Haul Vehicle Speed Control for Harvester Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The efficiency of the harvesting process is reduced due to the complexity of aligning and matching the speed of haul vehicles with agricultural harvesters, leading to increased costs and potential product loss from misalignment and speed mismatches, especially when operated by less skilled drivers.
Innovation Solution
A control system for haul vehicles that includes transceivers, spatial locating devices, and automated speed control systems to automatically determine and maintain alignment and speed with the harvester, using signals for position and velocity data to adjust speed and steering, ensuring precise alignment and synchronized movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operation by skilled drivers is used to align and match speed, then alignment precision and speed matching are improved, but operational costs increase and driver availability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The haul vehicle system performs alignment and speed matching autonomously using its own sensors, processors, and control systems. The vehicle self-determines its position relative to the harvester, calculates required speed adjustments, and executes steering and speed control without human intervention, making the system self-sufficient in the alignment task
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical skill-based manual control system with an electronic and computational system. Sensors detect position and speed, processors calculate optimal control parameters, and automated systems execute steering and speed control, substituting human mechanical operation with electronic control mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If manual operation by less skilled drivers is used, then driver availability increases, but product loss due to misalignment and speed mismatch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the haul vehicle's position relative to the harvester and the speed of both vehicles using sensors and transceivers. This real-time feedback information is processed to dynamically adjust steering and speed control, ensuring the haul vehicle maintains proper alignment and speed matching throughout the operation, thereby preventing product loss from misalignment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical skill-based manual control system with an electronic and computational system. Sensors detect position and speed, processors calculate optimal control parameters, and automated systems execute steering and speed control, substituting human mechanical operation with electronic control mechanisms
3Ease of operation
If automated control systems are implemented, then driver skill requirements are reduced and availability increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it processes position data from spatial locating devices, receives velocity data from transceivers, calculates target position and speed, controls steering mechanisms, and manages speed control systems. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate specialized systems into a single integrated control unit, managing complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the sensors (spatial locating devices and transceivers) and the execution mechanisms (steering and speed control systems). It receives data from sensors, processes this information, and generates control commands for the execution systems, mediating between detection and action while simplifying the overall system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for a haul vehicle, includes a first transceiver configured to receive a first signal from a second transceiver, wherein the first signal is indicative of a first determined position and a first determined velocity of the target vehicle. The control system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first transceiver, wherein the controller automatically controls the speed of the haul vehicle by determining a desired position and a desired speed of the haul vehicle based at least in part on the first determined position and the first determined velocity of the target vehicle, instructing an automated speed control system to establish the ground speed of the haul vehicle to reach the target position, and instructing the automated speed control system to control the ground speed of the haul vehicle to maintain the target position, including during turning of the target and haul vehicles.