Hydraulic Circulation Circuit for Tractor-Driven Seed Drives
Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic systems for agricultural distribution machines, such as pneumatic seed drills and fertilizer spreaders, require significant hydraulic fluid quantities, which older and smaller tractors often cannot supply, leading to space and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic system with a circulation circuit that includes a first pump coupled to a tractor's drive shaft, allowing for a controlled and adjustable fluid flow, reducing the need for additional fluid containers and enabling operation with smaller fluid quantities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a hydraulic tank is added to carry sufficient fluid for the hydraulic drive, then the fluid supply requirement is met, but the installation space requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hydraulic fluid storage function with the tractor's existing hydraulic system. The circulation circuit connects the hydraulic drive back to the tractor's hydraulic tank, allowing the tractor's tank to serve dual purposes: both as the power source and as the fluid reservoir for the agricultural distribution machine's hydraulic drive, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fluid container.
Solution Approach 2:
The tractor's hydraulic system is made universal by enabling it to supply fluid not only to its own hydraulic components but also to the hydraulic drive of the agricultural distribution machine. The circulation circuit allows the same fluid to be continuously reused between the tractor's hydraulic system and the blower drive, making the tractor's hydraulic infrastructure serve multiple functions.
2Reliability
If a hydraulic tank and return filter are installed to ensure adequate fluid supply, then the fluid circulation is improved, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the filtration function into the tractor's existing hydraulic system. The circulation circuit integrates with the tractor's hydraulic return line, which already contains filtration components. This eliminates the need for a separate return filter on the agricultural distribution machine, reducing component count while maintaining fluid cleanliness through the tractor's established filtration system.
3Power
If a pump is coupled to the tractor's PTO shaft to drive the hydraulic blower, then sufficient power is obtained, but the fluid consumption increases beyond the capacity of older tractors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a continuous circulation circuit where hydraulic fluid is continuously pumped from the tractor's hydraulic system to the hydraulic drive and then returned to the tractor's tank. This continuous circulation allows the same fluid to be reused repeatedly, enabling sufficient power delivery to the blower while keeping the total fluid quantity requirement within the capacity of older tractors' hydraulic systems.
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 enables operation of agricultural distribution machines with older tractors by minimizing fluid requirements, reducing installation space, and preventing contamination, while maintaining consistent drive power.
Implementation Method 1
the first pump and the hydraulic drive form a circulation circuit (e.g. in the form of a series connection, series arrangement, ring circuit arrangement) by means of a pipe system and that the first pump is set up to pump (e.g. circulate) the fluid along the circulation circuit
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a hydraulic system (10) for an agricultural distribution machine, in particular a pneumatic seed drill and/or pneumatic fertilizer spreader, comprising at least a first pump (14) which is arranged to be coupled to and driven by a drive shaft (16) of a tractor (18), and a hydraulic drive (12) which is arranged to drive a blower at a controllable and/or adjustable speed depending on a obtained volume flow of a fluid.In order to create an agricultural distribution machine with a hydraulic drive (12) which can also be operated with older tractors and those with smaller quantities of fluid, the invention provides that the first pump (14) and the hydraulic drive (12) form a preferably closed circulation circuit (24) by means of a piping system (22), and that the first pump (14) is configured to pump the fluid along the circulation circuit (24).