Irrigation Tower Alignment via Angle Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional irrigation systems face challenges with misalignment of towers, leading to system failure, labor-intensive manual recovery, and potential structural damage due to misalignment and faulty recovery methods.
Innovation Solution
A network system with a station control system, including a network switch and a controller at an intermediate tower, allows for remote computer communication to adjust motor-driven towers based on sensed angles, using run and stop thresholds to automate alignment and recovery processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual recovery methods are used for misaligned towers, then system reliability is maintained through human intervention, but labor intensity and recovery time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-correction of tower misalignment through the control device that autonomously processes angle sensor data, compares it with threshold values, and activates motors to realign towers without human intervention. The machine recovers from misalignment faults independently, transforming a manual operation into an automated self-service process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors tower alignment through angle sensors that provide real-time feedback to the control device. This feedback loop enables the system to detect misalignment conditions, determine the appropriate correction actions, and verify recovery effectiveness, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically maintains proper tower alignment.
2Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection and diagnosis are performed for tower misalignment, then accurate system state understanding is achieved, but recovery time and operational downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual visual inspection with automated electronic sensing and control. Angle sensors electronically measure tower alignment, and a control device processes this data to diagnose misalignment conditions and execute correction procedures, substituting human sensory and diagnostic capabilities with automated electronic systems that operate faster and more consistently.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device serves as an intermediary between the angle sensors and the motors. It receives precise angular measurements from sensors, processes this information against predefined thresholds, and translates it into appropriate motor control signals, thereby automating the diagnostic and decision-making process that previously required human operators.
3Strength
If conventional manual recovery procedures are used, then structural damage can be prevented through careful inspection, but the complexity and time required for recovery increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes predefined angular thresholds that represent safe operating limits before misalignment occurs. These thresholds are programmed into the control device in advance, enabling the system to prevent misalignment from reaching dangerous levels by automatically initiating correction when thresholds are approached, rather than waiting for manual detection of problematic conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated control system continuously monitors tower alignment and independently executes correction procedures when misalignment is detected, eliminating the need for manual inspection and intervention. This self-service capability maintains structural integrity through consistent automated monitoring and correction while reducing the complexity of human-operated recovery procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the technology described herein provide a system for improved control and monitoring of a movable tower in an irrigation system. A computer controller associated with a tower of an irrigation system receives an indication of parameter modification. The system is then able to change parameters at a component of the tower control system based on the received parameters. The system stores the current angle sensed between two adjacent span members. If the stored angle is between two threshold levels, a drive signal is provided to a motor. The system is operable to selectively apply a drive signal at a tower in an align mode. The system provides the ability to digitally modify a threshold that is used in a machine run-mode to operate the motor at a tower.