Basecutter height calibration for sugarcane harvesters

1 . A sugarcane harvester for harvesting sugarcane stalks from sugarcane plants, the sugarcane harvester comprising:

an intake and cutting assembly for cutting the sugarcane stalks from the sugarcane plants as the sugarcane harvester moves through the sugarcane plants, the intake and cutting assembly including a basecutter for cutting bases of the sugarcane plants;

a chopping section for receiving the sugarcane stalks from the intake and cutting assembly and chopping the sugarcane stalks into billets;

a discharge assembly for receiving the billets from the chopping section and discharging the billets to a wagon or other storage vehicle or mechanism; and

a height adjustment system for calibrating an operational height of the basecutter by:

(a) while the sugarcane harvester is stationary, lowering the basecutter toward a ground surface;

(b) monitoring an operational aspect of the basecutter to determine if the basecutter has contacted the ground surface;

(c) obtaining and saving data representative of a height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground;

(d) raising the basecutter away from the ground surface;

(e) moving the sugarcane harvester forward or backward;

(f) repeating (a) to (e) to obtain and save at least two sets of data, each set of data representative of a height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground;

(g) calibrating the operational height of the basecutter based on the sets of data bv analyzing the sets of data to determine an average height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground, wherein the operational height is a height a selected distance above the average height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground.

2 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment system comprises a height adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering the basecutter.

3 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the height adjustment mechanism comprises a hydraulic motor or cylinder for raising and lowering the basecutter.

4 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment system comprises a sensor for monitoring the operational aspect of the basecutter.

5 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the basecutter includes a rotary blade and a hydraulic motor for rotating the blade, wherein the sensor for monitoring the operational aspect of the basecutter comprises a pressure sensor for monitoring a hydraulic pressure associated with the hydraulic motor of the basecutter.

6 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the monitoring step includes comparing the hydraulic pressure with a threshold pressure value to determine if the basecutter has contacted the ground surface.

7 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the height adjustment system further comprises a processing system for receiving signals from the sensor and performing the calibrating step.

8 . The sugarcane harvester as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the processing system calibrates the operational height of the basecutter before a harvesting operation and at least once during the harvesting operation.

9 . A method of calibrating an operational height of a basecutter of a sugarcane harvester, the method comprising:

(a) while the sugarcane harvester is stationary, lowering the basecutter toward a ground surface;

(b) monitoring an operational aspect of the basecutter to determine if the basecutter has contacted the ground surface;

(c) once the monitoring step indicates the basecutter has contacted the ground surface, obtaining and saving data representative of a height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground;

(d) raising the basecutter away from the ground surface;

(e) moving the sugarcane harvester forward or backward;

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) to obtain and save at least two sets of data, each set of data representative of a height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground;

(g) calibrating the operational height of the basecutter based on the sets of data by analyzing the sets of data to determine an average height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground, wherein the operational height is a height a selected distance above the average height of the basecutter when the basecutter contacts the ground.

10 . The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the basecutter includes a rotary blade and a hydraulic motor for rotating the blade, wherein the operational aspect of the basecutter is a hydraulic pressure associated with the hydraulic motor of the basecutter.

11 . The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the monitoring step includes comparing the hydraulic pressure with a threshold pressure value to determine if the basecutter has contacted the ground surface.

12 . The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the selected distance is 5 cm.

13 . The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein steps (a)-(e) are repeated at least 3 times.

14 . The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein steps (a)-(e) are repeated at least 5 times.

15 . The method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising raising the basecutter to the operational height.