Grain Mass Flow Rate Determination Using Auger Tube Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining grain mass flow rate using cameras in harvesters are prone to inaccuracies due to the helical movement of grains within auger tubes, which complicates the estimation of grain movement and yield.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a harvester system that uses a camera to capture images of grain movement within an auger tube section devoid of auger flights, allowing for more linear grain movement and accurate tracking of pixel movement, combined with computing device analysis to determine grain mass flow rate based on movement rate, density, and cross-sectional area, while accounting for grain relaxation and partial fill states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera is used to capture grain movement in an auger tube with auger flights, then grain transport function is maintained, but measurement precision of grain mass flow rate deteriorates due to helical movement patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The auger tube is divided into two distinct sections: a first section with auger flights for grain transport and a second section without auger flights for accurate camera measurement. This segmentation allows the system to maintain both transport functionality and measurement accuracy by isolating the measurement zone from the complex helical movement in the transport zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The auger flights are removed from the second section of the auger tube, extracting the grain transport mechanism from the measurement zone. This allows the camera to capture grain movement without the complicating factor of helical flight interaction, thereby improving measurement precision while the first section maintains the necessary transport function.
2Productivity
If the harvester operates at high speed to improve productivity, then output increases, but measurement precision of grain movement deteriorates due to reduced time for accurate capture
Solution Approach 1:
A computing device acts as an intermediary that processes camera images to detect and track grain pixel movement. This computational mediation allows the system to maintain measurement precision even at high harvesting speeds by algorithmically analyzing grain movement patterns in captured images regardless of the speed at which images are acquired.
3Measurement precision
If the camera captures images at high resolution to improve measurement precision, then data accuracy increases, but use of energy increases due to higher processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a window or region of interest approach to focus image processing only on the specific area where grain movement occurs in the second section of the auger tube. This partial action approach maintains measurement precision for grain movement detection while reducing the overall computational load and energy consumption by processing only relevant portions of the captured images.
Data Source
AI summary
A harvester includes an auger tube having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the first portion, an auger flight within the first portion of the tube and terminating prior to the second portion to move grain to the second portion, a window along the second portion of the tube and a camera to capture images of grain within the second portion of the tube. A computing device determines grain mass flow based upon the captured images, a dimension of the second portion of the tube and a grain density factor.