Automated control of the synchronism between the sugarcane harvester and the transport vehicle

• Grant number: 06/56581-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: April 01, 2007
• End date: November 30, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Agricultural Machinery and Implements
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Fernando Galzerano Baldo
• Grantee: Rodrigo Fernando Galzerano Baldo
• Company: Agricef Soluções Tecnológicas para Agricultura Ltda
• City: Campinas

Abstract

One of the problems encountered in the mechanized harvesting of sugarcane is the lack of synchronism between the harvester and the transport vehicle. This problem generates losses both of raw material and of operational efficiency. The first of these occurs when the machines fall out of alignment and parts of the sugarcane stalks are thrown out of the transport vehicle. Operational loss occurs when the machines fall out of alignment and are forced to carry out maneuvers in order to get back into a working position, the fact being that the maneuvers take time and therefore represent a reduction in the efficiency of the harvest. The present research aims to develop a system capable of identifying and controlling the parallelism between the sugarcane cutting harvester and the transport vehicle. The project will be a refinement of the synchronism already developed in Unicamp in 2005. What differentiates the two projects is that the present one will be capable of identifying, through radio-frequency, the exactrelative position of the machines and thus will automatically control the velocity and positioning of the transport vehicle through control theories. For the correct functioning of the system, relative positioning sensors via radio-frequency will be developed to be installed in the harvester and the transport vehicle. To control the speed of the transport vehicle a servo-motor will be fitted to the tractor accelerator. Functioning tests will be undertaken in a specific factory of the Cosan group. (AU)