Harvester Debris Director for Adjustable Residue Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current harvesters face challenges in efficiently separating crop billet from extraneous plant matter and effectively managing the ejection of residue back onto the support surface, often resulting in residue accumulation on the harvester or vehicle, which requires additional cleaning and can lead to inefficient residue distribution.
Innovation Solution
A harvester equipped with a cleaning system that includes a primary and secondary separator, a conveyor, and a debris director with adjustable outlets, allowing for the separation of crop billet and extraneous plant matter, and the controlled ejection of residue back onto the support surface at adjustable angles to optimize residue distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If residue is ejected at a fixed angle onto the support surface, then the structure is simple, but residue distribution is inefficient and accumulation occurs on the harvester
Solution Approach 1:
The debris director employs movable panels that can be adjusted to different positions, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one. This allows the residue ejection angle to be changed during operation, improving residue distribution efficiency while avoiding accumulation on the harvester, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the ejection angle parameter of residue by adjusting the movable panels of the debris director. This parameter adjustment enables optimized residue distribution across different operating conditions, resolving the contradiction between efficient residue management and structural simplicity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If residue is ejected parallel to the support surface, then the ejection structure is simple, but residue accumulates on the harvester and vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The movable panels in the debris director enable dynamic adjustment of the residue ejection trajectory. By changing from a fixed parallel ejection to an adjustable angled ejection, the system prevents residue accumulation on the harvester while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive panel adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily directs residue away from the harvester body by adjusting the debris director panels before residue can accumulate. This proactive residue management prevents the harmful effect of accumulation while keeping the control mechanism simple and easy to operate.
3Productivity
If the cleaning system uses multiple separators and adjustable debris directors, then residue distribution is optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is divided into multiple functional segments including primary separators, secondary separators, and adjustable debris directors. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function efficiently, improving overall cleaning productivity while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The debris director with movable panels serves multiple functions: it controls residue ejection angle, distributes residue across different areas, and prevents accumulation on the harvester. This multi-functionality improves cleaning efficiency while minimizing the need for additional separate components, thus managing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A harvester movable along a support surface. The harvester includes an inlet configured to receive crop, a blade configured to cut the crop into billet and extraneous plant matter, and a cleaning system configured to distinguish between billet and extraneous plant matter. Billet is directed toward a conveyor configured for discharging billet to a vehicle and extraneous plant matter is directed toward a hood. The hood includes a debris director defining an outlet configured to eject extraneous plant matter as residue onto the support surface. The outlet is disposed at an angle of residue ejection with respect to the support surface. The debris director is configured to adjust the angle of residue ejection with respect to the support surface.