Oxygen-Based Irrigation Control via Soil Water Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current irrigation management systems do not account for oxygen levels and availability to plant roots, leading to inefficient irrigation despite sufficient water, as oxygen deficiency can occur without being monitored.
Innovation Solution
An irrigation management system that includes sensors for measuring oxygen levels, electrical conductivity, temperature, and pH in the water solution near plant roots, with data processed to control irrigation amounts and timing based on these parameters, using a pump and sampling chamber to collect and analyze soil water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If irrigation management is based on traditional parameters (soil texture, water quality, topography) without oxygen monitoring, then the system is simpler and easier to operate, but irrigation efficiency deteriorates due to undetected oxygen deficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary sampling chamber that collects soil water and delivers it to sensors, mediating between the complex soil environment and the measurement devices. This intermediary approach enables oxygen monitoring without requiring direct complex sensor installation in the soil, thus improving irrigation efficiency while managing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical soil intrusion sensors with a fluid-based measurement system. By pumping soil water to the surface for measurement, the system substitutes complex in-situ mechanical sensor installation with simpler surface-based environmental sensors, improving efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity
2Measurement precision
If oxygen levels are monitored using complex wireless sensor nodes with multiple components, then measurement precision improves, but installation time and difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from complex in-soil sensor nodes and relocates it to surface-based environmental sensors. By taking out the oxygen measurement function and performing it on pumped soil water at the surface, the system achieves precise oxygen level detection while eliminating time-consuming in-soil sensor installation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the soil water environment in the sampling chamber at the surface. By measuring oxygen levels in this replicated soil water sample rather than directly in the soil, the system achieves accurate measurements without the installation complexity of in-soil sensors
3Quantity of substance
If sufficient water is applied to soil without oxygen consideration, then water availability to plants is ensured, but oxygen deficiency occurs leading to poor plant growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where oxygen level measurements from soil water continuously inform irrigation decisions. The system adjusts water application based on real-time oxygen availability data, ensuring that irrigation maintains both adequate water supply and sufficient oxygen levels for root health
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from monitoring only water quantity parameters to including oxygen concentration parameters. By measuring and responding to oxygen levels in soil water, the system dynamically adjusts irrigation to prevent oxygen deficiency while maintaining adequate water availability
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
This system ensures efficient irrigation by continuously monitoring and responding to oxygen availability, prioritizing oxygen levels to prevent damage from deficiency, thereby optimizing plant growth and yield.
Implementation Method 1
a pump which pumps solution from the soil
Implementation Method 2
an oxygen sensor buried in the ground nearby a plant to be treated by the system
Implementation Method 3
an electrical conductivity sensor buried in the ground nearby a plant to be treated by the system
Implementation Method 4
a temperature sensor buried in the ground nearby a plant to be treated by the system
Implementation Method 5
a pH sensor buried in the ground nearby a plant to be treated by the system
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Irrigation systems (36) and methods are provided that are based on measurements of oxygen levels and availability to the root of the plant. The irrigation management system comprises at least one sensor (24) deducing data indicating the level of oxygen wherein the data collected from the sensors is used to determine irrigation amounts and timing.