Pneumatic Distributor Agitator for Even Seed Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic agricultural product delivery systems face challenges in evenly distributing particulate materials like seed, fertilizer, or herbicide across multiple tubes, with product often clinging to tube walls and requiring improved agitation and mounting mechanisms for efficient distribution.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a pneumatic conveying system with dual motor-driven shaft assemblies and distributor assemblies that include agitator shafts and deflectors to lift and churn the product, ensuring even distribution across multiple tubes, and utilizes distinct mounting plates and motors to prevent incorrect assembly and ensure proper distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pressure is increased to move more product and move it further, then productivity is improved, but product clings to tube walls causing distribution problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a rotary distributor with rotating shafts and agitator arms that dynamically move within the distribution chamber. This rotation creates dynamic airflow patterns and mechanical agitation that prevent product from clinging to tube walls, enabling reliable distribution even at higher product volumes and pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The agitator arms rotating on the distributor shafts create mechanical disturbance and churning action within the product flow. This mechanical action prevents product from adhering to the tube walls and ensures consistent product distribution across multiple tubes, resolving the clinging problem that occurs at higher pressures.
2Reliability
If a rotary distributor is used to divert particulate material evenly, then distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor assembly is segmented into multiple independent rotary distributors, each with its own shaft and agitator arms. This segmentation allows each distributor to handle a specific subset of tubes, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining even distribution across all tubes through modular replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary distributor design serves multiple functions simultaneously: it agitates the product flow, creates the necessary airflow patterns for pneumatic conveying, and distributes product to multiple tubes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the sophisticated distribution mechanism.
3Extent of automation
If motors are mounted on distributors to drive shaft assemblies, then automation is improved, but ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The motors are pre-mounted and pre-aligned with their respective distributor shafts during manufacturing. This preliminary assembly creates a standardized motor-distributor unit that can be easily installed as a complete module, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing assembly complexity despite the automated function.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting brackets and motor mounting interfaces are designed with asymmetric features that ensure correct orientation and prevent incorrect assembly. This asymmetric design, while adding some manufacturing complexity, actually simplifies field assembly by eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures and ensuring that components can only be installed in the correct orientation.
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 increases the volume of product that can be effectively distributed, allowing for longer boom lengths and ensuring accurate and even application of particulate materials across the field, reducing errors in assembly and improving distribution efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A pneumatic source, such as a fan or blower, provides air to convey and distribute product through the distribution channels
Implementation Method 2
an improved apparatus for lifting product off the tube wall and churning the product in order to distribute the product among multiple tubes
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural product delivery applicator for delivering particulate product to a field and including a pneumatic conveying system. The pneumatic conveying system includes an airflow source to provide an airflow, first and second delivery lines operably connected to the airflow source and to a supply compartment. Each delivery line includes a respective supply line and a respective plurality of distribution lines. The pneumatic conveying system further includes first and second distributors coupling the respective supply line with the respective plurality of distribution lines, a first mounting plate coupled to the first distributor and having a first identifier, a second mounting plate coupled to the second distributor and having a second identifier, a first motor having a relation with the first identifier, and a second motor having a relation to the second identifier.