Dry agricultural materials management

摘要

Systems and methods that improve farmers' ability to measure quantities of dry agricultural materials and rates of change of those quantities are disclosed. Also disclosed are systems and methods to rapidly and effectively communicate materials quantities and rates between farm equipment operators.

主权项

1. A method for measuring volume flow rate of dry, agricultural material comprising:
continuously adding dry, agricultural material to a bin, the material filling the bin up to a certain level, and the bin having:
an outflow gate permitting flow through a cross-sectional area G,and a flat belt conveyor for moving the material toward the outflow gate with speed S; providing reference marks on the inside of the bin; providing a video camera positioned to view the inside of the bin; analyzing video images of the inside of the bin to monitor the level of the material in the bin in relation to the reference marks; adjusting the speed S of the conveyor to regulate outflow of the material from the outflow gate and thereby maintain the level between high and low reference marks; and, estimating the volume flow rate of the material into the bin as a function of the product of G and S.