Header Height Control Using Crop Canopy Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current header height control systems for agricultural harvesters lack improved capabilities to predict and maintain optimal header height relative to the ground, especially in varying crop conditions.
Innovation Solution
A header height control system incorporating a non-contact sensor to sense the crop canopy ahead and a contact sensor to detect the actual ground position, with an electrical processing circuit that predicts the upcoming ground position by combining signals from both sensors to adjust the header height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a non-contact sensor is used to sense the crop canopy ahead of the header, then the ability to predict upcoming ground position is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-contact sensor detects the crop canopy ahead of the header before the header reaches that position, allowing the system to predict the upcoming ground position in advance. This preliminary detection enables proactive header height adjustment rather than reactive adjustment, improving ground position prediction accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical processing circuit acts as an intermediary that receives signals from both the non-contact sensor (detecting crop canopy) and the contact sensor (detecting actual ground position), processes these signals, and generates a predicted upcoming ground position. This intermediary processing layer integrates multiple sensor inputs to resolve the complexity while improving measurement precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If both non-contact and contact sensors are integrated with electrical processing circuitry, then header height control capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functionality of non-contact sensing (crop canopy detection), contact sensing (actual ground position detection), and electrical processing into a single integrated header height control system. This combination allows the system to adapt to varying crop conditions and ground positions, improving header height control versatility despite the increased complexity of integrating multiple components.
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 precise prediction of the upcoming ground position and determination of crop height, allowing for improved header height control during harvesting, enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a non-contact sensor positioned to sense a crop canopy ahead of the header
Implementation Method 2
a contact sensor positioned to sense an actual ground position relative to the header
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a header carried by the chassis, and a header height control system. The header is movable in upward and downward directions. The header height control system includes an electrical processing circuit, a non-contact sensor and a contact sensor. The non-contact sensor is positioned to sense a crop canopy ahead of the header. The contact sensor is positioned to sense an actual ground position relative to the header. The electrical processing circuit is coupled with and receives signals from each of the non-contact sensor and the contact sensor. The electrical processing circuit is operable to predict an upcoming ground position based upon the sensed crop canopy and actual ground position.