Mower Combination Height Control for Crop Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High mass yields of cut crop can cause mower units to overrun or damage swathes when raised to a headland position, making it impossible to traverse without damaging the cut crop.
Innovation Solution
A mower combination with a front work unit and two lateral work units, equipped with sensors and a control unit that adjusts the height of the rear connection to a predetermined value, and moves the work units to a headland position if no crop is detected ahead, ensuring the mower units avoid damaging the cut crop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mower units are raised to a headland position, then the mower units can traverse over the cut crop, but the high mass yields of cut crop cause the swathes to be so high that the mower units cannot overrun without causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The rear connection height is made dynamically adjustable through a control system that automatically modifies the height based on sensor feedback about swath height, allowing the mower to adapt to varying crop conditions rather than using a fixed headland position
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors detect the height of the rear connection above ground and provide feedback to a control unit, which then adjusts the rear connection height to maintain an optimal predetermined value, enabling automatic compensation for high swathes
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the rear connection height is increased to clear high swathes, then the mower units can traverse without damage, but the height control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors continuously monitor the rear connection height and provide feedback to the control unit, which automatically adjusts the height to maintain a predetermined value, ensuring precise height control even when adapting to varying swath heights
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically adjusts the rear connection height based on sensor feedback without requiring manual intervention, enabling the system to self-regulate and maintain optimal height precision
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~3A
AI summary
An agricultural apparatus (2) comprising an agricultural vehicle (4) together with a front work unit (6) and two lateral work units (8, 10) located behind and to the sides of the front work unit (6) is disclosed. The front work unit (6) has a connection (12) to a front of the agricultural vehicle (4) and the lateral work units (8, 10) share a connection (14) to a rear of the agricultural vehicle (4). Each of the work units (6, 8, 10) deposits a cut crop as a swath (20). One or more sensors (26) for determine a height of the rear connection (14) above a ground surface. A control unit (32) is provided for controlling a height of the connections (12, 14) above a ground surface, such that if the height (50) of the rear connection (14) is determined to deviate from a predetermined value (60), the control unit (32) causes the height (50) of the rear connection (14) to be adjusted towards the predetermined value (60).