Modulating Nozzle Control for Agricultural Sprayer Speed Variations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural sprayers face challenges in maintaining specified droplet sizes and flow rates due to variations in sprayer speed, leading to inefficiencies and potential resistance in pests.
Innovation Solution
A modulating nozzle control system that includes a processor system to control the orifice profiles of nozzle assemblies, allowing for dynamic adjustments in sprayed flow rates and droplet sizes based on sprayer speed and other factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sprayer speed is increased to improve productivity, then the output per unit time increases, but the droplet size and flow rate deviate from specifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the nozzle orifice size dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system continuously modifies the orifice profile in response to changing sprayer speed to maintain consistent droplet size and flow rate specifications, resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement through speed increase and precision maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the orifice size dynamically. By adjusting the orifice profile based on real-time sprayer speed measurements, the system compensates for speed variations to maintain specified droplet size and flow rate, thereby resolving the contradiction between higher productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sprayer speed varies to adapt to field conditions, then the adaptability improves, but the consistency of application rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring sprayer speed and using this information to adjust the orifice size. This closed-loop control ensures that despite speed variations for adapting to field conditions, the application rate remains consistent by compensating through real-time orifice modulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustability of the orifice profile allows the system to adapt to varying field conditions through speed changes while maintaining application consistency. The nozzle system actively responds to speed variations, enabling both adaptability and stability simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If static nozzles are used to simplify the system, then the device complexity decreases, but the ability to maintain specified droplet sizes under varying speeds worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static to dynamic nozzles, making the orifice size adjustable. This dynamic capability enables the system to maintain specified droplet sizes under varying speeds, accepting increased complexity as necessary to achieve the precision goal.
4Productivity
If the orifice size is increased to maintain flow rate at higher speeds, then the productivity improves, but the droplet size becomes larger than specified
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the orifice size parameter in response to speed variations. When speed increases, the orifice is enlarged to maintain flow rate for productivity, while the control system compensates to keep droplet size within specifications, resolving the contradiction between productivity and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A modulating nozzle controller for an agricultural sprayer includes one or more modulating nozzle assemblies each having a spray tip modulating element and an actuator operatively coupled with the spay tip modulating element. The spray tip modulating element controls an orifice profile of a spray tip. A processor system controls the orifice profiles of the one or more modulating nozzle assemblies and includes an agricultural product input to receive a specified field flow rate and a specified droplet size for an agricultural product and a sprayer speed input to receive an agricultural sprayer speed. A modulating nozzle profiler includes an orifice profile generator configured to generate an orifice profile instruction based on the specified field flow rate, the agricultural sprayer speed and the specified droplet size. The spray tip modulating element and the actuator control the orifice profile according to the orifice profile instruction to achieve the specified droplet size.