A method and an apparatus for determining a throughput of a harvesting machine. More specifically, a harvesting machine having a throughput sensor and electronic control device, the throughput sensor calibrated on part of a field with a crop stand of constant density to consider the influence of the rate of advancement and the rate of conveyance of the crop on the signal of the throughput sensor.

Embodiments of an intelligent power allocation system include a ground traction undercarriage controllable to propel a hybrid combine over terrain, a separator device configured to separate grain from other crop material ingested by the hybrid combine, a mechanical powertrain including an internal combustion engine, and an electric drive subsystem containing a rechargeable battery pack and a motor/generator (M/G). A controller architecture is configured to monitor a current separator load placed on the hybrid combine when driving movement of the separator device during active harvesting. The controller architecture further selectively places the intelligent power allocation system in a separator power splitting mode in which the M/G and the internal combustion engine concurrently drive movement of the separator device based, at least in part, on whether the current separator load exceeds an upper load threshold.

A crop quality sensor, comprising an illumination source, an imaging device, and a processor executing application software. The illumination source is shone onto a crop sample, and an image is taken with the imaging device of the illuminated crop sample. The software executing on the processor is used to analyze the image to identify the outlines of individual kernels and to identify which of those outlines contain a specular highlight, indicative that the kernel is whole and unbroken, while the absence of such a specular highlight is indicative of a broken kernel.

In one aspect, a system for monitoring a level of hydraulic fluid in an agricultural sprayer includes a drive system, a hydraulic fluid system, and a fill level sensor. The system also includes a computing system communicatively coupled to both the drive system and the fill level sensor. The computing system is configured to monitor the level of hydraulic fluid within the hydraulic fluid reservoir based on data received from the fill level sensor. The computing system is further configured to detect a leak condition in the hydraulic fluid system based at least in part on the monitored level of the hydraulic fluid within the hydraulic fluid reservoir and control an operation of the drive system to reduce the ground speed of the agricultural sprayer in response to detecting the leak condition.

A method and control system are disclosed for monitoring operating modes of a harvester. A harvester may include one or more harvesting devices driven by one or more hydraulic circuits. A lower pressure limit and a current operating pressure may be determined for a hydraulic circuit of a harvesting device. The determined pressure limit and operating pressure may be compared, and a current operating mode for the harvester identified accordingly. The operating mode may include at least one of a waiting mode, a transport mode, a maneuvering mode, and a harvesting mode.

An agricultural spreader system includes a first motor, a second motor, and a valve system coupled to the first motor and to the second motor. The first motor is configured to be driven by a working fluid and to drive a first spreader disc in rotation. The second motor is configured to be driven by the working fluid and to drive a second spreader disc in rotation. The valve system is configured to transition between a series flow arrangement and a parallel flow arrangement. The series flow arrangement is configured to direct the working fluid to the second motor through the first motor. The parallel flow arrangement is configured to direct a first portion of the working fluid to the first motor, and to direct a second portion of the working fluid to the second motor.

An obstacle detection system for an agricultural work vehicle includes: an obstacle estimation unit 52 that estimates a region in a field based on a detection signal from an obstacle sensor 21 in which region an obstacle is present, and outputs obstacle present region information; an image capturing unit 22 that outputs a captured image of the field; an obstacle detection unit 54 that detects the obstacle from an input image and outputs obstacle detection information; and an image preprocessing unit 53 that generates, as an image to be input to the obstacle detection unit 54, a trimmed image obtained by trimming the captured image so as to include the region in which the obstacle is present, based on the obstacle present region information and shooting-angle-of-view information regarding the image capturing unit 22.

A controller for controlling a harvesting performance of an agricultural harvester. The controller receives automation settings, selected by an operator via a human-machine interface. The controller also receives data from on-board harvester sensors. The controller defines a target value for quality parameters based on the automation settings, and determines a current value of each of the quality parameters in dependence on the crop sensor data. The controller determines an actuator setting for actuators of the agricultural harvester when the current value of one or more of the plurality of quality parameters differs by greater than an acceptable amount from the associated target value. The actuator setting is determined in dependence on the automation settings and the target value. The controller controls the actuators to achieve the determined actuator setting.

A fan control system for a variable pitch fan of a work vehicle includes a first sensor that measures a parameter of a cooling system and a blade pitch module that adjust a pitch of a plurality of blades of the variable pitch fan to generate airflow in a first direction. A reversing module selectively commands a fan reversal that includes instructing the blade pitch module to temporarily adjust the pitch of the plurality of blades to generate airflow in a second direction. A first timer module, in response to the reversing module commanding the fan reversal, resets and increments a first timer and compares the first timer to a first threshold. A first reversal prevention module, in response to the first timer being less than the first threshold, prevents the reversing module from commanding a fan reversal by indicating that a first type of fan reversal is not permitted.

An agricultural work system for the optimization of operating parameters, with at least one agricultural work machine having a work unit for carrying out or supporting agricultural work. The agricultural work machine has a driver assistance system for detecting, processing and outputting data relating to an agricultural work order. The driver assistance system is configured to detect a plurality of operating parameters and to allow the operator to rank the detected operating parameters or operating parameter sets with a plurality of different detected operating parameters. Individual ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters or all of the ranked operating parameters or sets of operating parameters are retrievably filed in a data pool, and the operating parameters are submitted based on ranking to an algorithm for generating optimized operating parameters for adjustment of the agricultural work machine and/or of the at least one work unit.