Multi-row Sugarcane Harvester Feed Section with Acute Angle Rollers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sugarcane harvesters face challenges in efficiently transitioning mats of sugarcane from multiple rows to a single chopping section without causing damage or loss, due to abrupt transitions between feed rollers with extreme angle differences.
Innovation Solution
The multi-row sugarcane harvester incorporates a feed section with first and second feed trains that merge into a third feed train, where each feed roller's axis of rotation is positioned at different acute angles relative to the fore-aft axis, promoting a smooth transition of sugarcane mats by gradually increasing the acuteness of the angle across multiple feed roller pairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If feed rollers are positioned with extreme angle differences to handle multiple rows, then productivity increases, but sugarcane damage and loss increase due to abrupt transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The feed roller system is segmented into multiple stages with progressively changing angles. Instead of a single abrupt angle change, the transition is divided into intermediate steps, where each feed roller pair handles a specific angle range, gradually guiding mats from multiple rows to a single stream without sudden directional changes that cause damage
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from handling rows in a lateral dimension to merging them in a longitudinal dimension. Feed rollers are arranged to progressively converge mats along the feed direction, using the fore-aft axis as an additional dimension for merging, thereby reducing lateral angle differences and minimizing mat damage
2Object-affected harmful factors
If feed rollers are positioned at different acute angles to promote smooth transition, then sugarcane damage reduces, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each feed roller pair is configured with specific local angle characteristics optimized for its position in the merge sequence. The first feed train uses one angle configuration, the second feed train uses another, and the third feed train uses a third configuration, with each local setup tailored to handle the specific merging requirements at that stage
Solution Approach 2:
The feed roller arrangement employs asymmetric angle configurations rather than symmetric or uniform positioning. The acute angles of the feed rollers are deliberately made non-uniform across the different trains, creating an asymmetric progression that optimizes the merging process while managing the inherent complexity through functional asymmetry
Data Source
AI summary
A feed section for a multi-row sugarcane harvester comprises a first feed train configured to advance a first mat of sugarcane received from a first row of sugarcane, a second feed train configured to advance a second mat of sugarcane received from a second row of sugarcane, and a third feed train. The first and second feed trains merge into the third feed train. Each of the first feed train and the second feed train comprises a first feed roller and a second feed roller, each of which has an axis of rotation. With respect to the first feed train, the axes of rotation of the first and second feed rollers are positioned at different acute angles relative to a fore-aft axis of the feed section.