Agricultural Nozzle Spray Pattern Control via Dynamic Overlap Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural sprayer systems face challenges in achieving uniform spray patterns due to variables like vehicle speed, wind, and nozzle configuration, leading to inefficiencies in nutrient distribution and potential chemical overuse or drift, resulting in wasted resources and potential harm to crops and neighboring areas.
Innovation Solution
A system equipped with sensors and a processor that computes and adjusts spray patterns in real-time by determining overlap regions between multiple nozzles, allowing for dynamic control of vehicle speed and dispensing duration to optimize spray distribution and prevent drift, using predictive models and lookup tables to ensure accurate targeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple nozzles are used to cover large surface areas, then productivity increases, but spray pattern uniformity deteriorates due to overlap variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation of multiple nozzles based on real-time conditions. The controller varies the spray activation, flow rate, or timing of individual nozzles to compensate for changing overlap patterns caused by vehicle speed variations, wind, or ground topography, thereby maintaining uniform spray distribution across the entire treated area.
Solution Approach 2:
Each nozzle is controlled independently with localized adjustments based on its specific position and spray pattern characteristics. The system applies different control parameters to different nozzles or nozzle sections to optimize local spray uniformity, allowing each nozzle to contribute appropriately to the overall coverage while compensating for local variations in overlap and drift.
2Productivity
If vehicle speed increases to improve productivity, then time efficiency improves, but spray pattern uniformity deteriorates due to variable overlap and drift
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors vehicle speed and dynamically adjusts nozzle operation parameters in real-time. When speed increases, the controller modifies spray timing, duration, or intensity to compensate for reduced overlap and increased drift, ensuring uniform application is maintained regardless of travel speed variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect actual spray pattern characteristics, vehicle speed, wind conditions, and nozzle performance, feeding this information back to the controller. The controller then adjusts nozzle operation parameters based on this feedback to maintain optimal spray uniformity across varying operating conditions.
3Ease of operation
If continuous spray mode is used to simplify operation, then ease of operation improves, but resource efficiency deteriorates due to over-spraying and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic or pulsed spray activation rather than continuous spraying. The controller intermittently activates nozzles based on real-time conditions such as vehicle speed, ground coverage requirements, and environmental factors, allowing spray application to occur in controlled cycles that prevent over-spraying while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes spray parameters such as flow rate, pulse width, duty cycle, or activation timing based on real-time operating conditions. This allows the spray system to adapt to varying speeds, wind conditions, and coverage requirements, optimizing resource efficiency while maintaining ease of operation through automated parameter adjustment.
4Productivity
If spray duration increases to improve coverage, then productivity improves, but harmful drift increases to neighboring areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different spray durations and intensities to different nozzles or spray zones based on local conditions. Nozzles closer to field boundaries or in areas prone to drift receive reduced spray duration or intensity, while central nozzles maintain full coverage, achieving overall productivity while minimizing harmful drift to neighboring areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary actions to prevent drift before it occurs by detecting conditions that may cause drift (such as wind speed, direction, or proximity to boundaries) and adjusting spray parameters in advance. The controller reduces spray duration or activates drift-mitigation measures before drift becomes problematic, preventing harm to neighboring areas while maintaining coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for dispersing fluids from an agricultural vehicle includes a sprayer that dispenses the fluids and a controller cooperative with a plurality of sensors to sense vehicle travel speed, vehicle travel direction, wind speed, wind direction, and the heights of first and second nozzles from the ground surface. The controller includes a memory storing a look-up table having fan angles of the first and second nozzles, and a processor that computes first and second spray pattern on the ground surface based on the fluid dispensed through the respective first and second nozzles. The processor determines an overlap region between the first and second spray patterns, compares the determined overlap region with a pre-determined overlap, and takes corrective action automatically by changing travel speed of the vehicle or changing a duration of time the fluids are dispensed from the first and second nozzles.