Laboratory performance of a mass flow sensor for dry edible bean harvesters

Due to the importance of yield monitoring, researchers have been developing systems for crops such as tomatoes, forage, sugar cane, citrus, and coffee. A yield monitoring system for pull type dry edible beans harvester has not yet been developed. The goal of this project was to design and test a drive torque measurement device on a clean grain bucket elevator of a dry bean harvester, and evaluate its potential to be used as a mass flow sensor. Tests were conducted in the Yield Monitor Test Facility (YMTF) of University of Kentucky following the recommendation of ASABE Standard S578 (2007) The device was tested within the flow rate range of 0 to 3.4 kg/s. The largest flow rate errors were ±4.2% at 3.3 kg/s and ±4% at 1.6 kg/s. The average accumulated mass errors of the sensor were less than 3.1% and the maximum accumulated error was 4.9% at a flow rate of 1.8 kg/s.