US-20260123582-A1 - NON-CONTACT CROP MOISTURE SENSOR FOR A SUGARCANE HARVESTER

US20260123582A1US 20260123582 A1US20260123582 A1US 20260123582A1US-20260123582-A1

Abstract

A sugarcane harvester includes a cutter assembly for cutting stalks of the sugarcane as the harvester moves through a field. A chopper assembly is provided for chopping the cut sugarcane stalks into billets and crop residue. A primary extractor is provided for cleaning the billets and extracting the crop residue. A loading elevator transports the cleaned billets to a discharge location. At least one moisture sensor is configured to sense a moisture content of the billets as the billets move through the sugarcane harvester, the at least one moisture sensor being configured to generate a moisture content signal representative of the moisture content. A controller is functionally linked with the sensor for receiving the moisture content signal, the controller being configured to generate an output signal based at least in part on the moisture content signal.

Inventors

MICHAEL L. HALBROOK
Kerry J. Morvant

Assignees

DEERE & COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241104

Claims (19)

1 . A sugarcane harvester, comprising: a cutter assembly for cutting stalks of the sugarcane as the harvester moves through a field; a chopper assembly for chopping the cut sugarcane stalks into billets and crop residue; a primary extractor for cleaning the billets and extracting the crop residue; a loading elevator for transporting the cleaned billets to a discharge location; at least one moisture sensor configured to sense a moisture content of the billets as the billets move through the sugarcane harvester, the at least one moisture sensor being configured to generate a moisture content signal representative of the moisture content; and a controller functionally linked with the sensor for receiving the moisture content signal, the controller being configured to generate an output signal based at least in part on the moisture content signal.
2 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the at least one moisture sensor includes a moisture sensor located below the primary extractor.
3 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the at least one moisture sensor includes a moisture sensor located along the loading elevator.
4 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , further comprising: a secondary extractor for further cleaning the billets before the billets are discharged from the loading elevator; and wherein the at least one moisture sensor includes a moisture sensor located below the secondary extractor.
5 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the at least one moisture sensor includes at least one radio antenna unit configured to receive reflected energy from the billets as the billets move through the sugarcane harvester.
6 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 5 , wherein: the at least one radio antenna unit is configured to emit energy and to receive the reflected energy.
7 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 5 , wherein: the at least one radio antenna unit includes a first radio antenna unit configured to emit energy and a second radio antenna unit configured to receive the reflected energy.
8 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more parameter sensors configured to generate parameter output signals representing parameters including a temperature, one or more movement characteristics of the billets, and a distance between the at least one moisture sensor and the billets; and wherein the controller is functionally linked to the one or more parameter sensors and is configured to estimate at least one moisture condition for the billets based at least in part on the parameter output signals and the moisture content signal.
9 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 8 , wherein: the controller is configured to estimate the at least one moisture condition based on modelled correlations between the at least one moisture condition and inputs including the sensed parameters and the moisture content signal.
10 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the output signal is configured to actuate at least one actuator to adjust at least one operating parameter of the sugarcane harvester based at least in part on the moisture content signal.
11 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 10 , wherein: the at least one actuator includes a fan speed control of the primary extractor.
12 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the output signal includes a calibration factor representative of a change in moisture content relative to a base calibration value.
13 . The sugarcane harvester of claim 1 , wherein: the at least one moisture sensor includes a moisture sensor located upstream of the chopper assembly.
14 . A method of operating a sugarcane harvester, comprising: cutting stalks of the sugarcane as the harvester moves through a field; chopping the cut sugarcane stalks into billets and crop residue with a chopper assembly of the sugarcane harvester; cleaning the billets and extracting the crop residue with a primary extractor of the sugarcane harvester, the primary extractor including a fan; transporting the cleaned billets to a discharge location with a loading elevator of the sugarcane harvester; sensing a moisture content of the billets with at least one moisture sensor as the billets move through the sugarcane harvester, the at least one moisture sensor generating a moisture content signal representative of the moisture content; and receiving the moisture content signal with a controller and generating an output signal with the controller based at least in part on the moisture content signal.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: performing a base calibration to determine a base calibration value of the moisture content signal corresponding to a base condition; and wherein the output signal includes a calibration factor representative of a change in moisture content relative to the base calibration value.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: discharging the cleaned billets to a transport container; and estimating a weight of a load of sugarcane billet in the container based at least in part on the calibration factor.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: actuating at least one actuator and thereby adjusting at least one operating parameter of the sugarcane harvester based at least in part on the moisture content signal.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein: the at least one actuator includes a fan speed control of the primary extractor and the fan speed of the primary extractor is adjusted based at least in part on the moisture content signal.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein: the output signal from the controller includes a crop health indicator corresponding to one or more crop health parameters indicative of the health of the sugarcane in the field.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Disclosure The present disclosure generally relates to a harvesting machine, and more particularly to a system and method for harvesting sugarcane with a sugarcane harvesting machine. 2. Description of the Prior Art Agricultural equipment, such as a tractor or a self-propelled harvester, includes mechanical systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems, and electro-hydraulic systems, configured to prepare fields for planting or to harvest crops. Harvesters of various configurations, including sugarcane harvesters, have harvesting systems of various types. Harvesting systems for a sugarcane harvester, for example, include assemblies or devices for cutting, chopping, sorting, transporting, etc., and otherwise gathering and processing sugarcane plants. Typical harvesting assemblies, in different implementations, include a base cutter assembly (or "base cutter"), feed rollers, cutting drums, stalk collectors, and extractor fans etc. To actively harvest crops, the sugarcane harvester gathers and processes material from rows of sugarcane plants. In the case of one type of sugarcane harvester, the gathered sugarcane stalks are cut into billets that move through a loading elevator to an elevator discharge, where the cut sugarcane billets are discharged to a collector, such as the sugarcane wagon. Leaves, trash, and other debris are separated from the billets and ejected onto the field. In various harvesters, harvesting assemblies are hydraulically powered by an engine-driven pump or electrically powered by a generator or other electrical power supply. The harvesting assemblies include rotating drums that move the cut stalks toward a chopper. The rotating drums are driven by a hydraulic motor or an electric motor that rotationally drives the roller to continuously move the billets to a fan for processing, and once processed, to the wagon or other transport container. The motors include splines that engage the roller to drive the roller about a rotational axis. The sugarcane, once cut, forms what is known as a “mat” of sugarcane. The sugarcane harvester feeds the mat to a chopping section where it is chopped, including the stalk which is cut into segments. The sugarcane harvester advances the billets along with crop residue (e.g., leafy material, such as leaves, roots, and field debris etc.) to a primary extractor that separates at least a portion of the crop residue from the billets. The primary extractor includes a fan assembly having a motor and blades to clean the sugarcane, that is, to remove the crop residue from the sugarcane billets. The removed crop residue is discharged to the ground or to a collection wagon. The primary extractor fan assembly is noted for consuming large amounts of power generated by the sugarcane harvester. For instance, currently known primary extractor fans include various inefficiencies that reduce the fans ability to efficiently use supplied power. Such inefficiencies can prevent the fan from operating efficiently under all field operating conditions. Cleaning of the sugarcane mat is highly load dependent, and is heavily affected by field conditions, such as crop density, crop moisture, and harvesting speeds, etc. These and other field conditions can affect throughput of billets through the cleaning chamber where the primary extractor fan assembly is located. Consequently, the amount of billets, as determined by the number of tons per hour, can change dramatically from field to field as well as within a field itself. Depending on the load being experienced by the primary extractor fan, the efficiency of the fan, which is dependent on fan speed and/or air flow, changes during cleaning of the incoming mat and therefore, so does the power consumption of the fan. Depending on the efficiency of the primary extractor fan assembly, some billets are discharged at the output of the primary extractor instead of being moved to an elevator for discharge into a wagon or other container to be hauled away. In different implementations, the sugarcane harvester includes a secondary extractor that separates crop residue from the billets and discharges the separated crop residue from the sugarcane harvester. The secondary extractor includes a fan assembly having a motor and blades to discharge the crop residue from the harvester to the ground or to a collection wagon. The discharged billets are typically lost and are known as "field losses." These losses add up over the harvesting season and the amount of losses, if weighed, can be in the tons. Such losses are basically money that is left in the field. A further issue encountered by the operator of the sugarcane harvester involves the various factors affected by the moisture content of the harvested sugarcane. There is a continuing need for more efficient systems and methods of operating such sugarcane harvesting machinery. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure discloses improved systems for monit