Breakaway Antenna Assembly for Underground Field Telemetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural sensors need to be removed from the field during operations like irrigation and planting to avoid damage, which disturbs the soil and root zone, and there is a need for a system that allows sensors to remain in the field without interference from crop canopy height.
Innovation Solution
An underground sensor mount with a breakaway antenna assembly that allows sensors to be installed and removed without disturbing the soil, featuring a containment housing with a tilting antenna that folds down when agricultural implements pass over, ensuring data transmission remains uninterrupted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are positioned above ground to enable data transmission, then data transmission is possible, but sensors must be removed during field operations to avoid damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate components: an underground sensor unit that remains stationary and protected, and an above-ground antenna that can be removed or lowered during field operations. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its function independently without interfering with field machinery.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is extracted from the sensor unit and positioned separately above ground. This allows the antenna to be removed or lowered during field operations while the sensor unit remains in place underground, eliminating the need to disturb the soil or reposition sensors during planting and cultivation.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are installed in the root zone to monitor crop conditions, then accurate data collection is achieved, but soil is disturbed during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit is positioned in a different dimension (underground) rather than placing antennas above ground. This allows sensors to be installed in the root zone through vertical placement without horizontal soil disturbance, as the containment housing is inserted into a pre-dug hole and then backfilled.
Solution Approach 2:
A hole is dug in advance before sensor installation, allowing the containment housing to be placed gently into position without disturbing the surrounding root zone soil. The hole is then backfilled, minimizing disruption to the crop root system.
3Reliability
If antenna extends above crop canopy for data transmission, then transmission range is improved, but antenna must be removed when field is worked
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed, allowing it to be lowered or removed during field operations and raised or repositioned when operations are complete. This dynamic positioning enables the antenna to clear field machinery during planting and cultivation while maintaining optimal transmission height during monitoring periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is separated from the underground sensor unit, allowing independent positioning and removal of the antenna component during field operations without affecting the sensor unit or requiring soil disturbance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are removed and reinstalled during growth cycle, then sensor interchangeability is achieved, but wires and soil are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a permanent underground sensor unit and a separate antenna component. The sensor unit with its wiring remains fixed in the ground, while only the antenna needs to be removed or repositioned. This eliminates wire damage risks associated with moving the entire sensor assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is extracted as a separate removable component from the sensor unit. This allows the antenna to be interchangeably positioned or removed during field operations without affecting the wired sensor unit that remains permanently installed in the root zone.
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
Enables real-time data collection from sensors buried underground, allowing agricultural operations to proceed without damaging the sensors or disturbing the soil, maintaining continuous data transmission despite crop height variations.
Implementation Method 1
The breakaway antenna of the present invention further allows a user to work the field without necessarily requiring removal of the antenna
Data Source
AI summary
A containment housing contains environment probes and a data transmit module below grade of a field. A breakaway antenna assembly couples to the data module and transmits data from the sensors real time. The breakaway antenna includes a 360-degree hinge and is self-righting, thereby allowing farm implements to move past the antenna without breaking antenna.