Dynamic Spray Nozzle Control for Uniform Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pulse signal-based nozzle control systems for liquid spraying result in spotty spray patterns due to long dead times, making them inefficient in agricultural and manufacturing settings where uniform coverage is essential.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic sprayer system with multiple nozzle bodies and tips that use time- or frequency-modulated electronic signals to control fluid droplet release, allowing for continuous operation and seamless overlap of adjacent nozzles to achieve uniform coverage across a wide range of conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pulse signal control is used to manage nozzle operation, then flow rate and fluid pressure can be controlled, but spray patterns become spotty due to long dead times
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulse signals to actuate the valve, creating controlled on-off cycles that regulate fluid flow. The pulse frequency and duty cycle are optimized to minimize dead time while maintaining precise flow rate control, thereby achieving both accurate metering and uniform spray patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from intermittent pulse control to continuous or near-continuous valve operation by using multiple nozzles in sequence. This ensures that while one nozzle is in its dead time, another is actively spraying, maintaining continuous useful action and eliminating spotty patterns.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple nozzles are coordinated for large surface coverage, then spray area increases, but control complexity increases due to PWM coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The spray system is divided into multiple independent nozzle units, each capable of autonomous operation. This segmentation allows the system to cover large areas by coordinating simple on-off signals to individual nozzles rather than complex PWM control, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining extensive coverage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of controlling all nozzles simultaneously with precise PWM modulation, the system uses partial action by activating only the necessary number of nozzles at any given time based on coverage requirements. This excessive simplification of control logic reduces complexity while still achieving the required spray area through strategic nozzle selection and sequencing.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a sprayer system having dynamic pre-sets to control spray nozzles that each individually operates continuously or under a time-modulated or a frequency-modulated electronic signal control to release the liquid droplets. Collectively, adjacent or near neighboring nozzles are also controlled by time-sequencing through different modes of operation or physical configurations on each spray nozzle. The spray nozzles are mounted on a variety of implements including agricultural or industrial spray booms.