Movable Platform for Center Pivot Irrigation Plant Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current center pivot and linear irrigation systems primarily focus on irrigation, lacking integrated solutions for plant protection and management, such as chemical application, seeding, and monitoring, which are essential for comprehensive agricultural production.
Innovation Solution
A plant protection and management system is introduced, featuring a movable platform with application, seeding-fertilizer spreader, and monitoring units, supported by a transport assembly that allows these units to move along a span structure between towers, enabling selective implementation of different functions like chemical application, seeding, and environmental monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If center pivot and linear irrigation systems are used for irrigation, then irrigation efficiency and water resources saving are improved, but the system lacks integrated solutions for plant protection and management functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by integrating multiple plant protection and management functions (chemical application, seeding, monitoring) onto the irrigation system's span structure. The movable platform can be configured with different functional units, allowing the same irrigation system to perform diverse agricultural operations beyond just irrigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate agricultural operations (irrigation, chemical application, seeding, monitoring) into a single integrated system. The movable platform merges multiple functional units that can be selectively arranged, enabling coordinated execution of different agricultural tasks along the span structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple functional units (application, seeding, monitoring) are added to the irrigation system, then plant protection and management capabilities are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the plant protection and management functions into separate, modular units (application unit, chemical application unit, seeding-fertilizer spreader unit, monitoring unit). Each unit can be independently configured and selectively arranged on the movable platform, allowing flexibility without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic configurability through the movable platform, which can be equipped with different functional units based on specific agricultural needs. The system transitions from a fixed irrigation function to a dynamically adaptable platform that can switch between chemical application, seeding, monitoring, or combinations thereof.
3Ease of operation
If a movable platform with selective functional units is implemented, then operational flexibility for different plant protection tasks is improved, but the requirement for transport assembly and track infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transport assembly as an intermediary mechanism between the towers and the movable platform. This transport assembly includes a track system that enables the movable platform to move along the span structure, facilitating operational flexibility while managing the complexity through a dedicated transport subsystem.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a plant protection and management system for a center pivot and linear irrigation system. In the plant protection and management system, the movable platform is configured to provide at least one of an application unit, a seeding-fertilizer spreader unit or a monitoring unit. The application unit is configured to spray agriculture chemicals or fertilizers on crops. The seeding-fertilizer spreader unit is configured to sow seeds of crops. Further, the monitoring unit is configured to monitor crops and collect status data of the crops or status data of environment. According to different requirements on agricultural production, at least one of the application unit, the sowing unit or the monitoring unit can be selectively arranged on the movable platform so as to meet various requirements on plant protections and managements in the process of agricultural production.