Regenerative Tailgate Circuit for Faster Bale Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural balers experience operational delays and potential damage to bales due to slow tailgate opening, particularly in balers with lower-powered hydraulic systems, leading to reduced harvesting efficiency and increased complexity or cost when using conventional hydraulic or mechanical systems.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable drive circuit for the tailgate actuator that operates in a staged manner, utilizing a first fluid path for rapid initial opening and a second fluid path for controlled final opening, minimizing resistance from the actuator and reducing ejection time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a low-powered hydraulic system is used, then the baler can maintain simpler construction and lower cost, but the tailgate opening speed becomes slow
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic fluid path is segmented into multiple parallel paths with different resistance characteristics. The first fluid path has higher resistance to provide controlled speed, while the second fluid path has lower resistance to provide faster actuation. This segmentation allows a single low-powered hydraulic system to deliver different speed characteristics at different stages of tailgate opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the hydraulic flow parameters by switching between different fluid paths with different resistance values. By altering the fluid path configuration, the system can change the actuator's speed and force characteristics without changing the hydraulic pump or motor, enabling a low-powered system to achieve fast tailgate opening when needed.
2Speed
If the hydraulic pressure is increased to speed up tailgate opening, then the tailgate opening speed improves, but the construction must be more robust and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into multiple fluid paths that can be selectively activated. This allows the system to achieve high speed without requiring high overall system pressure, as the faster path only needs to handle the peak demand during brief high-speed operation, while the slower path handles the bulk of the operation at lower pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different fluid paths based on operational needs. The control system can dynamically redirect hydraulic flow to provide fast actuation when needed, while maintaining simpler, lower-pressure operation during normal operation, thus avoiding the need for robust high-pressure construction throughout the entire system.
3Device complexity
If the tailgate opens slowly, then the hydraulic system can be simpler and less expensive, but the harvesting efficiency decreases and bale wrapping may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic fluid path is divided into multiple parallel paths with different resistance characteristics. This segmentation enables the system to provide both fast and slow flow paths simultaneously, allowing the tailgate to open quickly for high productivity while the hydraulic system remains relatively simple and inexpensive overall.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic switching between different fluid paths during the tailgate opening operation. The control system can periodically shift flow between the fast and slow paths to optimize both speed and simplicity, ensuring fast opening when needed while maintaining system simplicity during normal operation.
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
Facilitates quick and efficient bale ejection, minimizing damage to the bale wrapping and improving harvesting efficiency without requiring robust hydraulic systems or additional complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a pump; and a drive circuit configured to convey pressurized fluid from the pump to the actuator
Implementation Method 2
an actuator operatively connected between the frame and the tailgate
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural baler tailgate control system having an actuator operatively connected between the baler frame and tailgate, a pump, and a drive circuit. The drive circuit is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the drive circuit conveys pressurized fluid by a first fluid path from the pump to the actuator to generate a first actuator drive force to move the tailgate from the closed tailgate position to an intermediate tailgate position, and a second configuration in which the drive circuit conveys the pressurized fluid by a second fluid path from the pump to the actuator to generate a second actuator drive force to move the tailgate from the intermediate tailgate position to a bale release position. The second actuator drive force is different from the first actuator drive force.