Tube blockage monitor

Details Tube blockage monitor Tube blockage monitor

G - Physics

01

F

G01F 1/66 (2006.01) A01C 7/10 (2006.01) A01C 7/20 (2006.01) B65G 53/66 (2006.01) G01P 13/00 (2006.01)

Patent

CA 2299020

A blockage monitor for detecting a blockage in flow of particles such as seeds through a duct such as the seed duct of a seeder includes a sensor body for mounting on a wall of the seed duct and defining a front face flush with the duct surface carrying both an LED light source for projecting light into the interior of the duct and a phototransistor arranged to produce an output signal proportional to the intensity of reflected light received which increases as a seed passes. The sensor has a monitoring circuit including a logarithmic load, an operational amplifier and a comparator responsive to the output signal to generate a series of pulses representative of the passage of any particles. A separate blockage module counts the output and uses an algorithm for comparing the count with a calibration count to determine whether there is a blockage of the duct sufficient to interfere with the flow of particles and to generate a warning signal in the event that a blockage is detected. The blockage module is multiplexed with a plurality of spaced sensors and a power voltage is supplied to each sensor using two wires only with the pulses communicated along the same two wires. The blockage module is arranged to effect a test of the sensor by communicating to the sensor a pulse in the power voltage so as to generate a corresponding but delayed pulse in the light from the light source and the monitoring circuit generates the current pulse such that the current pulse is detectable by the blockage module separately from the pulse in the power voltage. Ground speed and rate application are communicated to the blockage module to use in the algorithm.

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