Rotary Sprinkler Controller for Non-Overlapping Watering Rings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional irrigation sprinklers suffer from inefficiencies such as overlapping water patterns, excessive water usage, non-uniform watering, and high evaporation due to fine mist production, making them wasteful and inflexible in addressing complex landscape variations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-nozzle rotary sprinkler system with a controller-driven mechanism that adjusts the angular position and watering distance of each nozzle to create concentric, non-overlapping watering rings, ensuring uniform coverage and reducing evaporation through controlled water stream distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional sprinklers spray water in circles to cover landscape areas, then coverage area is improved, but water overlap and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler system divides the circular coverage area into multiple concentric rings, each watered by a separate nozzle positioned at different radial distances from the center. This segmentation eliminates overlap between adjacent sprinkler patterns while maintaining complete coverage of the landscape area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single radial distance watering pattern to multiple concentric circles at different radial distances. By adding the dimension of radial distance variation, the system achieves non-overlapping coverage that efficiently uses water while covering the same total area.
2Device complexity
If sprinklers use few nozzles to simplify design, then device complexity is reduced, but watering uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sprinkler head is divided into multiple nozzles positioned at different radial distances from the center, with each nozzle dedicated to water a specific concentric ring. This segmentation allows each nozzle to be optimized for its specific watering zone, achieving uniform distribution without requiring excessive complexity in the overall system.
3Area of stationary object
If nozzles spray fine mist to increase coverage, then coverage area is improved, but evaporation loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each nozzle is positioned and angled to create a concentrated water stream that targets a specific concentric ring area. By localizing the spray pattern to match the exact coverage area of each ring, the system minimizes evaporation while maintaining adequate coverage, avoiding the excessive fine mist that causes high evaporation losses.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a method of controlling a rotary sprinkler (100), a first angular position (310) and a first watering distance (146) are accessed from memory (166) using a controller (164). A first electric motor (129) is driven using the controller based on the first angular position. A head (102) comprising at least one nozzle (104) is rotated to the first angular position responsive to driving a first electric motor. A second electric motor (162) is driven using the controller based on the first watering distance. A valve (160) is positioned in a first valve position responsive to driving a second electric motor. Water is discharged through the valve and the at least one nozzle. The head is held at the first angular position for a first time period based on the first watering distance.