Buriable Soil Oxygen and Moisture Sensing for Over-Irrigation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soil monitoring devices struggle to accurately measure soil moisture and gaseous oxygen concentration at the same point, leading to inaccurate assessments of hypoxia and anoxia, which are difficult to detect and prevent in agricultural and green space irrigation, and their measurements are often disrupted by above-ground elements and cables.
Innovation Solution
A buriable soil monitoring device that combines underground soil moisture and gaseous oxygen concentration sensors, transmitting data wirelessly, with a waterproof design to prevent water and gas interference, allowing for accurate, long-term measurements and automated countermeasures to prevent hypoxia.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rod-like sensor probe with above-ground electronics and cables is used to monitor soil oxygen, then measurement capability is provided, but the rod or cable acts as a passage for water and atmospheric gases, impacting measurement reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful element (cable/rod passage) from the measurement system by using a wireless sensor node that buries its antenna in the soil. This eliminates the cable that previously acted as a water and gas passage, thereby removing the source of measurement interference while maintaining the ability to transmit data wirelessly from the buried sensor location.
2Loss of substance
If soil sensors are used to monitor irrigation levels, then water loss prevention is achieved, but hypoxia conditions in the root zone cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges soil moisture sensing and soil oxygen concentration sensing into a single integrated wireless sensor node. This combination allows simultaneous measurement of both parameters at the same location, enabling detection of hypoxia conditions while continuing to monitor irrigation levels for water loss prevention.
3Ease of operation
If above-ground elements are used in soil monitoring devices, then device functionality is maintained, but regular field operations cannot be conducted over the device, resulting in non-representative measurement locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the measurement system from above-ground to below-ground operation by burying the wireless sensor node in the soil. This dimensional change allows the device to be placed in representative measurement locations without interfering with above-ground field operations, as the sensor operates in the subterranean dimension while maintaining wireless communication capability.
4Loss of information
If clay soil is monitored with cable connections, then data transfer is enabled, but soil shrinkage and swelling creates water and gas passages through the cable, causing inaccurate measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cable component entirely from the measurement system and replaces it with a wireless communication architecture. The buried sensor node transmits data wirelessly through the soil using electromagnetic fields, eliminating the physical cable that would otherwise create water and gas passages in clay soil and cause measurement inaccuracies.
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
The device provides reliable, real-time data on soil oxygen levels, enabling precise irrigation control and prevention of hypoxia, improving plant health and reducing water waste by accurately measuring soil moisture and oxygen concentration at the same location without cable interference.
Implementation Method 1
an underground galvanic cell type gaseous O2 sensor for measuring gaseous O2 concentration in soil
Implementation Method 2
The sensor node comprises a waterproof sealing that protects the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to indicate over-irrigation of soil, a method is proposed in which: a) at least one buriable soil monitoring device (1), comprising a soil moisture monitoring part, a soil gaseous O2 concentration monitoring part and a radio transmitter part to transmit monitoring data, is used underground to measure soil moisture within a soil moisture measurement range of the soil moisture monitoring part and also soil gaseous O2 concentration within the same measurement range, and to transmit the monitoring data to above soil; b) receiving and analysing the monitoring data, and based on the monitoring data, b1) a mathematical relationship between the soil moisture level and gaseous O2 concentration is determined and b2) the duration of gaseous O2 level below a limit value is determined, and c) over-irrigation is indicated by observing which soil moisture content leads to a prolonged reduction of gaseous O2 concentration in soil. Independent patent claims for further methods and buriable soil monitoring devices.