METHOD FOR METERING GRANULAR MATERIAL AND APPARATUS FOR METERING GRANULAR MATERIAL

• US 20160205866A1
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horsch Maschinen GmbH (Horsch Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Horsch Maschinen GmbH (Horsch Holding AG)
• Inventors: Funck, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 9,999,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/04 Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/102 Regulating or controlling the seed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/16 Gas pressure systems operating with fluidisation of the materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/58 Devices for accelerating or decelerating flow of the materials; Use of pressure generators controlling pressure of propelling gas B65G53/66
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/66 Use of indicator or control devices, e.g. for controlling gas pressure, for controlling proportions of material and gas, for indicating or preventing jamming of material controlling the flow of coal firing systems C21B5/003

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for metering granular material, such as seeds, fertilizer, or the like. By way of the method, the granular material being carried and conveyed by an airflow is directed through a feed tube into a metering unit, and guided therein along an approximately circular arc path and tangentially directed into an outlet tube, which is adjacent to the metering unit. The airflow being guided through the outlet tube and carrying and conveying the granular material, which is being conveyed in approximately equal spacing, is conveyed and/or accelerated within the metering unit by means of at least one conveyor disk or fan disk, which is electromotively driven at a regulatable rotational speed and which rotates approximately concentrically within the metering unit. The drive speed is increased or reduced based on a detected torque of the electromotive drive of the at least one rotating conveyor disk or fan disk.

Claims

1. A method for metering granular material, such as seeds, fertilizer, or the like, in particular within a distribution unit or sowing unit of a distribution machine or sowing machine, in which the granular material being carried and conveyed by an airflow is directed through a feed line into a metering unit, and guided therein along an approximately circular arc path and tangentially directed into an outlet tube, which is adjacent to the metering unit, wherein the airflow being guided through the outlet tube and carrying and conveying the granular material, which is being conveyed in approximately equal spacing, is moved and/or circulated within the metering unit by means of at least one conveyor disk or fan disk, which is electromotively driven at a regulatable rotational speed and which rotates approximately concentrically within the metering unit, and wherein the drive speed is increased or reduced on the basis of a detected torque of the electromotive drive for the at least one rotating conveyor disk or fan disk.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the torque of the drive motor is derived from its electrical current consumption.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the drive speed is increased or reduced, based on a detected torque of the electromotive drive of the at least one rotating conveyor disk or fan disk, until the detected torque is within a definable target range.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the drive speed is increased in the instance of a torque that is increased above the target range.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the drive speed is reduced in the instance of a torque that is reduced below the target range.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, in which the rotational speed is approximately continuously increased or reduced.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, in which the rotational speed is increased or reduced at pre-definable intervals.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the sensor values of a grain flow sensor arranged in the outlet tube are additionally analyzed and used for the regulation of the drive speed.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the approximately evenly metered and/or equally spaced and conveyed granular material is carried largely or completely by the airflow being discharged and exiting the metering unit through the outlet tube.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the granular material is guided within the metering unit with mechanical support and/or under at least partial separation from the carrying airflow along an inner cover surface or inner wall, wherein approximately equal spacing from one another is imposed on the individual grains approaching the outlet tube.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the airflow carrying the granular material is guided uninterruptedly from the feed tube, through the metering unit, and to the outlet tube.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the airflow being guided through the outlet tube and carrying and conveying the granular material, which is being conveyed in approximately equal spacing, is accelerated within the metering unit.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, in which the airflow, which is accelerated in the metering unit, enters into and exits from the outlet tube at a speed that is greater than a feed speed at which the airflow enters into the feed tube.

14. A regulatable arrangement for metering granular material, such as seeds, fertilizer, or the like, in particular within a distribution unit or sowing unit of a distribution machine or sowing machine, in which the granular material being carried and conveyed by an airflow is directed through a feed line into a metering unit, and guided therein along an approximately circular arc path and tangentially directed into an outlet tube, which is adjacent to the metering unit, with at least one conveyor disk or fan disk, which is electromotively driven at a regulatable rotational speed and which rotates approximately concentrically within the metering unit, for the movement and/or circulation within the metering unit of the airflow being guided through the outlet tube Oil) and carrying and conveying the granular material, which is being conveyed in approximately equal spacing, and with devices for detecting a torque of the electromotive drive for the at least one rotating conveyor disk or fan disk and for varying the drive speed if a detected torque is outside of a definable target range.

15. The arrangement as recited in claim 14 with devices for the detection and evaluation of sensor values of at least one grain flow sensor arranged in the outlet tube for regulating the drive speed.

16. A sowing apparatus or spreading apparatus for granular material or seeds, respectively, with a plurality or multitude of rows or seed rows located next to each other, each with a sowing unit and/or seed drill coulter or a similar apparatus for placing the grains or the seeds into the soil at a definable placement depth, which sowing units and/or seed drill coulters are supplied with grains or seeds from at least one grain storage hopper via respectively separate feed tubes, wherein each of these sowing units and/or seed drill coulters is equipped with respectively one metering apparatus for granular material as recited in claim 14, which metering units are respectively connected, in terms of signal technology, with a central control unit and/or regulating unit which processes the motor torques measured in the metering units and which regulates the grain distances for each sowing unit by varying the drive speeds of the drives under consideration of target values for the grain spacing and/or of a longitudinal distribution of the grains from single, multiple, or all sowing units.

17. The sowing apparatus or spreading apparatus as recited in claim 16, in which grain flow rate sensors are arranged in the outlet tubes, which grain flow rate sensors are connected, in terms of signal technology, with the control unit and/or regulating unit, which additionally takes into account the sensor values of the grain flow rate sensors with regard to regulating the grain spacing or the longitudinal distribution of the grains, respectively.

18. A metering apparatus for granular material within a distribution unit or sowing unit of a distribution machine or sowing machine in which granular material being carried and conveyed by an airflow is directed through a feed line into a metering unit and guided therein along an arcuate path and into an outlet tube adjacent to the metering unit, with at least one rotating element, which is electromotively driven at a regulatable rotational speed and which rotates approximately concentrically within the metering unit for the circulation of air and granular material within the metering unit and out through the outlet tube with the granular material being conveyed in the outlet tube in approximately equal spacing, wherein the metering system further includes at least one torque sensor for detecting a torque of the electromotive drive for the at least one rotating element in communication with a controller for varying the drive speed of the electromotive drive if a torque detected by the torque sensor is outside of a definable target range.

19. The metering apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising at least one grain flow sensor arranged in the outlet tube and in communication with the controller for adjusting the speed of the electromotive drive in response to the value of the flow of granular material detected by the grain flow sensor.

20. The metering apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising at least one sensor for detecting the drive speed of the distribution machine or sowing machine and in communication with the controller for adjusting the speed of the electromotive drive in response to the value of the drive speed detected.

21. A method for metering granular material within a distribution unit or sowing unit of a distribution machine or sowing machine in which the granular material being carried and conveyed by a stream of air is directed through a feed line into a metering unit and guided therein along an approximately circular arc path and into an outlet tube adjacent to the metering unit, wherein the method comprises electromotively driving a drive motor connected to at least one conveyor disk or fan disk which rotates approximately concentrically within the metering unit for moving and/or circulating the stream of air within the metering unit, and adjusting the drive speed of the drive motor on the basis of a detected torque of the electromotive drive motor.

22. The method as in claim 21, in which the detected torque of the drive motor is derived from an electrical current consumption of the drive motor.

23. The method as in claim 21, in which the drive speed is increased or reduced, based on the detected torque of the drive motor of the at least one rotating conveyor disk or fan disk, until the detected torque is within a definable target range.

24. The method as in claim 21 further comprising analyzing a detected value of a grain flow sensor arranged in the outlet tube and using the detected value of the grain flow sensor to adjust the drive speed of the drive motor.