Agricultural Suspension Piston Height Control for Sprayer Boom Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-clearance agricultural sprayers face issues with uneven weight distribution and ground contact, leading to potential damage and reduced productivity due to varying terrain conditions, necessitating slower travel speeds that increase operator fatigue and machine wear.
Innovation Solution
A suspension control system dynamically adjusts pistons near each wheel to equalize weight distribution and maintain a consistent machine orientation, using sensors, electronically controlled valves, and a processor to calculate and apply height corrections for articulation, pitch, and roll, thereby preventing ground contact by laterally extending sprayer booms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators travel at low speeds to minimize the effect of ground surface conditions, then machine stability and protection from damage is improved, but productivity and application efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system dynamically adjusts piston positions in real-time based on terrain conditions, allowing the machine to maintain stability at higher speeds by actively compensating for ground irregularities rather than relying on reduced speed
Solution Approach 2:
Position sensors provide feedback on piston location and boom height to the processor, which continuously calculates and adjusts suspension corrections to maintain optimal machine stability and boom clearance during operation
2Productivity
If laterally extending sprayer booms are used to increase coverage, then productivity is improved, but risk of ground contact and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Position sensors monitor boom height and piston position continuously, providing feedback to the processor which adjusts suspension to maintain safe clearance between the boom and ground, preventing contact damage while allowing wide coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts suspension height on each side of the machine independently, allowing the boom to maintain parallel orientation to the ground even when traversing uneven terrain, preventing ground contact while preserving wide coverage capability
3Speed
If uneven weight distribution occurs on wheels, then machine mobility deteriorates, but suspension system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system is segmented into four independent piston assemblies, one at each wheel location, allowing individual adjustment of each wheel's suspension to equalize weight distribution and improve mobility on uneven terrain
Solution Approach 2:
Position sensors on each piston provide feedback to the processor, which calculates weight distribution and articulation and sends correction signals to electronically controlled valves to adjust each piston independently, maintaining optimal weight distribution without excessive complexity
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
The system allows for faster field treatment while minimizing damage and wear, maintaining consistent weight distribution and orientation, reducing operator fatigue, and improving productivity by enabling higher speeds on uneven terrain.
Implementation Method 1
Each cylinder including a piston rod configured to extend and retract with respect to a base
Implementation Method 2
control volume for operating a cylinder
Implementation Method 3
control the electronically controlled valves to change the control volumes to apply the height corrections
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension control system dynamically adjusts pistons located proximal to wheels of an agricultural machine to substantially equalize distribution of weight of the machine at each wheel and/or provide a substantially constant desired orientation of the machine above a ground surface thereby protecting laterally extending sprayer booms from contacting the ground. Articulation, pitch, roll and/or machine height can be determined from piston measurements on the machine to apply such height corrections. For sprayers, this allows controlling clearance and suspension height to maintain the boom parallel to the ground to prevent damage.