Sensor Unit for Uniform Bale Compression in Agricultural Presses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural balers face issues with uneven compression and blockages due to inconsistent crop quantities, leading to suboptimal bale formation and time-consuming clearing of blockages, especially at high crop throughputs.
Innovation Solution
A sensor unit with at least two sensors across the width and length of the feed channel, adjustable in position and sensitivity, controls packer tines to ensure uniform pre-compaction by initiating loading strokes based on detected compaction values, preventing one-sided accumulation and inertia-related blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single sensing device is used in the feed channel, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of bale compression is deteriorated due to one-sided accumulation detection
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing device is divided into multiple independent sensing elements (first sensing device and second sensing device) positioned at different locations in the feed channel. Each sensing element independently detects crop accumulation at its specific position, allowing the system to identify one-sided accumulation patterns and respond appropriately to maintain uniform bale compression.
2Productivity
If the sensing device is positioned to detect crop accumulation early, then the productivity is improved by enabling timely loading strokes, but the reliability of crop density detection is deteriorated due to inertia delays in high throughput conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The first sensing device is positioned to detect crop accumulation in advance before the second sensing device. This preliminary detection allows the control system to prepare for upcoming loading strokes, enabling timely intervention while maintaining accurate density assessment by cross-referencing readings from both sensing devices positioned at different locations in the feed channel.
3Manufacturing precision
If packer tines perform multiple compression strokes, then the manufacturing precision of crop pre-compaction is improved, but the productivity is reduced due to increased cycle time
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from multiple sensing devices positioned at different locations in the feed channel to dynamically determine when sufficient crop has been accumulated. This allows the system to perform compression strokes only when and where needed, optimizing the balance between achieving uniform pre-compaction and maintaining high baling throughput by avoiding unnecessary compression cycles.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The press (1) has a plunger movably accommodated in a cuboid-shaped baling press chamber (15). A converging auger precompreses received harvested materials and brings the materials into the chamber. A sensor unit (20) is arranged on a width of a supply channel (13) and detects density of the harvested materials. The sensor unit includes two sensors (18, 19), which are arranged at respective input and output side ends of the supply channel along the width of the supply channel. The sensors are positionally variable in a longitudinal direction of the supply channel.