Sectioned Spray Boom Mixing for Uniform Active Ingredient Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural sprayers face issues with uneven distribution of active ingredients due to time delays and complex fluid paths, especially when direct injection systems are used, leading to the 'butterfly effect' and increased installation costs with multiple fluid circuits.
Innovation Solution
A spraying device with multiple metering systems, including a first reservoir for a main mixture, a second reservoir for carrier liquid, and a third for active ingredients, each with dedicated metering devices, and divided spray booms with section-specific mixing chambers and application elements, allowing for precise, site-specific application and reduced delay times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct injection systems are used to add active ingredients to carrier liquid, then the consumption of pesticides can be reduced and application can be adapted to heterogeneous pest occurrence, but time delays occur in the fluid path from injection point to spray nozzles resulting in uneven distribution of active ingredient
Solution Approach 1:
The spray boom is divided into multiple sections with individual mixing chambers distributed along its length. Each mixing chamber receives active ingredient and carrier liquid separately and mixes them locally before distribution to spray nozzles. This segmentation eliminates long fluid paths and time delays associated with centralized injection systems, ensuring uniform active ingredient distribution across all spray nozzles while maintaining application efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent fluid circuits are installed for different active ingredients to enable site-specific treatment, then rapid changes in active ingredient composition are possible, but installation costs increase and considerable installation space is required
Solution Approach 1:
A single fluid circuit is designed to serve multiple functions by sequentially supplying different active ingredients to the mixing chambers. The system can switch between different active ingredients stored in separate containers along the same circuit, eliminating the need for multiple independent circuits. This reduces installation costs and space requirements while maintaining the ability to rapidly change active ingredient composition for site-specific treatments.
3Ease of operation
If pre-mixed spray solution is used in a large storage container, then the system is simple to operate, but significant time delays occur and the consumption of pesticides is high when damage threshold is not reached in sub-areas
Solution Approach 1:
Active ingredients are pre-stored in separate containers along the fluid circuit, ready for immediate injection into the carrier liquid stream. The mixing chambers are pre-positioned at strategic locations along the spray boom to ensure minimal fluid path length. This preliminary arrangement of components enables rapid mixing and delivery of active ingredients without the time delays associated with centralized pre-mixed storage, while also enabling precise control to avoid unnecessary pesticide consumption in treated sub-areas.
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 uniform application of active ingredients with minimized delays and reduced installation space, improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness by allowing rapid changes in active ingredient composition and precise metering.
Implementation Method 1
at least one mixing chamber for mixing the spray liquid
Implementation Method 2
each with dedicated metering devices
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a spraying device for an agricultural field sprayer for the metered application of spray liquid, preferably on agricultural land for site-specific application of spray liquid with direct feed. The spraying device comprises: a) a first metering system (30), comprising a first reservoir (31) for a first spray liquid (37) and a first metering device; b) a second metering or supply system (40), comprising a second reservoir (41) for a second spray liquid (47) and a second metering or fluid supply device; c) a third metering system (50), comprising at least one third metering device and at least one third reservoir (51) and/or at least one reservoir for the detachable mounting of a third reservoir for at least one third spray liquid (57);and d) a pivotable spray boom (11) comprising two lateral arms (11), wherein the spray boom (11), and preferably each of the arms (11), is divided into several sections (19), wherein a plurality of dispensing elements (13) for spraying and/or finely distributing the spray liquid are arranged on each section (1) and each dispensing element (13) is assigned to exactly one section (19); e) several first mixing chambers (20), wherein each section (19) is assigned one of the first mixing chambers (20) which is arranged upstream of the dispensing elements (13) assigned to the respective section, wherein the first mixing chambers (20) are fluidically connected on the inlet side to a first supply line (35), to which the first spray liquid (37) can be supplied by the first metering device;and f) a control device (8) configured to control and/or regulate the first metering system (30), the second metering or supply system (40), the third supply system (50) and the application elements (13) for spraying the spray liquid.