Harvester Working Element Speed Monitoring for Crop Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting crop jams in self-propelled harvesting machines are inefficient, leading to interruptions in the harvesting process, harvest losses, and potential damage to machinery due to delayed responses to impending blockages.
Innovation Solution
Monitoring the speed of working elements and implementing threshold-based measures to reduce or halt the supply of crop material when speed drops are detected, allowing for early intervention and prevention of blockages, with automatic decoupling of affected elements from their drives when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the threshing-separating rotor is decoupled from the hydraulic motor and combustion engine when an impending crop jam is detected, then the crop jam is prevented from worsening, but the harvesting process is interrupted and production is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The control device initiates preliminary actions by changing settings of working elements upstream of the affected rotor before complete blockage occurs. This includes reducing the quantity of harvested material to be processed, which prevents the crop jam from worsening while maintaining continuous operation and avoiding production loss
Solution Approach 2:
The affected working element is given time to deal with the situation automatically through self-service mechanisms. The system allows the rotor to rectify the crop jam situation on its own by maintaining decoupling temporarily, which prevents manual intervention and keeps the harvesting process running
2Reliability
If the feed device is decoupled from its drive to prevent subsequent delivery of further crops, then the crop jam is prevented from developing further, but harvest losses occur and the harvesting machine continues to drive over the field without picking up material
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely decoupling the feed device, the control device takes preliminary action by changing settings of upstream working elements to reduce the quantity of harvested material. This preliminary reduction prevents complete blockage while maintaining material flow, thus avoiding harvest losses
3Measurement precision
If the speed of the working element is monitored and threshold-based measures are implemented to reduce or halt supply of crop material, then crop jams are detected early and prevention is enabled, but the harvesting process may be interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements preliminary actions by changing settings of upstream working elements before complete blockage occurs. This early intervention prevents the need for process interruption while maintaining detection precision through speed monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters of upstream working elements (such as speed or processing capacity) in response to detected speed drops. These parameter changes reduce the quantity of harvested material to be processed, preventing blockage while maintaining continuous operation
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves determining the crop storage formation by the estimation of an actual value of a parameter detected by a sensor. The parameter serves for the monitoring of the operating condition of the working part of the harvester. The speed of the working part is monitored as parameter. An independent claim is also included for a control device for a self-propelled harvester.