Seeding Disc Coulter End Piece for Turbulent Seed Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing disc coulters experience turbulence in seed or fertilizer placement due to inadequate air flow escape, leading to uneven distribution and depth in tight sowing conditions.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a central opening in the front wall with a branch line that continues downwards, along with a rounded thickening separating wall, to allow controlled air flow escape and prevent seed or fertilizer entrainment, ensuring a bundled and calm seed placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the end piece of the feed line is designed with a large cutout in the rear wall to allow air flow escape, then air can escape from the conveying air flow, but turbulence occurs in the seed placement due to uncontrolled air flow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair flow escapeVSAvoidturbulence in seed placement
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front wall of the end piece is divided into multiple opening regions: a first opening in the first circular arc segment and a second opening in the second circular arc segment. This segmentation allows controlled air flow escape from different locations, preventing turbulence while maintaining bundle integrity of the seed stream.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the end piece are designed with different opening configurations. The first circular arc segment has a first opening with specific geometry, while the second circular arc segment has a second opening with different characteristics. This local differentiation optimizes air escape at specific locations without disrupting the overall seed flow pattern.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If the feed line cross section is narrowed to improve seed placement precision, then seed placement precision improves, but dynamic pressure increases causing turbulence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseed placement precisionVSAvoiddynamic pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The feed line is segmented into multiple sections with different cross-sectional areas. The main feed line maintains a larger cross section to keep dynamic pressure low, while the end piece openings provide controlled air escape. This segmentation allows precision seed placement without excessive pressure buildup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The openings in the end piece act as intermediary elements that mediate between the high-velocity air flow in the feed line and the seed stream. They provide a controlled interface for air escape without directly constricting the main feed line, thus maintaining low dynamic pressure while enabling precise seed placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If the end piece is designed to deliver seed in a bundled manner, then seed placement uniformity improves, but air flow escape is restricted causing turbulence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseed placement uniformityVSAvoidair flow escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The end piece is segmented into multiple opening regions with different orientations and geometries. The first opening in the first circular arc segment and the second opening in the second circular arc segment work together to provide distributed air escape paths, maintaining bundle integrity while allowing sufficient air flow release.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The openings are positioned in different spatial dimensions and orientations within the end piece. The first opening faces a different direction than the second opening, creating multi-directional air escape paths. This dimensional distribution allows air to escape without disrupting the longitudinal bundle structure of the seed stream.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 ensures a defined release direction of seeds or fertilizers with reduced turbulence, achieving uniform impact and depth placement in the seed furrow while maintaining low dynamic pressure.

Implementation Method 1

the upper area of a wall area separating the feed line and the branch line is designed as a wall area that is rounded towards the opening Thickening is formed. This results in a simple manner in a very good separation of part of the conveying air flow in the intended manner.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow separation: Flow Separation

Implementation Method 2

the front wall has an opening in the central region of the first circular arc segment on the concave side of the curvature with a branch line adjoining it and continuing forwards and downwards. As a result of these measures, the possibility is created for the pneumatic conveying air flow to escape in a defined and limited manner from the opening arranged according to the invention in the bend and the subsequent forward-downward branch line of the end piece.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatic conveying:

Data Source

PatentEP3213616B1Seeding disc coulter
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 AMAZONEN WERKE H DREYER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3213616B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3213616B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3213616B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disc coulter (1) with a pneumatically actuated feed line (9) for seed and/or fertilizer, the outlet section (12) of which is located in the lower area between two discs (4) arranged in a V-shape relative to each other and rotatably mounted on a coulter carrier (2), wherein the feed line has an end piece (8) which has at least in the upper rear quarter (13) of the discs a first circular arc segment (14) whose convex area (15) points rearward, wherein a second circular arc segment (17) extending in the opposite direction to the curvature of the first circular arc segment, whose convex area (18) points forward in the lower half (19) of the discs, is connected to this first circular arc segment via a straight and obliquely forward-downward extending intermediate piece (16),In the second circular arc segment, the rear wall (20) on the concave side of the curve is at least partially cut out to create an enlarged opening (22) in the end piece of the feed line, and the front wall (23) of the second circular arc segment points obliquely backward and downward in its end region (24) on the convex side. To deposit material pneumatically fed to the seed coulter via a feed line in a bundled manner and with as little turbulence as possible in the seed furrow, the front wall (25) in the middle region of the first circular arc segment has an opening (28) on the concave side (27) of the curve, with a branch line (29) extending forward and downward thereto.