Adjustable Boom Sections for Terrain-Adaptive Crop Spraying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional agricultural sprayers with fixed booms face issues of overspray and uneven fertilizer distribution due to changes in terrain and crop canopy height, leading to inconsistent application of agricultural products.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable boom system with independently rotating sections and sensor-actuator control, allowing for real-time height adjustments relative to the field surface and canopy, ensuring consistent application by maintaining a predetermined height across varying terrain and crop heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a fixed boom is used in traditional agricultural sprayers, then the structure is simple and stable, but the application uniformity deteriorates due to terrain and crop canopy height variations
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is divided into multiple independently adjustable sections (first section, second section, third section, etc.), each capable of individual height adjustment relative to the others. This segmentation allows each section to adapt to local terrain variations and maintain consistent spray height, resolving the contradiction between application uniformity and structural complexity by making the complexity localized rather than system-wide.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom transitions from a fixed, static structure to a dynamic, adjustable structure where sections can independently change their vertical position. This dynamic capability enables the boom to adapt to varying terrain and crop heights in real-time, improving application uniformity while the modular nature of the adjustment mechanism keeps the added complexity manageable.
2Reliability
If the boom is made adjustable to compensate for terrain changes, then the application consistency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is segmented into discrete, independent units associated with each boom section. Each section has its own adjustment capability, allowing localized response to terrain variations without requiring complex system-wide adjustments. This segmentation distributes the complexity across multiple simple, identical modules rather than requiring one complex centralized control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts the vertical position parameter of each boom section independently to maintain consistent spray height above the crop canopy. By changing the position parameter of individual sections rather than the entire boom, the system achieves reliable application consistency while keeping each adjustment mechanism relatively simple and modular.
3Adaptability or versatility
If independent section rotation is implemented, then the adaptability to terrain variations improves, but the mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is segmented into multiple sections that can rotate independently relative to each other about horizontal axes. Each section's independent rotation capability provides terrain adaptability, while the modular repetition of the same mechanical joint design across sections keeps the overall mechanical complexity manageable through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom structure transitions from a rigid, fixed configuration to a dynamic, multi-degree-of-freedom structure where each section can independently rotate to adapt to terrain slopes and variations. This dynamic adaptability is achieved through repeated, standardized mechanical joints rather than complex custom mechanisms, balancing terrain adaptability with mechanical simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a boom. The boom includes a first section and a second section. The system includes a first actuator element configured to drive rotation of the first section, a second actuator element configured to drive rotation of the second section, and a locking element configured to block rotation of the first section and to block rotation of the second section while the locking element is in an activated position. Moreover, the system includes a sensor element disposed on the boom. The sensor element is configured to output a signal indicative of a first height between the first section and a field and a second height between the second section and the field. The first and second sections are configured to independently rotate based on the received signal to maintain a desired height between the field and each of the first section and the second section.