Root Harvester Height Detection and Adaptive Digging Depth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing root harvesting machines lack optimal automatic header level adjustment, leading to inefficient digging depth and increased fuel consumption, particularly when dealing with varying beet heights, resulting in potential root damage or excessive soil excavation.
Innovation Solution
A root harvesting machine equipped with a height detection system that adjusts the cutting blade level based on the detected height and passage duration of the cutting guide over the root, allowing for optimized soil digging depth and reduced fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the harvesting unit digs at a fixed predetermined depth relative to the cutting level, then the digging depth is optimized for beets of standard height, but fuel consumption increases excessively when beets are smaller/shorter or absent, and root damage occurs when beets are larger/taller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the harvesting unit's digging depth adjustable and variable during operation. The control system dynamically modifies the digging depth parameter based on real-time detection of beet height and presence, transitioning from a fixed predetermined depth to an adaptive depth that responds to actual field conditions, thereby optimizing both harvesting quality and fuel consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the digging depth parameter from a constant fixed value to a variable parameter controlled by the system. The control system modifies this parameter based on sensor feedback about beet height and presence, allowing the digging depth to be optimized for each specific condition (standard height, smaller/shorter, or absent beets), resolving the contradiction between maintaining harvesting quality and reducing fuel consumption
2Use of energy by moving object
If the harvesting unit digs at a fixed predetermined depth relative to the cutting level, then the digging depth is optimized for beets of standard height, but root damage and harvest loss occur when beets are larger and taller
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using sensors to detect beet height and presence, then feeding this information back to the control system which adjusts the digging depth accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that when beets are larger and taller, the digging depth is increased to prevent root damage, while when beets are smaller or absent, the depth is reduced to save fuel, thus resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and harvesting quality
3Use of energy by moving object
If the harvesting unit adjusts digging depth based on beet height detection, then fuel consumption is reduced and root damage is minimized, but the device complexity increases due to additional detection and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical depth adjustment mechanisms with an electronic control system that uses sensors and actuators. Instead of purely mechanical linkages and manual adjustments, the system uses electronic detection of beet height and automated control signals to modify the harvesting unit's digging depth, reducing mechanical complexity while enabling precise adaptive control to optimize fuel consumption and prevent root damage
Data Source
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AI summary
Machine for harvesting roots planted in the ground and aligned in rows, comprising a unit (36) for horizontally cutting the head of the roots, said unit having a means for automatically adjusting the level of its cutting blade depending on the level of this head, and being followed by a harvesting unit (48) that hollows out the earth beneath the roots at a relative height beneath the cutting level, characterized in that it has a means for detecting the height of the top of the root e, and a means for adjusting the relative height of the harvesting unit (48) with respect to the cutting level, depending on this height.