Dual-Direction Impeller Chopping for Harvester Grain Damage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Harvesting machines face challenges when cutting long-stalked grains, as existing solutions require additional cutting units that must be dimensioned to fit under the feeder house, limiting the lowering of the harvesting header and reducing the amount of non-grain material processed, which in turn reduces the aggressiveness of threshing and separating devices, leading to increased grain damage.
Innovation Solution
A harvesting machine with a cutter and an impeller-style crop conditioning system featuring a conveyor rotor with drivers that have dual edges for both conditioning and cutting, allowing for selective processing of crop material by rotating in different directions, and adjustable counterpart blades for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If additional cutting units are installed under the feeder house, then the cutting height is limited and the structure fits within the machine, but the amount of non-grain material processed is reduced and grain damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the conditioning impeller with chopping blades to create a dual-function device. The impeller serves both for conditioning crop material (by beating and flailing) and for chopping stalks (via integrated blades). This eliminates the need for separate additional cutting units under the feeder house, allowing the header to be lowered further while processing lodged crops without increasing grain damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The conditioning impeller is designed to perform multiple functions: conditioning cut crop material, chopping standing stalks, and processing lodged cereal crops. By making the impeller universal, the machine can handle various crop conditions and heights without requiring multiple specialized components that would constrain the header position.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional cutting units are installed under the feeder house, then the machine structure is complete, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the conditioning function and chopping function into a single integrated impeller assembly. The conditioning impeller has chopping blades attached to its periphery, allowing it to perform both conditioning and cutting operations. This reduces the total number of separate cutting units needed in the machine while maintaining versatility for different crop conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The conditioning impeller is designed as a universal component that can condition cut material and chop standing or lodged stalks simultaneously. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple specialized cutting units, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving adaptability across various harvesting scenarios.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If the cutter bar is guided at a relatively great height (high-cutting mode), then energy consumption is reduced, but the amount of non-grain material processed through the combine is reduced, leading to increased grain damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of the header cutting height and introduces a secondary cutting system that can operate at lower heights when needed. The conditioning impeller with chopping blades can process lodged crops at lower cutting positions, allowing the system to adapt between high-cutting (energy-efficient) and low-cutting (grain-protection) modes depending on crop conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by introducing a conditioning impeller with chopping capability that can process crop material at various heights. When lodged crops are present, the impeller operates to chop and condition material at lower heights, ensuring sufficient non-grain material passes through the combine to protect grains, while avoiding the need for consistently low cutting heights that would increase energy consumption.
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
This configuration enables efficient cutting and conditioning of crop material, reducing grain damage and allowing for greater flexibility in harvesting, including the processing of lodged cereal crops, while eliminating the need for additional cutting units under the feeder house, thus improving the overall harvesting efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the drivers abrading the crop material against the discharge hood to crimp and scrape the crop material to condition the crop material
Implementation Method 2
The conveyor rotor is configured for rotation about the rotor axis in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, for moving the crop material under the conveyor rotor for cutting the crop material
Data Source
AI summary
A harvesting machine includes a frame structure. A cutter is coupled to the frame structure for cutting standing crop material. A conveyor rotor is rotatable about a rotor axis relative to the frame structure, and includes a plurality of drivers mounted to an exterior surface of the conveyor rotor. A discharge hood is mounted to the frame structure above the conveyor rotor. The conveyor rotor is configured for rotation about the rotor axis in a first rotational direction for moving crop material over the conveyor rotor, between the discharge hood and the conveyor rotor, for conditioning the crop material. The conveyor rotor is configured for rotation about the rotor axis in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, for moving the crop material under the conveyor rotor for cutting the crop material.