Grain Sieve Loss Fuzzy Control System in Rice Combine Harvesters

Abstract

The main working parts of the cleaning device of a rice combine harvester can be controlled by an established control strategy in real time based on the monitored grain sieve loss. This is an efficient way to improve their cleaning adaptability, since as a consequence, the main working parameters of combine harvesters can automatically adapt to crop and environment changes, and the corresponding cleaning performance can be improved. To achieve the target of cleaning control based on the monitored grain sieve loss, a fuzzy control system was developed, which selected S7-1200 PLC as the main control unit to build the lower computer hardware system, utilized ladder language to complete the system compilation, and used LabVIEW 14.0 software to design the host–computer interface. The effects of fan speed, guide plate angle, and sieve opening on the grain sieve loss and grain impurity ratio have been investigated through a large number of bench tests. The relevance level of the operating parameters on the performance parameters has been determined also, and finally, a fuzzy control model was developed for the cleaning system. The experiment results indicated that the designed fuzzy control model can control the cleaning section settings, such as fan speed and guide plate angle automatically, and reduce the grain sieve loss to some extent.