Method and apparatus for monitoring characteristics of a flow path having solid components flowing therethrough

• US 20060009269A1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Hoskinson, Reed L., Svoboda, John M., Elias, Gracy, Bauer, William F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 460/2
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1277 for measuring grain quality

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for monitoring a flow path having plurality of different solid components flowing therethrough. For example, in the harvesting of a plant material, many factors surrounding the threshing, separating or cleaning of the plant material and may lead to the inadvertent inclusion of the component being selectively harvested with residual plant materials being discharged or otherwise processed. In accordance with the present invention the detection of the selectively harvested component within residual materials may include the monitoring of a flow path of such residual materials by, for example, directing an excitation signal toward of flow path of material and then detecting a signal initiated by the presence of the selectively harvested component responsive to the excitation signal. The detected signal may be used to determine the presence or absence of a selected plant component within the flow path of residual materials.

Claims

1. A combine harvester comprising:

a feeding system located and configured to gather an amount of plant material as the combine harvester traverses a field;

a threshing system located and configured to receive the plant material from the feeding system and thresh at least one selected plant component from the plant material;

a cleaning system located and configured to substantially separate the at least one selected plant from residual plant material; and

a monitoring apparatus located and configured to detect the presence of the at least one selected plant component from residual material in a defined flow path, wherein the monitoring apparatus includes at least one excitation source configured and located to direct an excitation signal toward at least a portion of the defined flow path, and at least one sensor configured to detect a signal initiated by the presence of the at least one selected plant component responsive to the excitation signal.

2. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a fluorescent signal emitted from the at least one selected plant component responsive to the excitation signal.

3. The combine harvester of claim 2, wherein the at least one excitation source includes a light source configured to emit light at a specified wavelength.

4. The combine harvester of claim 2, wherein the at least one excitation source is configured to emit light at a wavelength of approximately 375 nanometers.

5. The combine harvester of claim 2, wherein the at least one excitation source includes a strobe light.

6. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a photodiode.

7. The combine harvester of claim 1, further comprising a source filter associated with the at least one excitation source located and configured to define a frequency of the at least one excitation signal.

8. The combine harvester of claim 7, further comprising a substantially transparent structure over which the defined flow path passes.

9. The combine harvester of claim 8, wherein the substantially transparent structure is formed of a material comprising quartz glass.

10. The combine harvester of claim 8, further comprising at least one lens configured to direct the at least one excitation source to a defined area on a surface of the substantially transparent structure.

11. The combine harvester of claim 10, further comprising a beam splitter located and configured to direct a first image to a first sensor of the at least one sensor and to direct a second image to a second sensor of the at least one sensor.

12. The combine harvester of claim 11, further comprising a first filter disposed between the beam splitter and the first sensor and a second filter disposed between the beam splitter and the second sensor.

13. The combine harvester of claim 12, wherein each of the first sensor and the second sensor comprise a charge-coupled device (CCD) array.

14. The combine harvester of claim 13, further comprising a first image processor configured to receive and analyze a signal from the first sensor and a second image processor configured to receive and analyze a signal from the second sensor.

15. The combine harvester of claim 1, further comprising a controller operably coupled with the monitoring apparatus and configured to receive a signal generated by the at least one sensor representative of the emitted signal detected thereby.

16. The combine harvester of claim 15, wherein the controller is further operably coupled with the feeding system and configured to alter an operation of the feeding system responsive to the signal generated by the at least one sensor.

17. The combine harvester of claim 15, wherein the controller is further operably coupled the threshing system and configured to alter an operation of the threshing system responsive to the signal generated by the at least one sensor.

18. The combine harvester of claim 7, wherein the controller is further operably coupled the cleaning system and configured to alter an operation of the cleaning system responsive to the signal generated by the at least one sensor.

19. The combine harvester of claim 1, further comprising a separating system configured to provide substantial separation of the at least one selected plant component which may be remaining in the residual material subsequent the threshing of the plant material.

20. The combine harvester of claim 19, wherein the controller is further operably coupled the separating system and is configured to alter an operation of the separating system at least partially responsive to the signal generated by the at least one sensor.

21. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the defined flow path includes a flow path between the cleaning system and a discharge area of the combine harvester.

22. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected plant component includes grain.

23. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected plant component includes internodal stems.

24. The combined harvester of claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus is further configured to determine a specified characteristic of the at least one selected plant component.

25. The combine harvester of claim 24, wherein the monitoring apparatus is configured to determine the moisture content of the at least one selected plant component.

26. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected plant component comprises a plurality of selected plant components.

27. The combine harvester of claim 26, wherein the plurality of selected plant components comprises grain and at least one other selected plant component.

28. The combine harvester of claim 27, wherein the at least one other selected plant component includes internodal stems.

29. An apparatus for monitoring a flow path having at a plurality of solid components flowing therethrough, the apparatus comprising:

at least one excitation source located and configured to emit an excitation signal to at least a portion of the flow path; and

at least one sensor configured to detect a signal initiated by the presence of at least one select component of the plurality of solid components responsive to the excitation signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect a fluorescent signal emitted by the at least one select component.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one excitation source is configured to emit light at a specified wavelength.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one excitation source is configured to emit light at a wavelength of approximately 375 nanometers.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a filter associated with the at least one excitation source located and configured to define a frequency of the at least one excitation signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a substantially transparent structure over which the defined flow path passes.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the substantially transparent structure is formed of a material comprising quartz glass.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising at least one lens configured to direct the at least one excitation source to a defined area on a surface of the substantially transparent structure.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a beam splitter located and configured to direct a first image to a first sensor of the at least one sensor and to direct a second image to a second sensor of the at least one sensor.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a filter disposed between the beam splitter and the first sensor and a second filter disposed between the beam splitter and the second sensor.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein each of the first sensor and the second sensor comprise a charge-coupled device (CCD) array.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a first image processor configured to receive and analyze a signal from the first sensor and a second image processor configured to receive and analyze a signal from the second sensor.

41. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising an output device operably coupled to the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to generate a signal representative of the detected signal emitted from the select component and transmit the representative signal to the output device.

42. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least one select component includes a component of plant material.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the select component of plant material includes grain.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the component of plant material includes internodal stems.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to determine a specified characteristic of the component of plant material.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the monitoring apparatus is configured to determine the moisture content of the component of plant material.

47. A method of harvesting a plant material, the method comprising:

gathering the plant material;

threshing at least one selected component from the plant material;

substantially separating the at least one selected component from residual plant material;

providing at least one flow path for transporting at least one of the at least one selected component and the residual plant material;

emitting an excitation signal toward at least a portion of the at least one flow path; and

detecting a signal initiated by the presence of the at least one selected component responsive to the excitation signal.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein emitting an excitation signal further includes emitting light at a substantially specified wavelength.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein emitting light at a substantially specified wavelength includes emitting light at a wavelength of approximately 375 nanometers.

50. The method according to claim 47, wherein the providing at least one flow path for transporting at least one of the at least one selected component and the residual plant material includes providing a substantially transparent structure and defining the at least one flow path to traverse the substantially transparent structure.

51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising passing an excited image of the flow path through a beam splitter to produce a first image and a second image, passing the image through a first filter to a first sensor to detect the signal initiated by the presence of the at least one selected component responsive to the excitation signal.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising passing the second image through a second filter to a second sensor to detect a signal initiated by the presence of at least another component of the residual material responsive to the excitation signal.

53. The method according to claim 47, further comprising altering a parameter associated with gathering the plant material responsive to detecting an emitted signal from the at least one selected component.

54. The method according to claim 47, further comprising altering a parameter associated with threshing a selected component from the plant material responsive to detecting a response signal from the at least one selected component.

55. The method according to claim 47, further comprising altering a parameter associated with substantially separating the at least one selected component from residual plant material responsive to detecting a response signal from the selected component.

56. The method according to claim 47, wherein detecting a response signal initiated by the presence of the at least one selected component includes detecting a fluorescence emission of grain.

57. The method according to claim 47, wherein detecting a response signal initiated by the presence of the at least one selected component includes detecting a fluorescence emission of internodal stems.

58. The method according to claim 47, further comprising determining a specified characteristic of the at least one selected component from the signal initiated by the presence thereof.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein determining a specified characteristic of the at least one selected component includes determining the moisture content of the at least one selected plant component.