Vertical Auger with Reduced Flight for Crop Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing harvesting machines face challenges in effectively sensing properties of crop materials as they are moved, particularly due to interference from the conveyor auger flights and limited access for sensors, which hampers accurate determination of material properties during the harvesting process.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor auger device oriented vertically with a radially oriented sensing aperture and a reduced flight extension adjacent the sensing aperture allows continuous upward movement of crop material, enabling a sensor to accurately determine properties by minimizing interference and increasing material availability for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional conveyor auger with full radial extension is used, then the conveyor can effectively move crop material, but the flight interferes with sensor access and hampers accurate property determination
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor auger flight is designed with varying radial extension along its length. Specifically, the flight has a reduced radial extension at the sensing aperture location to allow sensor access, while maintaining full radial extension at other locations to preserve conveying effectiveness. This local modification resolves the contradiction by making the structure non-uniform where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor auger flight is segmented into different sections with different radial extensions. The flight includes a first section with full radial extension for effective conveying, and a second section with reduced radial extension at the sensing aperture for sensor access. This segmentation allows the flight to perform different functions in different zones.
2Ease of operation
If the conveyor auger flight is reduced in radial extension at the sensing aperture, then sensor access is improved, but the conveying capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The flight's radial extension is locally reduced only at the specific location of the sensing aperture while maintaining full extension elsewhere. This localized modification minimizes the impact on overall conveying capability while maximizing sensor access where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor auger system maintains dynamic conveying capability through the rotated flight structure, where the reduced radial extension section is positioned strategically to allow sensor access during specific phases of rotation, while the rest of the flight continues to effectively move material.
3Measurement precision
If crop material is moved continuously upwardly past the sensor, then sensing accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor auger device serves multiple functions: it conveys crop material upwardly and simultaneously positions the material continuously past the sensing aperture for accurate property determination. The vertical orientation and flight design enable both conveying and sensing functions to be integrated in a single device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a vertically oriented conveyor auger that moves material in the vertical dimension, allowing the sensor positioned at the sensing aperture to continuously access material as it passes by. This vertical arrangement enables continuous sensing without requiring additional horizontal sensing mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensing system and method is provided for crop material in a harvester. The sensing system includes a conveyor auger device oriented in a substantially vertical direction and having an entrance aperture, an exit aperture located upwardly above a radially oriented sensing aperture disposed therebetween. The conveyor auger device includes a conveyor auger having a flight for moving crop material upwardly, wherein the flight has a reduced radial extension adjacent the sensing aperture. A sensor disposed at or adjacent the sensing aperture senses the essentially continuously upwardly moving crop material for determining a property thereof.