Agricultural Header Impact Sensor Vibration Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural harvesting systems face challenges in accurately determining the location of initial contact between crops and the header, leading to inefficiencies in separating usable crop material from stalks, resulting in increased material other than grain (MOG) being fed into processing machinery.
Innovation Solution
An impact sensor system is implemented on the agricultural header, comprising sensors vibrationally connected to the deck plates, which generate signals indicative of vibrations due to crop contact, allowing for the determination of the contact location and enabling adjustments to optimize harvesting performance by ensuring initial contact occurs within a target impact region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If impact sensors are installed on the agricultural header to detect crop contact location, then measurement precision of contact location is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deck plate is divided into multiple sensor mounting locations along its length, with sensors positioned at specific intervals. This segmentation allows the system to detect contact locations at different positions along the deck plate, improving measurement precision while keeping each individual sensor simple and the overall system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Vibration sensors are used as intermediary devices that detect mechanical vibrations caused by crop impact on the deck plate. These sensors convert mechanical energy into electrical signals that can be processed to determine contact location, providing an indirect but effective measurement method that balances precision and complexity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are positioned along the deck plate to improve contact location detection, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are strategically positioned at specific locations along the deck plate where crop contact is most likely to occur and where detection provides maximum information. This localized sensor placement optimizes measurement precision while minimizing the total number of sensors required, thereby controlling manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a limited number of sensors at key positions rather than continuous coverage. This partial action approach provides sufficient contact location detection accuracy for agricultural harvesting applications without the excessive cost of dense sensor arrays or continuous sensing along the entire deck plate length.
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
The system effectively reduces the likelihood of stalks being fed into processing machinery by accurately determining the impact location, thereby enhancing harvesting efficiency and reducing unwanted material processing, optimizing crop separation and yield.
Implementation Method 1
the first sensor is configured to generate first signals in response to detection of vibrations due to initial contact between a crop and the deck plate of the header
Data Source
AI summary
An impact sensor system for a header of an agricultural system includes a first sensor vibrationally connected to a deck plate of the header, wherein the first sensor is configured to generate first signals in response to detection of vibrations due to initial contact between a crop and the deck plate of the header. The impact sensor system also includes a second sensor vibrationally connected to the deck plate of the header and positioned forward of the first sensor, wherein the second sensor is configured to generate second signals in response to detection of the vibrations due to the initial contact between the crop and the deck plate of the header.