Agricultural harvester with auxiliary power unit and intelligent power management

• US 8,074,433 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Sheidler, Alan, Ramp, Benjamin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISA, JOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/048,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 56/102.R, 56/106, 56/107, 56 135- 138, 460/6, 606/98, 701/50
• US Class Current: 56/10.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/12 Details of combines
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/105 Driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/025 Electric hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An agricultural harvester includes a primary power unit which is couplable with at least one primary load. The at least one primary load includes a threshing system load. An auxiliary power unit is mechanically independent from the primary power unit, and is couplable with at least one biomass processor, independent from the threshing system load.

Claims

1. An agricultural harvester, comprising:

a primary power unit being coupleable with at least one primary load, said at least one primary load including a threshing system load; and

an auxiliary power unit which is mechanically independent from said primary power unit, said auxiliary power unit being coupleable with at least one biomass processor, independent from said threshing system load;

a primary motor and generator mechanically coupled with said primary power unit;

an auxiliary motor and generator mechanically coupled with said auxiliary power unit, said auxiliary motor and generator being configured to electrically drive said at least one biomass processor; and

wherein said primary motor and generator and said auxiliary motor and generator are electrically coupled together for 2-way electrical power transfer.

2. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said agricultural harvester is an agricultural combine, and said threshing system load corresponds to at least one of:

a cutting platform;

a header;

a feederhousing;

a rotor; and

a separator.

3. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said at least one primary load includes a propulsion load.

4. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said primary power unit includes a primary drive train, and said auxiliary power unit includes an auxiliary drive train, each of said at least one primary load being driven by said primary drive train, and each of said at least one biomass processor being driven by said auxiliary drive train.

5. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said agricultural harvester is an agricultural combine, and said biomass processor corresponds to at least one of:

a stalk chopper on a cornhead;

a fine cut straw chopper;

a blower;

a spreader; and

a biomass collection system.

6. The agricultural harvester of claim 5, wherein said biomass collection system includes an integral chopper and a blower.

7. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said primary power unit has a rated primary output, and said auxiliary power unit has a rated auxiliary output which is smaller than said rated primary output.

8. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said primary power unit is a primary internal combustion (IC) engine, and said auxiliary power unit is an auxiliary IC engine.

9. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, including at least one electrical processing circuit configured for selectively coupling said primary power unit with at least one said primary load, and for selectively coupling said auxiliary power unit with at least one said biomass processor.

10. The agricultural harvester of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary power unit is coupleable with at least one external load, said at least one external load including an operator initiated load.

11. A method of operating an agricultural harvester, comprising the steps of:

driving a threshing system load with a primary power unit;

driving a biomass processor with an auxiliary power unit, independent from said threshing system load, said auxiliary power unit being mechanically independent from said primary power unit in;

wherein a primary motor and generator is mechanically coupled with said primary power unit;

an auxiliary motor and generator is mechanically coupled with said auxiliary power unit, said auxiliary motor and generator being configured to electrically drive said at least one biomass processor; and

wherein said primary motor and generator and said auxiliary motor and generator are electrically coupled together for 2-way electrical power transfer.

12. The method of operating a harvester of claim 11, wherein said agricultural harvester is an agricultural combine, and said biomass processor corresponds to at least one of:

a stalk chopper on a cornhead;

a fine cut straw chopper;

a blower;

a spreader; and

a biomass collection system.

13. The method of operating a harvester of claim 12, wherein said biomass collection system includes an integral chopper and a blower.

14. The method of operating a harvester of claim 11, wherein said agricultural harvester is an agricultural combine, and said threshing system load corresponds to at least one of:

a cutting platform;

a header;

a feederhousing;

a rotor; and

a separator.

15. The method of operating a harvester of claim 11, wherein said at least one primary load includes a propulsion load.