Rear Wheel Nozzle Activation for Agricultural Sprayer Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-clearance sprayers face challenges in ensuring consistent application coverage due to the lack of precise control over rear fender nozzles, which often do not align with the application plan of the front boom, leading to inefficient use of agricultural chemicals.
Innovation Solution
A self-propelled sprayer with adjustable width wheels and rear wheel nozzles that can be activated or deactivated based on the location using a GPS system, ensuring proper coverage by synchronizing the activation states of rear wheel nozzles with the aligned front boom nozzles according to a prescription map.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rear fender nozzles are controlled in a simple on or off manner, then the control system is simple to operate, but the application coverage does not correspond to the application plan at the front boom
Solution Approach 1:
The rear wheel nozzles are made dynamically controllable through a system that adjusts nozzle activation based on real-time wheel position, track width, and prescription map data. The control system transitions from static on/off control to dynamic, position-based control that automatically synchronizes rear nozzles with front boom nozzles
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms including GPS location tracking, wheel position sensing, and automated control logic that continuously monitors and adjusts rear nozzle activation states based on the sprayer's position relative to the prescription map and alignment with front boom nozzles
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sprayer uses fixed wheel configuration, then the structure is simple and stable, but the spray coverage cannot adapt to different field conditions and prescription maps
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel configuration is made adjustable and dynamically reconfigurable. The system can modify track width and wheel position to adapt to different field conditions while maintaining operational stability through automated control systems that coordinate spray application with the adjusted configuration
3Device complexity
If rear wheel nozzles are activated based on simple on/off control, then the device complexity is low, but the chemical application efficiency is reduced due to mismatch with prescription map
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from GPS location, prescription map data, and wheel position sensing to automatically determine when rear wheel nozzles should be activated. This closed-loop control prevents chemical waste by ensuring nozzles are only activated when needed according to the prescription map and actual sprayer position
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces simple mechanical on/off nozzle control with an automated electronic control system that uses GPS, sensors, and computer logic to manage nozzle activation. This substitution increases initial complexity but dramatically reduces chemical waste through precise, location-based control
Data Source
AI summary
A self-propelled agricultural sprayer can be configured with a spray boom, adjustable width wheels and rear wheel spray nozzles arranged over rear wheels of the adjustable width wheels, so that the rear wheel nozzles ensure proper coverage of an agricultural field behind the rear wheels according to location. A control system can determine front wheel nozzles disposed on the spray boom that are counterpart spray nozzles to the rear wheel nozzles based on a width of the wheels, and implement activation/deactivation states of the rear wheel nozzles based on the counterpart front spray nozzles. The activation/deactivation states of the spray nozzles can be determined by geographic location of the machine using a UPS location. The rear wheel nozzles can be arranged with respect to fenders of the rear wheels, so that the rear wheel nozzles move laterally with the rear wheels.