Electronically controlled viscous coupler for combine harvester

1. An apparatus for feeding or conveying grain comprising:

a conveyor for moving grain and having an input end and an output end; and

a viscous clutch either directly or indirectly connected to the input end of the conveyor for transmitting torque from an input component to the input end of the conveyor;

a controller that is configured to either energize or deenergize the clutch to adjust a torque imparted to the conveyor by the input component;

a sensor connected to the controller for detecting a fill level of a receptacle that receives the conveyed grain from the apparatus, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a torque and speed transmitted by the viscous clutch as a function of the detected fill level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viscous clutch comprises a rotor, a housing that generally surrounds the rotor to define a working chamber therebetween, and an electromagnetic coil assembly for controlling a flow of fluid into the working chamber, wherein the rotor is either directly or indirectly connected to one of the conveyor and the input component, and the housing is either directly or indirectly connected to the other of the conveyor and the input component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the input component is an engine, a shaft, a chain or a belt.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor connected to the controller for detecting motion of the conveyor, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a torque transmitted by the viscous clutch as a function of the detected motion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an unloader conveyor having an input end adjacent the output end of the conveyor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viscous clutch is directly connected to the input end of the conveyor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor is an auger.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second conveyor and a second viscous clutch that is connected to the second conveyor, wherein each of the conveyors in a cross-auger.

9. A combine harvester comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

10. An agricultural vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

11. A method of feeding or conveying grain using a conveyor in an agricultural vehicle, said method comprising:

operating a viscous clutch, which is either directly or indirectly connected to an input end of the conveyor, to transmit torque from an input component to the conveyor in a variable manner; and

detecting a fill level of a receptacle that receives the conveyed grain, and operating the viscous clutch based upon the detected fill level.

12. The method of claim 11 , where the operating step comprises either energizing or deenergizing the viscous clutch.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising metering energization of the viscous clutch to adjust a level of torque transmission between the input component and the conveyor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the energizing step is performed by a controller of the agricultural vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising detecting motion of the conveyor and metering energization of the viscous clutch as a function of the detected motion.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conveyor is an auger.