EP0147452A1 - Measuring the flow of grain in a combine harvester - Google Patents
Measuring the flow of grain in a combine harvesterInfo
- Publication number
- EP0147452A1 EP0147452A1 EP84902509A EP84902509A EP0147452A1 EP 0147452 A1 EP0147452 A1 EP 0147452A1 EP 84902509 A EP84902509 A EP 84902509A EP 84902509 A EP84902509 A EP 84902509A EP 0147452 A1 EP0147452 A1 EP 0147452A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- grain
- flow
- rays
- combine harvester
- passage
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D41/00—Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
- A01D41/12—Details of combines
- A01D41/127—Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
- A01D41/1271—Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines for measuring crop flow
- A01D41/1272—Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines for measuring crop flow for measuring grain flow
Definitions
- the object of the invention is to improve the accuracy in the measurement of the grain flow in a combine har- 25.
- vester and as stated in claim 1 the invention relies on substituting beta rays, gamma rays or X-rays to per ⁇ form this measurement for sound waves or light beams, because it has been found that the attenuation or the change of such rays virtually does not depend upon other variable factors than the density of the grain flow.
- a particularly expedient radiation source in practice is a piece of americium 241.
- the numeral 10 designates a shaft in which a grain elevator 11 consisting of a chain conveyor with buckets is mounted. At the upper end of the elevator the grain is thrown out through a passage 12 to an intermediate chamber 13, from which it drops down into a grain tank (not shown).
- the shaft 10 and the chamber 13 are defined by steel plates forming i.a. a horizontal top wall 14 and a side wall 15, which extends obliquely downwards from the top edge 16 of one shaft wall 17.
- a gamma radiation source 18 in the form of a piece of americium 241 with an intensi ⁇ ty of about 1 mCi, and adjacent to this radiation source a section of the plate wall 15 is replaced by an aluminium plate 19 which attenuates the . gamma rays less than the steel plate.
- a gamma ray detector 20 Opposite the radiation source 19 and directly above the top wall 14 there is placed a gamma ray detector 20, which preferably consists of a sodium iodide scintillator with an associated photo multiplier.
- An aluminium window 21 is inserted in the top wall 14 adjacent to this detector.
- the detector 20 is connected to a computing unit 23 , which has i . a . an indicator 24 , by a l ine 22.
- the velocity at which the grain flows through the pas ⁇ sage 12 is proportional to the operating velocity of the grain elevator 11, and is thus a constant k multi ⁇ plied by the rotational velocity of one of the rollers over which the elevator belt runs.
- the attenuation of the gamma rays from the source 18, measured by the detector 20 and produced by the grain flow, is a func ⁇ tion of the density $ of the grain flow between the source and the detector, and on the basis of these quan ⁇ tities and the cross sectional area A of the passage 12 the mass flow will be
- the computing unit may also be designed for automatic zero point adjust ⁇ ment and to display various relevant quantities, such as e.g. capacity in barrels/hour, total amount of crop, yield in proportion to seed sown, etc.
- the detector may be shielded against di ⁇ rect irradiation so that it just receives rays refracted by the grain flow, the scattering of the rays thus pro ⁇ vided, like the transmission attenuation being an unam ⁇ biguous measure of the density.
- Other types of radiation sources than americium 241, e.g. X-ray tubes, and other forms of detectors than scintillation oscilloscopes, e.g. Geiger tubes, ionization chambers and semi-conductors, may be used.
- both the radiation source and the detector may be placed in another manner in a combine harvester than shown in the drawing and described in the foregoing, just as several radiation sources and/or detectors may be used for the determination of density.
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Analysing Materials By The Use Of Radiation (AREA)
Abstract
Pour effectuer une mesure continue du débit-masse de grains défourrés dans une moissonneuse-batteuse à l'aide d'un émetteur de signaux (18) et d'un détecteur de signaux (20) placés sur leurs côtés respectifs d'un passage (12) d'écoulement de grains, on utilise une source de radiation à rayons bêta, gamma ou X, en tant qu'émetteurs de signaux. Etant donné que l'effet d'atténuation du débit des grains sur ces rayons ne dépend pratiquement pas de facteurs variables autres que la densité de l'écoulement des grains, le signal de sortie du détecteur est une expression précise de cette densité. Connaissant la vitesse de l'écoulement des grains et la section transversale du passage, le débit-masse peut ainsi être calculé avec une précision tout aussi grande.To carry out a continuous measurement of the mass flow rate of crushed grains in a combine harvester using a signal transmitter (18) and a signal detector (20) placed on their respective sides of a passage ( 12) of grain flow, a beta, gamma or X-ray radiation source is used as signal emitters. Since the attenuation effect of the grain flow on these rays is practically not dependent on variable factors other than the density of the grain flow, the detector output signal is an accurate expression of this density. Knowing the speed of the grain flow and the cross section of the passage, the mass flow can thus be calculated with just as great accuracy.
Description
" Measuring the flow o f grain in a combine harvester . "
To measure mass flow of threshed grain in a combine harvester it is known to use light or sound beams trans¬ mitted from a light source or sound generator through the grain flow in a passage in the combine harvester and thus attenuated by the grains to a degree which is dependent upon the mass flow and is thus a measure of this flow. Where the grain flow passes at a velocity V through a passage of the cross sectional area A and the density of the grain in the passage is assumed to
10 be , the mass flow will be
F = S
However, it has been found that attenuation of light or sound beams in practice is not a reasonably accurate expression of the mass flow because the attenuation 15 also depends upon other factors, such as the structure, humidity, etc. of the material. The inaccuracy in the measurement of the density reoccurs in the determina¬ tion of the mass flow F.
It is known from other fields of the art to use other 20 types of radiation, e.g. beta rays, gamma rays or X-rays, to measure mass flow, e.g. of a granular material moving on a conveyor belt or dropping down through a shaft.
The object of the invention is to improve the accuracy in the measurement of the grain flow in a combine har- 25. vester, and as stated in claim 1 the invention relies on substituting beta rays, gamma rays or X-rays to per¬ form this measurement for sound waves or light beams,
because it has been found that the attenuation or the change of such rays virtually does not depend upon other variable factors than the density of the grain flow.
A particularly expedient radiation source in practice is a piece of americium 241.
An apparatus for realizing the use according to the invention is shown in the schematic drawing as mounted adjacent to a measuring passage connected to the top portion of a grain elevator and will be described more fully below with reference to the drawing.
In the drawing,the numeral 10 designates a shaft in which a grain elevator 11 consisting of a chain conveyor with buckets is mounted. At the upper end of the elevator the grain is thrown out through a passage 12 to an intermediate chamber 13, from which it drops down into a grain tank (not shown). The shaft 10 and the chamber 13 are defined by steel plates forming i.a. a horizontal top wall 14 and a side wall 15, which extends obliquely downwards from the top edge 16 of one shaft wall 17. In the angle between the two walls 15 and 17 and close to the vertex there is mounted a gamma radiation source 18 in the form of a piece of americium 241 with an intensi¬ ty of about 1 mCi, and adjacent to this radiation source a section of the plate wall 15 is replaced by an aluminium plate 19 which attenuates the. gamma rays less than the steel plate. Opposite the radiation source 19 and directly above the top wall 14 there is placed a gamma ray detector 20, which preferably consists of a sodium iodide scintillator with an associated photo multiplier. An aluminium window 21 is inserted in the top wall 14 adjacent to this detector. The detector 20
is connected to a computing unit 23 , which has i . a . an indicator 24 , by a l ine 22.
The velocity at which the grain flows through the pas¬ sage 12 is proportional to the operating velocity of the grain elevator 11, and is thus a constant k multi¬ plied by the rotational velocity of one of the rollers over which the elevator belt runs. The attenuation of the gamma rays from the source 18, measured by the detector 20 and produced by the grain flow, is a func¬ tion of the density $ of the grain flow between the source and the detector, and on the basis of these quan¬ tities and the cross sectional area A of the passage 12 the mass flow will be
F = k A • S (kg/sec. ) ,
and this quantity is continuously indicated by the in¬ dicator 24 of the computing unit. The computing unit may also be designed for automatic zero point adjust¬ ment and to display various relevant quantities, such as e.g. capacity in barrels/hour, total amount of crop, yield in proportion to seed sown, etc.
Instead of the rays from the radiation source impinging on the detector directly after having been attenuated by the grain flow, the detector may be shielded against di¬ rect irradiation so that it just receives rays refracted by the grain flow, the scattering of the rays thus pro¬ vided, like the transmission attenuation being an unam¬ biguous measure of the density. Other types of radiation sources than americium 241, e.g. X-ray tubes, and other forms of detectors than scintillation oscilloscopes, e.g. Geiger tubes, ionization chambers and semi-conductors, may be used. Moreover, both the radiation source and the
detector may be placed in another manner in a combine harvester than shown in the drawing and described in the foregoing, just as several radiation sources and/or detectors may be used for the determination of density.
Claims
1. Use of measurement of attenuation or another change of beta rays, gamma rays or X-rays transmitted through or refracted by a flow of material for continuous mea¬ suring of the mass flow of threshed grain which passes through a passage in a combine harvester.
2. Use according to claim 1 of a piece of americium 241 as a radiation source.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DK286083A DK286083A (en) | 1983-06-21 | 1983-06-21 | DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF MASS FLOW IN A MAJOR THERAPY |
| DK2860/83 | 1983-06-21 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP0147452A1 true EP0147452A1 (en) | 1985-07-10 |
Family
ID=8116517
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP84902509A Withdrawn EP0147452A1 (en) | 1983-06-21 | 1984-06-20 | Measuring the flow of grain in a combine harvester |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0147452A1 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK286083A (en) |
| FI (1) | FI850697A0 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1985000087A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (16)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2178934A (en) * | 1985-03-22 | 1987-02-25 | Massey Ferguson Mfg | Agricultural husbandry |
| EP0208025B1 (en) * | 1985-07-12 | 1991-08-21 | Ford New Holland N.V. | Flow metering device |
| US4859612A (en) * | 1987-10-07 | 1989-08-22 | Hygeia Sciences, Inc. | Metal sol capture immunoassay procedure, kit for use therewith and captured metal containing composite |
| EP0501099B1 (en) * | 1991-02-25 | 1994-10-26 | Claas Ohg | Mass flow measuring device with a measuring capacitor |
| EP0655887B1 (en) * | 1992-08-22 | 1996-05-22 | CLAAS KGaA | Mass flow rate measurement device |
| DK6996A (en) * | 1995-06-02 | 1996-12-03 | Dronningborg Ind As | Method and apparatus for determining the mass flow of a grain stream |
| DE19648126B4 (en) * | 1996-11-21 | 2009-01-22 | Claas Kgaa Mbh | Self-propelled forage harvester |
| US6483583B1 (en) | 1997-02-27 | 2002-11-19 | Textron Systems Corporation | Near infrared spectrometry for real time analysis of substances |
| US5837906A (en) * | 1997-06-09 | 1998-11-17 | Ludwig Kipp | Apparatus and method for measuring the real-time volumetric flow rate of grain in a field harvester using acoustical transducers |
| CA2334400C (en) * | 1998-03-16 | 2006-12-05 | Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. | Near infrared spectrometer used in combination with a combine for real time grain analysis |
| DE102004052446A1 (en) | 2004-10-30 | 2007-01-18 | Deere & Company, Moline | Harvesting machine with a measuring device for recording the throughput recorded and / or processed crop |
| US7430845B2 (en) | 2005-12-14 | 2008-10-07 | Deere & Company | Harvesting machine with a measuring device for capturing the throughput of collected crop material |
| DE102010028343A1 (en) | 2010-04-29 | 2011-12-08 | Deere & Company | Harvesting machine with a device for detecting an invaded foreign body |
| EP3355680B1 (en) | 2015-02-24 | 2019-04-03 | MSO Messtechnik und Ortung GmbH | Method for measuring the crop mass flow on a forage harvester |
| US10660268B2 (en) | 2017-12-16 | 2020-05-26 | Deere & Company | Harvester with electromagnetic plane crop material flow sensor |
| CN118840701A (en) * | 2024-06-19 | 2024-10-25 | 湖南农业大学 | Image-based conveying trough feeding amount detection method and detection system |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE844833C (en) * | 1951-02-16 | 1952-07-24 | Berthold Rudolf Dr | Quantity measurement of bulk goods |
| US2953681A (en) * | 1954-09-21 | 1960-09-20 | Standard Oil Co | System for measuring mass flow rate by radiation |
| US3345626A (en) * | 1964-12-24 | 1967-10-03 | Junior W Thomas | Combine photoelectric warning system |
| GB1161973A (en) * | 1968-04-09 | 1969-08-20 | Smidth & Co As F L | Measurement of Rate of Material Flow |
| DE2106970C3 (en) * | 1971-02-13 | 1982-01-21 | Maschinenfabrik Fahr Ag Gottmadingen, 7702 Gottmadingen | Harvesting and / or processing machine for agricultural goods, in particular for combine harvesters |
| DK126523B (en) * | 1971-10-07 | 1973-07-23 | Isotopcentralen | Material flow meter. |
| SU472613A1 (en) * | 1973-06-12 | 1982-06-15 | Проектно-Конструкторский Институт Автоматизации Производственных Процессов В Промышленности "Автоматпром" | Device for radioisotope measuring of mass of flowing granular materials |
| DE2445046A1 (en) * | 1974-09-20 | 1976-04-01 | Fahr Ag Maschf | DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUS DETERMINATION OF THE HARVESTING PERFORMANCE OF A COMBINE |
-
1983
- 1983-06-21 DK DK286083A patent/DK286083A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
-
1984
- 1984-06-20 EP EP84902509A patent/EP0147452A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1984-06-20 WO PCT/DK1984/000058 patent/WO1985000087A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1984-06-20 FI FI850697A patent/FI850697A0/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| See references of WO8500087A1 * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DK286083A (en) | 1984-12-22 |
| FI850697A7 (en) | 1985-02-20 |
| FI850697L (en) | 1985-02-20 |
| FI850697A0 (en) | 1985-02-20 |
| DK286083D0 (en) | 1983-06-21 |
| WO1985000087A1 (en) | 1985-01-17 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
| 17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19850221 |
|
| AK | Designated contracting states |
Designated state(s): DE FR GB |
|
| 17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 19860821 |
|
| D17Q | First examination report despatched (deleted) | ||
| STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
| 18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 19881231 |
|
| RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: OVERGAARD, JENS |