Regenerative Implement Wheel Braking for Tillage Drift Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Tillage implements often drift from their intended position due to uneven terrain, leading to under or over tilling and increased energy consumption, and existing systems fail to efficiently manage this issue.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural machine equipped with a wheel slip sensor, regenerative brake assembly, and computing system that controls the operation of an electric motor to adjust the implement's position based on wheel slip and terrain data, using regenerative braking to generate and store energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the tillage implement is towed across uneven terrain or hills, then the implement moves through the field, but the implement drifts from its intended position causing under or over tilling
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors implement position using sensors (GPS, inertial measurement units, wheel slip sensors) and feeds this information back to the control system. The control system then automatically adjusts hydraulic actuators to correct position deviations, maintaining precise implement placement throughout the field regardless of terrain variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs self-correcting mechanisms where the implement automatically adjusts its own position through integrated hydraulic actuators and position control systems. The implement monitors its own drift and corrects it without external intervention, maintaining optimal tilling depth and position autonomously.
2Manufacturing precision
If the implement position is corrected manually or through conventional systems, then position accuracy improves, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures energy that would otherwise be wasted during implement movement and terrain negotiation. Regenerative braking mechanisms convert kinetic energy from implement descent or deceleration into electrical energy to charge batteries. Hydraulic energy recovery systems capture energy from hydraulic circuit operations and store it for later use, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining position control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters such as hydraulic flow rates, motor speeds, and braking forces based on real-time conditions. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves precise position control with minimal energy input, adapting power consumption to actual operational needs rather than using fixed high-power correction mechanisms.
3Reliability
If conventional braking systems are used during implement operation, then wheel slip can be controlled, but energy is dissipated as heat rather than recovered
Solution Approach 1:
The regenerative braking system converts the energy that would normally be lost as heat during braking into usable electrical energy. When the implement decelerates or descends, the braking mechanism drives a generator that charges the battery system, transforming waste energy into a valuable resource that powers implement operations and reduces fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes energy phase transitions by converting kinetic energy during braking into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction in the generator. This phase transition from mechanical to electrical energy allows for efficient energy recovery and storage, maintaining wheel slip control while preserving energy.
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
The system effectively maintains the implement's position and optimizes energy use by generating power during wheel slip scenarios, reducing under/over tilling and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a regenerative brake configured to rotationally drive the electric motor
Implementation Method 2
an energy storage device. Additionally, the regenerative brake assembly includes an electric motor coupled to the energy storage device
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling the operation of an agricultural implement includes a vehicle wheel, a sensor configured to generate data of wheel slip of the vehicle wheel, an implement wheel, and a regenerative braking assembly. The braking assembly includes an energy storage device and an electric motor configured to receive electrical power from the storage device for rotating the implement wheel, and supply power to the storage device. Moreover, the braking assembly includes a regenerative brake configured to rotationally drive the motor such that power is supplied by the motor to the storage device when the brake engages the motor. Additionally, the system includes a computing system configured to determine the wheel slip of the vehicle wheel based on the data generated by the sensor. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to control the operation of the brake to rotationally drive the motor based on the determined wheel slip.