System and method to measure and control conditioning
AssigneesDeere & Company, Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsMahesh SOMAROWTHU, Shirishkumar J. CHOBHE, Darin L. ROTH, Matthew J. DARR, Robert J. NAEGER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Conditioning performance can be monitored while harvesting a crop to determine a level of conditioning. In response to deviations from normal conditioning, various components of an agricultural machine can be adjusted to improve conditioning performance. For instance, a roll gap of a conditioner may be adjusted. Further, engine speed or vehicle speed can be adjusted to improve conditioning.
Claims20
A system for adjusting an agricultural machine, comprising:
- a controller that receives input data indicative of crop conditioning by the agricultural machine and outputs control signals to control the agricultural machine, wherein the controller includes:
- at least one processor;
- and
- a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to:
- determine a conditioning performance index based on the input data, the conditioning performance index indicative of a level of crop conditioning by the agricultural machine;
- and
- generate adjustment data indicative of an adjustment to one or more components of the agricultural machine in response to the conditioning performance index;
- and
- one or more actuators that adjust the one or more components of the agricultural machine based at least on the adjustment data.
A method for controlling crop conditioning, comprising:
- acquiring a load on a header actuator of an agricultural machine and a load on a conditioner actuator of the agricultural machine;
- determining a conditioning performance index based on the load on the header motor and the load on the conditioner motor;
- and
- controlling at least one of a roll gap, disc speed, roll pressure, hood separation, conditioner speed, converging velocity, header tilt, lift, roll tension, or a vehicle ground speed of the agricultural machine based on the conditioning performance index.
A system for an agricultural machine, comprising:
- a set of sensors configured to sense at least a load on a header motor and a load on a conditioner motor;
- a header having a cutter bar;
- a conditioner having a first conditioner roller and a second conditioner roller, the first conditioner roller and the second conditioner roller arranged relative to each other to define a roll gap therebetween;
- an actuator coupled to at least one of the first conditioner roller or the second conditioner roller and configured to move the at least one of the first conditioner roller or the second conditioner roller away from or toward each other;
- an electronic control unit coupled to a drive system of the agricultural machine;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive sensor data from the set of sensors;
- determine a conditioner performance index based on the sensor data;
- generate one or more controls signals to at least one of the actuator or the electronic control unit based on the conditioner performance index;
- and
- communicate the one or more controls signals to at least one of the actuator or the electronic control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.