Agricultural Spectrographic Sensor for Injection Product Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural sprayers face challenges in accurately detecting and measuring injection products in carrier fluids, leading to deviations in concentration, which can result in waste and harm to crops due to unpredictable application patterns and interactions between different products.
Innovation Solution
A localized product injection system equipped with composition sensors that use turbulating elements and electromagnetic energy to enhance detection, allowing for precise identification and concentration measurement of injection products, even in environments with masking or residual compounds, and communicate with a controller for feedback-based control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional detection methods are used to measure injection products in carrier fluids, then the detection system is simple, but the measurement precision is insufficient leading to concentration deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is divided into multiple independent sections: a light source module, a flow cell with turbulating elements, a detector module, and a control module. Each section performs a specific function, allowing the system to achieve high measurement precision through specialized components while managing overall complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
A flow cell with turbulating elements is introduced as an intermediary component between the carrier fluid and the detector. This flow cell ensures proper mixing and presentation of the injection products to the light beam, enhancing detection accuracy without requiring direct contact between the detector and the complex spray system.
2Stability of the object's composition
If upstream mixing is used to combine injection products with carrier substance, then the mixing process is simple, but the homogeneity of distribution is poor leading to unpredictable application patterns
Solution Approach 1:
Turbulating elements in the flow cell create controlled turbulence and mixing through fluid dynamics rather than mechanical agitation. The flowing carrier substance itself generates the mixing action, eliminating the need for separate mechanical mixing devices while achieving homogeneous distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing process occurs continuously as the carrier substance flows through the system, rather than in discrete batches. The continuous flow ensures constant mixing and homogeneous distribution of injection products throughout the carrier fluid, maintaining stability throughout the spraying operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional sprayer configuration is used to distribute agricultural products, then the sprayer structure is simple, but the application uniformity is poor due to irregular field shapes and contour changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates real-time monitoring and control capabilities that allow the sprayer to adapt dynamically to field conditions. The detection system provides continuous feedback on injection product concentration, enabling automatic adjustments to maintain uniform application despite irregular field shapes, tree lines, or contour changes.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback control loop is established where the detector continuously measures injection product concentration in the carrier fluid, and this information is fed back to the control module. The control module adjusts injection rates or sprayer operation to maintain target concentrations, ensuring uniform application across varying field conditions without requiring complex mechanical reconfiguration.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple injection products are used with different crops, then the versatility of the sprayer is improved, but the risk of harmful interactions and carryover increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system provides real-time feedback on the presence and concentration of injection products in the carrier fluid. This allows the control system to detect when a product is present, prevent incompatible products from being mixed, and manage carryover between crops by alerting operators or automatically adjusting injection rates, thereby preventing harmful interactions while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow cell with turbulating elements serves as an intermediary mixing zone where injection products are thoroughly mixed with the carrier fluid before reaching the spray nozzles. This ensures consistent distribution and prevents localized concentrations that could lead to harmful interactions or crop damage, while the detection system monitors the mixture composition.
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
Ensures accurate and precise detection of agricultural products, maintaining specified concentrations and preventing harm to crops by minimizing deviations and interactions, thereby optimizing product application and reducing yield loss.
Implementation Method 1
a turbulating element configured to initiate turbulent flow in the agricultural product
Implementation Method 2
a sensor assembly configured to detect one or more injection products in the agricultural product and generate a spectral plot
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural composition sensor includes a sensor housing including a flow passage configured to conduct an agricultural product. A sensor assembly is coupled with the sensor housing. The sensor assembly is configured to detect one or more injection products in the agricultural product. The sensor assembly includes an emanator configured to generate at least one light beam and a sensing element configured to receive the at least one light beam. A directing element is configured to deliver the light beam through the flow of the agricultural product. The sensing element is configured to generate a spectral plot from the light beam delivered through the flow of the agricultural product having one or more spectral signatures corresponding to the one or more injection products.