Regenerative Brake Steering for Accurate Tillage Implement Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tillage implements often drift from their intended position during operations, leading to under or over tilling and requiring significant energy consumption for correction, resulting in energy inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Agricultural machines equipped with a regenerative brake assembly that steers the implement by independently braking its wheels, generating electrical power for storage, and utilizing a computing system to align the implement with the work vehicle's centerline, based on sensor data to correct positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional braking systems are used to steer the implement, then positioning accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The regenerative brake assembly converts the kinetic energy that would normally be wasted during braking into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction. When the implement wheel is braked to steer the implement, the regenerative brake captures this energy and stores it in the energy storage device, thereby converting a harmful energy loss into a useful energy resource while maintaining positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the implement's own motion energy to power the steering operation. The regenerative brake assembly enables the implement to self-power its positioning corrections by converting kinetic energy from wheel braking into electrical energy, reducing dependence on external power sources and minimizing additional energy consumption
2Loss of energy
If regenerative brake assembly is used to steer the implement, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The regenerative brake assembly performs multiple functions: it provides steering control by independently braking implement wheels, generates electrical energy through regenerative braking, and stores energy in the energy storage device. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated component, managing device complexity while improving energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the steering mechanism and energy generation system into a single regenerative brake assembly. The brake assembly integrates the braking mechanism with electromagnetic generators and energy storage, combining functions that would traditionally be separate into one unified system
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
Improves operational efficiency by aligning the implement with minimal energy consumption while generating power for later use, reducing energy inefficiencies and maintaining optimal tilling performance.
Implementation Method 1
The regenerative brake assembly is configured to steer the agricultural implement and generate electrical power supplied to the energy storage device
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling the operation of an agricultural implement includes a vehicle wheel, an agricultural implement configured to be towed by the work vehicle and including an implement wheel, a regenerative brake assembly including an energy storage device and configured to steer the implement and to generate electrical power supplied to the energy storage device, and a computing system communicatively coupled to the brake assembly. The computing system is configured to receive an input of a selected position for the implement to be steered as the implement moves in the direction of travel and control an operation of the brake assembly to steer the implement to the selected position. Furthermore, the electrical power supplied to the energy storage device is generated by the brake assembly as the brake assembly steers the implement to the selected position.