Combine Harvester Crop Distribution via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Combine harvesters face inefficiencies due to irregular loading across the width of the cleaning shoe, leading to suboptimal performance and capacity, particularly in transverse flow rotary threshing systems where uneven distribution of crop material affects the cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
A combine harvester system equipped with sensors to monitor the crop load on the cleaning shoe and adjust distribution devices, such as stub augers or moving slats, to evenly distribute crop material across the shoe, ensuring optimal loading and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If crop material is fed into the thresher rotor assembly, then grain is threshed and processed, but irregular loading across the width of the cleaning shoe results in suboptimal efficiency and capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution device is made dynamically adjustable through an automatic control system that responds to sensor feedback about crop load distribution. The device can change its deflection characteristics in real-time to compensate for varying crop conditions, ensuring uniform loading across the cleaning shoe width while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor system monitors the crop load distribution across the cleaning shoe and provides feedback signals to the automatic control system. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the distribution device to self-adjust and maintain optimal loading uniformity, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation
2Productivity
If the thresher rotor operates at high capacity, then grain throughput increases, but uneven distribution of crop material causes some areas to work below optimal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution device transitions from a static component to a dynamically controlled element that can adjust its deflection pattern in real-time. This enables the system to maintain uniform material distribution across the cleaning shoe even at high throughput capacities, eliminating the trade-off between productivity and distribution precision
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic control system modifies operational parameters of the distribution device based on sensor feedback about material distribution. By changing deflection angles or positions dynamically, the system maintains optimal distribution uniformity across the cleaning shoe width while operating at high grain throughput capacity
Data Source
AI summary
A combine harvester has a thresher rotor assembly having a thresher rotor and a grate. At least one distribution device is disposed beneath the thresher rotor and is controllable to deflect grain falling from the thresher rotor assembly in a transverse direction. The distribution device may take the form of stub augers, pivoting plates or sliding plates. A cleaning shoe has a pan upon which grain falling from the thresher rotor assembly impacts. Plural sensors are disposed adjacent the pan and are each arranged to generate a signal indicative of crop load on the pan, wherein the distribution device is controlled automatically in response to the generated load signals.