Agricultural Spreader Setting Recommendations for Uniform Distribution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural spreading machines often result in non-uniform distribution of fertilizers due to incorrect settings, altered flight characteristics, and environmental factors, leading to uneven nutritional status and yield loss, with no effective solutions to treat existing technical stripe disease.

Innovation Solution

A method to determine setting recommendations for agricultural spreading machines to achieve an ideal compensating distribution, using a computing device to calculate and implement balancing distributions through adjustments in feed point, rotational speed, and other parameters, ensuring a substantially uniform spreading material distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If standard spreading machine settings are used, then the spreading operation is simple and quick, but the spreading material distribution becomes non-uniform leading to technical stripe disease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespreading operation efficiencyVSAvoidspreading material distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the agricultural area using remote sensing data before the spreading operation to identify zones with different nutritional needs. This advance preparation enables the determination of specific setting recommendations for different areas, allowing the spreading machine to be pre-configured with area-specific parameters before actual spreading begins

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by determining area-specific setting recommendations for different zones within the agricultural area. Each zone receives customized spreading parameters (feed point position, rotational speed) based on its specific nutritional status, rather than applying uniform settings across the entire field. This localized approach compensates for existing non-uniformities in each specific area

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If setting recommendations are determined and applied, then the spreading material distribution uniformity is improved, but the device complexity and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespreading material distribution uniformityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment systems with an information-based system. Instead of requiring manual mechanical adjustments of feed points and rotational speeds for different zones, the system uses computing devices to calculate optimal settings and provides guidance through a user interface. The spreading machine itself maintains its mechanical simplicity while gaining intelligent control capabilities through software-based setting recommendations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital copy or model of the agricultural area's nutritional status using remote sensing data. This digital representation allows for analysis and calculation of optimal spreading settings without physically measuring or testing on the actual field. The setting recommendations are derived from this digital model, enabling precise control without adding physical complexity to the spreading machine

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If remote sensing and analysis are performed, then the nutritional status assessment accuracy is improved, but the loss of time and energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenutritional status assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime for analysis and determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Remote sensing data for assessing nutritional status is collected in advance before the spreading operation begins. This preliminary data collection and analysis allows the system to be fully prepared with setting recommendations before the actual spreading starts, eliminating time delays during the operation itself. The time investment is made beforehand when it does not interrupt the spreading workflow

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces time-consuming physical sampling and laboratory analysis with remote sensing technology. Satellite or aerial images provide immediate data about vegetation health and nutritional status across the entire agricultural area. This information-based approach delivers rapid assessment results without the time required for manual soil sampling, plant tissue analysis, or laboratory processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12120975B2Method for determining setting recommendations

Publication Date: 2024.10.22 AMAZONEN WERKE H DREYER GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

A method for determining setting recommendations for an agricultural spreader includes the steps of: determining an uneven spreading-material distribution in a usable agricultural area or an uneven nutritional status of plants in the usable agricultural area, determining an ideal balancing distribution of spreading material that balances out unevenness of the determined spreading-material distribution in the usable agricultural area or unevenness of the determined nutritional status of the plants in the usable agricultural area, and determining setting recommendations for the agricultural spreader for implementing a balancing distribution of the spreading material, wherein the balancing distribution approximates the ideal balancing distribution.