• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to analyze musculoskeletal injuries in combine harvesting operation using a digital human model. In order to analyze problems in combine harvesting operation, the operations were broken into 5 work processes and then we preformed ergonomic and biomechanical analyses such as RULA test, Comfort Assessment and joint kinetic analysis for the each process. As a result, there was a clear need to change the combine operating environment, as the RULA score ranged from 4 to 7. In addition, we could find two major musculoskeletal injury factors which are the standing posture with upperbody forward tilting and inappropriate location of operating levers.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.251-261
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• 1989

The amount of grain loss incurred during harvesting operation through the chaff-outlet of combine may not be negligible. To minimize this grain loss and optimize condition of combining, it may be necessary that the amount of chaff-outlet loss dependent on varying crop condition is to be estimated as exactly as possible. This study was thus intended to develop the monitor that could indicate the amount of grain loss occurred through the chaff-outlet of combine during harvesting operation. The function of this monitor is to measure at the sounding board the impact sound of paddy kernels which could be distinguished from those of other threshing products through chaff-outlet, and from vibration or noise created by the combine engine and other moving parts. To develop such monitor, the frequency distributions of each sound generated by the impact of grain and chaff, the sound generated by the impact of the mixture of grain and chaff, and vibration or noise created by the combine engine and other moving parts were investigated experimentally. From the results of frequency analyses, the trainsducer adequate for the monitering system was selected and sounding board was constructed. The grain loss monitor thus obtained was tested by attaching the sounding board to the chaff-outlet of combine.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.491-496
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• 2003

This study was performed to develop an automatic sacking device for the combine harvester which was constituted input/output signal system, controller, delivery device, shooting device, pneumatic system for shooting operation, vibration device fer sacking operation and a new developed sacking bag. A new developed automatic sacking device and new sacking bag were operated well in general. And they were possible to develop a new combine to reduce of fatigue, to improve the safety and the performance. In developed device, The optimum delivery velocity of conveyer for sacking was 5.16 mm/sec. In sacking device, sacking discharge was shown 94％ with non-vibration condition and sacking discharge was shown 99％ with vibration condition, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.617-628
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• 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the engine load factor (LF) of a 90 kW agricultural combine harvester. The combine harvester used in this study is equipped with an electronic engine, and real-time engine data (torque and speed) was collected through a controller area network. The speed of the combine harvester during harvesting operation was divided into three levels (4, 5, and 6 km/h) for the representative operation speed range of 4 to 6 km/h. The LF was calculated using the engine load data measured in real time during harvesting. A weight was applied to the LF for each condition based on a survey of the usage. Results of the field test showed that the LF was 0.53, 0.64, and 0.87 at working speeds of 4, 5, and 6 km/h, respectively. The highest engine load factor was recorded at 6 km/h. Finally, based on the weight for the usage applied, the integrated engine LF was analyzed to be 0.69, which is approximately 144% higher than the currently applied LF of 0.48. A study on LF analysis for the entire work cycle, including idling and driving of the combine harvester, will be addressed in a future study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11c
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• pp.684-689
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• 2000

In harvesting rice and barley using combine, the inclination of the body caused by the irregular surface condition of the field and the soil sinking from the unbalanced weight during the grain collection used to make harvesting operation difficult and even impossible. To overcome such a problem, automatic leveling control system for a combine has been developed and tested. The system was composed of the sensor for measuring left and right inclination of the combine chassis and the hydraulic control system. The adaptability of the control system was investigated by analyzing system response in time domain. And the limit angle of the leveling control was set up to be +/- 7$^{\circ}$. The proposed control and hydraulic power system was implemented to the prototype combine. The prototype combine was designed and built as a separable structure with chassis and track. This paper shows results of the leveling performance tested in the laboratory and the grain field.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.310-318
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• 1990

The amount of grain loss incurred during harvesting operation through the chaff-outlet of combine may not be negligible. To minimize this grain loss and optimize condition of combining, it may be necessary that the amout of chaff-outlet loss dependent on varying crop condition is to be estimated as exactly as possible. This study was thus intended to develop the monitor that could indicate the amount of grain lost through the chaff-outlet of combine during haravesting operation, and to find out driving and operating method of combine that could reduce chaff-outlet loss. In the study(1), the frequency distributions of each sound generated by the impact of kernels and chaff, the sound generated by the impact of the mixture of kernels and chaff, and vibration or noise created by the combine engine and other moving parts were investigated experimentally. Based on the results of frequency analyses, the loss monitor was developed which could measure the impact sound of paddy kernels that could be distinguished from those of other threshing products through chaff-outlet, and from vibration or noise created by the combine engine and other moving parts. Also in this study, detecting capability of monitor was tested by comparing the amount of grain lost through chaff-outlet with the amount of grain detected by the loss monitor, and changes in chaff-outlet grain loss on the increase of traveling speed, location of chaff-outlet loss control plate and variety of paddy rice were measured using the loss monitor. The monitor developed in this study efficiently measured the amount of grain lost through the chaff-outlet of combine. It was found that the chaff-outlet grain loss ratio was affected greatly by the variety of paddy rice, the location of chaff-outlet loss control plate and traveling speed of combine.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.190-196
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to develop a measurement system of cutter conditions for combine header diagnosis during rice harvesting. A load cell was installed at the locker-arm to measure load fluctuation and an acceleration senor was used to monitor vibration signal of cutter bar. The data were collected from a paddy field during harvesting. The tests were conducted with a normal cutter, a loosened cutter, a broken cutter, and a worn-out connecter pin at the field. The vibration signals converted by FFT (Fast Fourier Transformation), filtered, and normalized. The load data and peak values of vibration signals in four different frequency ranges were used to determine the cutting operation and the cutter conditions of combine. The multiple comparison tests showed that the load data and peak values of vibration signals were important to monitor the cutting operation and cutter conditions of combine header.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.76-85
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• 1986

This study was intended to examine the failure characteristics and breakdowns of the head-fed type combines generally used on farms. The failure distribution was assumed to follow Weibull distribution function and the Weibull parameters of the major parts, units and combine as whole were estimated by using the data collected in a survey. A computer program for the estimation of the Weibull parameter was developed. Monte Carlo method was used in predicting the time between failures. The results of study may be summarized as follows: 1. The number of failures per combine was 4.83 times per year and 0.3 times per hectare of combines of different ages. 2. According to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test method, it was proved that the Weibull distribution function is well fitted to the characteristics of the failure and breakdowns of combines. 3. Weibull parameters of failure distribution of the combine as a whole were estimated to give the shape parameter ${\beta}$=1.3089 and the scale parameter ${\alpha}$=105.2409. The combining area with 80% reliability was 1.1 ha, and the probability of operating the combine without any failure for a year, was $2.76{\times}10^{-4}$. 4. The mean time between failures (MTBF) of the combines was predicted to be 3.2 ha of operation, which corresponds to 32 hours of operation.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop an optimal combine scheduling program using Max-Coverage algorithm which derives the maximum efficiency for a specific location in harvest seasons. Methods: The combine scheduling program was operated with information about combine specification and farmland. Four operating types (Max-Coverage algorithm type, Boustrophedon path type, max quality value type, and max area type) were selected to compare quality and working capacity. Result: The working time of Max-Coverage algorithm type was shorter than others, and the total quality value of Max-Coverage algorithm and max quality value type were higher than others. Conclusion: The developed combine scheduling program using Max-Coverage algorithm will provide optimal operation and maximum quality in a limited area and time.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 1994

The combine harvester is considered as an important but complicated and costly machine. The appropriate size of combine has to be developed to use efficiently in Korea. But the combine is such a complicated machine that a complete design model to develop a new type is impossible without understanding the relationship between each factor. The combine capacity is generally limited by the cleaning shoe performance. So a design model for a cleaning shoe has to be developed first for the complete combine design. The objective of this research was to develop a cleaning model of head-feeding combine to predict grain separation from chaff and broken straw on a sieve. A developed physically based model can explain the situation which can happen during separation process. A test apparatus based on the field going machine was developed. The test materials were paddy rice and barley. The data obtained were analyzed by the hand and the video camera. The developed model was verified as an adequate model through the test with $R^2$ of 0.934 and 0.837. The model can be used to evaluate design and operation alternatives of combine and also applied to the automatic control of separation unit of combine with a loss monitering sensors.