Liquid Manure Delivery Vehicle Refueling Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency of spreading liquid manure on agricultural areas due to high water content, requiring large masses of material movement and frequent interruptions for refueling, which disrupts continuous operation and increases distance and soil compaction.
Innovation Solution
A method where a delivery vehicle is refueled while driving and spreading manure, using a pre-planned route with a meeting point determined by the spreader vehicle's fuel supply and spread rate, allowing continuous operation and reducing the distance the feeder vehicle needs to cover, with on-board computer systems managing route adjustments and refueling coordination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the delivery vehicle stops for refueling from a tanker, then the vehicle can be refueled with liquid manure, but the spreading operation is interrupted and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the refueling function and spreading function into a single simultaneous operation. The delivery vehicle receives liquid manure from the tanker while continuing to spread manure on the field, merging two separate operations (refueling and spreading) into one coordinated process that eliminates interruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The spreading vehicle maintains continuous spreading operation without stopping for refueling. By receiving manure during motion through the gooseneck coupling system, the vehicle ensures uninterrupted useful action, continuously depositing manure while being refueled in parallel
2Ease of operation
If the tanker is positioned far from the field, then it can be easily accessed, but the delivery vehicle has to cover longer distances increasing soil compaction
Solution Approach 1:
The tanker positions itself at the edge of the field in advance, and the delivery vehicle calculates an optimal meeting point on its spreading route where refueling will occur. This preliminary positioning and route planning allows the tanker to be accessible without requiring it to travel far into the field, minimizing soil compaction from tanker movement
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery vehicle acts as an intermediary between the tanker positioned at the field edge and the spreading operation. It receives manure from the tanker at a strategically chosen meeting point and delivers it to the spreading location, allowing the tanker to remain stationary at an accessible position while still supporting continuous spreading
3Length of moving object
If the spreader vehicle reduces track width to increase distance between refueling points, then the meeting point can be placed closer, but the route must be re-planned to ensure complete coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The track width is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system temporarily reduces track width in specific sections to extend the distance to the next refueling point, then adjusts width again to ensure complete coverage. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the meeting point location while maintaining complete area coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The on-board computers of both vehicles communicate to coordinate the refueling meeting point based on the delivery vehicle's remaining manure supply and the spreading vehicle's route. This feedback mechanism allows real-time optimization of the meeting point location, considering track width adjustments and ensuring complete coverage without excessive route complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
The application of liquid manure on an agricultural area (1) comprises the steps of: - refueling a supply vehicle (3) with liquid manure, - the supply vehicle (3) driving to an application vehicle (2) on the area (1), and - refueling the application vehicle (2) by the supply vehicle (3) while driving and applying liquid manure on the area (1).