METHOD FOR APPLYING SPRAYING TO AGRICULTURAL AREA AND AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for applying pesticides to an agricultural area according to the preamble of claim 1 and an agricultural spraying device according to the preamble of claim 6.

[0002] To apply pesticides to agricultural land, trailed, hand-held, and / or self-propelled spraying devices, such as field sprayers, are regularly used. Depending on the requirements, the pesticide is often a liquid fertilizer, plant protection product, herbicide, pesticide, or similar substance, and is generally applied over a large area or selectively via a variety of application units, particularly spray nozzles, which are arranged on the spraying device. On modern agricultural spraying devices, the pesticide is applied by means of application units, each of which is designed to set a specific application rate, preferably tailored to the requirements and / or location, by adjusting the opening times, in particular a pulse duration or duty cycle, on the application units themselves.

[0003] In order to provide the spraying agent as required at the respective application devices, the spraying agent is usually conveyed by means of at least one conveying device, in particular a pump device, associated with the spraying device, along at least one fluid circuit of the spraying device, on which the application devices are arranged or with which the application devices are fluidly connected.

[0004] An agricultural spraying device of this type and a corresponding method for applying spraying agents are also known, for example, from publications EP 2 153 710 A2 and EP 3 539 376 B1. A corresponding delivery rate and / or delivery pressure, with which the spraying agent is conveyed at least sectionally along the liquid circuit, is set on the basis of at least one operating parameter adjustable on the conveying device, in particular an adjustable speed of the conveying device. The spraying agent thus supplied is then applied to the cultivated area via several application devices arranged along the liquid circuit.

[0005] However, spraying devices and / or methods that can be operated in this way have so far had the disadvantage that the at least one adjustable operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device is always, and in particular only, controlled and / or regulated depending on at least one actuating element arranged along the liquid circuit, which is designed in particular as a central control valve or flow control valve, and / or depending on a travel speed of the spraying device. Such control and / or regulation of the at least one operating parameter of the conveying device has, however, proven to be insufficient in practice.

[0006] The object underlying the invention is therefore to design a method for applying spraying agents in such a way that the machine-internal conveying of the spraying agent and / or the operation of the at least one conveying device is further improved. In particular, a method is to be provided by which the at least one operating parameter, preferably the rotational speed, of the conveying device is optimally controlled.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by controlling and / or regulating at least one operating parameter, in particular the speed, of the conveying device on the basis of the adjustable opening times, in particular the pulse duration or the duty cycle, of the dispensing elements, and preferably additionally on the basis of the delivery quantity and / or the delivery pressure.

[0008] As a result of this measure, at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the at least one conveying device is variably adjusted depending on the setting parameters, in particular the opening times or pulse durations, of the dispensing elements. Preferably, the delivery rates and / or the delivery pressures of the spraying agent to be set within the liquid circuit are also taken into account. The operating parameter to be set, in particular the rotational speed, of the at least one conveying device is thus determined and / or specified depending on at least one setting parameter of the dispensing elements and preferably also on the basis of at least one further parameter, such as the travel speed of the spraying device, an opening degree of at least one actuator, a delivery rate and / or a delivery pressure of the spraying agent.The at least one operating parameter of the conveying device can, for example, be stored and / or retrieved using an electronic function and / or an electronic characteristic map, which takes into account the at least one setting parameter of the dispensing elements and preferably at least one further setting parameter. Such an embodiment ensures that the at least one conveying device, in particular the pumping device, is operated during dispensing with an optimally matched operating parameter, in particular with an optimal rotational speed.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the delivery rate of the spraying agent can be determined and / or specified by a target flow rate of the spraying agent, and / or the delivery pressure of the spraying agent can be determined and / or specified by a target delivery pressure or target system pressure of the spraying agent. In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one measuring device is provided, especially along the liquid circuit, which is configured to detect an actual flow rate and / or an actual delivery pressure or actual system pressure of the spraying agent, wherein the actual flow rate and / or the actual delivery pressure is taken into account for controlling and / or regulating the operating parameter of the delivery device.

[0010] The application devices are preferably designed as, in particular, quickly switchable valves and / or spray nozzles. However, the application devices are particularly preferably designed as spray nozzles, each of which is assigned at least one valve configured to release and / or block, and in particular to regulate, the application of the spray agent via the respective spray nozzle. Alternatively or additionally, each application device can also be designed as a multi-nozzle body, with several spray nozzles that can be switched on as needed. In an application device designed as a multi-nozzle body, at least one valve can be assigned to several or all spray nozzles together, or alternatively or additionally, to each spray nozzle individually.Alternatively or additionally, such an application device can also be a valve, for example in the form of a section control valve, which is assigned to a group of individual spray nozzles or a group of multiple nozzle bodies and is designed to control and / or regulate the flow of the spray agent to the multiple spray nozzles or multiple nozzle bodies.

[0011] The dispensing elements are preferably connected via the fluid circuit to at least one reservoir of the spraying device for storing the spraying agent. The spraying agent can be stored in at least partially premixed form, for example, consisting of at least one chemical and a carrier liquid, or alternatively in separate reservoirs, wherein the separately stored liquids (chemical and carrier liquid) are combined or mixed along the fluid circuit to form the spraying agent in an adjustable manner.

[0012] The conveying device, in particular the pumping device, is preferably driven by at least one associated actuator. The actuator can be a hydraulically, pneumatically, and / or electrically driven motor, which is arranged on and / or connected to the conveying device. Alternatively or additionally, the pumping device can also be driven by an external actuator, which is associated with another machine or machine system, for example, a tractor. For example, a power take-off (PTO) drive can be provided between the tractor and the spraying device, which is configured to variably adjust the respective operating parameter, in particular the speed, of the conveying device. Furthermore, the at least one conveying device is preferably of the type of liquid pump or spraying agent pump, such as a piston diaphragm pump, centrifugal pump, or the like.The at least one conveying device is preferably arranged between at least one storage container and the dispensing elements, particularly along the liquid circuit. Alternatively or additionally, several such conveying devices within the spraying device, particularly along the liquid circuit, would also be conceivable.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the application devices are controlled and / or regulated by pulse width modulation and / or pulse width frequency modulation. The application devices are preferably designed as so-called PWM nozzles or PWM valves with adjustable pulse width. Alternatively or additionally, the application devices can also be designed as so-called PWFM nozzles or PWFM valves with an additionally adjustable pulse frequency. Such application devices are configured to regulate and / or adjust the delivery rate and / or the delivery pressure, in particular the delivery rate and / or the delivery pressure at the spray nozzle, based on one or more predefinable duty cycles.In particular, such application devices are designed to control and / or regulate the delivery rate and / or application rate based on the adjustable pulse width and the delivery pressure and / or application pressure based on the adjustable pulse frequency. In such an embodiment, it is particularly preferred that at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the delivery device is predetermined and / or set based on the set duty cycle, in particular the pulse width and / or pulse frequency, of the application devices. Thus, it is provided that at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, is varied based on the duty cycle of the application devices.

[0014] In a further development of the method according to the invention, at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device is set to one of several defined operating points, in particular defined rotational speeds, which are in particular determinable and / or retrievable. The defined operating points, in particular the defined rotational speeds, are each assigned to different opening times, in particular pulse durations or duty cycles. Preferably, the defined operating points, in particular rotational speeds, are additionally assigned to different conveying rates and / or conveying pressures. The different operating points, in particular rotational speeds, are preferably retrieved and / or determined or calculated using electronically stored function curves and / or characteristic maps. Each adjustable opening time orEach duty cycle of the dispensing elements, and preferably each delivery rate and / or delivery pressure, is preferably assigned at least one optimal operating point, in particular at least one optimal speed. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that different, in particular closely spaced, opening times or duty cycles are assigned a common operating point, in particular a common speed.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device is controlled and / or regulated within, preferably predefinable and / or variable, limit values. The limit values ​​are preferably adjusted depending on the opening times, in particular pulse durations or duty cycles, the delivery rate, and / or the delivery pressure. The limit values ​​can, for example, be stored electronically and / or manually predefine and / or adjusted. In particular, it can also be provided that, if the limit values ​​are exceeded or fallen below by the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, the respective opening times, delivery rates, and / or delivery pressures are adjusted such that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device is corrected or changed in the direction of the limit values.Such limit values ​​could, for example, be a maximum or minimum speed of the pumping device.

[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least one actuating element provided for adjusting the delivery rate, in particular a quantity control valve, and / or the dispensing elements provided for adjusting the delivery pressure, are set and / or adjusted in such a way that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the speed, of the conveying device adjusts itself to one of the several, in particular determinable and / or retrievable, defined operating points, in particular speeds.If a defined operating point, in particular a defined rotational speed, cannot be readily achieved in a specific situation during application, for example due to the travel speed of the spraying device, it may be provided that either at least one actuator or the application components are set and / or adjusted in such a way that the defined operating points, in particular rotational speeds, are reached. Alternatively or additionally, it may also be provided that the at least one actuator and the application components are jointly set and / or adjusted in such a way that the defined operating points, in particular rotational speeds, are reached.Furthermore, it can also be provided, alternatively or additionally, that the travel speed of the spraying device is reduced or increased, for example by means of a Tractor Implement Management (TIM) protocol, in such a way that the defined operating points, in particular rotational speeds, are reached. At least one of the optimal operating points or rotational speeds can alternatively or additionally also be an operating point or rotational speed at which the conveying device has a particularly high efficiency or which is particularly advantageous with regard to wear and thus the service life and / or the energy consumption of the conveying device.

[0017] The problem underlying the invention is further solved by an agricultural spraying device, in particular a field sprayer, with at least one associated control and / or regulation system of the type mentioned above, wherein the spraying device with the associated control and / or regulation system is configured to carry out the method according to the invention according to one of the embodiments described above. With regard to the advantages and modifications of the spraying device according to the invention, reference is therefore made to the advantages and modifications of the method according to the invention.

[0018] Further details of the invention can be found in the description of the example and the drawings. The drawings show Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the fluid flow diagram of an agricultural spraying device for carrying out a method according to the invention.

[0019] An exemplary design of an agricultural spraying device 100, designed as a field sprayer and intended for applying a spraying agent to agricultural land, is shown in the Fig. 1 It should be explicitly mentioned that the spraying device 100 can alternatively also be integrated within an agricultural distribution machine, such as a seed drill, a tillage machine or a plant treatment machine, such as a hoe.

[0020] The spraying device 100 comprises at least one liquid circuit 10, into which at least one reservoir 12 for holding the spraying agent 11 is integrated. The spraying agent 11 is conveyed by means of at least one conveying device 20 designed as a pump along liquid lines 13, 14 carrying the spraying agent, which are in particular divided into at least one supply and return line. The conveying device 20 shown here is connected to the at least one reservoir 12 via a suction side and is configured to draw the spraying agent 11 from the reservoir 12 and convey it along the liquid circuit 10 in an adjustable manner.The spray agent 11 is conveyed on the basis of at least one operating parameter adjustable on the conveying device 20, preferably an adjustable speed of the conveying device 20, such that at least in sections a defined delivery quantity and / or a defined delivery pressure is set.

[0021] In addition to the exemplary embodiment shown, further embodiments according to the invention are conceivable in which the spraying device 100 alternatively or additionally comprises at least one further conveying device for conveying the spraying agent 11. The at least one further conveying device, in particular designed as a pump device, can also be arranged along the at least one liquid circuit 10 and / or connected to the at least one storage container 12. Furthermore, it would also be conceivable that the at least one further conveying device is alternatively or additionally assigned to at least one further or different liquid circuit of the spraying device 100. At least one conveying device can alternatively or additionally also be connected to an active ingredient conveying path, e.g., in the manner of a so-called direct feed, which is also not shown in this exemplary embodiment.In particular, it is stipulated that the conveying device is designed in the manner of piston diaphragm or centrifugal pumps.

[0022] As also in the Fig. 1As can be seen, the flow rate or, alternatively or additionally, the delivery pressure is adjusted and / or influenced via optional actuators 30A, 30B, which are designed like flow control valves or proportional control valves. In particular, it is provided that the flow rate or, alternatively or additionally, the delivery pressure can be varied by means of an adjustable opening degree of the actuators 30A, 30B. At least one of the actuators 30A, 30B, often referred to as central flow control valves, is arranged within the supply line 13, while at least one other actuator 30B is arranged within the return line 14. The actuators 30A, 30B can, of course, also be arranged at other positions in the fluid circuit 10. Furthermore, an alternative embodiment with only one actuator 30A, 30B is also conceivable.

[0023] Furthermore, 100 optional measuring devices, consisting of flow meters 40A, 40B and a pressure sensor 41, are arranged along the liquid circuit. The respective measuring devices are configured to detect and / or determine either the flow rate or the delivery pressure of the spraying agent 11. Alternatively or additionally, at least one optional measuring device could be configured to detect and / or determine both the flow rate and the delivery pressure of the spraying agent simultaneously. At least one of the illustrated flow meters 40A, 40B is arranged within the supply line 13 of the liquid circuit 10, while the other flow meter 40b is arranged along the return line 14 of the liquid circuit 10. Alternatively or additionally, a variant with only one or with more than two flow meters would also be conceivable.

[0024] The spray agent 11 is applied to the usable area via several application devices 50A-50L arranged along the liquid circuit 100. The application devices 50A-50L are designed as spray nozzles and / or spray nozzle valves and are arranged in an indicated delivery direction FR of the spray agent 11 downstream of the delivery unit 30, in particular between the supply and return lines 13, 14. Furthermore, each application device 50A-50L is configured to set an application rate of the spray agent 11, in particular a demand-based and / or site-specific rate, by means of adjustable opening times on the application devices 50A-50L. The necessary or demand-based application rates can be retrieved, for example, for partial areas and / or specific points using an electronically stored application map or the like.

[0025] Furthermore, it should be explicitly mentioned that the illustrated application devices 50A-50L in this embodiment are designed in particular as fast-switching spray nozzles or nozzle valves, often referred to as PWM or PWFM nozzles or valves. The application devices 50A-50L can be controlled and / or regulated at least partially or in groups, or individually, by means of pulse width modulation and / or pulse width frequency modulation, and thus by means of an adjustable duty cycle. Such application devices 50A-50L are usually arranged on a spray boom associated with the spraying device 100, which is often mounted on a pendulum.

[0026] As can also be seen from the exemplary liquid plan shown, unapplied or excess spray material 11 is conveyed back to the storage container 12 via the optional return line 14.

[0027] According to the invention, for the conveying of the spraying agent 11, it is provided that at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device 20 is controlled and / or regulated on the basis of the adjustable opening times, in particular the pulse duration or the duty cycle, of the dispensing devices 50A-50L.

[0028] For this purpose, an electronic computing unit 201 is provided, which is part of a control and / or regulation system 200 assigned to the spraying device 100. The computing unit 201 is connected to the application elements 50A-50L and the conveying device 20 via signal lines 202A, 202B, which are shown schematically, for data and / or signal transmission. The signal lines 202A, 202B can be at least partially wired and / or wireless. Thus, to determine and / or adjust at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device 20, the opening times or duty cycle of the application elements 50A-50L are transmitted to the computing unit 201.

[0029] Furthermore, it is optionally provided that at least one operating parameter of the conveying device 20 is additionally controlled and / or regulated based on the delivery rate and / or the delivery pressure. For this purpose, the electronic processing unit 201 is optionally connected via signal lines 202A to the measuring devices, in particular at least one volume flow meter 50A, 50B and / or a pressure sensor 41. It would also be conceivable that the conveying device 20, the dispensing devices 50A-50L, and / or the measuring devices could each be assigned at least one separate electronic processing unit, either alternatively or additionally.

[0030] The at least one operating parameter of the conveying device 20 is defined below exclusively as the rotational speed of the conveying device 20, which is designed as a pump. Alternatively or additionally, other operating parameters, such as an electrical voltage, current, or the like, would also be conceivable. The conveying device 20 is driven by means of at least one associated actuator 21, which is configured to variably adjust the rotational speed of the conveying device 20. The actuator 21 can, for example, be designed as a hydraulically, pneumatically, and / or electrically driven motor. The motor 21 can also be a separate pump motor or pump drive. Alternatively or additionally, the conveying device 20 can also be operated by means of a power take-off (PTO) drive from a tractor associated with the spraying device 100.

[0031] Furthermore, it is provided that the speed of the conveying device 20 is set to one of several defined speeds, which can be determined and / or retrieved. The defined speeds are assigned to different opening times or duty cycles and, optionally, to different delivery rates and / or delivery pressures. The defined speeds of the conveying device can be determined, for example, based on electronically stored and / or retrievable function curves or characteristic maps, which define a relationship between the speeds and opening times or duty cycles. In addition to the opening times or duty cycles, a relationship between the speeds and the delivery rates and / or delivery pressures can also be defined based on the function curves or characteristic maps. In other words, the necessary speed setting of the conveying device 20 is determined directly based on the opening times or duty cycles.The duty cycle of the application units 50A-50L is determined. Depending on the embodiment, the duty cycle can be a globally specified duty cycle for all application units 50A-50L or an average value of the duty cycles of several or all application units 50A-50L.

[0032] In an alternative or additional embodiment, the rotational speed of the conveying device 20 can also be controlled and / or regulated within predefined and / or variable limit values. These limit values ​​are predefined and / or varied depending on the opening times or duty cycle, the conveying rate, and / or the conveying pressure. For example, a range of different permissible rotational speeds of the conveying device 20 can be defined for a specific duty cycle, e.g., 80%, or a duty cycle range, e.g., from 50% to 80%.

[0033] In an alternative embodiment, which is not shown in the figure, it would be quite conceivable that at least one actuating element 30A, 30B, in particular the degree of opening of the actuating element 30A, 30B, and / or a travel speed of the spraying device 100, is taken into account when determining and / or setting the rotational speed. Reference symbol list

[0034] 10 Liquid circuit 11 Spraying agent 12 Storage tank 13 Liquid line, supply line 14 Liquid line, return line 20 Conveying device 21 Actuators 100 Spraying device 30A, 30B Actuator, flow control valve 40A, 40B Measuring device, flow meter 41 Measuring device, pressure sensor 50A-50L Dispensing devices 200 Control and / or regulation system 201 Computing unit 202A, 202B Signal lines

Claims

1. Method for applying spraying agent (11) on an agricultural area by means of an agricultural spraying device (100), in particular field sprayer, comprising the steps of: - conveying the spraying agent (11) by means of at least one conveying device (20), in particular pump device, along at least one liquid circuit (10) of the spraying device (100), a delivery rate and / or a delivery pressure, with which the spraying agent (11) is conveyed at least in portions along the liquid circuit (10), being adjusted on the basis of at least one operating parameter adjustable on the conveying device (20), preferably an adjustable rotational speed of the conveying device (20); and - applying the spraying agent (11) on the area via a plurality of application members (50A-50L) arranged along the liquid circuit (10), each of which is designed to adjust an application quantity of the spraying agent (11), preferably as required and / or site-specific, on the basis of opening times adjustable on the application members (50A-50L), in particular a pulse duration or a duty cycle, characterized in that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device (20) is open-loop and / or closed-loop controlled on the basis of the adjustable opening times, in particular the pulse duration or the duty cycle, of the application members (50A-50L), and preferably additionally on the basis of the delivery rate and / or the delivery pressure.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the application members (50A-50L) are open-loop and / or closed-loop controlled by pulse width modulation and / or pulse width frequency modulation.

3. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device (20) is adjusted to one of a plurality of, in particular determinable and / or retrievable, defined operating points, in particular defined rotational speeds, the defined operating points, in particular the defined rotational speeds, each being assigned to different opening times, in particular pulse durations or duty cycles, and preferably additionally to different delivery rates and / or delivery pressures.

4. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device (20) is open-loop and / or closed-loop controlled within, preferably predefinable and / or variable, limit values, the limit values preferably being adapted depending on the opening times, in particular pulse durations or duty cycle, the delivery quantity and / or the delivery pressure.

5. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims 3 to 4, characterized in that at least one actuating member (30A, 30B), in particular flow control valve, provided for adapting the delivery rate, and / or the application members (50A-50L) which are provided for adapting the delivery pressure, are adjusted such that the at least one operating parameter, in particular the rotational speed, of the conveying device (20) is adjusted to one of the plurality of, in particular determinable and / or retrievable, defined operating points, in particular defined rotational speeds.

6. Agricultural spraying device (100), in particular field sprayer, comprising at least one assigned open-loop and / or closed-loop control system (200), the agricultural spraying device comprising: - a liquid circuit, - a conveying device designed to convey the spraying agents along the liquid circuit, - application members which are arranged along the liquid circuit and are each designed to adjust an application rate of the spraying agent on the basis of opening times adjustable on the application members, characterized in that the spraying device (100) having the assigned open-loop and / or closed-loop control system (200) is designed to carry out the method for applying spraying agent (11) on an agricultural area according to any of claims 1 to 5.