End Boom Receptacle Layout for Uniform Irrigation Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural irrigation systems often create water distribution 'dead zones' due to non-uniform spacing of receptacles along the pipeline, leading to uneven water distribution across fields.
Innovation Solution
The irrigation system employs variable length spans and end booms with uniformly spaced receptacles, using shorter end segments and a trussing system to maintain consistent spacing across connections, ensuring uniform water distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If standard length spans and end booms are used in prior art irrigation systems, then the system can cover large field areas, but water distribution dead zones are created due to non-uniform receptacle spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The span and end boom are divided into multiple segments (first end segment, second end segment, and intermediate portions) with specific length relationships. Each segment is designed with precise length ratios to ensure that receptacles spaced uniformly along the entire length maintain consistent spacing even at connection points between segments and spans.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the end boom have different length characteristics - the first and second end segments are specifically designed to be shorter than half the uniform receptacle spacing distance, while the intermediate portions between segments have different length relationships. This local differentiation ensures uniform receptacle spacing throughout the entire assembly.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple spans and end booms are connected to cover full field area, then irrigation coverage is increased, but uniform water distribution is compromised due to dead zones at connection points
Solution Approach 1:
The end boom is segmented into first end segment, second end segment, and intermediate portions, where each segment's length is specifically related to the uniform receptacle spacing distance. This segmentation allows the system to maintain uniform receptacle spacing across multiple connected spans and end booms, eliminating dead zones at connection points while extending irrigation coverage.
3Manufacturing precision
If end segments are made shorter than half the uniform spacing distance, then dead zones are eliminated, but the overall length and coverage of the irrigation system is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Only the end segments (first and second end segments) are made shorter than half the uniform receptacle spacing distance, while the intermediate portions between segments maintain different length relationships. This localized adjustment eliminates dead zones at connection points without significantly reducing the overall effective irrigation coverage, as the intermediate portions still provide substantial span length.
Data Source
AI summary
An irrigation system has one or more spans and an end boom attached to a distal end of a span furthest away from a water source. The end boom has one or more pipe segments coupled together end to end with a plurality of receptacles spaced along the pipe segments a uniform distance from each other even across connections between adjacent pipe segments. Spacing of receptacles on the irrigation system is also constant along the spans, across connections of spans, and from the outermost span to the end boom.