Smart Tower Box Remote Diagnostics for Pivot Irrigation Towers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Technicians performing diagnostics on direct pivot irrigation systems face risks of injury, electric shock, and snagging from moving parts due to the need to climb towers while the systems are running, necessitating a remote monitoring solution.
Innovation Solution
A direct pivot smart tower box communication system comprising wheel sensor modules, tower box modules, and a pivot center module, which enables remote monitoring and data collection through LoRa communication, allowing technicians to access equipment status data without physical presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If technicians physically climb towers to perform diagnostics, then they can directly inspect equipment, but they face risks of injury, electric shock, and snagging from moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of sensors, communication modules, and a remote computing device that mediates between the irrigation system equipment and the technician. This allows diagnostics to be performed remotely without the technician needing to physically access the towers, thereby eliminating safety risks while maintaining diagnostic capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of physical inspection with an electronic/digital system. Sensors collect equipment data, communication modules transmit this data wirelessly, and a remote computing device analyzes the information. This substitution eliminates the need for technicians to physically climb towers while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If technicians remain remote to ensure safety, then safety risks are reduced, but direct equipment inspection capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital copies of equipment status data through sensors that replicate physical equipment states. These digital copies are transmitted remotely and analyzed to provide comprehensive equipment monitoring capabilities without requiring physical presence, thus maintaining monitoring effectiveness while ensuring technician safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback system where sensors continuously monitor equipment parameters, transmit this data through communication modules, and enable remote analysis. This closed-loop feedback mechanism provides real-time or near-real-time equipment status information to technicians remotely, maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability without compromising safety
Data Source
AI summary
A direct pivot smart tower box communication system is disclosed. The direct pivot smart tower box communication system includes a plurality of wheel sensor modules, a plurality of tower box modules, and a pivot center module. The plurality of wheel sensor modules are coupled to respective wheel hubs of respective towers of a direct pivot irrigation system. The plurality of tower box modules are coupled to the respective towers of the direct pivot irrigation system, wherein a tower box module includes a tower box module controller and is in communication with a wheel sensor module at a same tower as the tower box module. The pivot center module is coupled to the pivot center, wherein the pivot center module includes a pivot center module controller and is in communication with the plurality of tower box modules.