Material reduction machine with dynamic startup control

A material reduction machine comprising:

• a cutting mechanism;
• an internal combustion engine;
• a drive system configured coupled to the internal combustion engine and the cutting mechanism configured to selectively transfer power from the internal combustion engine to the cutting mechanism;
• the drive system having a clutch;
• the clutch having a power transfer state wherein the clutch transfers power from the prime mover to the cutting mechanism, and a disengaged state wherein power is not transferred from the prime mover to the cutting mechanism;
• a sensor operable to sense a load on the material reduction machine via detection of droop in the operation speed of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• a controller coupled to the sensor and programmed to receive a signal indicative of the sensed droop in the operation speed, the controller being operatively coupled to the clutch to control power transfer of each of a plurality of sequential power transfer cycles,
• wherein the controller is programmed to:
• utilize a stored first operation speed trip point for disengaging a first power transfer cycle of the plurality of sequential power transfer cycles when the sensor signals to the controller that the first operation speed trip point is realized, and to continue monitoring further droop in the operation speed via the sensor signal after reaching the first operation speed trip point,
• determine and adopt a second operation speed trip point, the second operation speed trip point being based on an observation of a minimum operation speed during the continued monitoring after the first operation speed trip point is realized, and further being based on a stored correction factor, and
• utilize the second operation speed trip point for disengaging a second power transfer cycle of the plurality of sequential power transfer cycles following the first power transfer cycle when the sensor signals to the controller that the second operation speed trip point is realized.

A method of controlling a material reduction machine including a cutting mechanism and a prime mover coupled with the cutting mechanism to drive the cutting mechanism, the method comprising:

• operating the prime mover at a no load operation speed;
• engaging a clutch to transfer power from the prime mover to the cutting mechanism to start a first engagement cycle;
• sensing a machine load parameter with a sensor that reports signals to a controller in control of engaging and disengaging the clutch to control starting and stopping of each of a plurality of sequential engagement cycles;
• triggering, via the controller, disengagement of a first engagement cycle of the plurality of sequential engagement cycles in response to the sensor signaling to the controller that a stored first disengagement threshold value is realized;
• continuing monitoring, with the controller, the machine load parameter sensor signal to a maximum load momentarily after reaching the first disengagement threshold, the controller determining and adopting a second disengagement threshold value based on the value of the machine load parameter at the time of maximum load after the first disengagement threshold is realized, and further based on a stored correction factor;
• and
• triggering, via the controller, disengagement of a second engagement cycle of the plurality of sequential engagement cycles following the first engagement cycle in response to the sensor signaling to the controller that the second disengagement threshold value is realized.