Farming Machine Tank Management for Adaptive Treatment Fluid Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in managing agricultural treatment material in tanks of farming machines, leading to unnecessary material costs due to overestimation of usage and regulatory limitations on full or partially full tanks.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic tank management system that accesses historical and current field data to determine expected and actual weed densities, adjusting treatment fluid application based on real-time conditions and remaining tank capacity, optimizing the drive path of the farming machine to ensure efficient use of treatment fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If treatment fluid is applied based on estimated weed density, then the farming machine can complete the treatment operation, but unnecessary material costs occur due to overestimation of usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual weed density during field operations and feeds this information back to the tank management model. The model compares expected versus actual weed density and dynamically adjusts the treatment fluid application rate and tank management decisions, enabling real-time optimization that reduces material waste while ensuring complete treatment coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The tank management system transitions from static pre-calculated treatment plans to dynamic real-time adjustment. The system continuously updates weed density estimates, remaining tank capacity, and treatment requirements based on current field conditions, allowing adaptive optimization of treatment fluid usage throughout the operation
2Loss of substance
If treatment fluid is applied based on real-time weed density monitoring, then material costs are reduced, but system complexity increases due to multiple sensors and data processing
Solution Approach 1:
The farming machine integrates multiple functions into a unified tank management system: weed detection via sensors, real-time density calculation, treatment fluid application control, and tank capacity monitoring all operate through a single integrated system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, managing complexity through consolidation
Solution Approach 2:
The tank management system automatically processes sensor data, calculates weed density, determines treatment requirements, and adjusts fluid application without requiring external intervention. The system self-manages the entire workflow from detection to execution, reducing operational complexity despite the sophisticated underlying processes
3Productivity
If the farming machine adjusts treatment fluid application dynamically, then treatment efficiency improves, but regulatory compliance becomes more difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates real-time feedback on treatment fluid application rates and compares them against regulatory thresholds. The tank management model continuously monitors whether dynamic adjustments are keeping the machine within compliant operating parameters, providing immediate feedback to ensure regulatory requirements are met while maintaining treatment efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of treatment requirements based on expected weed density before beginning field operations. This advance planning allows the system to pre-determine compliant application rates and tank management strategies that will ensure regulatory compliance throughout the operation, even as conditions change
Data Source
AI summary
Historical information is accessed that describes a previous state of a field, previous environmental conditions for the field, and previous farming machine actions performed in the field. A tank management model is applied to the historical information to determine expected weed densities within field portions and an amount of treatment fluid required to treat plants within the field. While the farming machine is treating plants in the field, current information describing a current state of the field is accessed. The tank management model is applied to the current information to determine updated weed densities within field portions not yet treated. The farming machine performs a modified plant treatment action based on the updated weed densities and a comparison of a remaining amount of treatment fluid within a tank of the farming machine and an updated amount of treatment fluid for treating plants within field portions not yet treated.