DE102018205221A1 - Forage harvester with cutting length-dependent speed of the conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A forage harvester (10) comprises a chopper drum (22) which can be driven to achieve a desired cutting length with a variable speed. The speed of conditioning rollers (28, 28 ') depends on the speed of the cutterhead (22).

Description

• einem tragenden Fahrgestell,
• einem Antriebsmotor,
• einem ersten Antriebsstrang zwischen dem Antriebsmotor und einer Häckseltrommel, der ein veränderbares Übersetzungsverhältnis aufweist,
• einem zweiten Antriebsstrang zwischen dem Antriebsmotor und Vorpresswalzen eines stromauf der Häckseltrommel angeordneten Einzugskanals, der ein veränderbares Übersetzungsverhältnis aufweist,
• einer Steuereinrichtung, die mit einer Vorgabeeinrichtung zur Vorgabe einer gewünschten Schnittlänge verbunden und eingerichtet ist, die Übersetzungsverhältnisse des ersten und zweiten Antriebsstrangs abhängig von der gewünschten Schnittlänge zu variieren, und
• einer Konditioniereinrichtung mit gegensinnig antreibbaren, stromab der Häckseltrommel angeordneten Konditionierwalzen, die durch einen dritten Antriebsstrang mit dem Antriebsmotor verbunden sind.

The invention relates to a forage harvester with:

• a carrying chassis,
• a drive motor,
• a first driveline between the drive motor and a chopper drum having a variable gear ratio;
• a second drive train between the drive motor and pre-press rollers of an intake passage arranged upstream of the chopper drum and having a variable transmission ratio,
• a control device which is connected to a presetting device for specifying a desired cutting length and is arranged to vary the transmission ratios of the first and second drivetrain depending on the desired cutting length, and
• a conditioning with oppositely driven, arranged downstream of the cutter drum conditioning rollers, which are connected by a third drive train to the drive motor.

Technological background

Forage harvesters are used for harvesting whole plants or their parts, which are picked up by a field in operation by means of a header, compressed by pre-compression rollers and fed to a chopper drum whose chopping blades cut the plants in cooperation with a counter knife. Subsequently, the cut plants or parts are optionally fed to a conditioning device and conveyed by a post-accelerator into an ejection manifold, which loads it onto a transport vehicle. The harvested plants are usually used as cattle feed or for biogas production.

Currently forage harvesters are powered by an internal combustion engine that drives at least those components with the highest power requirements (chopper drum, conditioner and post accelerator) via a mechanical drive train. The pre-compression rollers and the header can be driven mechanically or hydrostatically to realize variable speeds to adapt to the desired cutting length (see, for example EP 2 132 973 A1 ). It has also been proposed, in order to achieve a desired cutting length or a low-consumption speed of the internal combustion engine, the chopper drum at least partially hydrostatic ( DE 196 32 977 A1 . EP 1 609 349 A1 ) or electromotive ( EP 1 174 019 A1 ) and also a variable speed drive of the postaccelerator has been proposed ( EP 1 752 037 A1 . DE 10 2007 022 077 A1 ), as well as a variable speed drive of components of a header ( EP 1 609 351 A1 ).

The conditioning device usually comprises two or more oppositely driven, cooperating rollers, which are biased by a spring force against each other and between which the shredded material is passed. The conditioner is used in the maize harvest to impact the grains contained in the shredded material and to improve the digestibility of the feed. The rollers of the conditioning device are usually provided with axially extending teeth or edges, so that one receives a non-circular, profiled cross-section of the rollers (see, for example DE 83 02 421 U1 ). In order to change the degree of efficiency on the crop in such substantially cylindrical conditioning rollers, the relative rotational speed of both conditioning rollers is usually varied, for which in the simplest case pulleys of the common drive train derived from the drive of a post-accelerator (see FIG. DE 10 2014 219 049 A1 ) of one or both conditioning rollers are replaced by pulleys of different diameter. For speed change during operation from the cab of the forage harvester out was proposed to drive one of the conditioning rollers with a hydraulic motor ( EP 1 156 712 A1 ) or to drive both conditioning rollers with a common belt drive and to superimpose on a conditioning roller the mechanical drive with a second variable speed drive which can be provided by a hydraulic motor to adjust its speed ( DE 10 2013 110 636 A1 ), or both conditioning rollers via a respective belt variator to drive variable speed ( DE 10 2016 211 570 A1 ). The degree of effect of the conditioning device is, in addition to a possible speed difference, also determined by the distance between the conditioning rollers and / or their pressure force and can be dependent on the crop moisture ( EP 1 166 619 A1 ), the cutting length ( EP 2 361 495 A1 ) or a portion of undamaged grains detected by a camera ( EP 2 232 978 A1 ) are adjusted.

After all, variable-speed drives have been described in the prior art for all co-operating with the crop components of the forage harvester. So far, the speed of pre-press rollers and chopper drum has been adapted to different specifications, which are the cut length ( DE 196 32 977 A1 . EP 1 609 349 A1 ) or the material throughput ( EP 2 218 320 A2 ) can act. As another, controlled parameter can also be adapted to the speed of the internal combustion engine to the throughput ( EP 1 609 349 A1 ).

The rotational speeds of at least one of the rollers of the conditioning device, however, coupled in the prior art directly to the speed of the chopper drum, as chopper and conditioning rollers are drivingly connected by a mechanical drive train and possibly the speed of one or both of the conditioning rollers is adjusted hydrostatically or by Riemenvariator to to vary the degree of processing of the crop. The speeds of the conditioning rollers thus depend only on the speed of the engine and possibly on a desired degree of processing of the crop.

The rotational speed of the post-accelerator is also coupled directly to the speed of the chopper drum in the prior art, as they are drivingly connected by a mechanical drive train, or it is varied depending on the Überladeabstand.

task

Thus, if a forage harvester with a variable speed chopper drum, the speed of the chopper drum depends on any parameter, e.g. the cutting length would be changed, the speed of the conditioning would remain constant in a trained according to the prior art forage harvester and would certainly not adapted to the changed speed of the cutterhead, which would have the disadvantage that the crop is not promoted optimally by the conditioning in all cases would. If, for example, the cutting length is reduced and the rotational speed of the chopper drum is increased, then, with constant, optimally adapted to the original cutting length speed of the conditioning rollers Gutstaus in the conditioner can result. Similarly, the conditioner can rotate unnecessarily fast as the cutting length increases, thereby reducing the speed of the chopper drum.

invention

The present invention is defined by the claims.

A forage harvester with a carrying chassis, a drive motor, a first drive train between the drive motor and a cutter drum having a variable gear ratio, a second drive train between the drive motor and Vorpresswalzen an upstream of the chopper drum arranged intake channel having a variable gear ratio, a control device , which is connected to a default device for setting a desired cutting length and is adapted to vary the transmission ratios of the first and second drive train depending on the desired cutting length, and a conditioner with oppositely driven, arranged downstream of the cutter drum conditioning rollers, by a third drive train with the Drive motor are connected, equipped. The third driveline has a gear ratio changeable by the controller, and the controller is operable to control the gear ratio of the third driveline in response to the speed of the chopper drum to increase the speed of both conditioning rollers, which may be the same or different than the degree of processing of the crop; adapt to it.

In other words, it is proposed to adapt the speed of the conditioning rollers to the speed of the chopper drum in a forage harvester having a variable speed of the chopper drum which can be varied to the cutting length, in order to avoid the problem mentioned at the outset.

The control device may be operable to increase the speed of the conditioning rollers with increasing speed of the chopper drum.

The control device may be operable to receive an input regarding a desired and / or sensed degree of efficiency of the conditioning device and based thereon to change an efficiency of the conditioning device by changing the speed difference of the conditioning rollers and / or a distance and / or a contact force of the conditioning rollers.

The controller may be connected to means for sensing current or expected throughput and operable to vary the propulsion speed of the forage harvester such that the propulsion engine operates at a consumption optimized or power optimized operating point. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the control device to select the variable ratios of the respective drive trains based on the current or expected throughput such that the drive motor operates at a consumption-optimized or power-optimized operating point, as in FIG EP 1 609 349 A1 will be described in detail. In this case, the driving speed can be fixed or predetermined by an operator. In the case that under certain conditions on the field, such as uneven surface, a certain Speed can not be exceeded, so that the drive motor is not fully utilized, it is possible to adjust the operating point of the drive motor accordingly, ie to reduce the speed. Then the ratios of the drive trains would be adjusted accordingly, so that the previous speeds are maintained.

The control device may be operable to select the transmission ratios of the first, second and third drive train such that the rotational speed of the components driven thereby is sufficiently large to avoid blockages.

The drive motor may be connected to a post-accelerator by a fourth drive train having a gear ratio changeable by the controller, and the controller may be operable to control the gear ratio of the fourth driveline in response to the transfer port and / or the position of a discharge chute.

The first, second and / or third drive train can be designed mechanically, hydrostatically or electrically.

list of figures

• 1 eine schematische seitliche Ansicht eines Feldhäckslers,
• 2 eine schematische Draufsicht auf das Antriebssystem des Feldhäckslers, und
• 3 ein Flussdiagramm, nach dem die Steuereinrichtung des Feldhäckslers arbeitet.

With reference to the figures, an embodiment of the invention will be explained. Show it:

• 1 a schematic side view of a forage harvester,
• 2 a schematic plan view of the drive system of the forage harvester, and
• 3 a flow chart, according to which the controller of the forage harvester works.

In the 1 is a self-propelled forage harvester 10 shown in a schematic side view. The forage harvester 10 Builds on a load-bearing chassis 12 on which of front driven wheels 14 and steerable rear wheels 16 will be carried. The operation of the forage harvester 10 takes place from a driver's cab 18 out, from one to a feeder housing 36 detachably mounted header 20 in the form of a header for the corn crop is visible. By means of the header 20 cut crop, z. As corn or the like, is at the front of the forage harvester 10 about one in the feeder housing 36 arranged intake conveyor 36 with pre-press rollers 30,32 a chopper drum 22 fed, which it interacts with a counter-blade 46 chopped into small pieces and a conditioner with co-operating conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' gives up, from which it becomes a post-accelerator 24 arrives. The conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' can be made as cylindrical, circumferentially toothed rollers or wave-shaped in the axial direction. The estate leaves the forage harvester 10 to a transporting vehicle traveling alongside by way of an ejection elbow which can be rotated about an approximately vertical axis and which is adjustable in inclination 26 , The knives of the chopper drum 22 can if necessary by a grinding device 42 be sanded. In the following, directions, such as the side, bottom and top, refer to the forward movement direction V of the forage harvester 10 in the 1 goes to the left.

The 2 shows a plan view of the drive system of the harvester 10 , In the rear area of the harvester 10 there is a drive motor 38 in particular in the form of a combustion (diesel) engine. The drive motor 38 extends in the forward direction of the harvester 10 and includes a crankshaft 40 extending forward out of the housing of the drive motor 38 extends out. The crankshaft 40 drives an electric generator 44 on, via a control device 52 with an electric motor 48 for driving the chopper drum 22 an electric motor 50 to drive the post-accelerator 24 an electric motor 54 for driving the lower conditioning roller 28 an electric motor 56 for driving the upper conditioning roller 28 ' an electric motor 58 to drive the wheels 14 . 16 an electric motor 60 for driving the drivable components of the header 20 and an electric motor 62 for driving the pre-press rollers 30 . 32 over a cutting length gear 64 electrically connected. The control device 52 is thus capable of the speeds of all electric motors 48 . 50 . 54 . 56 . 58 . 60 and 62 to control. The electric motors 48 . 50 . 54 . 56 could be within their respective driven components 22 . 24 . 28 . 28 ' to be ordered. Also, any pre-press roller could 30 . 32 a separate electric motor 62 assigned, in particular within the pre-press roller 30 . 32 may be arranged, or the lower pre-compression rollers 32 and the upper pre-press rollers 30 by a respective, associated electric motor 62 are driven. Also, every bike could 14 . 16 a separate electric motor 58 be assigned. The drive of the header 20 could by one or more, directly on the header 20 positioned electric motors 60 carried out, which could each be assigned to a cutting or conveyor. This also makes it possible to drive the receiving conveyor and the discharge conveyor of the header at different speeds, as in the EP 1 609 351 A1 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The electric drive of the crop promoting components 30 . 32 . 22 . 28 . 28 ' and 24 of the forage harvester 10 On the one hand has the advantage that the drive belt previously required for their drive accounts, so that a larger proportion of the available width of the forage harvester 10 for the components 30 . 32 . 22 . 28 . 28 ' and 24 is available, which makes the possible throughput can be greater, on the other hand, it also allows it, the rotational speeds of the components 30 . 32 . 22 . 28 . 28 ' and 24 individually by the control device 52 to adjust.

So form the generator 44 and the electric motor 48 a first drive train between the drive motor 38 and the chopper drum 22 by the control device 52 has variable transmission ratio. The generator 44 and the electric motor 62 form a second drive train between the drive motor 38 and the pre-press rollers 30 . 32 the upstream of the chopper drum 22 arranged intake conveyor 36 by the control device 52 has variable transmission ratio. The generator 44 and the electric motors 54 . 56 form a third drive train between the drive motor 38 and the conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' the conditioning, the one by the control device 52 has variable transmission ratio. The generator 44 and the electric motor 50 forms a fourth drive train between the drive motor 38 and the post-accelerator 24 by the control device 52 has variable transmission ratio. Also, the gear ratio of the traction drive (ie by the generator 44 and the engine 58 formed powertrain of the wheels 14 . 16 ) is through the control device 52 mutable.

It should be noted that in the 2 shown, electrical drive trains partially or entirely by hydrostatic or mechanical drive trains (the latter equipped for example with belt variators) can be replaced or supplemented.

The control device 52 is still with a motor control 66 connected and can the operating point of the drive motor 38 specify on a characteristic curve.

The 3 shows a flowchart according to which the control device 52 of the forage harvester 10 of the 1 and 2 can work. After the start in the step 100 is in the step 102 queried an input of the operator, by means of which he using an operator interface 98 can choose whether the drive motor 38 operate at maximum power or at a local optimum of power and fuel economy. In step 104 becomes the engine control 66 instructed accordingly. For this, let the disclosure of the EP 2 223 588 A2 referred to by reference in these documents.

The steps follow 106 and 108 in which an operator via the user interface 98 can enter a desired cutting length and a desired degree of efficiency of the conditioning. The operator inputs of the steps 106 and 108 could also be replaced or supplemented by sensory values; Thus, the cutting length in a conventional manner depending on the detected with a sensor moisture and / or compressibility of the crop depend and the degree of efficiency of the conditioning of crop characteristics, such as moisture and content of grains.

In step 110 now be the speeds of the cutterhead 22 and the pre-press rollers 30 . 32 established. The ratio of both speeds is determined by the cutting length, with the other sizes of the diameter of the pre-compression rollers 30 . 32 and enter the number of distributed over the circumference of the cutterhead chopper knife. There remains at least one degree of freedom left, which makes it possible, the speed of the cutterhead 22 sufficiently high to choose that it is at least so high that due to low speeds of the cutterhead 22 conditional blockages in the channel between the cutterhead 22 and the conditioning are not to be feared, but not significantly higher to save drive energy. Alternatively or additionally, the speed of the chopper drum 22 be optimized under the efficiency aspects of the first drive train. Is the speed of the chopper drum 22 fixed, is by the cutting length and the other, mentioned in this paragraph sizes, the speed of the pre-compression rollers 30 . 32 specified. From the latter, as mentioned above, the speed of the discharge conveyor of the header 20 depend.

It follows the step 112 in which the speeds of both conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' be determined. Here is the in step 108 given degree of influence considered, based on which a speed difference of both conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' can be determined. This speed difference can be detected by means of a suitable, the proportion of developed and / or unexplored grains in crop flow downstream of the conditioner detecting sensor 68 (see. EP 2 232 978 A1 ) are readjusted so that the desired degree of efficiency is achieved. Here, the cutting length can be taken into account, because the longer crop requires a larger speed difference of the conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' to achieve the desired digestion of the grains. The absolute Rotational speeds of the conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' can be analogous to the step 110 be at least so high that by too low speeds of the conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' conditional blockages in the channel between the conditioner and the post-accelerator 24 are not to be feared, but also not significantly higher to save drive energy. Again, alternatively or additionally, the speed of the conditioning rollers 28 . 28 ' be optimized under the efficiency aspects of the third drive train.

It follows the step 114 in which the forward speed of the forage harvester 10 by the control device 52 is set in such a way that the achieved throughput is so large that the drive motor 38 through the generator 44 decreased power in step 102 given performance corresponds. This can be used on per se known procedures, ie the power of the generator 44 serve as a feedback value and possibly also a camera or a laser scanner 70 to record the density of the crop before the forage harvester 10 be used.

It follows the step 116 in which the control device 52 the speed of the post-accelerator 24 sets. Here it is possible to resort to procedures known per se which determine the rotational speed of the postaccelerator 24 depending on the transfer distance to a moving transport container (s. EP 1 752 037 A1 ) or from the position of the discharge elbow 26 establish ( EP 2 223 588 A2 ) to ensure, when overcharging to the rear during field cutting or when cornering, that the energy imparted to the crop is also sufficient to reach the transport container.

In the following step 118 Finally, it is checked whether there is a change of specifications for engine performance, cutting length or the degree of efficiency of the conditioning, be it new operator inputs (step 102 . 106 and 108 ) or sensor values influencing these specifications. If this is not the case, the step follows again 114 and otherwise the step 102 respectively. 106 ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100

begin

102

Input engine mode

104

Instruction to engine control

106

Input cut length

108

Input efficiency degree conditioning device

110

Speed 22 + 30,32 festl.

112

rotation speed 28 . 28 ' festl.

114

Vortriebsgeschw. festl.

116

rotation speed 24 festl.

118

Änderg.? (j -> 102 or 106; n-> 114)

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 2132973 A1 [0003]
• DE 19632977 A1 [0003, 0005]
• EP 1609349 A1 [0003, 0005, 0014]
• EP 1174019 A1 [0003]
• EP 1752037 A1 [0003, 0030]
• DE 102007022077 A1 [0003]
• EP 1609351 A1 [0003, 0020]
• DE 8302421 U1 [0004]
• DE 102014219049 A1 [0004]
• EP 1156712 A1 [0004]
• DE 102013110636 A1 [0004]
• DE 102016211570 A1 [0004]
• EP 1166619 A1 [0004]
• EP 2361495 A1 [0004]
• EP 2232978 A1 [0004, 0028]
• EP 2218320 A2
• EP 2223588 A2 [0025, 0030]

Claims (7)

A forage harvester (10) comprising: a supporting chassis (12), a drive motor (38), a first driveline between the drive motor (38) and a chopper drum (22) having a variable gear ratio, a second driveline between the drive motor (38) and pre-press rollers (30, 32) of a feed conveyor (36) arranged upstream of the cutterhead (22) and having a variable transmission ratio, a control device (52) connected to a presetting device (98) for setting a desired cut length To vary transmission ratios of the first and second drive train depending on the desired cutting length, and a conditioner with oppositely driven, downstream of the cutterhead (22) conditioning rollers (28, 28 '), which are connected by a third drive train to the drive motor (38), characterized in that the third Antri ebsstrang by the control device (52) variable transmission ratio, and that the control device (52) is operable to control the transmission ratio of the third drive train depending on the rotational speed of the cutterhead (22). Forage harvester (10) after Claim 1 wherein the control means (52) is operable to increase the speed of the conditioning rollers (28, 28 ') with increasing speed of the chopper drum (22). Forage harvester (10) after Claim 1 or 2 wherein the control device (52) is operable to receive an input regarding a desired and / or sensed efficiency of the conditioning device and based thereon an efficiency of the conditioning device by changing the speed difference of the conditioning rollers (28, 28 ') and / or a distance and / or a contact pressure of the conditioning rollers (28.28 ') to change. Forage harvester (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the control means (52) is connected to means (70) for detecting the current or expected throughput and is operable to vary the propulsion speed of the forage harvester (10) and / or the gear ratios of the first to third driveline such that the drive motor (38) operates in a consumption-optimized or performance-optimized operating point. Forage harvester (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the control means (52) is operable to select the gear ratios of the first, second and third driveline so that the speed of the components driven thereby is sufficiently high to avoid blockages. Forage harvester (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the drive motor (38) is connected to a post-accelerator (24) by a fourth drive train having a gear ratio changeable by the control device (52) and the control device (52) is operable to control the gear ratio of the fourth driveline in response to the overcharge removal and / or the position of a discharge chute (26) to control. Forage harvester (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 6 , wherein the first, second and / or third drive train is designed mechanically, hydrostatically or electrically.

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