Agricultural Spray Boom Height Control via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural spraying machines face challenges in maintaining optimal boom height and inclination over uneven terrain, leading to potential collisions and inefficient phytosanitary liquid distribution due to manual control difficulties and pendular oscillations.
Innovation Solution
An automated system using sensors and actuators to maintain a predetermined safety distance from the ground and vegetation, allowing for automatic adjustment of the spray boom's height and inclination, enabling easier manual control and preventing collisions while optimizing liquid distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the operator manually controls the boom's angle and height during spraying, then the boom can be adjusted to adapt to terrain variations, but the operator cannot simultaneously steer the machine and control the boom's variable geometry, leading to difficult operation and reduced productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect the position of the spray boom relative to the ground and automatically adjusts the boom height and articulation angles without operator intervention. The control unit processes sensor data and commands actuators to maintain optimal spraying conditions, allowing the machine to regulate itself during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated electro-hydraulic system. Sensors detect boom position, the control unit processes this information, and actuators automatically adjust the boom, substituting the operator's manual mechanical adjustments with an automated control system that integrates with the machine's existing hydraulic system
2Manufacturing precision
If the spray boom is positioned close to the ground and vegetation, then satisfactory distribution of pesticide liquid is achieved, but the boom risks colliding with the soil and/or vegetation, which could damage the spray boom and clog the spray nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors that continuously monitor the distance between the spray boom and the ground/vegetation. This feedback information is processed by the control unit, which automatically adjusts the boom position to maintain an optimal distance, preventing both collision and excessive dispersion of pesticide droplets
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the spray boom position based on real-time terrain conditions. The system continuously adapts the boom height and articulation angles in response to changing ground contours, allowing the boom to follow terrain variations while maintaining a safe operating distance
3Stability of the object's composition
If the ramp remains pendular to avoid transmitting ground irregularities, then ground irregularities are filtered out, but any change in the ramp's camber causes a shift in the center of gravity and tilting of the ramp beyond the angle manually corrected by the user, resulting in oscillations that complicate and slow down precise adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically compensates for ramp oscillations and camber changes by using sensors to detect the actual boom position and automatically adjusting the articulation angles. The control unit calculates the necessary corrections and commands actuators to counteract oscillations, eliminating the need for manual correction and speeding up the adjustment process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the articulation angles of the boom arms in response to ramp oscillations. By changing the angular parameters of the articulated joints, the system compensates for the effects of ramp movement and maintains precise control over the spray boom position despite changes in the ramp's camber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural machine for spraying a phytosanitary liquid over cultivated land, said machine comprising means (10, 11) for moving the machine (1), a spray boom (2) having at least one arm (2a), a mechanism (3) for inclining the boom (2) and/or at least one of the arms (2a) in relation to a frame (12) of the machine (1) and vertically when the machine (1) is on a flat and horizontal surface (S), and a mechanism (30) for raising/lowering the boom (2) along an axis (Z1) fixed in relation to the frame of the machine (1). At least one of the arms (2a) is provided with at least one sensor (6), each sensor (6) measuring a distance (d) between the surface (S) of the land and said sensor (6) or, if necessary, between the crop and the sensor (6). The control unit (5) is connected to each sensor (6), provided with a memory (52) for storing information (d) provided by each sensor (6), and able to control the raising/lowering mechanism (30) according to information (d) stored in the memory (52).