System and method for monitoring crop material thickness within an agricultural harvester

A system for monitoring crop material thickness within an agricultural harvester, the system comprising:

• a crop cleaning assembly including an oscillating component configured to oscillate relative to a frame of the agricultural harvester in a manner that conveys crop material across the oscillating component;
• a RADAR sensor configured to emit a radio wave or microwave signal directed at the crop material present on the oscillating component and detect an echo signal reflected by the crop material present on the oscillating component;
• and
• a computing system communicatively coupled to the RADAR sensor, the computing system configured to:
• detect a first interface between the crop material and the oscillating component based on the echo signal;
• detect a second interface between the crop material and air above the crop material based on echo signal:
• determine a distance between the first interface and the second interface;
• and
• determine a thickness of the crop material present on the oscillating component based on the determined distance.

A method for monitoring crop material thickness within an agricultural harvester, the agricultural harvester including a crop cleaning assembly having an oscillating component configured to oscillate relative to a frame of the agricultural harvester in a manner that conveys crop material across the oscillating component, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a computing system, data from a RADAR sensor configured to emit a radio wave or microwave signal directed at the crop material present on the oscillating component and detect an echo signal reflected by the crop material present on the oscillating component;
• detecting, with the computing system, a first interface between the crop material and the oscillating component based on the echo signal;
• detecting, with the computing system, a second interface between the crop material and air above the crop material based on echo signal;
• determining, with the computing system, a distance between the first interface and the second interface;
• determining, with the computing system, a thickness of the crop material present on the oscillating component based on the determined distance;
• comparing, with the computing system, the determined thickness of the crop material to a predetermined thickness range;
• and
• adjusting, with the computing system, an operation of the crop cleaning assembly when the determined thickness falls outside of the predetermined thickness range.