Harvester Unloading Control During Breakthrough Passes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural harvesters face challenges in maintaining desired spacing between the harvester and receiving vehicle during breakthrough harvesting passes, leading to inefficiencies and reduced productivity due to obstacles and unharvested crops, which often require the receiving vehicle to wait or the harvester to stop, disrupting the continuous harvesting process.
Innovation Solution
A control system that synchronizes the operation of the harvester and receiving vehicle, allowing the receiving vehicle to travel behind the harvester's header during breakthrough passes, maintaining proximity without driving over unharvested crops, by using image processing, machine synchronization, and interlock controls to manage spatial relationships and logistical criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the receiving vehicle travels alongside the harvester during breakthrough passes, then unloading can continue without interruption, but the receiving vehicle may drive over unharvested crops or contact obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving vehicle transitions from traveling laterally alongside the harvester to traveling longitudinally behind the header, changing the spatial dimension of operation. This allows the vehicle to follow the harvesting path without encroaching on unharvested crops, enabling continuous unloading during breakthrough passes while avoiding damage to standing crop and obstacles
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the receiving vehicle maintains desired spacing from the harvester, then crop damage is avoided, but the receiving vehicle cannot stay positioned to receive grain during breakthrough passes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the spatial relationship between the harvester and receiving vehicle based on operational conditions. During breakthrough passes, the receiving vehicle follows behind the header at a variable distance, maintaining proximity enough to receive grain while staying clear of unharvested crops, thus adapting the spacing to preserve both productivity and avoid crop damage
3Ease of operation
If the harvester stops to allow the receiving vehicle to position, then the receiving vehicle can receive grain, but the harvesting process is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving vehicle pre-positions itself behind the harvester's header before breakthrough passes occur, anticipating the need to follow the harvesting path. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for the harvester to stop and wait for the receiving vehicle to get into position, allowing continuous harvesting and unloading operations during breakthrough passes
Data Source
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AI summary
A control system controls the operation of a harvester and/or receiving vehicle so that the receiving vehicle can travel adjacent the harvester, behind a harvesting head on the harvester, during a breakthrough pass in the harvesting operation. The control system can include an interlock system which generates an interlock signal when unloading during breakthrough harvesting is not desired. The control signal can include a monitoring system that generates a control signal during the breakthrough pass, and a logistics system that identifies a desired location for the breakthrough pass.