AU2004203478B2 - Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters - Google Patents
Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU2004203478B2 AU2004203478B2 AU2004203478A AU2004203478A AU2004203478B2 AU 2004203478 B2 AU2004203478 B2 AU 2004203478B2 AU 2004203478 A AU2004203478 A AU 2004203478A AU 2004203478 A AU2004203478 A AU 2004203478A AU 2004203478 B2 AU2004203478 B2 AU 2004203478B2
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- extractor
- trash
- extractor fan
- fan
- air
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
- 239000010813 municipal solid waste Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 39
- 240000000111 Saccharum officinarum Species 0.000 title claims abstract description 14
- 235000007201 Saccharum officinarum Nutrition 0.000 title claims abstract description 14
- 241001124569 Lycaenidae Species 0.000 title claims abstract description 13
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 abstract 1
- 241000209134 Arundinaria Species 0.000 description 8
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 238000003306 harvesting Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003134 recirculating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Landscapes
- Harvesting Machines For Specific Crops (AREA)
- Combined Means For Separation Of Solids (AREA)
Abstract
TITLE: TRASH EXTRACTORS FOR SUGAR CANE HARVESTERS" A trash extractor (10) for sugar cane harvesters has an air deflecting ring or formation (20) upstream of the extractor fan (15), to reduce 5 the effective area of the extractor housing (11) to accelerate and/or direct a laminar flow (14) of air and waste matter to the extractor fan (15). Xic 14r
Description
P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "TRASH EXTRACTORS FOR SUGAR CANE HARVESTERS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 TITLE: TRASH EXTRACTORS FOR SUGAR CANE HARVESTERS" BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention THIS INVENTION relates to a trash extractor for sugar cane 5 harvesters. The invention particularly relates, but is not limited, to a trash extractor for sugar cane harvesters of the type wherein billets of cane are produced, separated from trash. 2. Prior Art 10 Sugar cane harvesters have been produced by which cane is topped, cut at the base, and chopped into billets for delivery to a mill. A harvester of this kind is seen in specification number 505743 (23614/77) of the present applicant. The process of harvesting can result in the collection of a good 15 deal of trash, along with the billets, the trash being cane leaves, weeds, stones and dirt. An object in the design of the harvesters is the separation of trash of the above kind so that the sugar cane billets sent to mills is as free of trash as possible. There is an ongoing need for ever more efficient harvesters which not only separate trash effectively, but do so efficiently 20 without slowing harvesting, or increasing the fuel requirements to power the harvester. A BSES Report has stated that the loss of cane during harvesting can be as high as 30-56% at the present time. When the sugar cane was burnt before harvesting, the volume 2 of trash to be separated from the cane billets was much lower than the volume of trash which must be separated in so-called Agreen@ harvesting. The trash is separated from the billets by the flow of air through the billets/trash, the airflow being generated by an extractor fan in the trash 5 extractor. With existing trash extractors, the spiral airflow upstream of the extractor fan generates a centrifugal force which throws a major portion of the trash into engagement with the wall of the trash extractor. The friction generated between the wall and the trash slows down the flow of the trash 10 through the extractor and can lead to a build-up of trash on the extractorwall. In addition, centrifugal forces tend to throw at least a portion of the trash to the tips of the extractor fan and the build-up of trash between the tips of the extractor fan and the trash extractor wall requires an increase in power output due to friction to enable the extractor fan to be driven at the 15 desired rotational speed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the removal of extraneous matter (or trash) from the cane billets more efficiently. It is a preferred object of the present invention to maintain a 20 laminar airlow of the air mass prior to, and after, the extractor fan within the trash extractor, eliminating vortices and eddying of the airflow prior to, and after, the extractor fan, It is a further preferred object to eliminate, or at least minimise, 3 the wall friction of the extraneous matter prior to the extractor fan created by the centrifugal force of the spiralling air mass and its associated vortex. It is a still further preferred object to eliminate, or minimise, the recirculating of some of the air mass about the fan. 5 It is a still further preferred object of the present invention to generate a gradual increase of the velocity of the air mass directed to the extractor, resulting in a gradual decrease of the dynamic pressure of the air mass to the fan to accelerate the movement of the extraneous matter to the fan. 10 It is a still further preferred object to eliminate, or reduce, the problem of extraneous matter being forced to the tips of the fan blades by a centrifugal force, and utilise the full length of the extractor fan blades. It is a still further preferred object to enable the extractor fan to operate at a lower rotational speed with lower input power requirements and, 15 thereby, lower fuel consumption for the fan motor with resultant lower noise levels and improved general efficiency of the extractor fan. Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description. In a broad aspect, the present invention resides in a trash 20 extractor for sugar cane harvesters of the type having: an extractor housing, substantially circular in plan view, having an inlet to receive extraneous matter from an extraneous matter separation chamber and an outlet to discharge the extraneous matter, optionally 4 provided with a rotatable discharge hood; an extractor fan, with a plurality of blades, within the extractor housing; and drive means to drive the extractor fan; wherein: 5 an air deflecting ring or formation is provided in the housing, upstream of the extractor fan, to reduce the effective area of the extractor housing to thereby accelerate and/or direct the flow of air, and extraneous matter, to the extractor fan. Preferably, the deflector ring or formation is provided 10 intermediate the separation chamber and the extractor fan. Preferably, the air deflector ring or formation is curved in cross sectional profile to maintain laminar flow of the air to the extractor fan. Preferably the extractor fan has blades with a "forward" stagger to minimise the centrifugal forces on the trash. 15 Preferably, the extractor fan has a hub, with an optional spinner, to maintain the laminar flow of the air through the extractor fan. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying 20 drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side view of a trash extractor for a sugar cane harvester in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the extractor fan.
5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The trash extractor 10 has a hollow, generally cylindrical, extractor housing 11 which is provided with a rotatable discharge hood 12 to 5 enable the extraneous material (or trash) to be discharged to either side of the sugar cane harvester not shown. The extractor housing 11 has an inlet connected to an extraneous matter separation chamber 13 which receives the extraneous material drawn from the cane billets (not shown) by an airflow 14 generated by an extractor fan 15 operably driven by an hydraulic motor 10 16. The extractor fan 15 has a plurality of substantially radially extending blades 17, the tips 17a of which are spaced a small distance from the wall 18 of the extractor housing 11. It will be noted that the extraneous matter separation chamber 13 is of increased diameter relative to its intake 19, to generate a relatively 15 high pressure area, due to the lower air velocity, which assists in the extraction of the extraneous material from the cane billets below the separation chamber 13. While the airflow 14 tends to be deflected outwardly (as it enters the separation chamber 13), it is preferable that a substantially laminar flow of the air is maintained within the separation chamber. 20 Intermediate the separation chamber 13 and the extractor fan 15, a deflector ring 20 is provided in the extractor housing 11 in accordance with the present invention. The extractor ring 20 reduces the effective diameter, and thereby the effective area, of the extractor housing 11 to 6 cause the airflow 14 to be accelerated as it is directed towards the extractor fan 15. In addition, the airflow 14, while maintaining laminar flow, is directed towards the inner portions of the blade 17 of the extractor fan 15. A spinner 21 and faired hub 22 on the fan drive shaft 23 assist in maintaining the 5 laminar flow of the airflow 14 to, and downstream of, the extractor fan 14. The airflow 14 passing the deflector ring 20 tends to direct the extraneous material away from the wall 18 of the extractor housing 11 to minimise any friction generated between the extraneous matter and the extractor housing wall 18 and effectively use the full length of the extractor fan blades 17. In 10 addition, the airflow through the extractor fan tends to oppose the centrifugal forces seeking to Athrow@ the extraneous material towards the tips 17a of the extractor fan blade 17 and thereby minimise the build-up of the extraneous material between the blades 17a and the extractor housing wall 18. 15 As shown in FIG. 2, the extractor fan 15 preferably has blades 17 with a forward stagger (relative to the radial axes shown). This configuration minimises the effect of the created centrifugal force, which forces the trash to the tips 17a of the blades 17 and the wall 18 of the extractor housing 11. 20 In addition, much smaller vortices are generated about the fan blades 17 due to the forward stagger. The fan 15 illustrated in FIG. 2 assists in generating the desired even laminar airflow for more efficient operation of the trash extractor.
7 The rotational speed of the drive motor 16 can be selectively varied to suit the particular operating condition of the machine. As the build-up of extraneous matter on the extractor housing wall, due to friction, is minimised and the build-up of extraneous matter 5 between the tips 17a of the extractor fan blades 17 and the extractor housing wall 18 is also minimised, there is less power input required for the hydraulic motor 16 to drive the extractor fan 15. In addition, efficient extraction of the extraneous matter and its discharge via the extractor hood 12 can be effected at lower airflow rates, enabling the extractor fan 15 to be operated at 10 a lower rotational speed. This further reduces the power input required, reducing, inter alia, the fuel consumption necessary to drive the drive motor 16 and reducing the noise generating by the extractor fan's airflow vortices. The profile of the deflector ring 20 will be shaped and curved to maintain laminar flow of the airflow 14 through the extractor housing 11 and 15 the reflector ring 20. Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.
Claims (4)
1. A trash extractor for sugar cane harvesters of the type having: an extractor housing, substantially circular in plan view, having an inlet to receive extraneous matter from an extraneous matter separation 5 chamber and an outlet to discharge the extraneous matter, optionally provided with a rotatable discharge hood; an extractor fan, with a plurality of blades, within the extractor housing; and drive means to drive the extractor fan; 10 an air deflecting ring or formation is provided in the housing, upstream of the extractor fan, to reduce the effective area of the extractor housing to thereby accelerate and/or direct the flow of air, and extraneous matter, to the extractor fan; the deflector ring or formation is provided intermediate the 15 separation chamber and the extractor fan; the air deflector ring or formation is curved in cross-sectional profile to maintain laminar flow of the air to the extractor fan; and the extractor fan has a hub to maintain the laminar flow of the air through the extractor fan.. 20
2. An extractor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: the extractor fan has blades with a "forward" stagger to minimise the centrifugal forces on the trash. 9
3. An extraction as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: the hub has a spinner to assist in the laminar flow.
4. A trash extractor for sugar cane harvesters substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2004203478A AU2004203478B2 (en) | 2003-07-31 | 2004-07-30 | Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2003903985A AU2003903985A0 (en) | 2003-07-31 | 2003-07-31 | Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters |
| AU2003903985 | 2003-07-31 | ||
| AU2004203478A AU2004203478B2 (en) | 2003-07-31 | 2004-07-30 | Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2004203478A1 AU2004203478A1 (en) | 2005-02-17 |
| AU2004203478B2 true AU2004203478B2 (en) | 2013-02-28 |
Family
ID=34423740
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2004203478A Ceased AU2004203478B2 (en) | 2003-07-31 | 2004-07-30 | Trash extractors for sugar cane harvesters |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2004203478B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US10485170B2 (en) * | 2017-09-20 | 2019-11-26 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Debris removal system for an agricultural harvester and related extractors |
| US10806087B2 (en) * | 2018-05-21 | 2020-10-20 | Deere & Company | Fan support arm |
| MX2021011561A (en) * | 2019-03-26 | 2021-12-15 | Tirth Agro Tech Pvt Ltd | A sugarcane harvester with improved extractor fan assembly. |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3925199A (en) * | 1973-11-20 | 1975-12-09 | Massey Ferguson Services Nv | Trash removal apparatus for sugar cane harvesters |
-
2004
- 2004-07-30 AU AU2004203478A patent/AU2004203478B2/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3925199A (en) * | 1973-11-20 | 1975-12-09 | Massey Ferguson Services Nv | Trash removal apparatus for sugar cane harvesters |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU2004203478A1 (en) | 2005-02-17 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK4 | Application lapsed section 142(2)(d) - no continuation fee paid for the application | ||
| NA | Applications received for extensions of time, section 223 |
Free format text: AN APPLICATION TO EXTEND THE TIME FROM 30 JUL 2009 TO 30 MAR 2010 IN WHICH TO PAY A CONTINUATION FEE HAS BEEN FILED . |
|
| NB | Applications allowed - extensions of time section 223(2) |
Free format text: THE TIME IN WHICH TO PAY A CONTINUATION FEE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 30 MAR 2010. |
|
| PC1 | Assignment before grant (sect. 113) |
Owner name: TABONE, BRIAN Free format text: FORMER APPLICANT(S): MIZZI, JOSEPH |
|
| MK5 | Application lapsed section 142(2)(e) - patent request and compl. specification not accepted | ||
| NA | Applications received for extensions of time, section 223 |
Free format text: AN APPLICATION TO EXTEND THE TIME FROM 23 MAY 2012 TO 23 MAY 2013 IN WHICH TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE HAS BEEN FILED . |
|
| NB | Applications allowed - extensions of time section 223(2) |
Free format text: THE TIME IN WHICH TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 23 MAY 2013 . |
|
| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |