Harvester-Mounted Stalk Strength Measuring Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring corn stalk strength are labor-intensive and limited to small-scale assessments, making it difficult to efficiently evaluate stalk strength across large areas, which contributes to yield losses due to stalk lodging.
Innovation Solution
A corn stalk strength measuring device mounted on a harvester, utilizing counter-rotating stalk rolls with strain gauges to digitally measure stalk resistance, and optionally incorporating GPS, radar, or optical encoders to assess uniformity and detect gaps in plant distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual measurement methods are used, then measurement precision can be maintained, but productivity and measurement speed are significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement with an automated electronic system. Strain gauges mounted on stalk rolls detect stalk strength electronically as corn stalks are processed through the roller mechanism during harvest, eliminating the need for manual field measurements while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system utilizes the existing harvest operation itself to perform measurements. The stalk rolls that are already used for processing corn stalks during harvest also serve as the measurement mechanism, with strain gauges detecting stalk strength as they process the stalks, thereby using the harvest process to serve dual purposes of harvesting and measuring.
2Productivity
If automated measurement systems are implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity and initial costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the stalk rolls serve multiple functions: they continue to process corn stalks for harvesting while simultaneously functioning as measurement devices through integrated strain gauges. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by combining harvesting and measurement operations into a single integrated system rather than requiring separate dedicated measurement equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The strain gauges act as intermediaries between the mechanical stalk rolling process and the data collection system. They convert the mechanical resistance of stalks during rolling into electrical signals that can be processed and recorded, providing a bridge between the physical harvesting operation and digital measurement recording without requiring complex direct measurement mechanisms.
3Extent of automation
If strain gauges are mounted on stalk rolls, then automated measurement capability is achieved, but the stalk rolls experience increased wear and structural stress
Solution Approach 1:
The strain gauges are mounted on the stalk rolls before the harvesting and measurement operation begins. This preliminary mounting ensures that the measurement capability is ready from the start of the harvest season, allowing continuous measurement without interruption and reducing the need for mid-season maintenance or replacement of measurement components.
Solution Approach 2:
The strain gauges provide continuous feedback on stalk strength during the harvesting process. This feedback mechanism allows for real-time monitoring and data collection, enabling researchers to observe variations in stalk strength across different conditions and time periods, which can then be used to adjust measurement parameters or investigate specific agricultural conditions affecting stalk strength.
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
Enables rapid, automated assessment of stalk strength across multiple plots, facilitating data-driven decisions in corn breeding programs and reducing yield losses by providing accurate and efficient measurements.
Implementation Method 1
A strain gauge is mounted on each of the stalk rolls and provides an output signal proportional to the resistance to crushing of each stalk that passes through the stalk rolls
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for measuring stalk strength of a plant is disclosed. A force sensor is mounted to a harvester in a position to measure the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk by a stalk roll of the harvester. The apparatus may include a pair of counter rotating stalk rolls that pull and crush the plant stalk between them and a pair of stain gauges attached on either side of a mounting apparatus of the stalk rolls to sense both the tension and compression forces induced in the mounting apparatus by each of the rolls in response to the resistance to crushing of the plant stalk. Data collected by the invention can be advantageously used in a breeding program wherein breeding decisions are made based at least in part on stalk strength.