Harvester Transfer Spout Positioning for Crop Loss Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Harvesting machines and transport vehicles face challenges in transferring crops without losing them due to mechanical instability and misalignment of the discharge spout, leading to crop losses during overloading, especially when driving side by side.
Innovation Solution
A coordinated system where a self-propelled harvesting machine and transport vehicle use control units to adjust the position and orientation of the transfer device based on detected positions and crop throughput, allowing for precise control of the crop impact point and movement of the transfer device relative to the transport vehicle, reducing mechanical load and crop loss risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the discharge spout is made longer to reach the transport vehicle, then the transfer distance is increased, but the mechanical load and swaying increase leading to crop loss
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge spout is made dynamically adjustable in length and position rather than being a fixed long structure. The control unit adjusts the spout length and position in real-time based on the detected position of the transport vehicle, maintaining optimal transfer geometry without the mechanical instability of an excessively long fixed spout.
Solution Approach 2:
A control unit with detection means continuously monitors the position of the transport vehicle and automatically adjusts the discharge spout position and length accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system ensures accurate crop transfer while minimizing spout length and mechanical load at all times.
2Ease of operation
If the distance between vehicles is increased to allow free maneuvering, then the vehicles can be freely maneuvered, but the transfer device must be more expansive and longer
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer device is made dynamically adjustable rather than being a fixed long structure. The discharge spout can extend and retract, and its position can be adjusted laterally, allowing the system to adapt to varying vehicle distances and maintain effective transfer geometry without requiring an excessively long fixed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit coordinates the positions of both vehicles and the transfer device to enable a compact, adaptable transfer system that works effectively across different operating conditions and vehicle types, eliminating the need for an oversized transfer device.
3Reliability
If the transfer device is made shorter to reduce mechanical load, then the mechanical load is reduced, but the crop may miss the target and be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously detects the position of the transport vehicle and automatically adjusts the discharge spout position and angle in real-time. This feedback control ensures that even with a shorter transfer device, the crop stream is precisely directed onto the transport vehicle, preventing crop loss while maintaining reduced mechanical load.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge spout is made dynamically adjustable in position and orientation, allowing the system to compensate for the shorter transfer distance by optimizing the crop trajectory in real-time, ensuring accurate delivery to the transport vehicle.
4Loss of substance
If the transfer device speed is increased to prevent crop piling, then crop loss from sliding off is reduced, but energy consumption and mechanical stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors crop transfer conditions and dynamically adjusts the transfer device speed to match the actual throughput requirements. This feedback control prevents crop piling and sliding loss while avoiding unnecessary high-speed operation, thereby minimizing energy consumption and mechanical stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer device operating parameters including speed are dynamically adjusted based on detected crop throughput and transfer conditions, optimizing the balance between preventing crop loss and minimizing energy consumption.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A self-propelled harvesting machine comprises a transfer unit (7) for conveying collected and processed harvested material to a transport vehicle (5) and a control unit (17) for controlling the transfer unit (7) based on characteristic parameters of at least the transport vehicle (5). The characteristic parameters include the position of a receiving device (10) of the transport vehicle (5). Based on the detected position of the receiving device (10), the control unit (17) controls the position of the transfer unit (7) relative to the receiving device (10) in order to maintain a point of impact of the harvested material (14) on the receiving device (10).