Agricultural Harvester Residue Yield Determination System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural harvesters are unable to determine the yield of residue discharged during the harvesting process, which is crucial for farmers to adjust tillage, fertilizing, and drainage practices for optimal crop growth and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising plant yield sensors and a controller that measures the weight of plant materials ingested by the harvester and separates crop materials from residue, allowing for the determination of residue yield by comparing the weights of ingested and separated materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current harvesters are configured to detect the yield of crop materials entering the crop tank, then the crop yield measurement capability is improved, but the ability to determine residue yield is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the measurement process into two distinct measurement streams: one for crop materials entering the crop tank and another for residue materials discharged from the harvester. This segmentation allows both crop yield and residue yield to be measured independently and simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between measuring crop yield and losing residue yield information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a residue yield detection system as an intermediary component that specifically measures residue materials discharged from the harvester. This intermediary measurement system bridges the gap between the existing crop yield detection and the need for residue yield information, enabling both types of yield data to be collected without interfering with each other.
2Productivity
If farmers adjust tillage, fertilizing, and drainage practices based on residue levels, then crop growth optimization is improved, but the complexity of field management operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by providing real-time or near-real-time residue yield data to farmers, enabling them to make informed decisions about tillage, fertilizing, and drainage practices. This feedback loop allows farmers to optimize crop growth based on actual residue conditions without requiring complex manual assessment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The harvester system performs self-service by automatically measuring and reporting residue yield data, eliminating the need for farmers to manually assess residue levels. This automated data collection and provision simplifies field management operations while still enabling optimized crop growth decisions.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one aspect, an agricultural harvester may include a system for determining the residue yield of plant materials being ingested by a harvesting implement of the harvester. A controller of the system may be configured to determine the weight of the quantity of plant materials being ingested by a harvesting implement of the harvester based on measurement signals received from the plant yield sensor. Moreover, the system may be configured to determine the weight of the quantity of crop materials removed from the quantity of harvested plant materials based on measurement signals received from the crop yield sensor. Additionally, the system may be configured to determine the residue yield value by comparing the determined weight of the quantity of plant materials and the determined weight of the quantity of crop materials.