Aerial Spray Wind Sensing and Drift Control for Crop Spraying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spray drift caused by wind and wind gusts is a significant issue in agricultural production, leading to unintended deposition of chemical sprays on non-target areas, bystanders, water bodies, and neighboring fields, limiting spraying to benign conditions and lacking accountability for responsible operation.
Innovation Solution
An aerial vehicle equipped with sensors to measure speed and air movement direction relative to the ground, generating a spray record that includes environmental conditions, allowing for informed decision-making and control of spraying operations to mitigate drift, including adjusting height, spray unit orientation, and droplet size based on wind conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If spraying is conducted under benign conditions with low wind speed, then spray drift is minimized, but the range of operational conditions is limited and productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of spray parameters based on real-time wind conditions. The spray system continuously monitors wind speed and direction, then dynamically adjusts spray pressure, droplet size, and spray timing to maintain effective application while minimizing drift across varying environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical parameters of the spray process based on measured wind conditions. When wind speed increases, the system adjusts droplet size distribution, spray pressure, and application timing to compensate for drift risks, enabling operation across a broader range of wind speeds while maintaining both effectiveness and drift reduction.
2Device complexity
If spray units operate without real-time wind compensation, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision and drift control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback control system where wind sensors continuously measure environmental conditions and feed this data to the spray control unit. The system then adjusts spray parameters in real-time based on this feedback, achieving precise drift compensation without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical drift control mechanisms with electronic sensing and control. Instead of using elaborate mechanical adjustments for spray angle and pressure, the patent uses electronic sensors and computer-controlled actuators to achieve precise spray management based on real-time wind data.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If spray parameters are adjusted in real-time based on wind conditions, then drift is minimized and spray precision is improved, but device complexity and measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensors and control units that perform multiple tasks. The wind sensors not only measure wind speed and direction for drift compensation but also provide data for spray timing optimization and application rate control, reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary processing unit that receives raw sensor data and translates it into appropriate spray control commands. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the complex decision-making logic, allowing the sensors and actuators to remain relatively simple while achieving sophisticated drift control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an aerial vehicle (10). The aerial vehicle comprises a liquid chemical tank (20), at least one spray unit (30), a plurality of sensors (50), a processing unit (60), and an output unit (70). The liquid chemical tank is configured to hold a liquid chemical. The at least one spray unit is configured to spray the liquid chemical. At least one sensor (51) of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a speed of the aerial vehicle relative to the ground. At least one sensor (52) of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure an air movement direction relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to a fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle. At least one sensor (53) of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure an air movement speed relative to the aerial vehicle. The processing unit is configured to determine an air movement direction relative to a projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground and determine an air movement speed relative to the ground, the determination comprising utilisation of the speed of the aerial vehicle, the air movement direction relative to the aerial vehicle with respect to the fore-aft axis of the aerial vehicle and the air movement speed relative to the aerial vehicle. The processing unit is configured to generate a spray record for an environment within which the aerial vehicle is operating, the spray record comprising: information over a time period of at least one spray condition relating to one or more of the at least one spray unit for the aerial vehicle operating within the environment over the time period, the determined air movement direction relative to the projection of the fore-aft axis onto the ground over the time period, and the determined air movement speed relative to the ground over the time period. The output unit is configured to output the spray record.