Microcombine
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Overview
Agricultural Microcombine (Combine) - a combine is a complex device that cuts, threshes, and winnows grains and field crops of all sorts. Modern combines are huge devices today, and a smaller one is desirable for a small farm. This is not to say that this design should not be scaleable to larger size, as required to feed larger populations effectively. We propose a hybrid combine, with all parts driven by separate, infinitely speed controllable motors. This eliminates all pulleys and complexity of a single power source powering the entire modern combine. The key here is availability of cost-effective motors and controls, where today, motor controls are prohibitively expensive for such a proposition. OS changes this. With a microcombine under the control of the operator, expensive maintenance is avoided, and full food sufficiency becomes feasible on the tens-of-acres scale.
Review of Project Status
The status of the project is "We are getting started now, as of April 25, 2011.
Status
Current work includes getting information from grain and bean farmers about their needs for a microcombine, the operation modes they'd like, etc. and surveying any commercial equipment available that is similar in scope/scale.