FORAGE HARVESTER
20190289787 · 2019-09-26
Assignee
Inventors
- Christoph Heitmann (Warendorf, DE)
- Ingo Boenig (Guetersloh, DE)
- Bjoern Stremlau (Recke, DE)
- Frédéric Fischer (Arnsberg, DE)
- Andre Dammann (Harsewinkel, DE)
- Stefan Schiewer (Warendorf, DE)
- Felix Herter (Harsewinkel, DE)
- Jan Furmaniak (Telgte, DE)
- Bastian Kriebel (Muenster, DE)
Cpc classification
A01D43/086
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A01D43/085
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
A forage harvester has multiple working elements for carrying out a crop handling process, a drive system which is divided into a main drive train that includes mechanically driven working elements, and an auxiliary drive train that includes hydraulically driven working elements, a driver assistance system which comprises a memory for storing data and a computing device for processing data stored in the memory, as well as a graphical user interface. The working elements consist of at least one adjustable crop handler, at least one actuator system for adjusting and/or actuating the crop handler, and a control unit for controlling the actuator system. The working element is designed as an automatic adjuster whose mode of operation can be optimized by the driver assistance system. The driver assistance system feeds a throughput-proportional load signal, which can be determined by at least one sensor system, to the particular automatic adjuster.
Claims
1. A forage harvester comprising: multiple working elements for carrying out a crop handling process, the working elements comprising at least one adjustable crop handler, at least one actuator system configured for adjusting and/or actuating the at least one crop handler, as well as a control unit for controlling the actuator system, a drive system which is divided into a main drive train that includes mechanically driven working elements of the multiple working elements, and an auxiliary drive train that includes at least partially hydraulically driven working elements of the multiple working elements, a driver assistance system which comprises a memory for storing data and a computing device for processing data stored in the memory, as well as a graphical user interface, and a sensor system configured for determining a throughput-proportional load signal of the drive system, wherein each working element is designed as an automatic adjuster (A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, A.sub.n), wherein a mode of operation of each automatic adjuster (A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, A.sub.n) is configured to be optimized, individually or depending on at least one further automatic adjuster (A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, A.sub.n), by the driver assistance system, wherein the driver assistance system is configured for feeding the throughput-proportional load signal of the drive system to a particular automatic adjuster (A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, A.sub.n).
2. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is assigned to at least one working element in the main drive train, in order to determine the throughput-proportional load signal, in order to detect changes in a power uptake of the at least one working element.
3. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is assigned to at least one working element in the auxiliary drive train, in order to determine the at least one throughput-proportional load signal, in order to detect changes in power uptake of the at least one working element.
4. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for transmitting measuring signals acquired by the sensor system to the driver assistance system in order to generate throughput-proportional load signals.
5. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automatic adjusters (A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, A.sub.n) are configured for utilizing the load signals during optimization of the mode of operation of the particular working element, the mode of operation being optimization a power requirement of the particular working element.
6. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for indirectly measuring a load of the drive system.
7. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for determining elongation slip in a drive belt upstream and downstream from a pulley of the main drive train.
8. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor system comprises at least one guide roller positioned downstream from a pulley of the at least one working element in the main drive train, wherein sensors of the at least one sensor system are configured to detect rotational speed of the guide roller and of the pulley of the at least one working element in the main drive train.
9. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for determining bending vibrations in a drive belt of the main drive train.
10. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor system comprises two distance sensors, wherein one of the distance sensors is assigned to a slack side upstream from the at least one working element and a second one of the distance sensors is assigned to a load side downstream from the working element, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for determining a deflection of the drive belt of the main drive train.
11. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor system is configured for determining a hydraulic power of at least one hydraulic motor situated in the auxiliary drive train of the drive system.
12. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor system comprises two pressure sensors, a first one of the pressure sensors being positioned upstream from the at least one hydraulic motor and a second one of the pressure sensors being positioned downstream from the at least one hydraulic motor.
13. The forage harvester as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hydraulic motor is designed as a fixed displacement motor.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The present invention is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to exemplary embodiments represented in the drawings.
[0027] In the drawings:
[0028]
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0034]
[0035] The crop picked up by the front attachment 2 is fed to an intake conveyor device 3. The intake conveyor device 3 comprises at least a first roller pair 4a, 4b and a second roller pair 5a, 5b which are situated on a frame or a housing. The at least two roller pairs 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b are utilized for drawing in and compressing the picked-up crop. The roller pairs 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b form an adjustable crop handling means. Thus, for example, the compression force as well as the drive speed of the roller pairs 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b can be changed in order to be adapted to changing crop quantities.
[0036] A chopper 6 is positioned downstream from the intake conveyor device 3. The chopper 6 comprises a rotationally driven chopper drum 7 equipped with a plurality of chopper knives 8. The chopper knives 8 rotating with the chopper drum 7 interact with a fixedly situated shear bar 9 of the chopper 6 in order to chop up the crop supplied by the intake conveyor device 3 in the form of a compressed crop mat. The spacing of the shear bar 9 in relation to the enclosing circle of the chopper knives 8 can be adjusted or readjusted. A preferably small spacing contributes to a reduced force requirement during cutting and to a constant cut quality. A sharpening device (not represented) assigned to the chopper 6 is utilized for sharpening the chopper knives 8, as necessary, in order to counter a deteriorating chopping quality resulting from dull chopping knives and to counter an increased energy requirement for driving the chopper 6.
[0037] The chopped up crop emerging from the chopper 6 can be fed to an optionally provided after-treatment device 10. The after-treatment device 10, which is also referred to as a conditioning unit or corn cracker, is utilized for the comminution of corn kernels in order to increase the usability or energy efficiency when utilized as feed or in a biogas plant. These types of after-treatment devices 10 consist of a pair of rollers having profiled surfaces, wherein the rollers are driven at different rotational speeds. The speed ratio of the roller pair of the after-treatment device 10 is variable.
[0038] The comminution of the grain is determined, in particular, by a gap width between the two rollers of the after-treatment device 10. The smaller the gap width is, the greater the comminution of the grain is. The gap width is adjustable. The after-treatment device 10 can be removed from the crop flow path of the forage harvester 1 as necessary, for example, in order to harvest grass.
[0039] From the chopper 6 or the optional after-treatment device 10, the chopped up crop reaches an accelerating device 11 which transfers the crop, through a conveying shaft 12 and an adjoining discharge device 13 designed as a discharge spout, to a transport vehicle (not represented) traveling adjacently to the forage harvester 1. An ensilage agent metering device 14 is situated in the area of the accelerating device 11, which introduces a fluid into the conveying shaft 12 with the aid of a variable-capacity supply pump 15. For this purpose, an injector 16 is provided, which terminates in the conveying shaft 12 and opens in the flow direction of the crop, whereby the fluid is applied in a finely sprayed form onto the crop flowing past. At least one sensor 17 is situated on the discharge device 13, which is configured at least for determining the moisture content of the chopped up crop with respect to the dry mass. The at least one sensor 17 can be designed as an NIR sensor which is also configured for detecting components such as raw ash or the raw protein content of the crop flowing past. One or multiple further sensors 18 for determining the length of cut, the flow speed of the crop, and/or the mass flow of the crop flowing past may be assigned to the discharge device 13.
[0040] A drive device 19 designed as an internal combustion engine is provided for driving the forage harvester 1. The drive device 19 is drivingly connected to a drive system 20. The drive system 20 is divided into a main drive train which includes mechanically driven working elements such as the chopper 6, the optional after-treatment device 10, as well as the accelerating device 11, and an auxiliary drive train which includes mechanically and/or hydraulically driven working elements such as the front attachment 2 and the intake conveyor device 3.
[0041] The chopper 6 and the accelerating device 11 are driven with the aid of a drive belt 20a. The after-treatment device 10 is drivingly connected to the accelerating device 11 by one further belt. The front attachment 2 and the intake conveyor device 3 can be driven by the auxiliary drive train which can be mechanically coupled to the chopper 6, can be operated mechanically and hydrostatically in a power-split manner, or can be hydrostatically operated independently of the chopper 6. A hydraulic pump 28, which drives a hydraulic motor 29, is provided for the purely hydrostatic drive of the front attachment 2 and the intake conveyor device 3. The hydraulic pump 28 is preferably designed as an axial piston pump having an adjustable displacement volume. The hydraulic motor 29 is designed as a fixed displacement motor. Moreover, a hydrostatic ground drive 21 is provided, with the aid of which the ground speed of the forage harvester 1 can be regulated.
[0042] The forage harvester 1 comprises a cab 22, in which an input/output device 23 is provided, which is available to an operator of the forage harvester 1 for the purpose of setting and adjusting operating parameters, for example, and informing the operator about present operating and harvesting conditions. The input/output device 23 is connected to a driver assistance system 25 of the forage harvester 1 by a bus system 24. The bus system 24 also connects the sensors 17, 18 to the discharge device 13 and connects a sensor 26 to the intake conveyor device 3, and connects further sensors and sensor systems 34 and actuators 32 (not represented in
[0043]
[0044] The representation in
[0045] The driver assistance system 25 comprises a computing device 37, a memory 38, and a graphical user interface 39. The computing device 37 is configured for processing data stored in the memory 38. In addition, the computing device 37 of the driver assistance system 25 receives and processes data of sensor system 34 as well as external information 35 which has been made available.
[0046] The driver assistance system 25 comprises sets of rules stored in the memory 38 and/or in a memory unit of the control units 33 of the automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, which are assigned to the particular automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n. The set of rules assigned to the particular automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n brings about an optimization of the mode of operation of the particular working element 30 regardless of the mode of operation of the other working elements 30. The sets of rules encompass expert knowledge as well as adaptable characteristic curves or families of characteristics.
[0047] The automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n are integrated into the driver assistance system 25, which is of a higher order in terms of control hierarchy, wherein the mode of operation of each automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n can be optimized by the driver assistance system 25 individually or depending on at least one further automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n. Thus, input signals I.sub.E1, I.sub.E2, I.sub.E3, I.sub.E4, . . . , I.sub.En corresponding to each automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, respectively, are made available by the higher-order driver assistance system 25 and are processed according to the particular set of rules of the automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n. In order to optimize the mode of operation of the particular automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, an output signal I.sub.A1, I.sub.A2, I.sub.A3, I.sub.A4, . . . , I.sub.An is generated, which is utilized for controlling the particular actuator system 32 of the working element 30 controlled by the automatic adjuster A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n. In addition, the output signals I.sub.A1, I.sub.A2, I.sub.A3, I.sub.A4, . . . , I.sub.An are transmitted to the computing device 37 of the driver assistance system 25. The driver assistance system 25 makes the output signals I.sub.A1, I.sub.A2, I.sub.A3, I.sub.A4, . . . , I.sub.An available to the other automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n as additional control input signals S.sub.A1, S.sub.A2, S.sub.A3, S.sub.A4, . . . , S.sub.An. As a result, additional information is available to the driver assistance system 25 and the automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, whereby it is made possible to take interactions with one or multiple other working elements 30, which arise due to changed settings of one working element 30, into account during the optimization of the working elements 30.
[0048] Due to the detection of load changes in the drive system 20 and due to the transmission of the throughput-proportional load signals 40, which reflect these load changes, from the driver assistance system 25 to all automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, a prompt adaptation of the operating parameters can be carried out by the particular automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n of a working element 30, in order to continuously optimize the operation of the working element 30. For this purpose, in order to determine a particular load signal 40 in the main drive train and/or in the auxiliary drive train, at least one sensor system 41, 42, 43 is assigned to the main drive train and/or the auxiliary drive train, which is illustrated in
[0049]
[0050] The belt speed at the entry point EP of the slack side 48 of the drive belt 20a can be determined on the basis of the rotational speed of the chopper drum 7. On the basis of the difference of the belt speeds between the entry point EP and the exit point AP, the resultant elongation slip can be determined, which, in turn, correlates with the torque taken up by the chopper 6, and so the power uptake of the chopper 6 can be inferred. By way of the continuous measurement carried out with the aid of the sensor system 41, the throughput-proportional load signals 40 are generated by the driver assistance system 25 and are made available to the automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n, and so the automatic adjusters can promptly respond to changes in the throughput of crop.
[0051] The representation in
[0052] For this purpose, a distance sensor 54 is assigned to the slack side 48 upstream from the chopper 6 and a distance sensor 54 is assigned to the load side 49 downstream from the chopper 6, with the aid of which a deflection of the drive belt 20a of the main drive train can be determined. The distance sensors 54 are preferably designed as contactlessly operating sensors, in order to detect the distance changes of the drive belt 20a caused by the belt vibrations. The signals of the distance sensors 54 are forwarded to the driver assistance system 25 via the bus system 24 for evaluation by the driver assistance system 25. The driver assistance system 25 generates the throughput-proportional load signals 40 and makes them available to the automatic adjusters A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3, A.sub.4, . . . , A.sub.n.
[0053]
[0054] The power taken up by the particular hydraulic motor 29 can be determined on the basis of the output rotational speed at the pulley 51 of the hydraulic pump as well as the pressure difference at the inflow and the outflow of the hydraulic motor 29. The evaluation takes place with the aid of the driver assistance system 25, as described above in conjunction with the two other embodiments.
TABLE-US-00001 List of reference characters 1 forage harvester 29 hydraulic motor 2 front attachment 30 working element 3 intake conveyor device 31 crop handling means 4a roller 32 actuator system 4b roller 33 control unit 5a roller 34 sensor system 5b roller 35 external information 6 chopper 36 automatic feed adjuster 7 chopper drum 37 computing device 8 chopper knife 38 memory 9 shear bar 39 graphical user interface 10 After-treatment device 40 load signal 11 accelerating device 41 sensor system 12 conveying shaft 42 sensor system 13 discharge device 43 sensor system 14 ensilage agent metering device 44 pulley 15 supply pump 45 guide roller 16 injector 46 sensor 17 sensor 47 sensor 18 sensor 48 slack side 19 drive device 49 load side 20 drive system 50 drive pulley 21 ground drive 51 pulley 22 cab 52 pulley 23 input/output device 53 jockey pulleys 24 bus system 54 distance sensor 25 driver assistance system 55 hydraulic system 26 sensor 56 drive shaft 27 drive belt 57 output shaft 28 hydraulic pump 58 pressure sensor A.sub.1 automatic adjuster DR rotational direction A.sub.2 automatic adjuster EP entry point A.sub.3 automatic adjuster AP exit point A.sub.4 automatic adjuster A.sub.n automatic adjuster I.sub.E1 input signal I.sub.E2 input signal I.sub.E3 input signal I.sub.E4 input signal I.sub.En input signal I.sub.A1 output signal I.sub.A2 output signal I.sub.A3 output signal I.sub.A4 output signal I.sub.An output signal S.sub.A1 control input signal S.sub.A2 control input signal S.sub.A3 control input signal S.sub.A4 control input signal S.sub.An control input signal