Electronic Air-Line Valves for Balanced Boom Back Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural product delivery systems face challenges in maintaining consistent airflow and product distribution across boom sections during turns, leading to back pressure imbalances and potential plugging or flow compromises, especially when different sections receive varying amounts of particulate material.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of electronically controlled valves in each air distribution line, which can actuate between open and closed positions to balance airflow and back pressure, using configurations like butterfly valves with adjustable valve plates to maximize or minimize airflow restriction, ensuring equal pressure across all sections during turns and varying terrain conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate dry product meters are implemented for separate boom sections to allow sectional control and turn compensation, then product delivery rate control is improved, but back pressure imbalances and flow resistance differences cause airflow distribution problems and plugging risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the air distribution system into separate controllable sections, with each boom section having its own electronically controlled valve. This segmentation allows independent control of airflow to each section, enabling turn compensation and sectional rate control while maintaining balanced back pressure across all sections through electronic coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
Electronically controlled valves are used instead of fixed restrictions, allowing dynamic adjustment of airflow resistance in real-time. The system can adapt airflow distribution based on operational conditions such as turning radius and speed, maintaining optimal back pressure balance dynamically throughout the operation cycle.
2Device complexity
If a single fan provides airflow to multiple boom sections, then system simplicity is maintained, but sections receiving more product create greater back pressure that passively redirects airflow to sections receiving less product, causing delivery inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates electronic control with feedback mechanisms that monitor airflow and back pressure conditions in each section. Based on this feedback, the control system adjusts valve positions to maintain equal back pressure across all sections, preventing passive airflow redirection and ensuring consistent product delivery rates regardless of section position or operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the resistance parameter of each air distribution line dynamically through electronically controlled valves. By adjusting valve opening degrees, the system equalizes back pressure parameters across all sections, transforming the fixed parameter system into a variable parameter system that maintains optimal airflow distribution under varying operational conditions.
3Reliability
If valves are configured to fully close to maximize back pressure control, then airflow balancing is improved, but complete closure blocks airflow entirely and creates plugging risks
Solution Approach 1:
The valve design incorporates a perforated plate configuration where the closing element has selective permeability. The plate features openings that allow minimal airflow passage even when in the closed position, creating a local quality difference between the valve body (which provides structural support and primary flow control) and the valve plate (which allows restricted flow). This prevents complete flow blockage while maintaining adequate back pressure for airflow balancing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures balanced airflow and reduced power consumption by actively controlling airflow and pressure differentials across boom sections, preventing plugging and ensuring consistent product delivery, even during turns and changes in terrain, thereby maintaining target application rates.
Implementation Method 1
When in a fully closed position, the valve plate can extend perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the line. This can present an entire surface area of the valve plate to resist airflow to the line, forcing the airflow through an annular gap between an outer edge of the circular valve plate and an inner circumferential surface of the air line, providing the greatest amount of back pressure against the fan.
Implementation Method 2
an electronically controlled butterfly valve can be installed in each air line between a fan's plenum outlet and a dry product delivery meter. Each valve can be configured to allow some flow when in a closed position. This could be achieved, for example, by configuring a valve plate with a circular perimeter shape that has a smaller diameter than an inner diameter of the line or tube in which the valve plate is mounted. The circular valve plate can be concentrically centered in the air line and mounted on a shaft that is driven to pivot by an electric motor or other actuator.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an electronically controlled valve in each air distribution line for delivering product-conveying air to a boom section of an agricultural machine. The valves can be used to balance airflow between lines by controlling back pressure at the boom sections. In one aspect, an electronically controlled butterfly valve can be installed in each air line between a fan's plenum outlet and a dry product delivery meter. Each valve can be configured to allow some flow when in a closed position. This could be achieved, for example, by configuring a valve plate with a circular perimeter shape that has a smaller diameter than an inner diameter of the line or tube in which the valve plate is mounted.