Sensor and control for consistent seed drill coulter depth

Søren Kirkegaard Nielsen; Michael Nørremark; Ole  Green

doi:10.1016/j.compag.2016.07.029

Sensor and control for consistent seed drill coulter depth

Søren Kirkegaard Nielsen, Michael Nørremark, Ole Green

Department of Agroecology - Soil Physics and Hydropedology

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The consistent depth positioning of seeds is vital for achieving the optimum yield of agricultural crops. In state-of-the-art seeding machines, the depth of drill coulters will vary with changes in soil resistance. This paper presents the retrofitting of an angle sensor to the pivoting point of a drill coulter, providing sensor feedback to a control system that via an electro-hydraulic actuator delivers a constant coulter depth. The results showed a strong correlation between the angle of the coulter and the coulter depth under static (R ² = 1.00) and dynamic (R ² = 0.99) operations, verified by a sub-millimetre accurate positioning system (iGPS, Nikon Metrology NV, Belgium) mounted on the drill coulter. At a drill coulter depth of 55 mm and controlled by an ordinary fixed spring loaded down force, the change in soil resistance reduced the mean depth by 23 mm. By dynamically controlling the spring loaded down force based on the angle sensor, the mean depth was independent of the seedbed resistance change as shown from tests in soils ranging from sand to gravel. The PID controller was most effective because it providing a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.17 mm and +0.08 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. The most cost efficient control function was found to be the three-position control system, resulting in a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.89 mm and −1.18 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the coulter depth measurements showed that the control system also provided a damping effect on the coulter depth variations. The research showed that it is possible to minimise the low-frequency drill coulter depth variations and provide a consistent coulter depth independent of soil conditions by using the developed sensor system and control system.

Original language	English
Journal	Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Volume	127
Pages (from-to)	690-698
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0168-1699
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2016.07.029
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2016

Keywords

Angle sensor
Coulter control systems
Seed drill coulter
Seed placement

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10.1016/j.compag.2016.07.029

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title = "Sensor and control for consistent seed drill coulter depth",

abstract = "The consistent depth positioning of seeds is vital for achieving the optimum yield of agricultural crops. In state-of-the-art seeding machines, the depth of drill coulters will vary with changes in soil resistance. This paper presents the retrofitting of an angle sensor to the pivoting point of a drill coulter, providing sensor feedback to a control system that via an electro-hydraulic actuator delivers a constant coulter depth. The results showed a strong correlation between the angle of the coulter and the coulter depth under static (R 2 = 1.00) and dynamic (R 2 = 0.99) operations, verified by a sub-millimetre accurate positioning system (iGPS, Nikon Metrology NV, Belgium) mounted on the drill coulter. At a drill coulter depth of 55 mm and controlled by an ordinary fixed spring loaded down force, the change in soil resistance reduced the mean depth by 23 mm. By dynamically controlling the spring loaded down force based on the angle sensor, the mean depth was independent of the seedbed resistance change as shown from tests in soils ranging from sand to gravel. The PID controller was most effective because it providing a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.17 mm and +0.08 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. The most cost efficient control function was found to be the three-position control system, resulting in a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.89 mm and −1.18 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the coulter depth measurements showed that the control system also provided a damping effect on the coulter depth variations. The research showed that it is possible to minimise the low-frequency drill coulter depth variations and provide a consistent coulter depth independent of soil conditions by using the developed sensor system and control system.",

keywords = "Angle sensor, Coulter control systems, Seed drill coulter, Seed placement",

author = "{Kirkegaard Nielsen}, S{\o}ren and Michael N{\o}rremark and Ole Green",

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doi = "10.1016/j.compag.2016.07.029",

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T1 - Sensor and control for consistent seed drill coulter depth

AU - Kirkegaard Nielsen, Søren

AU - Nørremark, Michael

AU - Green, Ole

PY - 2016/9/1

Y1 - 2016/9/1

N2 - The consistent depth positioning of seeds is vital for achieving the optimum yield of agricultural crops. In state-of-the-art seeding machines, the depth of drill coulters will vary with changes in soil resistance. This paper presents the retrofitting of an angle sensor to the pivoting point of a drill coulter, providing sensor feedback to a control system that via an electro-hydraulic actuator delivers a constant coulter depth. The results showed a strong correlation between the angle of the coulter and the coulter depth under static (R 2 = 1.00) and dynamic (R 2 = 0.99) operations, verified by a sub-millimetre accurate positioning system (iGPS, Nikon Metrology NV, Belgium) mounted on the drill coulter. At a drill coulter depth of 55 mm and controlled by an ordinary fixed spring loaded down force, the change in soil resistance reduced the mean depth by 23 mm. By dynamically controlling the spring loaded down force based on the angle sensor, the mean depth was independent of the seedbed resistance change as shown from tests in soils ranging from sand to gravel. The PID controller was most effective because it providing a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.17 mm and +0.08 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. The most cost efficient control function was found to be the three-position control system, resulting in a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.89 mm and −1.18 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the coulter depth measurements showed that the control system also provided a damping effect on the coulter depth variations. The research showed that it is possible to minimise the low-frequency drill coulter depth variations and provide a consistent coulter depth independent of soil conditions by using the developed sensor system and control system.

AB - The consistent depth positioning of seeds is vital for achieving the optimum yield of agricultural crops. In state-of-the-art seeding machines, the depth of drill coulters will vary with changes in soil resistance. This paper presents the retrofitting of an angle sensor to the pivoting point of a drill coulter, providing sensor feedback to a control system that via an electro-hydraulic actuator delivers a constant coulter depth. The results showed a strong correlation between the angle of the coulter and the coulter depth under static (R 2 = 1.00) and dynamic (R 2 = 0.99) operations, verified by a sub-millimetre accurate positioning system (iGPS, Nikon Metrology NV, Belgium) mounted on the drill coulter. At a drill coulter depth of 55 mm and controlled by an ordinary fixed spring loaded down force, the change in soil resistance reduced the mean depth by 23 mm. By dynamically controlling the spring loaded down force based on the angle sensor, the mean depth was independent of the seedbed resistance change as shown from tests in soils ranging from sand to gravel. The PID controller was most effective because it providing a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.17 mm and +0.08 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. The most cost efficient control function was found to be the three-position control system, resulting in a mean depth deviation from the target depth of −0.89 mm and −1.18 mm for sand and gravel, respectively. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the coulter depth measurements showed that the control system also provided a damping effect on the coulter depth variations. The research showed that it is possible to minimise the low-frequency drill coulter depth variations and provide a consistent coulter depth independent of soil conditions by using the developed sensor system and control system.

KW - Angle sensor

KW - Coulter control systems

KW - Seed drill coulter

KW - Seed placement

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DO - 10.1016/j.compag.2016.07.029

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0168-1699

VL - 127

SP - 690

EP - 698

JO - Computers and Electronics in Agriculture

JF - Computers and Electronics in Agriculture

ER -

Sensor and control for consistent seed drill coulter depth

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Keywords

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