System and method for metering agricultural products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804608-B2
Application number	US-201514932178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A metering system for an air cart includes a metering subassembly having a first meter module configured to meter particulate material from a storage tank of the air cart to a first section of an agricultural implement and a second meter module configured to meter the particulate material from the storage tank of the air cart to a second section of the agricultural implement. The metering system includes a controller having a processor configured to receive a prescription rate map indicative of prescribed product application rates for respective geographic regions of a field, to receive a speed of the agricultural implement, and to independently adjust the first meter module and the second meter module based at least in part on the prescription rate map and the speed to facilitate application of the particulate material at the prescribed product application rates in the respective geographic regions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metering system for an air cart, comprising:
a first metering subassembly, comprising:
a first meter module configured to meter particulate material from a storage tank of the air cart to a first section of an agricultural implement;
a second meter module configured to meter the particulate material from the storage tank of the air cart to a second section of the agricultural implement;

a controller having a processor configured to:
receive a prescription rate map indicative of prescribed product application rates for respective geographic regions of a field;
receive a speed of the agricultural implement;
independently adjust the first meter module and the second meter module based at least in part on the prescription rate map and the speed as the agricultural implement travels through the field to facilitate application of the particulate material at the prescribed product application rates in the respective geographic regions of the field; and
a second metering subassembly having a third meter module and a fourth meter module, wherein the third meter module and the fourth meter module are configured to meter a second particulate product from a second storage tank to the first section and to the second section of the agricultural implement, respectively.

2. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a first product delivery time indicative of a time to deliver the particulate material from the storage tank to the first section, and the processor is configured to adjust the first meter module based at least in part on the first product delivery time as the agricultural implement travels through the field.

3. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive signals indicative of respective geographic locations of the first section and the second section relative to the field, and to adjust the first meter module and the second meter module based at least in part on the respective geographic locations as the agricultural implement travels through the field.

4. The metering system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the signals indicative of the respective geographic locations of the first section and the second section via a global positioning system sensor disposed on a tractor configured to tow the air cart.

5. The metering system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the signal indicative of respective geographic locations of the first section and the second section via a global positioning system sensor disposed on the agricultural implement.

6. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first meter module and the second meter module comprise a fluted meter roller.

7. The metering system of claim 6 , wherein each fluted meter roller is configured to rotate about a rotational axis disposed generally parallel to a direction of travel of the air cart.

8. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a second prescription rate map indicative of prescribed product application rates for the second particulate product for respective geographic regions of the field, and to adjust the third meter module and the fourth meter module based at least in part on the second prescription map and the speed as the agricultural implement travels through the field to facilitate application of the particulate material at the prescribed product application rates in the respective geographic regions of the field.

9. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the prescription rate map is generated based at least in part on a yield map of the respective geographic regions of the field determined during a previous planting season.

10. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the first meter module is configured to meter the particulate material from the storage tank into a corresponding primary line configured to pneumatically transfer the particulate material in an air flow from the first meter module to the first section.

11. A metering system for an air cart, comprising:
a metering subassembly, comprising:
a first meter module configured to meter particulate material from a storage tank of the air cart to a first section of an agricultural implement;
a second meter module configured to meter the particulate material from the storage tank of the air cart to a second section of the agricultural implement;

a controller having a processor configured to:
receive a prescription rate map indicative of a first prescribed product application rate for the particulate material across a first geographic region of a field and a second prescribed product application rate for the particulate material across a second geographic region of the field;
receive signals indicative of respective geographic locations of the first section and the second section relative to the field; and
independently adjust the first meter module and the second meter module based at least in part on the prescription rate map and the respective geographic locations as the agricultural implement travels through the field, wherein the processor is configured to determine a blended product application rate from the first prescribed product application rate and the second prescribed product application rate while the first section is located within both the first region and the second region of the field, and to adjust the first meter module to facilitate application of the particulate material at the blended product application rate while the first section is located in both the first region and the second region of the field.

12. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal indicative of a speed of the agricultural implement and to independently adjust the first meter module and the second meter module based at least in part on the speed as the agricultural implement travels through the field.

13. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a first product delivery time indicative of a time to deliver the particulate material from the storage tank to the first section, and the controller is configured to adjust the first meter module based at least in part on the first product delivery time as the agricultural implement travels through the field.

14. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the blended product application rate is determined based on a first percent overlap between the first section and the first region of the field and second percent overlap between the first section and the second region of the field.

15. The metering system of claim 14 , wherein processor is configured to perform linear interpolation to determine the blended product application rate.

16. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the blended product application rate comprises an average of the first prescribed product application rate and the second prescribed product application rate.

17. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a first percentage of the first section that is located within the first region and a second percentage of the first section that is located within the second region, and to adjust the first meter module to facilitate application of the particulate material at the first prescribed product application rate if the first percentage is greater than the second percentage and to adjust the first meter module to facilitate application of the particulate material at the second prescribed product application rate if the first pe

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Chahley Dennis W
• Engel Gordon Anthony
• Turner Jack Donald
• Thompson Dennis George
• Erker Gregory Jacob
• Kowalchuk Trevor Lawrence
• Rapley Anthony Charles

Classifications

• G05D7/0617 Primary

  specially adapted for fluid materials · CPC title

• A01C21/005 Primary

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title