Turn-Compensating Agricultural Spreader System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-clearance agricultural vehicles are ill-equipped to uniformly disperse granular commodities over established crops during turning activities, leading to non-uniform application and potential crop damage due to overconcentration or underapplication of materials.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses sensors and controllers to automatically adjust the delivery of granular agricultural materials to the right and left lateral sides of a vehicle in response to steering activities, ensuring uniform distribution by manipulating the operation of commodity delivery systems based on deviation values from a straight direction of travel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle performs turning activities during granular commodity dispersal, then the vehicle can navigate the field efficiently, but the application uniformity deteriorates with overconcentration on the inside radial area and underapplication on the outside radial area
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different delivery rates to different lateral sides of the vehicle based on turning direction. The controller selectively manipulates the first and second commodity delivery systems to deliver different amounts of granular commodity to the inside and outside radial areas during turns, creating locally adapted application quality that maintains uniformity across the entire field
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation of commodity delivery systems in real-time based on steering input. The controller continuously monitors steering activities and manipulates delivery rates during turning activities, transforming a static delivery system into a dynamic one that adapts to changing vehicle orientation and maintains application uniformity
2Manufacturing precision
If operators suspend treatment processes during turning activities to achieve straight row seeding configurations, then application uniformity improves, but operating time and fuel consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous granular commodity dispersal throughout turning activities by dynamically adjusting delivery rates. Unlike conventional approaches that suspend treatment during turns, this system ensures the useful action of material application continues uninterrupted, delivering uniform application while maintaining operational efficiency and reducing total operating time
3Manufacturing precision
If operators undertake seeding activities in as many straight line application directions as the field will accommodate, then application uniformity improves, but the number of starts and stops increases consuming greater fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous operation through dynamic adjustment of delivery rates during turns. By making the delivery system adaptive to turning activities, operators can maintain smoother, more continuous travel paths with fewer stops and starts, reducing fuel consumption while achieving uniform application through real-time delivery rate manipulation
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of automatically adjusting an amount of agricultural granular material delivered to a field in response to vehicle steering activities. The system includes a sensor that is associated with a steering system of a vehicle configured to apply the material to a field. The sensor is connected to a controller that is configured to determine a deviation value associated with discrete turning activities. The controller is configured to manipulate operation of a first commodity delivery system and a second commodity delivery system such that different amounts of the agricultural material can be delivered to alternate lateral sides of the vehicle in response to turning activities.