Particulate flow sensing for an agricultural implement

A flow determining device for an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material and material metering structure, an air delivery system for conveying the material from the source to the ground, the sensor comprising;

• a first sensor located in the air delivery system for providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor;
• a second sensor located in the air delivery system for providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy;
• a processor connected to the first and second sensors for determining a particulate material mass flow signal in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal;
• and
• a meter sensor for providing an indication to the processor of mass flow of a material A delivered by the material metering structure to the air delivery system, wherein the metering structure also delivers a material B to the air delivery system, and wherein the processor is responsive to the first signal to provide a total mass flow indication of mass flow of the material A and the material B.

A flow determining device for an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material and material metering structure, an air delivery system for conveying the material from the source to the ground, the sensor comprising;

• a first sensor located in the air delivery system for providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor;
• a second sensor located in the air delivery system for providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy;
• and
• a processor connected to the first and second sensors for determining a particulate material mass flow signal in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal and;
• a rate control for adjusting the rate of delivery of two particulate materials, the processor responsive to the change in the first signal and to the adjustment of the rate to determine the mass flow rate of the individual particulate materials.

A flow determining device for an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material and material metering structure, an air delivery system for conveying the material from the source to the ground, the sensor comprising;

• a first sensor located in the air delivery system for providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor;
• a second sensor located in the air delivery system for providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy;
• and
• a processor connected to the first and second sensors for determining a particulate material mass flow signal in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal and;
• a control for operating the metering device at a nominal mass flow rate in a calibration cycle using an approximate standard meter calibration value including an input device for entering a desired material mass flow rate, and means for setting the metering device at the nominal mass flow rate, wherein the processor is responsive to the information from the calibration cycle to refine the calibration value and controller readjusts metering rate to a precise metering rate.

A method of determining flow in an air seeding and/or fertilizing machine that includes a source of particulate material, metering structure, and an air delivery system including an upright distribution tower for conveying the material metered from the source to the ground, the method comprising;

• locating a first sensor in the distribution tower;
• providing a first signal indicative of the force of the particulate material impacting the first sensor;
• locating a second sensor in the air delivery system;
• providing an interference signal indicative of one or more variables that negatively impact first sensor accuracy utilizing the second sensor;
• and
• determining a particulate material mass flow rate in dependence on the impact sensor signal and the interference signal.