Identifier

etd-1109102-124123

Degree

Master of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering (MSBAE)

Department

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This project involved the design and testing of a sugar cane yield monitoring system during the 1999 and 2000-harvest seasons. The system was mounted on a CAMECO CH 2500 1997 sugar cane combine. The sugar cane yield monitoring system consisted of a scale, a data acquisition system, and a differential global positioning system (DGPS). The scale consisted of a weigh plate supported by load cell(s). The load cell(s) were supported by a protective box, which mounted to the frame of the harvester. The scale, which was mounted in the floor of the elevator, directly recorded instantaneous measurements of the sugar cane yield (weight). A dump wagon equipped with a weighing system (weigh wagon) was used for each test as the standard. Experiments were run with different levels of cane maturity, variety, row/section length, and flow rate. For each test, the scale readings were totaled and compared to the actual yield, which was measured by the weigh wagon. The yield sensor predicted the sugar cane yield with a slope of 0.900 and a R-squared of 0.966. The scale's average percent error was 11.05 percent. The results also showed that the different cane varieties had an effect on the scale readings, but the maturity of the cane, section length, and the flow rate did not have a significant effect on the scale readings.

Date

2002

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Randy R. Price

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2111

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Engineering Commons

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