Plough Pitch Angle Actuation for Depth Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern ploughs face challenges in maintaining consistent working depth and stability due to varying soil conditions, leading to inefficient operation and potential soil compaction or loss of depth during reversible maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
A plough equipped with an actuator mechanism and controller that adjusts the pitch angle of the plough body based on real-time force and depth data from sensors, allowing for precise control of vertical force and depth adjustment, eliminating the need for separate depth wheels in reversible configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If depth wheels are used to control ground clearance and plough body working depth, then working depth can be adjusted, but the plough becomes complex and requires manual intervention during reversible maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the depth wheel mechanism entirely and replaces it with an actuator mechanism that directly adjusts the plough body's pitch angle. This extraction of the complex depth wheel system resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for manual depth adjustment during reversible maneuvers while maintaining working depth control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical depth wheel system with an actuator mechanism driven by a controller. This substitution eliminates manual intervention requirements and automates the depth adjustment process, reducing operational complexity while maintaining adaptability in reversible configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the plough is reversed to change working direction, then operational flexibility is improved, but depth consistency is lost due to soil conditions and manual adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback signals from depth sensors and force sensors during reversible maneuvers and automatically adjusts the actuator mechanism to maintain optimal pitch angle. This feedback control ensures depth consistency is preserved during direction changes, resolving the contradiction between reversible flexibility and depth precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator mechanism, controlled by the controller, automatically maintains the plough body's optimal pitch angle during reversible maneuvers without requiring manual intervention. The system self-adjusts to compensate for soil condition variations, maintaining depth consistency while enabling operational flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If vertical force on plough body is not controlled, then operation is simpler, but soil compaction occurs and depth is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The controller uses feedback from force sensors to monitor vertical force on the plough body and automatically adjusts the actuator mechanism to maintain optimal pitch angle. This feedback control prevents excessive vertical force that would cause soil compaction while maintaining operational simplicity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator mechanism dynamically changes the plough body's pitch angle parameter in response to soil conditions and vertical force variations. This parameter adjustment optimizes the balance between operational simplicity and preventing soil compaction, allowing the system to adapt automatically without manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A plough comprising: a plough body; an actuator mechanism that is configured to adjust a pitch angle of the plough body; and a controller. The controller is configured to: determine an actuator-control-signal for setting the pitch angle of the plough body based on control-data; and provide the actuator-control-signal to the actuator mechanism.