NIR Spectrometer Conveyor for Silage Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing near infrared spectrometry systems for analyzing chopped plant material, such as green corn silage, face challenges in achieving accurate and reproducible results due to extreme vibrations, dusty environments, varying humidity, and inhomogeneous material, leading to unreliable spectra and sampling errors from non-uniform sample presentation.
Innovation Solution
A system incorporating a conveyor means, such as a bucket wheel or profiled conveyor belt, guides chopped plant material through a defined duct with a transparent pane adjacent to an NIR spectrometer, ensuring a constant stream and distance for accurate measurements, and features adaptable attachments to maintain a consistent infrared beam path, reducing interference and dust impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If NIR spectrometer is placed above moving conveyor belt to enable real-time analysis, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to non-uniform material layer and changing distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a moving conveyor belt system that dynamically transports chopped plant material through the NIR measurement zone. The conveyor belt speed and material feed rate are coordinated to maintain optimal measurement conditions while enabling continuous real-time analysis, resolving the contradiction between productivity and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a localized measurement zone where material is compressed to form a uniform layer of consistent thickness and density. This local uniformity ensures reliable NIR spectra quality while the rest of the system maintains high throughput, allowing real-time analysis without sacrificing measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If material is compressed to achieve uniform layer for accurate NIR analysis, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional compression mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the material transport function and compression function into an integrated conveyor system. The conveyor belt both transports the chopped plant material and simultaneously compresses it to form a uniform layer, eliminating the need for separate compression devices and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belt serves multiple functions: it transports the chopped plant material through the measurement zone, compresses the material to form a uniform layer for accurate NIR analysis, and controls the material flow rate. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity while ensuring high measurement precision.
3Ease of operation
If optical part is positioned freely over conveyor belt to enable measurement, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to dust interference and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a housing structure that contains the NIR optical components and positions them over the conveyor belt. This nested arrangement protects the sensitive optical parts from dust and vibrations while maintaining proper measurement geometry, ensuring both ease of operation and high reliability of spectra.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controlled measurement chamber or housing as an intermediary between the NIR optical system and the harsh environment (dust, vibrations). This intermediary structure isolates the optical components from harmful factors while allowing the measurement function to proceed reliably and easily.
4Productivity
If chopped plant material is fed continuously to maintain real-time analysis, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inhomogeneous material composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by uniformly distributing and compressing the chopped plant material into a consistent layer before it reaches the NIR measurement zone. This pre-processing ensures that despite continuous feeding of inhomogeneous material, the measurement zone receives uniform material, maintaining both high throughput and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a localized uniform material layer in the measurement zone through compression, while the rest of the material stream continues to flow at high rate. This local uniformity ensures accurate NIR analysis of continuous material flow, resolving the contradiction between productivity and measurement precision.
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 approach enables reproducible and accurate real-time analysis of dry matter, starch, and other quality parameters by maintaining a constant material stream and density, improving spectral quality and reducing sampling errors, as demonstrated by improved calibration statistics compared to prior art methods.
Implementation Method 1
The use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a well-established technique for detecting chemical and physical properties of various materials
Implementation Method 2
The principle of NIR spectrometry lies in the wavelength analysis of incident light from a monochromatic light source passing through various diffraction means such as a prism, whose angular displacement relative to the incoming light can be correlated with a certain wavelength, which is dispersed by the matter to be analysed to the light sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for the analysis of chopped plant material constituents, said system comprising a conveyor means that compulsory guide said chopped material through a point of constriction in a duct, said point of constriction being equipped with a substantially transparent pane facing the optic of a NIR spectrometer device, said device being arranged adjacent to said pane and said pane being in direct contact with the through passing chopped plant material in order to be continuously scanned by said spectrometer.