SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AIR CART PRESSURIZATION MONITORING

• US 20170121130A1
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Bent, Ethan Curtis Stephen, Thompson, Dennis George, Erker, Gregory Jacob, Rapley, Anthony Charles, McKnight, Benjamin Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 10,246,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/062 Devices for making drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/066 Devices for covering drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/08 Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/042 Granular material
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/02 Control or detection
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/04 Conveying materials in bulk pneumatically through pipes or tubes; Air slides
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/06 Gas pressure systems operating without fluidisation of the materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/4633 the element having pockets, rotated from charging position to discharging position, i.e. discrete flow
• 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

In one embodiment, a pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and positioned upstream of the meter roller. The first pressure sensor is configured to output a first signal indicative of a first static pressure in the storage tank. The second pressure sensor is configured to be fluidly coupled to a component of the pneumatic distribution system, downstream of the meter roller. The second pressure sensor is configured to output a second signal indicative of a second static pressure downstream of the meter roller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the first pressure sensor and to the second pressure sensor. The controller is configured to determine a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is the difference between the first static pressure and the second static pressure. The controller may also be configured to generate a first warning when the first static pressure is below a threshold value and output the first warning to an operator interface, generate a second warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and output the second warning to the operator interface, and generate a third warning when the pressure differential is above the desired range and output the third warning to the operator interface.

Claims

1. A pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement, wherein the pneumatic distribution system comprises:

a first pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and positioned upstream of the meter roller, wherein the first pressure sensor is configured to output a first signal indicative of a first static pressure in the storage tank;

a second pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a component of the pneumatic distribution system, downstream of the meter roller, wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to output a second signal indicative of a second static pressure downstream of the meter roller; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first pressure sensor and to the second pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is the difference between the first static pressure and the second static pressure;

generate a first warning when the first static pressure is below a threshold value and output the first warning to an operator interface;

generate a second warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and output the second warning to the operator interface; and

generate a third warning when the pressure differential is above the desired range and output the third warning to the operator interface.

2. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the component is a meter housing, and the second static pressure is a static pressure in the meter housing.

3. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the operator interface comprises a display, and the operator interface is configured to display the first, second, and third warnings on the display.

4. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the meter roller is fluidly coupled between the storage tank and a primary line, and the meter roller is configured to adjust output of the granular product from the storage tank into the primary line.

5. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first pressure sensor is fluidly coupled to the storage tank via an adapter fitting.

6. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third warnings each include at least one recommended action.

7. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the threshold value for the first static pressure is between about 0.1 and 1 kPa, and the desired range for the pressure differential is between about 0 and 3.5 kPa.

8. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the threshold value for the first static pressure is about 0.5 kPa, and the desired range for the pressure differential is between about 0 and 2.5 kPa.

9. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 1, wherein the component is a primary line, and the second static pressure is a static pressure in the primary line.

10. A pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement, wherein the pneumatic distribution system comprises:

a differential pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and to a component of the pneumatic distribution system downstream of a meter roller, wherein the differential pressure sensor is configured to output a signal indicative of a pressure differential across the meter roller; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the differential pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to;

generate a first warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and output the first warning to an operator interface; and

generate a second warning when the pressure differential is above the desired range and output the second warning to the operator interface.

11. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 10, wherein the component is a meter housing, and the second static pressure is a static pressure in the meter housing.

12. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 10, wherein the operator interface comprises a display, and the operator interface is configured to display the first and second warnings on the display.

13. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 11, wherein the first and second warnings each include at least one recommended action.

14. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 10, wherein the desired range for the pressure differential is between about 0 and 3.5 kPa.

15. The pneumatic distribution system of claim 10, wherein the desired range for the pressure differential is between about 0 and 2.5 kPa.

16. A method of monitoring a pneumatic distribution system configured to distribute a granular product to an agricultural implement comprising:

receiving, at a processor, one or more signals from one or more pressure sensors, indicative of a pressure differential across a meter roller;

generating, using the processor, an insufficient pressure differential warning when the pressure differential is below a desired range and outputting the insufficient pressure differential warning to an operator interface; and

generating, using the processor, an excessive pressure differential warning when the pressure differential is above a desired range and outputting the excessive pressure differential warning to the operator interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more pressure sensors comprise a first pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and positioned upstream of the meter roller, wherein the first pressure sensor is configured to output a first signal indicative of a first static pressure in the storage tank.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising generating an insufficient tank pressure warning when the first static pressure is below a threshold value and outputting the insufficient tank pressure warning to the operator interface.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more pressure sensors comprise a second pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a meter housing or a primary line, downstream of the meter roller, wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to output a second signal indicative of a second static pressure downstream of the meter roller to enable the processor to determine the pressure differential across the meter roller.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more pressure sensors comprise a differential pressure sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank configured to store the granular product and to a meter housing downstream of the meter roller, wherein the differential pressure sensor is configured to output the one or more signals indicative of the pressure differential across the meter roller.