after engaging the crop pick-up device's clutch, allowing for controlled crop conveyance and preventing excess lengths, while protecting the drive train components by reducing the load on clutches and enabling detection of foreign bodies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the feed device is immediately brought to target speed when chopping is initiated, then productivity is improved, but excess lengths occur and clutch load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller gradually increases the feed device speed to the target value over a predetermined time period after chopping initiation, rather than immediately reaching target speed. This preliminary gradual acceleration prevents excess lengths from occurring while the system stabilizes, resolving the contradiction between productivity and cutting precision.
2Productivity
If the clutch is suddenly engaged at high speed, then productivity is improved, but the clutch and drive train are subjected to high load
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements a gradual speed increase profile that cushions the mechanical shock when the clutch engages. By ramping up the feed device speed over time rather than immediately applying full load, the system protects the clutch and drive train components from excessive stress while maintaining operational productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the feed device runs at minimum speed before clutch engagement, then excess lengths are reduced, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements a time-based speed profile where the feed device operates at gradually increasing speeds during a predetermined transition period after clutch engagement, then reaches full target speed. This periodic acceleration approach maintains cutting precision during the critical initial phase while achieving full productivity afterward.
Data Source
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AI summary
The harvester (10) has an internal combustion engine (38) in drive connection with a crop intake device (20), a chopping device (22), and a feeding device (32) that transfers crop from the crop intake device to the chopping device. A controller automatically triggers for an operator input for starting a chopping operation, bringing the drive speed of the feeding device to a speed below a desired value for a harvesting operation and closing the coupling. After a preset time has elapsed, the drive speed of the feeding device is brought up to a desired value. An independent claim is included for a method of operating the harvester.