Offset Sprinkler Compartment for Top-Access Pilot Valve Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sprinkler systems, particularly pop-up sprinklers, face challenges in component accessibility and maintenance, as pilot valves are often located outside the sprinkler body, requiring shutdown of the water supply for repairs, which disrupts irrigation cycles and is time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A sprinkler design featuring an offset compartment configuration that allows larger components to fit, including a check valve and pressure receptacle, with a pilot valve that can be easily removed and replaced from the top, and the option for a wireless communication module for data relay with sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pilot valves are located outside the sprinkler body, then the sprinkler structure is simpler, but maintenance requires shutdown of water supply and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler body is divided into multiple compartments, with the pilot valve housed in a separate accessible compartment. This segmentation allows the pilot valve to be independently accessed and maintained without affecting the entire sprinkler structure or requiring water supply shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable cover or access mechanism serves as an intermediary between the external environment and the pilot valve. This intermediary allows maintenance personnel to access the pilot valve quickly without shutting off water supply, while maintaining the sealed structure during normal operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If pilot valves are located outside the sprinkler body, then installation is easier, but maintenance interrupts irrigation cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot valve is pre-positioned within an accessible compartment during manufacturing, but the compartment is designed to allow quick access during operation. This preliminary arrangement enables maintenance without interrupting irrigation cycles, as the valve can be serviced while the system remains pressurized and operational.
3Ease of repair
If components are made accessible for maintenance, then repair time is reduced, but sprinkler structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot valve and its compartment are nested within the sprinkler body structure. This nesting allows the components to be integrated into the existing sprinkler housing without adding external complexity, while still providing accessible maintenance pathways through strategically placed openings or removable sections.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy access and replacement of components without shutting off the water supply, reducing maintenance time and allowing continuous operation during repairs, while also facilitating communication with sensors for efficient irrigation control.
Implementation Method 1
water pressure pushes against the riser to move it from its retracted to its fully extended position
Implementation Method 2
A spring or other type of resilient element is interposed between the body and the riser to continuously urge the riser toward its retracted, subsurface, position
Implementation Method 3
The turbine is usually made with a series of angular vanes on a central rotating shaft that is actuated by a flow of fluid subject to pressure
Implementation Method 4
The transmission consists of a reduction gear train that converts rotation of the turbine to rotation of the nozzle assembly at a speed slower than the speed of the rotation of the turbine
Data Source
AI summary
A sprinkler includes a compartment that surrounds its riser portion in an offset or asymmetrical configuration. More specifically, the distance of the compartments walls from those of the riser vary (i.e., increase or decrease) at different locations surrounding the riser. Put another way, the riser is closer to one side of the compartment than other sides of the compartment. This non-concentric configuration allows larger components to fit inside the compartment than would otherwise fit if the riser was symmetrically surrounded by the compartment.