System and method for detecting disk gang plugging on a tillage implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484469-B2
Application number	US-202217837533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2022
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A tillage implement includes a plurality of disk gangs, with each disk gang including a shaft and a plurality of disks spaced apart from each other along the shaft. Furthermore, the tillage implement includes a plurality of load sensors configured to generate data indicative of loads being applied to the plurality of disk gangs and a computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors. In this respect, the computing system is configured to determine a total load being applied to each disk gang based on the data generated by the plurality of load sensors. Additionally, the computing system is configured to determine an average load per disk being applied to each disk gang based on the determined total loads. Moreover, the computing system is configured to determine a plug status value for each disk gang based on the determined average loads per disk.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A tillage implement, comprising:
a frame; a plurality of disk gangs supported on the frame, each disk gang including a disk gang shaft and a plurality of disks spaced apart from each other along the disk gang shaft; a plurality of load sensors configured to generate data indicative of loads being applied to the plurality of disk gangs; a plurality of depth sensors configured to generate data indicative of depths of the plurality of disk blades of the plurality of disk gangs; and a computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of load sensors and the plurality of depth sensors, the computing system configured to:
determine a total load being applied to each disk gang based on the data generated by the plurality of load sensors;
determine an average load per disk being applied to each disk gang based on the determined total loads;
determine a baseline average value of the average loads per disk being applied to the plurality of disk gangs;
determine a moving baseline average value over a predetermined time period;
determine the depths of the plurality of disk blades of the plurality of disk gangs based on the data generated by the plurality of the depth sensors;
determine a threshold offset for each disk gang based on the determined depths; and
determine a plug status value for each disk gang based on the determined average loads per disk, the moving baseline average value, the average loads per disk, and the threshold offsets.

2 . The tillage implement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of hangers, wherein a given disk gang of the plurality of disk gangs is coupled to the frame via first and second hangers of the plurality of hangers.

3 . The tillage implement of claim 2 , wherein, for the given disk gang, a first load sensor of the plurality of load sensors is coupled between the first hanger and the disk gang shaft and a second load sensor of the plurality of load sensors is coupled between the second hanger and the disk gang shaft.

4 . A system for detecting disk gang plugging on a tillage implement, the system comprising:
an implement frame; a plurality of disk gangs supported on the implement frame, each disk gang including a disk gang shaft and a plurality of disks spaced apart from each other along the disk gang shaft; a plurality of load sensors configured to generate data indicative of loads being applied to the plurality of disk gangs; a plurality of depth sensors configured to generate data indicative of depths of the plurality of disk blades of the plurality of disk gangs; and a computing system communicatively coupled to the plurality of load sensors and the plurality of depth sensors, the computing system configured to:
determine a total load being applied to each disk gang based on the data generated by the plurality of load sensors;
determine an average load per disk being applied to each disk gang based on the determined total loads;
determine a baseline average value of the average loads per disk being applied to the plurality of disk gangs;
determine a moving baseline average value over a predetermined time period;
determine the depths of the plurality of disk blades of the plurality of disk gangs based on the data generated by the plurality of the depth sensors;
determine a threshold offset for each disk gang based on the determined depths; and
determine a plug status value for each disk gang based on the determined average loads per disk, the moving baseline average value, the average loads per disk, and the threshold offsets.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
compare the determined plug status value for each disk gang to a predetermined plugging threshold value; and remove the average load per disk of a given disk gang of the plurality of disk gangs from the baseline average value when the plug status value for the given disk gang exceeds predetermined plugging threshold value.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
determine a maximum baseline threshold based on the determined depths; compare the determined moving baseline average value to the determined maximum baseline threshold; and when the determined moving baseline average value exceeds the determined maximum baseline threshold, initiate a control action associated with the plurality of disk gangs being plugged.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to initiate a control action associated with a given disk gang of the plurality of disk gang based on the plug status value for the given disk gang.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the control action comprises providing a notification to an operator.

9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein, when determining the average load per disk for each disk gang, the computing system is further configured to apply a correction factor associated with a number of disks present on each disk gang.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein, when determining the average load per disk for each disk gang, the computing system is further configured to apply a normalized value associated a relative sizing of the plurality of disks on each disk gang.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to apply a filter to the determined total load being applied to each disk gang.

12 . A method for detecting disk gang plugging on a tillage implement, the tillage implement including a plurality of disk gangs, each disk gang including a plurality of disks, the method comprising:
receiving, with a computing system, load sensor data indicative of loads acting on the plurality of disk gangs; determining, with the computing system, a total load being applied to each disk gang based on the received load sensor data; determining, with the computing system, an average load per disk being applied to each disk gang based on the determined total loads; determining, with the computing system, a baseline average value of the average loads per disk being applied to the plurality of disk gangs; determining, with the computing system, a moving baseline average value over a predetermined time period; receiving, with the computing system, depth sensor data indicative of depths of the plurality of disk blades of the plurality of disk gangs; determining, with the computing system, the depths of the plurality of disk blades of each disk gang based on the received depth sensor data; determining, with the computing system, a threshold offset for each disk gang based on the determined depths; determining, with the computing system, a plug status value for each disk gang based on the determined average loads per disk, the moving baseline average value, the average loads per disk, and the threshold offsets; and initiating, with the computing system, at least one of an adjustment to a ground speed of the tillage implement or a position of a given disk gang of the plurality of disk gangs relative to a frame of the tillage implement based on the determined plug status values.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
comparing, with the computing system, the determined plug status value for each disk gang to a predetermined plugging threshold value; and removing, with the computing system, the average load per disk of a given disk gang of the plurality of disk gangs from the baseline average value when the plug status value for the given disk gang exceeds predetermined plugging threshold value.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the control action corresponds to

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Glovier Scott

Classifications

• G01L5/16

  for measuring several components of force · CPC title

• A01B35/32

  with special additional arrangements · CPC title

• A01B35/16

  with rotating or circulating non-propelled tools · CPC title

• A01B33/12

  Arrangement of the tools; Screening of the tools · CPC title

• A01B23/06

  Discs; Scrapers for cleaning discs; Sharpening attachments · CPC title