FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to detection and/or suppression of sparks, embers, and/or flames, and more particularly to such detection and/or suppression in agricultural machinery.

BACKGROUND

Modern farms typically use agricultural machinery in order to increase efficiency. An uncontrolled fire in some types of agricultural machinery may result in a “total loss” of the machinery, loss of crops, and personal injury or death. Often after such a fire, there may not be a readily available standby or spare agricultural machine that is conveniently available to be used as a backup.

As an example, vehicles configured for harvesting cotton (e.g., “cotton harvesters”) can be relatively susceptible to fires because raw cotton (e.g., harvested cotton that has not yet been ginned) typically exhibits extreme flammability and is naturally very hydrophobic (e.g. actively repels water).

Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for improving fire safety in agricultural machinery such as, but not limited to, cotton harvesters.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, an aspect of this disclosure is the provision of systems and methods for improving fire safety in agricultural machinery. As a more specific example, an aspect of this disclosure is the provision of systems and methods for detecting, at least partially controlling, and/or suppressing adverse fire-related conditions (e.g., sparks, embers, and/or flames) in agricultural harvesters such as, but not limited to, cotton harvesters.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material and at least partially control any sparks, embers, and/or flames associated with the plant material can include a chassis, a material processing unit supported by the chassis and configured to at least partially define a flow path for transporting the harvested plant material, a pump supported by the chassis and configured to supply liquid fire suppressant under pressure when the pump is operated, and first and second nozzles configured to discharge the fire suppressant. The first and second nozzles can each be mounted to the material processing unit and connected to the pump for receiving the liquid fire suppressant under pressure from the pump and discharging the liquid fire suppressant into the flow path. The first nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant in a spray pattern having a central axis extending outwardly from the first nozzle in a first direction. The second nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant in a spray pattern having a central axis extending outwardly from the second nozzle in a second direction. The first and second directions can be different from one another. A controller can be configured to initiate operation of the pump.

The material processing unit can be an accumulator configured to repeatedly accumulate the harvested plant material and repeatedly discharge the harvested plant material. As another example, the material processing unit can be a module builder. The first and second nozzles can be configured to discharge into the accumulator and/or module builder.

A detector can be configured to detect at least one predetermined fire-related condition in the flow path. Optionally, the controller can be configured to initiate operation of the pump in response to a signal from the detector.

Machinery can be positioned in the flow path and configured to rotate and potentially generate sparks when engaged by any rock and/or metallic debris in the flow path. The machinery is typically positioned upstream from the first and second nozzles in the flow path. The machinery can be part of a cleaner configured to at least partially clean the plant material. As another example, the machinery can be part of a harvesting apparatus configured to harvest the plant material and provide the plant material to the flow path.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material and at least partially control any sparks, embers, and/or flames associated with the plant material can include a chassis; a module builder supported by the chassis, and configured to receive the harvested plant material and form the harvested plant material into a module within a first portion of an interior of the module builder; and a nozzle mounted to the module builder, and configured to receive fire suppressant under pressure and discharge the fire suppressant into a second portion of the interior of the module builder. The first and second portions of the interior can be adjacent to one another. The nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant in a pattern consisting essentially of fog and/or mist.

The module builder can include a plurality of belts configured to extend at least partially around the module. At least a portion of a belt of the plurality of belts can be positioned between the first and second portions of the interior.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material and at least partially control any sparks, embers, and/or flames associated with the plant material can include a chassis; an accumulator supported by the chassis, and configured to repeatedly accumulate the harvested plant material and repeatedly discharge the harvested plant material; a first nozzle mounted to a side wall of the accumulator, and configured to receive fire suppressant under pressure and discharge the fire suppressant into an interior of the accumulator; and a second nozzle mounted to a top wall of the accumulator, and configured to receive fire suppressant under pressure and discharge the fire suppressant into the interior of the accumulator.

The second nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant in a hollow spray pattern. The first nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant in a hollow area of the hollow spray pattern.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material and at least partially control any sparks, embers, and/or flames associated with the plant material can include a chassis; an accumulator supported by the chassis, and configured to repeatedly accumulate the harvested plant material and repeatedly discharge the harvested plant material; and a nozzle assembly comprising a body mounted to an outer surface of a sidewall of the accumulator, and further comprising a nozzle mounted in a recess of the body and configured to receive fire suppressant under pressure through the body. The recess of the body can be open to a hole in the side wall for at least partially facilitating the nozzle being configured to discharge the fire suppressant into an interior of the accumulator.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material and at least partially control any sparks, embers, and/or flames associated with the plant material can include a chassis; an accumulator supported by the chassis, and configured to repeatedly accumulate the harvested plant material and repeatedly discharge the harvested plant material; and a nozzle assembly comprising a body mounted to an inner surface of a sidewall of the accumulator, and further comprising a nozzle mounted to the body and configured to receive fire suppressant under pressure through the body. The nozzle can be configured to discharge the fire suppressant, in a spray pattern, into an interior of the accumulator. The nozzle can be mounted to an inclined portion of the body so that the spray pattern has an inclined central axis.

The nozzle and body can be cooperatively configured so that the inclined central axis of the spray pattern extends toward an upright corner in the interior of the accumulator. As another example, the nozzle and body can be cooperatively configured so that the inclined central axis of the spray pattern extends toward a hollow area of a hollow spray pattern of another nozzle of the vehicle.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material can include a chassis; a plurality of material processing units supported by the chassis, configured to cooperatively move the harvested plant material along the flow path, and configured to be in series along the flow path, wherein the plurality of material processing units comprises a first material processing unit comprising machinery positioned in the flow path and configured to rotate and potentially generate sparks when engaged by any rock and/or metallic debris in the flow path, and a downstream material processing unit comprising a conduit positioned downstream from the first material processing unit; a fan supported by the chassis, wherein the fan is in fluid communication with the conduit and configured to at least partially cause the harvested plant material to be transported along at least the portion of the flow path within the conduit; and a detector configured to detect at least one predetermined fire-related condition within the conduit, and provide a signal comprising data indicative of any detection of the at least one predetermined fire-related condition within the conduit.

In another aspect, a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material can include a chassis; a plurality of material processing units supported by the chassis, configured to cooperatively move the harvested plant material along the flow path, and configured to be in series along the flow path, wherein the plurality of material processing units comprises an accumulator configured to repeatedly accumulate the harvested plant material and repeatedly discharge the harvested plant material; a detector configured to detect at least one predetermined fire-related condition within the accumulator, and provide a signal comprising data indicative of any detection of the at least one predetermined fire-related condition within the accumulator.

Another aspect of this disclosure is the provision of a method for at least partially controlling any fire-related condition in a vehicle configured to at least partially process harvested plant material. The method can include operating a plurality of material processing units supported by a chassis of the vehicle, so that the plurality of material processing units cooperatively move the harvested plant material along the flow path, wherein the plurality of material processing units are configured to be in series along the flow path, the plurality of material processing units includes upstream and downstream material processing units each including a respective chamber through which the flow path extends, and the upstream material processing unit is positioned upstream from the downstream material processing unit along the flow path; discharging fire suppressant into the chamber of the upstream material processing unit; discharging fire suppressant into the chamber of the downstream material processing unit; transporting harvested plant material from the upstream material processing unit to the downstream material processing unit along a portion of the flow path; ceasing the discharging of the fire suppressant into the chamber of the upstream material processing unit; and ceasing the discharging of the fire suppressant into the chamber of the downstream material processing unit after the ceasing of the discharging of the fire suppressant into the chamber of the upstream material processing unit.

The foregoing summary provides a few brief examples and is not exhaustive, and the present invention is not limited to the foregoing examples. The foregoing examples, as well as other examples, are further explained in the following detailed description with reference to accompanying drawings.

