Agricultural Applicator Nozzle Control via Target Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural spray systems lack an effective method to monitor and adjust the application quality of agricultural products on the field, leading to inconsistencies in target coverage and resource distribution.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural system featuring a computing system communicatively coupled with target sensors and nozzle assemblies, which identifies targets within the field, determines their characteristics, and adjusts the application rate by activating additional nozzle assemblies to ensure precise and efficient product distribution based on defined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional spray systems are used without monitoring, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the application quality and target coverage are inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect target characteristics (size, shape, position) and feeding this information back to the control system, which then adjusts nozzle activation and flow rates accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures consistent application quality while adapting to varying field conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time sensor data. The control system modifies nozzle activation patterns, flow rates, and spray patterns on-the-fly according to detected target characteristics, transforming a static spray system into an adaptive one that maintains optimal application quality.
2Productivity
If uniform spray coverage is applied across the entire field, then the system operation is simple, but resource distribution is inefficient and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing spray parameters for different locations and targets within the field. Instead of uniform treatment, the system adjusts flow rates, nozzle activation, and spray patterns based on local target characteristics, ensuring optimal resource distribution and minimizing waste in areas where full coverage is unnecessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs partial action by activating only the necessary portion of the spray system for each target. Based on target size and characteristics, the control system selects appropriate nozzle assemblies and flow rates, avoiding excessive spraying in areas where minimal application suffices, thereby reducing product waste while maintaining effectiveness.
3Productivity
If multiple nozzle assemblies are activated simultaneously, then the application rate increases, but the system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spray system into multiple independently controllable nozzle assemblies. Each nozzle or nozzle group can be activated or deactivated based on target location and characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high application rates by activating multiple nozzles while maintaining manageable complexity through modular, independent control of each segment.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural system can include a product application system including a first set of nozzle assemblies and a second set of nozzle assemblies. A target sensor can be configured to capture data indicative of one or more features within a field. A computing system can be communicatively coupled to the product application system and the target sensor. The computing system can be configured to activate the first set of nozzle assemblies to apply an agricultural product to an underlying field, identify a target within the field based on the data from the target sensor, determine a characteristic of the target, compare the characteristic of the target to a defined threshold, and activate at least one nozzle assembly of the second set of nozzle assemblies when the characteristic of the target is varied from the defined threshold.