Irrigation Span Speed Adjustment for Uniform Fluid Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Irrigation systems face challenges in maintaining uniform fluid application rates due to transient conditions such as variations in terrain and fluid flow rates, which can lead to uneven water distribution across fields.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a remote control unit with a location determination assembly and a processor to detect deviations in movement and fluid flow rates, adjusting the movement speed of the irrigation span to maintain a selected fluid application rate by calculating adjusted movement speeds based on actual conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the irrigation system moves at a constant speed, then the system operation is simple and stable, but the fluid application rate becomes uneven due to transient conditions such as terrain variations and fluid flow rate changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual movement distance using GPS location data and actual fluid flow rates, compares these measurements to expected values, and automatically adjusts movement speed to compensate for deviations caused by terrain variations and fluid flow changes, thereby maintaining uniform fluid application rates
Solution Approach 2:
The irrigation system transitions from constant-speed operation to dynamic speed adjustment, where the movement speed is continuously modified based on real-time feedback from sensors measuring actual position and fluid flow rates, allowing the system to adapt to transient conditions while maintaining application uniformity
2Manufacturing precision
If the system adjusts movement speed frequently to compensate for transient conditions, then fluid application uniformity is maintained, but the control system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates expected movement distance for each time interval based on the selected fluid application rate and pump flow rate before movement occurs, allowing for straightforward comparison with actual measured distance and simple automatic adjustment without complex real-time processing
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses feedback from GPS location data and flow rate sensors to detect deviations between expected and actual movement, then automatically adjusts speed in a straightforward manner by comparing measured values to pre-established expectations, maintaining precision without excessive complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for adjusting movement of an irrigation apparatus to help compensate for transient conditions occurring during operation of the apparatus to accomplish a substantially uniform fluid application rate, and including transient conditions such as a detected actual speed of movement of the span across the field is lesser or greater than expected or such as a detected actual flow rate of fluid to the irrigation system is lesser or greater than expected.