Combine Harvester Grain Loss Sensor Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current grain loss sensors in combine harvesters cannot distinguish between blowout loss and sieve-off loss, which are caused by different factors and require separate control measures to optimize grain processing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a sensing system with pressure sensors and impact sensors to determine the differential pressure and measure the relative contributions of blowout loss and sieve-off loss, allowing for precise identification of the dominant loss type and enabling targeted adjustments to blower speed and sieve openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single impact sensor is used to measure total grain loss, then the measurement is simple and cost-effective, but the ability to distinguish between blowout loss and sieve-off loss is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system is segmented into multiple sensors with different functions: pressure sensors mounted underneath the sieve to detect blowout loss, and impact sensors mounted downstream to detect sieve-off loss. This segmentation allows each sensor type to measure a specific loss mechanism, enabling differentiation between blowout loss and sieve-off loss while maintaining system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressure sensors serve as intermediary devices that detect air pressure changes caused by blown-out grains underneath the sieve, converting an invisible aerodynamic phenomenon into measurable pressure signals. This intermediary measurement approach enables indirect detection of blowout loss without requiring direct observation of individual grain trajectories.
2Measurement precision
If pressure sensors are added underneath the sieve to detect blowout loss, then loss type differentiation is enabled, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure sensors are strategically positioned at specific locations underneath the sieve where blowout loss occurs, rather than distributing sensors uniformly across the entire cleaning section. This localized sensing approach focuses measurement resources on the critical regions where blowout and sieve-off losses occur, enabling differentiation without requiring comprehensive sensor coverage of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes pneumatic principles by mounting pressure sensors underneath the sieve to detect pressure changes in the air stream caused by blown-out grains. This pneumatic measurement approach leverages the existing airflow field in the cleaning section, converting aerodynamic effects into measurable pressure signals without requiring additional mechanical intervention.
3Ease of operation
If sensors are mounted in multiple locations to differentiate loss types, then operational control is improved, but installation and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing system is designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized sensor configurations that can be adapted to different sieve positions and harvester models. The pressure sensors and impact sensors use common mounting patterns and electrical connections, enabling technicians to install, replace, and maintain sensors using the same procedures regardless of location, thereby reducing maintenance complexity despite multiple sensor positions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for better control of operational parameters, reducing grain loss by identifying and addressing the primary cause of loss, whether it is blowout or sieve-off loss, thereby optimizing the grain processing efficiency in combine harvesters.
Implementation Method 1
an impact plate with a piezo-electric transducer mounted on the plate, so as to register and count the impacts made by grains that fall onto the plate
Implementation Method 2
grains may become airborne and be blown through the cleaning section by the blower, together with light residue material
Data Source
AI summary
A harvesting vehicle including a cleaning section including a blower and at least one sieve. The sieve is configured to transport a layer comprising a mixture of grain kernels and residue material towards an exit edge of the sieve so that kernels fall through openings of the sieve and the residue remains on the sieve until it is ejected from the sieve by crossing the exit edge. The sieve may be subject to a grain loss, including a sieve-off loss and a blowout loss. The cleaning section further includes a sensor configured to determine whether the blowout loss or the sieve-off loss is a highest contributor to the grain loss. The cleaning section may also include a grain loss detector configured to measure the sieve-off loss and at least a portion of the blowout loss and a blowout sensor mounted above the sieve for measuring the blowout loss.