Cutting sharpness detection device
11566883 · 2023-01-31
Assignee
Inventors
- Christoph Heitmann (Warendorf, DE)
- Dennis Neitemeier (Lippetal, DE)
- Markus Brune (Harsewinkel, DE)
- Jochen Huster (Guetersloh, DE)
- Frédéric Fischer (Arnsberg, DE)
- Bjoern Stremlau (Recke, DE)
Cpc classification
B02C2210/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60W50/085
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B26D7/12
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60W50/0098
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A01D41/127
HUMAN NECESSITIES
G01B7/14
PHYSICS
A01D43/085
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
B60W50/08
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A01D41/127
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B26D7/12
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60W50/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A01D43/08
HUMAN NECESSITIES
G01B7/14
PHYSICS
Abstract
A detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement of a chopping device provided for processing a product flow, wherein the chopping device has a revolving chopping drum receiving the chopping knife arrangement and at least one shear bar which cooperates with the chopping knives, with a sensor arrangement which has a magnetic exciter arrangement and a flux conducting device magnetically coupled thereto. The sensor arrangement provides a pole arrangement which forms at least one magnetic pole with a pole surface for conducting magnetic flux, wherein at least a portion of the chopping knife passes the pole arrangement during a rotation of the chopping drum. A voltage induced when a chopping knife arrangement passes the sensor arrangement forms the measured magnetic value, which is used by the evaluation unit to determine the state of wear of the chopping knife arrangement.
Claims
1. A detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement of a chopping device provided for processing a product flow, wherein the chopping device has a revolving chopping drum receiving the chopping knife arrangement and at least one shear bar which cooperates with chopping knives of the chopping knife arrangement, wherein the detection arrangement comprises: at least one sensor arrangement which has a magnetic exciter arrangement and a flux conducting device magnetically coupled thereto, wherein the sensor arrangement provides a pole arrangement which forms at least one magnetic pole with a pole surface for conducting magnetic flux, wherein the sensor arrangement is configured such that at least a portion of the chopping knife passes the pole arrangement during a rotation of the chopping drum, the chopping knife passing the pole arrangement forms an air gap arrangement with at least one air gap with respect to the pole arrangement, and at least one magnetic circuit excited by the exciter arrangement is accordingly closed via the respective chopping knife, a measuring arrangement, and an evaluating unit, wherein the measuring arrangement is configured to detect at least one measured magnetic value pertaining to the magnetic flux in at least one magnetic circuit excited by the exciter arrangement, wherein voltage induced when a chopping knife arrangement passes the sensor arrangement forms the measured magnetic value, and wherein the evaluating unit is configured to determine the wear status of the respective chopping knife from the at least one detected measured magnetic value by determining the induced voltage and recording the induced voltage as a voltage signal, resolving the voltage signal into its frequency components by means of frequency analysis, separating the frequency components into frequency components of a fundamental oscillation and into frequency components of a superposed oscillation which cause signal distortion, inverse-transforming the separated frequency components of the superposed oscillation which cause a signal distortion in a time domain, and deriving a measurement for the wear status or cutting sharpness of the chopping knife from the inverse-transformed frequency components of the superposed oscillation.
2. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the frequency components comprise the amplitude and the phase of the respective voltage signal.
3. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the frequency analysis of the voltage signal is carried out by means of Fourier analysis.
4. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of induction sensors are associated with each sensor arrangement, and each induction sensor generates a voltage signal, wherein each of the generated voltage signals is analyzed separately, and wherein a plurality of voltage signals, or all of the voltage signals, of a detected chopping knife are combined to form one or more voltage signals prior to an analysis.
5. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the respective voltage signal is classified into frequency components of a fundamental oscillation and frequency components of a superposed oscillation which cause signal distortions, and wherein the frequency components representing the fundamental oscillation are not taken into account in the derivation of the wear status or of the cutting sharpness of the respective chopping knife.
6. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 5, wherein an amplitude of the respective voltage signal of the frequency components causing a signal distortion forms a measurement for assessing the wear status and/or cutting sharpness of the respective chopping knife.
7. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor arrangement is configured to be positioned at a circumference of the chopping drum such that every chopping knife of the chopping drum is detected by means of the at least one sensor arrangement.
8. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 7, wherein right-hand-side and left-hand-side chopping knife arrangements are associated with the chopping drum, and at least one sensor arrangement is associated with each of said chopping knife arrangements.
9. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a reference value indicating a sharp knife is stored in the evaluating unit or in another data processing device, and wherein when the wear status of a chopping knife falls below this reference value, the detection arrangement is configured to generate a grinding signal, and wherein the reference value forms an amplitude of a voltage signal indicating a sharp knife.
10. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the generation of a grinding signal includes the generation of an informatory signal that comprises a visualization of that chopping knife that falls below the reference value.
11. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the generation of a grinding signal further includes a triggering of a grinding process.
12. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the assessment of the cutting sharpness or wear status is effected by means of evaluation criteria selected from the group consisting of grinding surface length of the respective chopping knife, roundness of the chopping knife tip, general knife wear, camber of the chopping knife and relative distance of the shear bar from the chopping knife.
13. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the reference value is an amplitude of a voltage signal indicating roundness of the chopping knife tip.
14. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the reference value is an oscillation period of a voltage indicating grinding surface length of the respective chopping knife.
15. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the reference value comprises an amplitude and an oscillation period of a voltage signal indicating general knife wear.
16. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the reference value is an amplitude of a voltage signal indicating camber of the chopping knife or relative distance of the shear bar from the chopping knife.
17. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a reference value is stored in the evaluating unit and/or some other data processing device for every evaluation criterion, and ii wherein the detection arrangement is configured to generate a grinding signal or a knife change signal when the wear status falls below this reference value, wherein the reference value being an amplitude of a voltage signal indicating grinding or a knife change.
18. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the generation of a grinding signal includes the generation of an informatory signal in the form of a visualization of that chopping knife falling below the reference value.
19. The detection arrangement for detecting a wear status of a chopping knife arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the generation of a grinding signal further comprises a triggering of a grinding process or a signal to exchange a chopping knife.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Further advantageous configurations are the subject of further subclaims and are described in the following with reference to an embodiment example shown in the figures. In the drawings:
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
(9)
(10) According to
(11)
(12) Details of the device according to the invention will now be described referring to
(13) The respective voltage signal 38a . . . e is converted in the evaluating unit 36 into a voltage signal 49a . . . e which can be further processed. This voltage signal 49a . . . e which can be further processed is formed in such a way that the induced voltage 38, i.e., the reference value 38 of the induced voltage, is initially determined for a sharp, unworn chopping knife 8, the induction voltage 38a . . . e which changes contingent on wear is then determined during the operation of the chopping knife 8 and, lastly, the voltage signals 49a . . . e which can be further processed are determined from the difference of the wear-dependent change in induction voltage 38a . . . e minus the reference value 38 of the induced voltage of an unworn chopping knife 8.
(14) The respective voltage signals 49a . . . e is then resolved into its frequency components 42, preferably oscillation period or phase 43 and amplitude 44, in the evaluating unit 36 in a manner known per se by means of frequency analysis 41, preferably by means of Fourier analysis 47. In doing so, the respective induced voltage signal 49a . . . e is separated into frequency components 42 of a fundamental oscillation 45 and into frequency components 42 of a superposed oscillation 46 which cause signal distortions. The separated frequency components 42 causing a signal distortion, i.e., the so-called superposed oscillation 46, are then inverse-transformed in the time domain 48 in a manner to be described more fully later and, lastly, a measurement for the cutting sharpness, i.e., the wear status 39, of a chopping knife 8 is derived from the inverse-transformed frequency components 42 in a manner which will likewise be described more fully later.
(15) The frequency analysis 41 carried out according to the invention by the evaluating unit 36 is shown schematically in detail in
(16) The voltage signal 49a . . . e shown at bottom right in
(17) It will be noted that the described characteristic areas 51, 53, 55 induce voltages 49a . . . e of different levels. The area 51, 52 describing the roundness of the knife tip induces the highest total voltage 49a . . . e. It will be noted at the same time that the size of the air gap 33 has an influence on the induced voltage 49a . . . e. As expected, the value of the induced voltage 49a . . . e decreases as air gap 33 increases. The signal shape of the induced voltage 49a . . . e is acquired and separated for every knife. This means that a plurality of voltage signals 49a . . . e are available for each chopping knife 8 depending on the configuration of the sensor arrangement 23a,b. According to
(18)
(19)
(20) Alternatively or additionally, the assessment of the wear status 39 or of the cutting sharpness 65 can also be coupled to evaluation criteria 72. Preferably, the evaluation criteria can be one or more of the evaluation criteria comprising “grinding surface length 54 of the respective chopping knife 8” 72a, “roundness of the chopping knife tip 52” 72b, “general knife wear 39” 72c and/or “camber of the chopping knife 8” 72d or “relative distance of the shear bar 11 from the chopping knife 8” 72e. Analogous to the preceding description, a reference value 73 can also be stored in the evaluating unit 36 or other data processing device, including an external data processing device, with respect to the evaluation criteria 72a . . . e. In the simplest case, this is a stored reference value 73 of the amplitude 44 of the induced voltage 38a . . . e, 49a . . . e. Depending on the selected evaluation criterion or individual stored evaluation criterion 72a . . . e, the stored reference value 73 is then either a measurement for the wear status 39 of the respective chopping knife 8 in total or for the sharpness of the cutting edge 24. If the value falls below the reference value 73, the grinding signal 67 described above is generated. This grinding signal 73 can then conceivably be generated in different ways. In the simplest case, the chopping knife or chopping knives 8 which have fallen below the reference value 73 can be displayed to an operator 68 on a display 69. In this case, the operator decides when a grinding process 70 of the chopping knives 8 is to be initiated. However, it is also conceivable that a control device 71 monitors the adherence to reference value 73 and automatically initiates the grinding process 70. The automatic initiation of the grinding process 70 is preferably defined such that a minimum number of chopping knives 8 must fall below the reference value 73 before a grinding process 70 is activated. It is also taken into account in a manner known per se that the forage harvester 2 is not in a working mode in that crop 5 is moved through the forage harvester 2.
(21) Alternatively or additionally, when the value falls below the reference value 66 or reference value 73, replacement of a chopping knife 8 can be suggested, namely, preferably when measurements fall below reference value 66, 73 to such an extent that it can be inferred that the respective chopping knife 8 is at the end of its usable range.
(22) In view of the fact that the induced voltage 38a . . . e, i.e., the voltage signal 49a . . . ederived therefrom increases with increasing roundness 52 of the cutting edge 24 of the chopping knives 8, it is provided that the reference value 73 is an amplitude 44 of the determined voltage signal 49 when the “roundness of the chopping knife tip 52” evaluation criterion 72b is selected.
(23) Since the oscillation period 43 of the induced voltage 38a . . . e increases with increasing grinding surface length 54 of the chopping knife 8, the reference value 73 is an oscillation period 43 of the derived voltage signal 49a . . . e when the “grinding surface length 54 of the respective chopping knife 8” evaluation criterion 72a is selected.
(24) Due to the fact that the oscillation period 43 and the amplitude 44 of the induced voltage 39a . . . e both increase significantly with increasing general wear 39 of chopping knife 8, reference value 73 is an amplitude 44 and an oscillation period 43 of the determined voltage signal 49a . . . e when the “general knife wear” evaluation criterion 72c is selected.
(25) The distance of the chopping knife 8 from the shear bar 11 increases and the amplitude 44 of the induced voltage 38a . . . e decreases significantly with increasing wear 39 of the chopping knife 8 so that when the “camber of the chopping knife 8” or “relative distance of the shear bar 11 from the chopping knife 8” evaluation criterion 72d, e is selected, reference value 73 is an amplitude of the determined voltage signal 49a . . . e.
REFERENCE CHARACTERS
(26) 1 agricultural work machine
(27) 2 forage harvester
(28) 3 header
(29) 4 gathering and pre-compacting rollers
(30) 5 crop flow
(31) 6 chopping device
(32) 7 chopping drum
(33) 8 chopping knife
(34) 9 chopping knife arrangement a . . . b
(35) 10 feed-in area
(36) 11 shear bar
(37) 12 cracker
(38) 13 after-comminution device
(39) 14 after-acceleration device
(40) 15 deflector
(41) 16 deflector flap
(42) 20 rotational axis of the chopping drum
(43) 21 drum base
(44) 22 rear drum wall
(45) 23 sensor arrangement a . . . b
(46) 24 cutting edge
(47) 25 induction sensor
(48) 26 magnetic exciter arrangement
(49) 27 pole arrangement
(50) 28 detection arrangement
(51) 29 flux conducting device
(52) 30 magnetic pole
(53) 31 pole surface
(54) 32 air gap arrangement
(55) 33 air gap
(56) 34 magnetic circuit
(57) 35 measuring arrangement
(58) 36 evaluating unit
(59) 37 measured magnetic value
(60) 38 reference value of induced voltage
(61) 38a.e induced voltage
(62) 39 wear status
(63) 40 rotational direction
(64) 41 frequency analysis
(65) 42 frequency component
(66) 43 oscillation period/phase
(67) 44 amplitude
(68) 45 fundamental oscillation
(69) 46 superposed oscillation
(70) 47 Fourier analysis
(71) 48 time domain
(72) 49 voltage signal a . . . e
(73) 50 harmonic
(74) 51 first area
(75) 52 roundness of the knife tip
(76) 53 further area
(77) 54 grinding surface length
(78) 55 third area
(79) 56 back of knife
(80) 57 angle position
(81) 58 first analysis step
(82) 59 further analysis step
(83) 60 frequency analysis
(84) 61 amplitude
(85) 62 sharp knife
(86) 63 blunt knife
(87) 64 analysis step
(88) 65 cutting sharpness
(89) 66 “sharp knife” reference value
(90) 67 grinding signal
(91) 68 operator
(92) 69 display
(93) 70 grinding process
(94) 71 control device
(95) 72 evaluation criterion a . . . e
(96) 73 reference value
(97) L1.L4 sections