Development and Testing of an Electro-Hydraulic System for Height Control of Sugarcane Harvester Basecutter

Abstract

HighlightsThis article focuses on an automatic control system for basecutter height.The influence of three factors on the performance indexes was studied.The best parameter combination for working performance was obtained.Abstract. Precision control of the basecutter height of sugarcane harvesters is an effective method to reduce stubble damage and sugar loss. Due to uneven ground, it is difficult to maintain the desired basecutter height. Therefore, an electro-hydraulic control system for controlling the basecutter height was developed to address these issues. In this control system, an angle sensor was used to detect the basecutter height by measuring the swing angle of a profiling device. To evaluate the performance of the control system, a series of tests was conducted with a mobile cutting platform. Forward speed (1, 2, or 3 km h-1), ground wavelength (1, 2, or 3 m), and ground amplitude (4, 8, or 12 cm) were selected as influencing factors. ANOVA of the orthogonal experiment results showed that forward speed and ground amplitude had significant effects on the coefficient of variation (CV) of cutting depth, while ground wavelength had a non-significant effect. The influence order of the factors on the CV of cutting depth was forward speed > ground amplitude > ground wavelength. The best combination was determined as a forward speed of 1 km h-1, ground wavelength of 2 m, and ground amplitude of 4 cm. A single-factor test indicated that a forward speed of less than 2 km h-1 can meet the requirement that the CV is less than 10%. This study provides a reference for future design and development of automatic adjustment systems for basecutter height. Keywords: Automatic adjustment of basecutter height, Electro-hydraulic control system, Sugarcane, Sugarcane harvester.