Dual Drive System for Harvester Header Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for larger working widths in agricultural harvesting machines leads to higher power requirements, resulting in increased power losses and costs due to the need for larger hydraulic units in hydrostatic drive systems, which are inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A dual drive system is implemented, combining a hydrostatic drive for variable speed and a mechanical drive for increased power consumption, with a control device managing both to ensure flexible power adjustment and synchronization, allowing for efficient operation of various attachments with different power and speed requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a larger hydraulic unit is used to meet higher power requirements for increased working widths, then the power availability is improved, but power losses and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is segmented into two independent parts: a hydrostatic drive (first drive element) and a mechanical drive (second drive element). Each drive can operate independently or in combination, allowing the system to meet power requirements without continuously operating at maximum capacity, thereby reducing power losses while maintaining adequate power availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between hydrostatic drive alone, mechanical drive alone, or both drives combined based on the actual power and speed requirements of the attached implement. This dynamic adaptation allows the hydraulic unit to be appropriately sized without needing to continuously operate at maximum capacity, reducing power losses while ensuring adequate power availability when needed.
2Power
If a larger hydraulic unit is used to meet higher power requirements for increased working widths, then the power availability is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is divided into two independent drive elements that can be selectively engaged. This segmentation allows the use of a smaller, more cost-effective hydraulic unit combined with a mechanical drive, rather than requiring a single large and expensive hydraulic unit to handle all power requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary that manages the engagement of the two drive elements. It determines when to use the hydrostatic drive alone, when to engage the mechanical drive, and when to combine both, optimizing the balance between power availability and system cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hydrostatic drive is used to provide variable speed for different attachments, then the adaptability is improved, but the power availability for high-power attachments is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the advantages of both hydrostatic and mechanical drives by providing a common drive shaft that accepts both drive elements. The hydrostatic drive provides variable speed control for adaptability, while the mechanical drive supplements power availability when needed, allowing the system to handle both speed variability requirements and high-power attachments effectively.
4Power
If a mechanical drive is engaged to provide additional power, then the power availability is improved, but the synchronization of drive speeds becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control device serves as an intermediary that manages the complex synchronization between the hydrostatic drive and mechanical drive. It monitors the operating conditions and automatically engages or disengages the mechanical drive as needed, handling the complexity of speed synchronization without requiring manual intervention from the operator.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a self-propelled harvesting machine (1, 2) with a main drive designed as an internal combustion engine (9), which is connected by at least one drive train (11) to one or more working elements of the harvesting machine (1, 2), which comprise a feeder (5) and a header (4) for receiving crop, with a control device (48) which is configured for controlling and/or regulating operating processes, and with a first drive means (25) connected to a drive shaft (21) for driving the header (4) which can be attached to the feeder (5) at variable speed, wherein a second drive means (15) which can be connected to the drive shaft (21) for driving the header (4) at constant speed can be engaged.