Operational control for agricultural agitator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460487-B2
Application number	US-201916557781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

An agricultural system includes a controller comprising a memory and a processor. The controller is configured to receive a sensor signal, determine a current flow based on the sensor signal, determine whether the current flow exceeds a current threshold for a time threshold, and operate a drive system of the agricultural system in an alternative operation instead of a normal operation in response to determining the current flow exceeds the current threshold for the time threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural system, comprising:
a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a sensor signal;
determine a mathematical mean of a current flow for a time interval based on the sensor signal;
determine whether the mathematical mean of the current flow exceeds a current threshold for a time threshold; and
operate a drive system of the agricultural system in an alternative operation instead of a normal operation in response to determining the mathematical mean of the current flow exceeds the current threshold for the time threshold.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the drive system in the alternative operation by reducing a duty cycle of the drive system relative to the normal operation, the duty cycle of the drive system comprises a ratio between an active time of the drive system and a total time of operation of the drive system, and the controller is configured to flow current through the drive system during the active time.

3. The agricultural system of claim 2 , wherein reducing the duty cycle of the drive system comprises reducing the ratio between the active time of the drive system and the total time of operation of the drive system.

4. The agricultural system of claim 2 , wherein the active time of the drive system and the total time of operation of the drive system are substantially the same for the duty cycle of the drive system in the normal operation.

5. The agricultural system of claim 1 , comprising a power source and a relay, wherein the power source is electrically coupled to the relay, the relay is electrically coupled to the drive system, the power source is configured to supply electrical power to the drive system, and the relay is configured to selectively enable the electrical power to be provided to the drive system.

6. The agricultural system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether the mathematical mean of the current flow is below a second current threshold for a second time threshold during the normal operation of the drive system, wherein the second current threshold is lower than the current threshold; and
in response to determining the mathematical mean of the current flow is below the second current threshold for the second time threshold, determine whether the power source is operating normally, and determine whether the relay is operating normally.

7. The agricultural system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to:
instruct a user interface to notify an operator in response to determining the power source and the relay are both operating normally; and
operate the drive system in the normal operation in response to determining the mathematical mean of the current flow is below the second current threshold for the second time threshold and the power source and the relay are both operating normally.

8. The agricultural system of claim 1 , comprising:
the drive system, wherein the drive system is configured to couple to an agitator and to receive a current to drive the agitator to move; and
a sensing system communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to output the sensor signal indicative of the current flowing through the drive system to the controller.

9. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
receive a sensor signal from a sensing system, wherein the sensor signal is indicative of a current flow through an agitator drive system of an agricultural system;
determine the current flow based on the sensor signal;
determine whether the current flow exceeds a first current threshold for a first time threshold;
operate the agitator drive system in a normal operation in response to determining the current flow does not exceed the first current threshold for the first time threshold, wherein the normal operation comprises a duty cycle comprising an alternation between an active time of the agitator drive system and an inactive time of the agitator drive system to establish a ratio between the active time and a total time of operation of the agitator drive system; and
operate the agitator drive system in an alternative operation instead of the normal operation in response to determining the current flow exceeds the first current threshold for the first time threshold, wherein the alternative operation comprises a reduced duty cycle comprising a reduced ratio between the active time and the total time of operation of the agitator drive system.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
determine whether the current flow is below a second current threshold for a second time threshold during the alternative operation of the agitator drive system; and
operate the agitator drive system in the normal operation instead of the alternative operation in response to determining the current flow is below the second current threshold for the second time threshold.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to further reduce the reduced ratio between the active time and the total time of operation of the agitator drive system in response to determining the current flow is not below the second current threshold for the second time threshold.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
determine whether the agitator drive system has been operating in the alternative operation for a third time threshold in response to determining the current flow is not below the second current threshold for the second time threshold, wherein the third time threshold is greater than the first time threshold and the second time threshold; and
instruct a user interface to notify an operator of operation of the agitator drive system in the alternative operation in response to determining the agitator drive system has been operating in the alternative operation for the third time threshold.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
instruct the user interface to notify the operator of operation of the agitator drive system in the normal operation in response to instructing the user interface to notify the operator of the operation of the agitator drive system in the alternative operation and determining the current flow is below the second current threshold for the second time threshold; and
operate the agitator drive system in the normal operation instead of the alternative operation in response to determining the current flow is below the second current threshold for the second time threshold.

14. An agricultural system, comprising:
an agitator configured to induce movement of particulate material through the agricultural system;
a drive system configured to couple to the agitator, wherein the drive system is configured to receive a current flow and to drive the agitator to move;
a sensing system configured to output a sensor signal indicative of the current flow through the drive system; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensing system and comprising a memory and a processor, where

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Wright Jared Steven
• Ryder Nicholas George Alfred
• Erker Gregory Jacob
• Stuart Graham Douglas

Classifications

• H02H7/085

  against excessive load {(H02H6/00 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01R19/25

  using digital measurement techniques · CPC title

• H02P1/00

  Arrangements for starting electric motors or dynamo-electric converters (starting of synchronous motors with electronic commutators H02P6/20, H02P6/22; starting dynamo-electric motors rotating step by step H02P8/04; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title

• G01R31/08

  Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks · CPC title

• H02P29/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title