Patent Publication Number: US-2023135915-A1

Title: System and method for monitoring crop yield for an agricultural harvester

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is based upon and claims the right of priority to Brazilian Patent Application No. BR 10 2021 021947 5, filed Oct. 31, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to agricultural harvesters, such as sugarcane harvesters, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring crop yield of an agricultural harvester. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typically, agricultural harvesters include an assembly of processing equipment for processing harvested crop materials. For instance, within a sugarcane harvester, severed sugarcane stalks are conveyed via a feed roller assembly to a chopper assembly that cuts or chops the sugarcane stalks into pieces or billets (e.g., 6 inch cane sections). The processed crop material discharged from the chopper assembly is then directed as a stream of billets and debris into a primary extractor, within which the airborne debris (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) is separated from the sugarcane billets. The separated/cleaned billets then fall into an elevator assembly for delivery to an external storage device. 
     During operation of the harvester, it is typically desirable to monitor the crop yield as the machine goes through the field. For sugarcane harvesters, existing yield monitoring systems rely upon a sensorized plate positioned within the elevator assembly to estimate the crop yield based on the load sensed thereby as the sugarcane passes over the plate. While such systems are equipped to provide accurate yield data, the various components of the system are quite expensive, thereby rendering the system cost-prohibitive for some users. Moreover, the sensorized plates typically require a significant amount of maintenance, including the time require to remove any dirt, mud, or other materials that have accumulated between the plate and the elevator. 
     Accordingly, systems and methods for monitoring the crop yield for an agricultural harvester that address one or more issues associated with existing systems/methods would be welcomed in the technology. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
     In one aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a system for monitoring crop yield for an agricultural harvester. The system includes a material processing system configured to receive a flow of harvested materials, a first sensor configured to generate data indicative of a volume of the flow of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system, and a second sensor configured to generate data indicative of a density of the flow of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system. In addition, the system includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the first and second sensors, with the computing system being configured to determine a mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials through the material processing system based at least in part on the data received from the first and second sensors. 
     In another aspect, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural harvester that includes a frame and a material processing system supported relative to the frame, with the material processing system being configured to process a flow of harvested materials. The material processing system includes a feed roller assembly extending between a first end and a second end and including a plurality of bottom rollers and a plurality of top rollers. The feed roller assembly is configured to receive the flow of harvested materials and direct the flow of harvested materials along a flow path defined between the plurality of bottom rollers and the plurality of top rollers from the first end of the feed roller assembly to the second end of the feed roller assembly. The material processing system also includes a chopper assembly positioned downstream of the feed roller assembly such that the chopper assembly receives the flow of the harvested materials from the feed roller assembly. In addition, the harvester includes a first sensor configured to detect a parameter associated with a distance defined between a first roller of the plurality of top rollers and a second roller of the plurality of bottom rollers, and a second sensor configured to detect a pressure associated with an operation of the chopper assembly. Moreover, the harvester includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the first and second sensors, with the computing system being configured to determine a mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials through the material processing system based at least in part on the data received from the first and second sensors. 
     In a further aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a method for monitoring crop yield for an agricultural harvester, with the agricultural harvester including a material processing system configured to receive a flow of harvested materials. The method includes receiving, with a computing system, data indicative of a volume of the flow of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system, and receiving, with the computing system, data indicative of a density of the flow of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system. In addition, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials directed through the material processing system based on the data received from the first and second sensors, and initiating, with the computing system, a control action in response to determining the mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials directed through the material processing system. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a simplified, side view of one embodiment of an agricultural harvester in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a side view of one embodiment of a portion of a material processing system of an agricultural harvester in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, particularly illustrating one embodiment of a feed roller assembly and a chopper assembly of the material processing system; 
         FIGS.  3 A and  3 B  illustrate a detail view of one embodiment of a top roller of a feed roller assembly of an agricultural harvester in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, particularly illustrating the top roller in a lowered position and in a raised position, respectively; 
         FIG.  4    illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a system for monitoring crop yield for an agricultural harvester in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; and 
         FIG.  5    illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for monitoring crop yield for an agricultural harvester in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. 
     
    
    
     Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present technology. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     In general, the present subject matter is directed to systems and methods for monitoring the crop yield of an agricultural harvester. In several embodiments, a computing system is communicatively coupled to one or more volume-related sensors that generate data associated with the volume of harvested materials being directed through a material processing system of a harvester and one or more density-related sensors that generate data associated with the density of such harvested materials. Such volume-related and density-related data may, in turn, be used by the computing system to monitor the crop yield of the harvester, such as by allowing the computing system to calculate or determine the mass flow rate of the harvested materials directed through the material processing system of the harvester. In addition to monitoring the crop yield based on the volume-related and density-related sensor data, the computing system may also be configured to initiate or execute one or more control actions associated with the monitored crop yield. 
     The presently disclosed system and method generally provide numerous advantages for monitoring the crop yield of the harvester. For instance, the volume-related and density-related sensors described herein can be implemented using relatively low cost sensors, thereby minimizing the overall costs to the end-user. Moreover, the sensors require little or no maintenance, thereby eliminating (or least minimizing) the downtime associated with maintaining the sensors of existing yield monitoring systems. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG.  1    illustrates a side view of one embodiment of an agricultural harvester  10  in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. As shown, the harvester  10  is configured as a sugarcane harvester. However, in other embodiments, the harvester  10  may correspond to any other suitable agricultural harvester known in the art. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the harvester  10  includes a frame  12 , a pair of front wheels  14 , a pair of rear wheels  16 , and an operator&#39;s cab  18 . The harvester  10  may also include a primary source of power (e.g., an engine mounted on the frame  12 ) which powers one or both pairs of the wheels  14 ,  16  via a transmission (not shown). Alternatively, the harvester  10  may be a track-driven harvester and, thus, may include tracks driven by the engine as opposed to the illustrated wheels  14 ,  16 . The engine may also drive a hydraulic fluid pump (not shown) configured to generate pressurized hydraulic fluid for powering various hydraulic components of the harvester  10 . 
     The harvester  10  may also include a material processing system  19  incorporating various components, assemblies, and/or sub-assemblies of the harvester  10  for cutting, processing, cleaning, and discharging sugarcane as the cane is harvested from an agricultural field  20 . For instance, the material processing system  19  may include a topper assembly  22  positioned at the front end of the harvester  10  to intercept sugarcane as the harvester  10  is moved in the forward direction. As shown, the topper assembly  22  may include both a gathering disk  24  and a cutting disk  26 . The gathering disk  24  may be configured to gather the sugarcane stalks so that the cutting disk  26  may be used to cut off the top of each stalk. As is generally understood, the height of the topper assembly  22  may be adjustable via a pair of arms  28  hydraulically raised and lowered, as desired, by the operator. 
     The material processing system  19  may further include a crop divider  30  that extends upwardly and rearwardly from the field  20 . In general, the crop divider  30  may include two spiral feed rollers  32 . Each feed roller  32  may include a ground shoe  34  at its lower end to assist the crop divider  30  in gathering the sugarcane stalks for harvesting. Moreover, as shown in  FIG.  1   , the material processing system  19  may include a knock-down roller  36  positioned near the front wheels  14  and a fin roller  38  positioned behind the knock-down roller  36 . As the knock-down roller  36  is rotated, the sugarcane stalks being harvested are knocked down while the crop divider  30  gathers the stalks from agricultural field  20 . Further, as shown in  FIG.  1   , the fin roller  38  may include a plurality of intermittently mounted fins  40  that assist in forcing the sugarcane stalks downwardly. As the fin roller  38  is rotated during the harvest, the sugarcane stalks that have been knocked down by the knock-down roller  36  are separated and further knocked down by the fin roller  38  as the harvester  10  continues to be moved in the forward direction relative to the field  20 . 
     Referring still to  FIG.  1   , the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10  may also include a base cutter assembly  42  positioned behind the fin roller  38 . As is generally understood, the base cutter assembly  42  may include blades (not shown) for severing the sugarcane stalks as the cane is being harvested. The blades, located on the periphery of the assembly  42 , may be rotated by a hydraulic motor (not shown) powered by the vehicle&#39;s hydraulic system. Additionally, in several embodiments, the blades may be angled downwardly to sever the base of the sugarcane as the cane is knocked down by the fin roller  38 . 
     Moreover, the material processing system  19  may include a feed roller assembly  44  located downstream of the base cutter assembly  42  for moving the severed stalks of sugarcane from base cutter assembly  42  along the processing path of the material processing system  19 . As shown in  FIG.  1   , the feed roller assembly  44  may include a plurality of bottom rollers  46  and a plurality of opposed, top pinch rollers  48 . The various bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  may be used to pinch the harvested sugarcane during transport. As the sugarcane is transported through the feed roller assembly  44 , debris (e.g., rocks, dirt, and/or the like) may be allowed to fall through bottom rollers  46  onto the field  20 . 
     In addition, the material processing system  19  may include a chopper assembly  50  located at the downstream end of the feed roller assembly  44  (e.g., adjacent to the rearward-most bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48 ). In general, the chopper assembly  50  may be used to cut or chop the severed sugarcane stalks into pieces or “billets”  51 , which may be, for example, six (6) inches long. The billets  51  may then be propelled towards an elevator assembly  52  of the material processing system  19  for delivery to an external receiver or storage device (not shown). 
     As is generally understood, pieces of debris  53  (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the sugarcane billets  51  may be expelled from the harvester  10  through a primary extractor  54  of the material processing system  19 , which is located immediately behind the chopper assembly  50  and is oriented to direct the debris  53  outwardly from the harvester  10 . Additionally, an extractor fan  56  may be mounted within the primary extractor  54  for generating a suction force or vacuum sufficient to pick up the debris  53  and force the debris  53  through the primary extractor  54 . The separated or cleaned billets  51 , heavier than the debris  53  being expelled through the extractor  54 , may then fall downward to the elevator assembly  52 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , the elevator assembly  52  may include an elevator housing  58  and an elevator  60  extending within the elevator housing  58  between a lower, proximal end  62  and an upper, distal end  64 . In general, the elevator  60  may include a looped chain  66  and a plurality of flights or paddles  68  attached to and evenly spaced on the chain  66 . The paddles  68  may be configured to hold the sugarcane billets  51  on the elevator  60  as the billets are elevated along a top span of the elevator  60  defined between its proximal and distal ends  62 ,  64 . Additionally, the elevator  60  may include lower and upper sprockets  72 ,  74  positioned at its proximal and distal ends  62 ,  64 , respectively. As shown in  FIG.  1   , an elevator motor  76  may be coupled to one of the sprockets (e.g., the upper sprocket  74 ) for driving the chain  66 , thereby allowing the chain  66  and the paddles  68  to travel in an endless loop between the proximal and distal ends  62 ,  64  of the elevator  60 . 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, pieces of debris  53  (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the elevated sugarcane billets  51  may be expelled from the harvester  10  through a secondary extractor  78  of the material processing system  19  coupled to the rear end of the elevator housing  58 . For example, the debris  53  expelled by the secondary extractor  78  may be debris remaining after the billets  51  are cleaned and debris  53  expelled by the primary extractor  54 . As shown in  FIG.  1   , the secondary extractor  78  may be located adjacent to the distal end  64  of the elevator  60  and may be oriented to direct the debris  53  outwardly from the harvester  10 . Additionally, an extractor fan  80  may be mounted at the base of the secondary extractor  78  for generating a suction force or vacuum sufficient to pick up the debris  53  and force the debris  53  through the secondary extractor  78 . The separated, cleaned billets  51 , heavier than the debris  53  expelled through the extractor  78 , may then fall from the distal end  64  of the elevator  60 . Typically, the billets  51  may fall downwardly through an elevator discharge opening  82  of the elevator assembly  52  into an external storage device (not shown), such as a sugarcane billet cart. 
     During operation, the harvester  10  is traversed across the agricultural field  20  for harvesting sugarcane. After the height of the topper assembly  22  is adjusted via the arms  28 , the gathering disk  24  on the topper assembly  22  may function to gather the sugarcane stalks as the harvester  10  proceeds across the field  20 , while the cutter disk  26  severs the leafy tops of the sugarcane stalks for disposal along either side of harvester  10 . As the stalks enter the crop divider  30 , the ground shoes  34  may set the operating width to determine the quantity of sugarcane entering the throat of the harvester  10 . The spiral feed rollers  32  then gather the stalks into the throat to allow the knock-down roller  36  to bend the stalks downwardly in conjunction with the action of the fin roller  38 . Once the stalks are angled downwardly as shown in  FIG.  1   , the base cutter assembly  42  may then sever the base of the stalks from field  20 . The severed stalks are then, by movement of the harvester  10 , directed to the feed roller assembly  44 . 
     The severed sugarcane stalks are conveyed rearwardly by the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48 , which compress the stalks, make them more uniform, and shake loose debris to pass through the bottom rollers  46  to the field  20 . At the downstream end of the feed roller assembly  44 , the chopper assembly  50  cuts or chops the compressed sugarcane stalks into pieces or billets  51  (e.g., 6 inch cane sections). The processed crop material discharged from the chopper assembly  50  is then directed as a stream of billets  51  and debris  53  into the primary extractor  54 . The airborne debris  53  (e.g., dust, dirt, leaves, etc.) separated from the sugarcane billets is then extracted through the primary extractor  54  using suction created by the extractor fan  56 . The separated/cleaned billets  51  then fall downwardly through an elevator hopper  86  into the elevator assembly  52  and travel upwardly via the elevator  60  from its proximal end  62  to its distal end  64 . During normal operation, once the billets  51  reach the distal end  64  of the elevator  60 , the billets  51  fall through the elevator discharge opening  82  to an external storage device. If provided, the secondary extractor  78  (with the aid of the extractor fan  80 ) blows out trash/debris  53  from harvester  10 , similar to the primary extractor  54 . 
     As indicated above, it is generally desirable to monitor the mass flow rate of harvested materials (e.g., sugarcane) through an agricultural harvester to allow the operator to gather data associated with the crop yield and evaluate the performance of the harvester. In addition, the mass flow rate through the harvester may also be used to automate certain functions or control actions associated with the harvester, such as to automatically adjust one or more operational settings of one or more harvester components to improve the efficiency and/or performance thereof. As will be described below, the mass flow rate of the harvested materials may be estimated or determined based on one or more monitored, harvesting-related parameters. For instance, in several embodiments, one or more harvesting-related parameters may be monitored that are indicative of the volume (or volumetric flow rate) of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system of the harvester while one or more other harvesting-related parameters may be monitored that are indicative of the density of such materials. The mass flow rate of the harvested materials may then be determined as a function of such monitored parameters. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  2   , a side view of a portion of a material processing system of an agricultural harvester is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, particularly showing a side view of one embodiment of the feed roller assembly  44  and chopper assembly  50  of the material processing system  19  associated with the agricultural harvester  10  described above with reference to  FIG.  1   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the feed roller assembly  44  extends between a first end  44 A and a second end  44 B, with the first end  44 A of the feed roller assembly  44  being adjacent the base cutter assembly  42  and the second end  44 B of the feed roller assembly  44  being adjacent the chopper assembly  50 . As such, the first end  44 A of the feed roller assembly  44  is configured to receive harvested materials (e.g., severed sugarcane stalks) from the base cutter assembly  42  and to convey the flow of harvested materials along a flow path FP defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  to the chopper assembly  50  at the second end  44 B of the feed roller assembly  44 . While the feed roller assembly  44  is shown as having six bottom rollers  46  and five top rollers  48 , it should be appreciated that the feed roller assembly  44  may have any other suitable number of bottom and/or top rollers  46 ,  48 . 
     Due to variations in the volume of harvested materials being processed by the material processing system  19 , the flow of harvested materials through the feed roller assembly  44  will inherently vary in thickness. As such, one set of the rollers of the feed roller assembly  44  may be configured as floating rollers (with the other set of rollers being configured as fixed or non-floating rollers) such that the spacing between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  is variable to account for changes in the volume of the harvested materials being directed through the feed roller assembly  44 . For instance, in one embodiment, each of the top rollers  48  is movable within a respective slot  100 . As particularly shown in  FIGS.  3 A and  3 B , each slot  100  may extend between a first slot end  100 A and a second slot end  100 B. When the top roller  48  abuts against the first slot end  100 A, the top roller  48  is in a lowest position, such that the top roller  48  is spaced by a first distance D1 from the respective bottom roller  46 . When the top roller  48  abuts against the second slot end  100 B, the top roller  48  is in a highest position, such that the top roller  48  is spaced by a second distance D2 from the respective bottom roller  46 . In one embodiment, the first distance D1 is the closest that the top roller  48  may be from the adjacent bottom roller  46  and the second distance D2 is the furthest that the top roller  48  may be from the adjacent bottom roller  46 . In some embodiments, the top rollers  48  are pivotable about a respective pivot joint  102  to move within the slot  100  between the first and second slot ends  100 A,  100 B. For instance, the top roller  48  may be pivoted about the pivot joint  102  between a first angular position, corresponding to the first distance D1, and a second angular position, corresponding to the second distance D2. However, in other embodiments, the top rollers  48  may be configured to move within the slot in any other suitable way. Alternatively, the top rollers  48  may be fixed or non-floating and the bottom rollers  46  may, instead, be movable to allow the spacing between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  to be varied. 
     In accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, one or more sensors may be provided in association with the feed roller assembly  44  for detecting variations in the spacing between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48 , thereby providing an indication of the volume of harvested materials being directed through the feed roller assembly  44 . Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, one or more displacement sensors  110  may be provided for detecting the displacement of one or more respective top rollers  48  of the feed roller assembly  44 , including, for example, the magnitude and/or rate of the displacement. For instance, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a displacement sensor  110  is provided in operative association with the furthest downstream top roller  48  of the feed roller assembly  44  to detect the displacement of the roller  48  relative to the adjacent bottom roller  46  as harvested materials are directed through the feed roller assembly  44 , thereby providing an indication of the material volume being processed through the material processing system  19 . In an alternative embodiment in which the bottom rollers  46  are movable and the top rollers  48  are fixed or non-floating, the displacement sensor(s)  110  may, instead, be configured to detect the displacement of one or more of the bottom rollers  46  as harvested materials are directed through the feed roller assembly  44 . 
     It should be appreciated that, although a single displacement sensor  110  is shown as being associated with the feed roller assembly  44 , any number of displacement sensors  110  may be used to monitor the displacement of any number of the floating rollers so as to provide an indication of the volume of harvested materials being directed through the feed roller assembly  44 . It should further be appreciated that the displacement sensor(s)  110  may comprise any suitable sensor(s) or combination of sensors for detecting displacement of an associated floating roller of the feed roller assembly  44 , such as angular position sensors, accelerometers, and/or the like. Additionally, it should be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, any other suitable type of sensor(s) may be used to generate data indicative of the volume of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10 , such as cameras and/or other imaging devices, radar or sonar sensors, and/or the like. 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIG.  2   , the chopper assembly  50  may generally include an outer housing  120  and one or more chopper drums  122  rotatably supported within the chopper housing  120 . As is generally understood, the chopper drums  122  are configured to be rotatably driven within the housing  120  such that chopper elements  124  extending outwardly from each drum  122  (e.g., blades) cut or chop the harvested materials received from the feed roller assembly  44 , thereby generating a stream of processed harvested materials (e.g., including both billets  51  and debris  53 ) that is discharged from the chopper assembly  50  via an outlet of the housing  120 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a hydraulic motor(s)  126  is provided in association with the chopper drums  122  for rotationally driving the drums  122 . The hydraulic motor(s)  126  is, in turn, fluidly coupled to a hydraulic pump  128  of the vehicle&#39;s hydraulic system (e.g., via an associated hydraulic circuit  130 —shown in dashed lines) such that pressurized hydraulic fluid can be delivered from the pump  128  to rotationally drive the motor(s)  126 . 
     During operation of the chopper assembly  50 , an anti-rotation or resistive force is applied to the chopper drums  122  that generally varies depending on both the volume of harvested materials being directed between the chopper drums  122  and the density of such harvested materials. As indicated above, the volume of harvested materials can be monitored or determined by detecting the floating roller displacement within the feed roller assembly  44 . Thus, by knowing the volume of harvested materials, the material density of the harvested materials can be estimated or inferred by detecting one or more parameters indicative of the resistive force applied to the chopper drums  122  by the harvested materials being directed therebetween. In several embodiments, this resistive force (and, thus, the density of the harvested materials) is directly related to the pressure of the hydraulic fluid that must be supplied to the hydraulic motor(s)  126  in order to maintain the drums  122  rotating at a given rotational speed (e.g., a desired RPM setting). Thus, in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, one or more pressure sensors  140  may be provided to monitor the fluid pressure associated with the hydraulic motor(s)  126 , thereby providing an indication of the density of the harvested materials being directed through the chopper assembly  50 . For instance, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a pressure sensor  140  is provided in fluid communication with the hydraulic circuit  130  coupling the motor  126  to the pump  128  to monitor the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid being suppled thereto. 
     It should be appreciated that, although a single pressure sensor  140  is shown as being used to monitor the fluid pressure associated with the operation of the chopper assembly  50 , any number of pressure sensors  110  may be used to monitor the fluid pressure. Additionally, it should be appreciated, that in alternative embodiments, any other suitable type of sensor(s) may be used to generate data indicative of the density of the materials being directed through the material processing system, such as any other suitable sensor(s) configured to detect a parameter associated with the resistive force applied to the chopper drums  122  of the chopper assembly  50 . 
     It should also be appreciated that various other sensors or sensing devices may be provided in operative association with the feed roller assembly  44  and/or the chopper assembly  50 . In one embodiment, one or more speed sensors may be provided to monitor the rotational speed of the feeder rollers  46 ,  48  and/or the chopper drums  122 . For instance, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a first speed sensor  142  may be provided in association with the chopper assembly  150  to monitor the rotational speed of the chopper drums  122 , such as by installing the sensor  142  in association with the motor  126  driving the drums  122 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a second speed sensor  144  may be provided in association with the feed roller assembly  44  to monitor the rotational speed of the rollers and, thus, the feed rate through the assembly  44 . 
     As will be described below, a computing system may be provided in association with an agricultural harvester that is configured to determine or estimate the mass flow rate of the harvested materials through the harvester&#39;s material processing system based on sensor feedback associated with one or more harvesting-related parameter. For instance, in several embodiments, the computing system may be communicatively coupled to the above-described sensors  110 ,  140  to obtain data associated with the volume and density of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19 , thereby allowing the mass flow rate of the harvested materials to be subsequently calculated or determined. For instance, the volume-related data received from the displacement sensor(s)  110  may be used to determine a volumetric flow rate of the harvested materials through the feeder assembly  44 , while the density-related data received from the pressure sensor(s)  110  may be used to determine the material density of the harvested materials. Such variables may be then used to calculate the mass flow rate through the material processing system  19  (e.g., an instantaneous mass flow rate through the system) using the following relationship (Equation 1): 
         M=Q×φ   (1)
 
     wherein: M corresponds to the mass flow rate of the harvested materials in kilograms per second (kg/s); Q corresponds to the volumetric flow rate of the harvested materials in meters cubed per second (m 3 /s); and φ corresponds to the density of the harvested materials in kilograms per meters cubed (kg/m 3 ). 
     As indicated above, the volume-related roller displacement data provided via the displacement sensors  110  may be used to determine the volumetric flow rate of the harvested materials through the material processing system  19 . Specifically, the displacement data may allow for the distance or height defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  to be determined, which may then be used to calculate the volumetric flow rate. For instance, in one implementation, the volumetric flow rate may be calculated using the following equation (Equation 2): 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   Q 
                   = 
                   
                     
                       W 
                       ⋆ 
                       H 
                       ⋆ 
                       V 
                     
                     60 
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   2 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     wherein: Q corresponds to the volumetric flow rate of the harvested materials in meters cubed per second (m 3 /s); W corresponds to the width of the feeder assembly  44  in meters (m) (e.g., at the location within the feed roller assembly  44  at which the floating roller displacement is being monitored); H corresponds to the distance or height defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m) (e.g., at the location within the feed roller assembly  44  at which the floating roller displacement is being monitored); and V corresponds to the speed at which the harvested materials are being fed through the feeder assembly  44  in meters per minute (m/min) (e.g., as determined as a function of the rotational speed of the rollers  46 ,  48  of the feeder assembly  44  or as a function of the rotational speed of the chopper drums  122  when a known relationship exists between the chopper drum rotation and the roller rotation, one or both of which can be monitored via the speed sensors  142 ,  144  described above). 
     It should be appreciated that, although Equation 2 above incorporates a denominator value of 60 for converting minutes-to-seconds (e.g., to allow the determined mass flow rate to be expressed in kilograms per second (kg/s)), any other suitable time basis or units may be used for the equations contained herein. 
     The distance or height (H) defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  may also be expressed as function of the percentage that the monitored roller has been currently displaced between its minimum height (e.g., when the top roller  48  is at position  100 A in slot  100  and distance D1 is defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48 ) and its maximum height (e.g., when the top roller  48  is at position  100 B in slot  100  and distance D2 is defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48 ), such as by using the expression (Equation 3): 
         H=D 1+( D 2− D 1)× DP   (3)
 
     wherein: H corresponds to the distance or height currently defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m); D1 corresponds to the minimum height that cab be defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m); D2 corresponds to the maximum height that can be defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m); and DP corresponds to the displacement percentage of the monitored roller between its minimum and maximum positions  100 A,  100 B as monitored via the displacement sensor(s)  110 . 
     Moreover, as indicated above, the density-related data provided via the pressure sensors  140  may be used to determine the density of the harvested materials directed through the material processing system  19 . Specifically, in several embodiments, the instantaneous chopper-related pressure that is detected while chopping harvested materials can be compared to a baseline chopper-related pressure associated with the chopper drums  122  being rotated without any resistive force applied thereto (e.g., when the chopper drums  122  are being rotated without any materials being directed therebetween) to determine a pressure differential between such pressures. This pressure differential may then be used in combination with a correction factor that takes into account the volume of harvested materials being directed through the chopper assembly  50  to determine the material density. For instance, in one implementation, the density of the harvested materials may be calculated using the following equation (Equation 4): 
       φ= X ×( P   work   −P   empty )  (4)
 
     wherein: φ corresponds to the density of the harvested materials in kilograms per meters cubed (kg/m 3 ); X corresponds to a correction or adjustment factor in kilograms per meters cubed bar (kg/m 3  bar) determined as a function of the volume of harvested materials being directed through the chopper assembly  50  (e.g., by using an associated look-up table that correlates the volume determine via the displacement sensor(s)  110  to the adjustment factor); P work  corresponds to the instantaneous or monitored fluid pressure associated with the chopper assembly  50  in bars as harvested materials are being processed by the assembly  50  (e.g., as determined based on the data received from the pressure sensor(s)); and P empty  corresponds to the baseline fluid pressure associated with the chopper assembly  50  operating without any harvested materials being processed by the assembly  50 . 
     It should be appreciated that the above-referenced equations may be combined to allow for the mass flow rate of the harvested materials to be expressed as a function of both the displacement percentage (e.g., as determined as a function of the data received from the displacement sensor(s)  110 ) and the fluid pressure (e.g., as determined as a function of the data received from the pressure sensor(s)  140 ). For instance, the mass flow rate may be expressed according to the following relationship (Equation 5): 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   M 
                   = 
                   
                     
                       
                         W 
                         ⋆ 
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               D 
                               ⁢ 
                               1 
                             
                             + 
                             
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   
                                     D 
                                     ⁢ 
                                     2 
                                   
                                   - 
                                   
                                     D 
                                     ⁢ 
                                     1 
                                   
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                               ⋆ 
                               
                                 D 
                                 ⁢ 
                                 P 
                               
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                         ⋆ 
                         V 
                       
                       60 
                     
                     ⋆ 
                     X 
                     ⋆ 
                     
                       ( 
                       
                         
                           P 
                           work 
                         
                         - 
                         
                           P 
                           empty 
                         
                       
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   5 
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     wherein: M corresponds to the mass flow rate of the harvested materials in kilograms per second (kg/s); W corresponds to the width of the feeder assembly  44  in meters (m); D1 corresponds to the minimum height that cab be defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m); D2 corresponds to the maximum height that can be defined between the bottom and top rollers  46 ,  48  in meters (m); DP corresponds to the displacement percentage of the monitored roller between its minimum and maximum positions  100 A,  100 B; V corresponds to the speed at which the harvested materials are being fed through the feeder assembly  44  in meters per minute (m/min); X corresponds to a correction or adjustment factor in kilograms per meters cubed bar (kg/m 3  bar) determined as a function of the volume of harvested materials being directed through the chopper assembly  50 ; P work  corresponds to the instantaneous or monitored fluid pressure associated with the chopper assembly  50  in bars as harvested materials are being processed by the assembly  50 ; and P empty  corresponds to the baseline fluid pressure associated with the chopper assembly  50  operating without any harvested materials being processed by the assembly  50 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   , a schematic view of one embodiment of a system  200  for monitoring the crop yield of an agricultural harvester is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the system  200  will be described herein with reference to the agricultural harvester  10  and associated components described above with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 3 B . However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed system  200  may be implemented with harvesters having any other suitable configurations. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , the system  200  may include a computing system  202  and various other components configured to be communicatively coupled to and/or controlled by the computing system  202 . For instance, the computing system  202  may be communicatively coupled to one or more volume-related sensors  210  that generate data associated with the volume of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10  and one or more density-related sensors that generate data associated with the density of such harvested materials. As indicated above, the volume-related sensor(s)  210  may, in one embodiment, correspond to one or more displacement sensors  110  configured to detect variations in the distance or height defined between a given pair of adjacent top and bottom rollers  46 ,  48  of the feed roller assembly  44  by monitoring the displacement of one of such rollers  46 ,  48  (e.g., the floating roller) relative to the other. Similarly, as indicated above, the density-related sensor(s)  212  may, in one embodiment, correspond to one or more pressure sensors  140  configured to detect a fluid pressure associated with the operation of the chopper assembly  50 , such as the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid that must be supplied to the hydraulic motor(s)  126  to maintain the chopper drums  122  rotating at a given speed despite the anti-rotation or resistive force applied by the harvested materials against the chopper drums  122 . Such volume-related and density-related data may, in turn, be used by the computing system  202  to calculate or determine the mass flow rate of the harvested materials directed through the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10 , thereby allowing the computing system to monitor the crop yield and initiate or execute one or more control actions associated with the monitored crop yield. 
     In addition, the computing system may be communicatively coupled to and/or configured to control a user interface  214 . The user interface  214  described herein may include, without limitation, any combination of input and/or output devices that allow an operator to provide inputs to the computing system  202  and/or that allow the computing system  202  to provide feedback to the operator, such as a keyboard, display, keypad, pointing device, buttons, knobs, touch sensitive screen, mobile device, audio input device, audio output device, and/or the like. Moreover, as will be described below, the computing system  202  may also be communicatively coupled to and/or configured to control one or more additional components of the harvester  10  to allow the computing system  202  to, for example, automate the operation such harvester components. 
     In general, the computing system  202  may comprise any suitable processor-based device known in the art, such as a computing device or any suitable combination of computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the computing system  202  may include one or more processor(s)  204 , and associated memory device(s)  206  configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory device(s)  206  of the computing system may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, a computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory RAM)), a computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disk (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory device(s)  206  may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s)  204 , configure the computing system  202  to perform various computer-implemented functions, such as one or more aspects of the methods and algorithms that will be described herein. 
     It should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, the computing system  202  may correspond to an existing controller of the agricultural harvester  10 . However, it should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the computing system  202  may instead correspond to a separate processing device. For instance, in one embodiment, the computing system  202  may form all or part of a separate plug-in module that may be installed within the agricultural harvester  10  to allow for the disclosed system and method to be implemented without requiring additional software to be uploaded onto existing control devices of the agricultural harvester  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the computing system  202  may be configured to include one or more communications modules or interfaces  208  for the computing system  202  to communicate with any of the various system components described herein. For instance, one or more communicative links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between the computing system  202  and the sensor(s)  210 ,  212  to receive sensor data associated with the volume and density of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19 . Further, one or more communicative links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between the communications interface  208  and the user interface  214  to allow operator inputs to be received by the computing system  202  and/or the allow the computing system  202  to control the operation of one or more components of the user interface  212 . Moreover, one or more communicative links or interfaces (e.g., one or more data buses) may be provided between the communications interface  208  and any other suitable harvester component(s)  216  to allow the computing system  202  to control the operation of such component(s)  216 . 
     As indicated above, the computing system  202  may be configured to monitor the crop yield by estimating or determining the mass flow rate of the harvested materials through the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10 . For example, the computing system  202  may include one or more suitable relationships and/or algorithms stored within its memory  206  that, when executed by the processor  204 , allow the computing system  202  to estimate or determine the mass flow rate of the harvested materials through the material processing system  19  based at least in part on the sensor data provided by the volume-related and density-related sensors  210 ,  212 . Such relationships and/or algorithms may include or incorporate, for instance, one or more of the mathematical expressions described above with reference to Equations 1-5. For instance, the computing system  202  may be configured to monitor the displacement data received from the displacement sensor(s)  110  to determine the instantaneous displacement percentage of the monitored floating roller (which is indicative of the current distance or height defined between such floating roller and the adjacent fixed roller) and the pressure data received from the pressure sensor(s)  140  to determine the instantaneous fluid pressure associated with the current operation of the chopper assembly  50 . Such continuously monitored parameters may then be used to calculate the instantaneous mass flow rate of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19  of the harvester  10 , such as by inputting such monitored parameters into the afore-mentioned Equation 5 and/or by using one or more related look-up tables to “look-up” the mass flow rate associated with such monitored parameters. 
     Moreover, the computing system  202  may also be configured to initiate one or more control actions associated with or related to the mass flow rate determined as a function of the monitored parameters. For instance, in several embodiments, the computing system  202  may automatically control the operation of the user interface  214  to provide an operator notification associated with the determined mass flow rate. Specifically, in one embodiment, the computing system  202  may control the operation of the user interface  214  in a manner that causes data associated with the determined mass flow rate to be presented to the operator of the harvester  10 , such as by presenting raw or processed data associated with the mass flow rate including numerical values, graphs, maps, and/or any other suitable visual indicators. 
     Additionally, in some embodiments, the control action initiated by the computing system  202  may be associated with the generation of a yield map based at least in part on the mass flow rate determined as a function of the monitored parameters. For instance, in one embodiment, the computing system  202  may be communicatively coupled to a positioning device(s)  218  installed on or within the harvester  10  that is configured to determine the exact location of the harvester  10 , such as by using a satellite navigation position system (e.g. a GPS system, a Galileo positioning system, the Global Navigation satellite system (GLONASS), the BeiDou Satellite Navigation and Positioning system, and/or the like). In such an embodiment, the location data provided by the positioning device(s)  218  may be correlated to the mass flow rate calculations to generate a yield map associated with the crop yield at each location within the field. For instance, the location coordinates derived from the positioning device(s)  218  and the mass flow rate data may both be time-stamped. In such an embodiment, the time-stamped data may allow each mass flow rate datapoint to be matched or correlated to a corresponding set of location coordinates received from the positioning device(s)  218 , thereby allowing the precise location of the portion of the field associated with the mass flow rate datapoint to be determined by the computing system  202 . The resulting yield map may, for example, simply correspond to a data table that maps or correlates each mass flow rate datapoint to an associated field location. Alternatively, the yield map may be presented as a geo-spatial mapping of the mass flow rate data, such as a heat map that indicates the variability in the mass flow rate across the field. 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, the computing system  202  may additionally or alternatively be configured to automatically control the operation of one or more components of the harvester  216  based at least in part on the mass flow rate determined as a function of the monitored parameters. For instance, if the mass flow rate is consistently higher than expected, the operational settings of one or more components of the material processing system  19  may be automatically adjusted to accommodate the increased mass flow through system. Similarly, if the mass flow rate is consistently lower than expected, the operational settings of one or more components of the material processing system  19  may be automatically adjusted to accommodate the reduced mass flow through system. For instance, the computing system  202  may be configured to automatically adjust the ground speed of the harvester  10  (e.g., by automatically controlling the operation of the engine, transmission, and/or braking system of the harvester  10 ), the fan speed associated with one or both extractors  54 ,  78  (e.g., by automatically controlling the operation of the associated fan  56 ,  80 ), the elevator speed e.g., by automatically controlling the operation of the elevator motor  76 ), and/or any other suitable operational settings to accommodate variations in the mass flow through the system. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  5   , a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method  300  for monitoring the crop yield for an agricultural harvester is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the method  300  will be described herein with reference to the agricultural harvester  10  and related components described with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 3 B , and the various components of the system  200  described with reference to  FIG.  4   . However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed method  300  may be implemented with harvesters having any other suitable configurations and/or within systems having any other suitable system configuration. In addition, although  FIG.  5    depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of the method disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and/or adapted in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG.  5   , at ( 302 ), the method  300  may include receiving data indicative of a volume of a flow of harvested materials being directed through a material processing system of the harvester. For instance, as described above, the computing system  202  may be communicatively coupled to one or more volume-related sensors  210  configured to generate data associated with the volume of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19 . As an example, the volume-related sensor(s)  210  may, in one embodiment, correspond to one or more displacement sensors  110  configured to detect variations in the distance or height defined between a given pair of adjacent top and bottom rollers  46 ,  48  of the feed roller assembly  44  by monitoring the displacement of one of such rollers  46 ,  48  (e.g., the floating roller) relative to the other. 
     Additionally, at ( 304 ), the method  300  may include receiving data indicative of a density of the flow of harvested materials being directed through the material processing system. For instance, as described above, the computing system  202  may be communicatively coupled to one or more density-related sensors  212  configured to generate data associated with the density of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19 . As an example, the density-related sensor(s)  212  may, in one embodiment, correspond to one or more pressure sensors  140  configured to detect a fluid pressure associated with the operation of the chopper assembly  50 , such as the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid that must be supplied to the hydraulic motor(s)  126  to maintain the chopper drums  122  rotating at a given speed despite the anti-rotation or resistive force applied by the harvested materials against the chopper drums  122 . 
     Additionally, at ( 306 ), the method  300  may include determining a mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials directed through the material processing system based on the data received from the first and second sensor. Specifically, as indicated above, the computing system  202  may be configured to determine the mass flow rate of the harvested materials being directed through the material processing system  19  based on the volume-related and density-related data received from the sensors  210 ,  212 . For example, the computing system  202  may include one or more suitable relationships and/or algorithms stored within its memory  206  that, when executed by the processor  204 , allow the computing system  202  to estimate or determine the mass flow rate of the harvested materials through the material processing system  19  based at least in part on the sensor data provided by the volume-related and density-related sensors  210 ,  212 . 
     Referring still to  FIG.  5   , at ( 308 ), the method  300  may include initiating a control action in response to determining the mass flow rate of the flow of harvested materials directed through the material processing system. For example, as indicated above, the computing system  202  may be configured to initiate any number of control actions in association with the determined mass flow rate, including, but not limited to, presenting data associated with the mass flow rate to the operator via the associated user interface  214 , generating a yield map based at least in part on the determined mass flow rate and/or automatically controlling the operation of a component of the harvester  10  based at least in part on the determined mass flow rate. 
     It is to be understood that the steps of the method  300  are performed by the computing system  202  upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disk, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the computing system  202  described herein, such as the method  300 , is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The computing system  202  loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the computing system  202 , the computing system  202  may perform any of the functionality of the computing system  202  described herein, including any steps of the method  300  described herein. 
     The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or computing system. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as machine code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a computing system, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a computing system, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a computing system. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.