1. ABE 223: ABE Principles – Machine Systems Grain Harvesting Tony Grift
Dept. of Agricultural & Biological Engineering University of Illinois

2. Video: Modern Marvels Harvesting 4:33 – 12:40
Open VIDEO_TS.IFO in VLC player. Then CTRL_T to 4:33

3. Self propelled combine, JD9750 w/ grain head

4. Functional Processes in a combine harvester
Header
Feeder
House
Threshing
cylinder
Separator
Gather
Cut
Convey
Thresh
Separate
straw
Clean
chaff
Cleaning
Shoe
chaff
Unload
Store
Convey
Unloading
Auger
Grain Tank
Clean Grain
Auger

5. Combine Power Requirements
Straw Walker Type
CAT Lexion HP
Deere
Walker Type HP
CTS HP
STS HP
Rotor Type
Case Axial Flow HP
New Holland Twin Rotor HP
Power Boost - On-the-go Unloading -30 HP

6. Cutaway view of self-propelled combine

7. Functional Processes Gather Cut Convey Thresh Separate straw Clean
Header
Feeder
House
Threshing
Cylinder
Separator
Gather
Cut
Convey
Thresh
Separate
straw
Clean
chaff
Cleaning
Shoe
chaff
Unload
Store
Convey
Unloading
Auger
Grain Tank
Clean Grain
Auger

8. Floating cutter bar construction
Gathering and cutting
Cutterbar (Cb)
Reel (Rl)
Plain bat reel
Pickup reel with cam controlled teeth
Floating cutter bar construction

9. Finger sensors for cutter bar height control

10. Pickup Header for windrowed crops

11. Self propelled combine, JD 9650 w/ 8 Row Corn Head

12. A corn head row unit draws in the stalks after which snapping rolls and stripping plates pulls off the ears

13. Functional Processes Gather Cut Convey Thresh Separate Clean chaff
Header
Feeder
House
Threshing
cylinder
Separator
Gather
Cut
Convey
Thresh
Separate
straw
Clean
chaff
Cleaning
Shoe
chaff
Unload
Store
Convey
Unloading
Auger
Grain Tank
Clean Grain
Auger

14. The feeder house removes pods (soybeans) or ears (corn) from the header and transports them into the machine

15. Threshing is accomplished by rubbing pods or ears against themselves and the metal grates surrounding the concave
Header
Feeder
House
Threshing
cylinder
Separator
Gather
Cut
Convey
Thresh
Separate
straw
Clean
chaff
Cleaning
Shoe
chaff
Unload
Store
Convey
Unloading
Auger
Grain Tank
Clean Grain
Auger

16. Combine Layouts Conventional Conventional with rotor separation
Threshing
Rasp bar cylinder/ Spiked tooth cylinder
Separation
Straw walker
Cleaning shoe with fan blower
Conventional with rotor separation
Rotors, threshing and separation in single rotor
Cleaning
Dyna Flow (JD)
Quadra Flow (JD)
Specials
Case/Claas Accelerated Pre-separation system

17. Threshing cylinder (drum)
Cylinder- concave combination
Rasp bar
Threshing between rasp bar and concave
Grain fall through concave on grain pan (Gp)
Spiked tooth
Threshing between teeth on cylinder and concave
Beater (Bt) removes straw from cylinder
Retarder flap (Rf) catches thrown grain from beater

18. Corn ears in raspbar threshing cylinder

19. JD Combine with a spike-tooth cylinder and dual rotary separation section

20. JD Conventional layout
Unloading Auger
Concave
Straw walkers
Blower
Feeder house /
conveyor
Beater
Transverse cylinder

21. Conventional radial cylinder with beater and straw walker separation
Grain
Beater speed tied to cylinder speed

22. Straw Walker Straw Walkers
Several long channels mounted on a crankshaft
Channels follow circular or elliptical pattern
Straw moves toward rear of combine
Grain and chaff separated from straw due to oscillatory action of walkers
Gravity and friction cause separation

23. Claas Lexion 450

24. CAT (Claas) Lexion APS (Acceleration and Pre-Separation system)
Pre-separation cylinder
Removes easily threshed grain
More even flow to main cylinder
Higher material throughput
Claas Forage Harvester (SPFH)

25. CAT (Claas) Lexion APS (Acceleration and Pre-Separation system)

26. Separation Takes out another 20% of grain Straw walkers (Sw)
Linear vibration effect
Air blown under the straw
Grain separated under gravitational forces
Rotary separation
Based on centrifugal effect on heavier grain particles
JD Combs material over grates

27. Fig 10.7 New Holland combine with dual threshing / separating rotors.

28. JD CTS (Cylinder Tine Separation) system (1991)
Rasp bar threshing cylinder
Beater
Twin Tine-rotary separation

29. JD 9750 STS

30. JD STS Combine (Single-Tine Separation)

31. JD STS Rotor (Single-Tine Separation) system
Combination of threshing and separation in one cylinder

32. JD STS Drive system

33. CASE Axial Flow Rotor System
Straw
Grain

34. Cleaning Fan blows fine chaf away from grain kernels Adjustments
Fan speed
Chaffer opening
Sieve openings
Overcleaning:
Fan speed too high
grain blows out back
Clean grain in tailings
Undercleaning
Fan speed too low
Chaffer and sieve openings too far open
Heavy tailings

35. Dyna-Flo Cleaning System

36. Quadra-flow cleaning system

37. Functional Processes Gather Cut Convey Thresh Separate Clean chaff
Header
Feeder
House
Threshing
cylinder
Separator
Gather
Cut
Convey
Thresh
Separate
straw
Clean
chaff
Cleaning
Shoe
chaff
Unload
Store
Convey
Unloading
Auger
Grain Tank
Clean Grain
Auger

38. Grain Tank Capacity Case - 145-210 bushels Deere - 182-240 bushels
New Holland bushels

39. Unloading rate Deere - 2.2 bushels/second Case - 1.9 bushels/second
CAT bushels/second

40. Harvest losses Preharvest losses
Wind shatter losses
Lodged grain
Field too wet for harvest
Header losses (Grain lost due to rough handling by the cutter bar)
Machine losses
Threshing loss(Unthreshed grain that leaves out of the rear)
Separating loss (Threshed grain that leaves out of the rear)
Cleaning loss (reduced crop value due to MOG in grain tank)

41. Combine losses can be substantial.
Table Typical Combine Losses in Midwestern U.S. (percent of gross yield).
Shatter and Cutter bar losses
Cylinder loss
Separating & cleaning loss
Total loss
Oats
1.5
0.8
2.0
4.3
Wheat
3.4
0.1
0.6
4.1
Soybeans
5.8
0.7
7.1

42. How to determine losses and make adjustments to reduce them

43. Cutter bar loss Symptom Remedy Hill slope combine
Lodged and wind shattered grain out of reach of cutter bar
Remedy
Minimize by keeping head close to the ground
Automatic head adjustment in height and tilt for cross slopes
Timely harvest, before crops start shattering
Special row crop head for soybeans clamps crop stalks rigidly while being cut
Hill slope combine

44. How to determine losses and make adjustments to reduce them

45. Reel losses Symptom Remedy
Kernels counted after header passes before straw output
Remedy
Adjust the speed of the reel
Adjust the reel height
Keep reel speed about times travel speed
Variable speed drive is best

46. Threshing losses: Concave cylinder adjustments
Concave clearance
Cylinder speed
Results or indicators
wide -
Underthreshed condition, straw walker area indicates this.
slow
Material builds up over the concave. Pinch/ pull operation is impaired; reduced separation
fast
Ricochet effect, grain damage, cracked kernels in the grain bin
tight
Overthreshed condition, broken straw over straw walkers and on cleaning shoe
Heavy tailings, broken straw in bin and straw walkers
Damaged grain, broken straw in bin;
worst misalignment of all
correct
Cylinder speed is rpm. Heads still attached but grain thoroughly threshed; clean grain in tank; 1 tbsp of trash/paddle in tailings elevator

47. Separation (straw walker) losses
Poor separation due to
Underthreshed situation, Low fan speed
Straw walkers covered with blanket of unthreshed material. Concave clearance too large
Overthreshed situation
Grain walks out of the back of the machine because walkers are plugged with ground up straw. Concave clearance is too tight.

48. Residue Management
Residue-Material other than Grain (MOG) that remains in the field
Baling Straw
Ground cover for no-till/reduced till
Reduce erosion
Straw Chopper
Chaff Spreader

49. Claas Lexion with Laser Pilot guidance

50. Moisture sensor for precision ag

51. Harvesting systems: how do you orchestrate multiple machines working together?

52. ABE 223: ABE Principles – Machine Systems Grain Harvesting The End
Dept. of Agricultural & Biological Engineering University of Illinois