Grain mass flow rate determination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826683-B2
Application number	US-201514931932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A harvester includes an auger tube having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the first portion, an auger flight within the first portion of the tube and terminating prior to the second portion to move grain to the second portion, a window along the second portion of the tube and a camera to capture images of grain within the second portion of the tube. A computing device determines grain mass flow based upon the captured images, a dimension of the second portion of the tube and a grain density factor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A harvester comprising:
an auger tube having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the first portion;
an auger flight within the first portion of the tube and terminating prior to the second portion to move grain to the second portion;
a window along the second portion of the tube;
a camera to capture images of grain within the second portion of the tube; and
a computing device to determine grain mass flow rate based upon the captured images, a dimension of the second portion of the tube and a grain density factor.

2. The harvester of claim 1 further comprising a baffle radially projecting along an interior of the second portion of the tube.

3. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is adjacent a discharge outlet of the auger tube.

4. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the auger tube comprises a third portion adjacent the second portion opposite the first portion and wherein the harvester further comprises a second auger flight within and along the third portion and terminating prior to the second portion.

5. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is to detect grain relaxation within the second portion due to auger pulsing and wherein the determine grain mass flow rate is additionally based on the detected grain relaxation.

6. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is to determine a partial fill state of the second portion of the auger tube and wherein the determination of grain mass flow is additionally based on the determined partial fill state.

7. The harvester of claim 6 , wherein the determination of the partial fill state is based on the captured images.

8. The harvester of claim 6 , wherein the determination of the partial fill state is based upon a sensor of the harvester remote from the second portion of the auger tube.

9. The harvester of claim 8 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more sensors selected from a group of sensors consisting of: a crop engagement sensor; a threshing cylinder auger drive sensor; and a clean grain handling system power sensor.

10. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is to detect a grain type based on the captured images and wherein the grain mass flow rate is determined based on the determined grain type.

11. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the auger tube is inclined.

12. The harvester of claim 1 , wherein the second portion has a length of at least 6 inches.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to direct a processor to:
receive images of grain movement in a portion of an auger tube omitting auger flights;
detect grain relaxation within the portion due to grain pulsing by the auger flights;
determine a grain mass flow rate based on the received images of grain movement, a dimension of the portion, a grain density within the portion and the detected grain relaxation; and
providing an output based on the determined grain mass flow rate.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are configured to direct the processor to determine a partial fill state of the second portion of the auger tube and wherein the determination of grain mass flow is additionally based on the determined partial fill state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the determination of the partial fill state is based on the captured images.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the determination of the partial fill state is based upon a sensor of the harvester remote from the second portion of the auger tube.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises one or more sensors selected from a group of sensors consisting of: a crop engagement sensor; a threshing cylinder auger drive sensor; and a clean grain handling system power sensor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are configured to direct the processor to detect a grain type based on the captured images and wherein the grain mass flow is determined based on the determined grain type.

19. A method comprising:
receiving images of grain movement in a portion of an auger tube omitting auger flights;
detecting and identifying a partial fill state of the portion of the auger tube; and
determining a grain mass flow based on the images of grain movement, a dimension of the portion, a grain density within the portion and the detected partial fill state, wherein the grain mass flow is determined in a first manner in response to a detected an identified partial fill state and in a second manner, different than the first manner, in response to absence of the partial fill state.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are configured to further direct the processor to detect grain relaxation within the portion due to grain pulsing, wherein the determine grain mass flow is additionally based upon the detected grain relaxation.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the determination of the grain mass flow additionally comprises subtracting a portion of the grain mass flow in response to the identification of the partial fill state.

22. The method of claim 19 comprising determining a yield estimate based upon the mass flow rate, wherein a portion of the yield estimate is subtracted for a portion of the monitoring time determined to be in a partial fill state.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the determination of the grain mass flow excludes any detected grain movement for those periods of time identified as being in a partial fill state.

Assignees

• Deere & Co
• Univ Iowa State Res Found Inc
• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Bruns Aaron J
• Darr Matthew J

Classifications

• A01D90/10

  Unloading means · CPC title

• A01B76/00

  Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00 · CPC title

• A01D41/1272 Primary

  for measuring grain flow · CPC title