Mower Conveyor Lateral Displacement Control for Sloped Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mower combinations face issues with blockages and non-uniform swathes when operating on slopes, leading to inefficient crop processing and increased stoppages due to constant conveyor speeds.
Innovation Solution
A control unit adjusts the lateral displacement of conveyors based on real-time signals representing the angle of inclination and displacement, ensuring a uniform swath width by comparing these signals with predetermined values, and providing feedback to the operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conveyor speed is increased to match agricultural vehicle speed, then harvesting throughput increases, but cut crop builds up on conveyors causing blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor speed is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The control system varies conveyor speed based on real-time conditions including agricultural vehicle speed, crop load, and slope, allowing the conveyor to adapt its velocity to prevent blockages while maintaining efficient throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms using sensors that monitor conveyor load, agricultural vehicle speed, and slope conditions. This feedback information is fed to the control system which adjusts conveyor speed accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents blockages by responding to actual operating conditions.
2Productivity
If conveyor speed is increased to maintain constant operation, then productivity improves, but swath width becomes non-uniform when operating on slopes
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor lateral displacement is dynamically adjusted based on slope detection. When operating on slopes, the control system modifies the lateral position of the conveyor to compensate for gravitational effects, ensuring that the swath width remains uniform despite changes in terrain gradient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters including lateral displacement and speed of the conveyor based on detected slope conditions. By adjusting these parameters in response to slope information, the system maintains consistent swath width while continuing to operate productively.
3Manufacturing precision
If lateral displacement of conveyors is adjusted to compensate for slope, then swath uniformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from sensors that detect slope and conveyor position to automatically adjust lateral displacement. This automated feedback loop reduces the need for manual intervention and complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, simplifying the overall system while maintaining swath uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs multiple functions including slope detection, conveyor speed control, and lateral displacement adjustment through a single integrated system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated mechanisms for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A mower combination including an agricultural vehicle and a number of mowing units suitable for cutting standing crop, including a front mowing unit and two lateral mowing units located behind and to the sides of the front mowing unit. Each of the lateral mowing units includes a conveyor to deposit cut crop as a swath. Sensors determine the slope and lateral displacement of each conveyor. A control unit receives inputs from the sensors and compares the inputs to a predetermined set of values of slope and, as indicated by the comparison, adjusts the lateral displacement of at least one conveyor.