System and method for determining material yield and/or loss from a harvesting machine using acoustic sensors

1. A system for acoustically detecting and quantifying bulk material, which said system comprises:

an impact sensor including a sensor case enclosing a sensor interior;

said sensor case mounting a strike plate adapted for striking by the bulk material;

said strike plate communicating acoustically with said sensor interior;

an acoustic device communicating acoustically with said sensor interior and adapted for providing an output signal in response to bulk material striking said strike plate;

a processor connected to said acoustic device and adapted for receiving and processing said acoustic device output signals;

said acoustic device comprising a transducer adapted for converting acoustic energy to an electrical signal;

said transducer comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone;

a bandpass filter connected to said microphone and adapted for filtering bulk material impact for conversion to electrical output signals from said sensor;

an acoustic energy measurement device connected to said bandpass filter, an acoustic event detection device connected to said energy measurement device and a multiple impact detection device adapted for processing strikes by multiple bulk material pieces;

wherein said processor includes a time domain function adapted for identifying an acoustic energy signal source;

wherein said processor includes a frequency domain function adapted for identifying an acoustic energy signal source;

a neural network connected to said processor and adapted for providing output corresponding to the presence or absence of a bulk material impact said sensor case having an elongated, channel-shaped body with a top opening and opposite ends;

said sensor case having a pair of end caps each attached to a respective sensor case end;

each said end cap enclosing a respective end cap space forming a part of said sensor interior; and

said strike plate being mounted on said sensor case in covering relation over said top opening.

2. The system according to claim 1 , which includes: a communication module connected to said processor.

3. The system according to claim 2 , which includes:

an input/output (I/O) processing module connected to said processor.

4. The system according to claim 1 , which includes:

said strike plate having a generally rectangular configuration with opposite side edges;

said sensor case forming a pair of slots each located along a respective side of said top opening; and

said sensor case slots receiving said strike plate side edges with said strike panel mounted in covering relation over said sensor case interior.

5. A method of detecting and quantifying bulk material in bulk material handling equipment with a material intake, a material discharge and a material flow path between said intake and discharge, which method comprises the steps of:

providing an impact sensor with a sensor case enclosing a sensor interior;

providing said impact sensor with a strike plate mounted on said sensor case;

providing said impact sensor with an acoustic device;

mounting said acoustic device in acoustic communication with said sensor interior;

impacting said strike plate with bulk material and producing acoustic energy in said sensor interior;

providing an output signal from said acoustic device corresponding to acoustic energy in said sensor interior;

providing a digital processor connected to said acoustic device;

processing said output signal and identifying bulk material impacts on said strike plate;

providing output corresponding to a characteristic of said material flow through said equipment;

converting said acoustic energy to electric energy;

providing a microphone connected to said sensor case for said acoustic device;

providing a bandpass filter connected to said acoustic device;

filtering the output from said acoustic device with said bandpass filter;

providing a multiple impact detection device connected to said acoustic device;

detecting with said multiple impact detection device multiple bulk material impacts;

programming said processor with a time domain function;

identifying an acoustic energy signal source with said time domain function;

programming said processor with a frequency domain function; and

identifying an acoustic energy signal source with said frequency domain function.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said acoustic device comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone.

7. The method according to claim 5 , which includes additional steps of:

providing a communication module; and

connecting said communication module to said processor.

8. The method according to claim 5 , which includes additional steps of:

providing an electronics module including the microphone, the processor and an audio processor connected to the microphone in the processor.

9. The method according to claim 5 , which includes the additional steps of:

providing an input/output (I/O) processing module; and

connecting said I/O processing module to said processor.

10. The method according to claim 5 , which includes the additional step of soundproofing said sensor case.

11. The method according to claim 5 , which includes the additional step of:

directing sound waves within a sensor case carrier to said acoustic device.

12. The method according to claim 5 , which includes the additional step of:

tuning said sensor case to a frequency range corresponding to the impact of said bulk material on said strike plate.