Spray Boom Motion Control for Symmetric Ground-Following Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural spray booms with large working widths face issues of uneven spray distribution due to variable distances from the ground, leading to spray agent drift and uneven coverage, especially with asymmetrical movement of lateral booms and torque imbalances.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling the movement of spray booms that ensures symmetrical pivoting of lateral booms relative to a central section, using actuators and coupling elements to adjust to ground contours, allowing for both autonomous and manual control to avoid obstacles and maintain consistent boom positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the spray boom is made wider to increase working width, then productivity increases, but the distance from nozzles to ground becomes uneven leading to spray agent drift
Solution Approach 1:
The spray boom is designed with laterally movable booms that can dynamically adjust their position laterally and in height. This dynamic capability allows the boom to maintain optimal distance from the ground across its entire working width, preventing spray agent drift while preserving the increased productivity from the wider boom configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of boom position (lateral and vertical) in response to detected ground conditions. By actively adjusting these parameters, the system maintains consistent spray application quality across the full working width without suffering from the drift problems that would result from fixed boom positions.
2Reliability
If the spray boom is raised higher to avoid obstacles, then reliability improves, but uneven coverage of the field with spray agent occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The spray boom is divided into multiple independently controllable booms (at least three booms). This segmentation allows each boom to be adjusted independently in height and lateral position, enabling the system to clear obstacles on one side while maintaining proper spray coverage on the other sides by adjusting individual boom positions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different booms or sections of the boom can have different height and lateral positions tailored to local ground conditions and obstacle locations. This local quality adjustment ensures that each section of the spray boom operates at the optimal height for its specific location, maintaining spray coverage uniformity while avoiding obstacles.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hydraulic cylinders are used to pivot the boom arms, then adaptability to ground relief improves, but asymmetrical movement of arms occurs due to uneven cylinder movements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect the position and movement of each boom arm, and this feedback information is used by the control system to adjust hydraulic cylinder operation. This closed-loop control ensures that boom arms move symmetrically and maintain proper relative positions even when adapting to varying ground relief conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic system is designed with a central control unit that coordinates multiple hydraulic cylinders to work together as an integrated system. This universal control approach allows the same control logic to manage both symmetric and asymmetric boom movements, maintaining stability while adapting to ground conditions.
4Manufacturing precision
If the boom is guided parallel to the ground surface, then spray distribution uniformity improves, but the system cannot adapt to ground contours or relief
Solution Approach 1:
The boom system transitions from static parallel guidance to dynamic adaptive guidance. The booms can actively change their height and lateral position in response to detected ground contours, maintaining optimal spray distribution uniformity while adapting to varying terrain conditions through real-time position adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors detect ground contour and relief conditions, providing feedback to the control system. This feedback enables the system to automatically adjust boom positions to follow ground contours while maintaining uniform spray distribution, combining the benefits of both parallel guidance and ground adaptation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for position-controlled guidance of at least two pivotable boom arms (28, 28-1, 28-2) of an agricultural spreading machine (10) across a ground surface, wherein the relative position of the at least two pivotable boom arms (28, 28-1, 28-2) to the ground surface is detected, and depending on the detected relative position, the at least two boom arms (28, 28-1, 28-2) are realigned by means of a pivoting movement to the ground surface within the framework of an autonomous control system. The method provides that the autonomous control for at least one of the at least two pivotable boom arms (28, 28-1, 28-2) is temporarily interrupted, and the positioning of the at least one of the at least two pivotable boom arms (28, 28-1, 28-2) is manually controlled during the interruption.