Spray Boom Mixing Chamber Layout for Uniform Direct Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural sprayers face issues with uneven distribution of spray liquids due to time delays and installation complexities in direct injection systems, leading to inefficient application of pesticides and fertilizers, especially in heterogeneous pest occurrence or growth stages.
Innovation Solution
A spraying device with a pivotable spray boom featuring a mixing chamber that mixes and distributes multiple liquid streams into parallel partial streams through multiple outlets, connected to application elements via separate fluid paths, ensuring uniform application and reducing time delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a centralized direct injection system is used to add active ingredient to carrier liquid, then the system can quickly change active ingredient composition, but significant time delays occur and the spray mixture does not immediately reach all spray nozzles resulting in uneven distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the spray system into multiple independent fluid circuits, each with its own injection point and spray nozzles. Instead of one centralized injection point feeding all nozzles, each circuit segment handles a portion of the spray width independently, eliminating the time delay problem where the mixture takes time to propagate through long fluid paths to distant nozzles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point injection approach (zero-dimensional) to a distributed multi-point injection system (spatial distribution). By placing injection points at multiple locations across the spray width rather than at one central location, the system eliminates the propagation delay inherent in centralized injection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent fluid circuits are installed for different active ingredients to enable site-specific application, then rapid change of active ingredient composition is enabled, but the installation space and cost increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spray boom into multiple independent fluid circuits, each capable of receiving different active ingredients. This segmentation allows site-specific application where different areas of the field can receive different treatments, while keeping the overall system manageable through modular circuit design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the fluid circuits to be multi-functional, where each circuit can handle different active ingredients depending on the application requirements. This universality allows the same hardware infrastructure to support various spraying scenarios without requiring completely separate systems for each function.
3Volume of moving object
If the injection point is positioned far from spray nozzles in a centralized system, then installation space is reduced, but the fluid paths become long causing time delays and uneven spray mixture distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redistributes injection points across the spatial dimension of the spray boom width rather than concentrating them at a single point. This spatial distribution ensures that no fluid path is excessively long, as each injection point serves only the nearby nozzles in its circuit segment, eliminating the time delay problem.
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 solution enables uniform and efficient application of spray liquids by minimizing time delays and reducing installation space requirements, allowing for site-specific treatment and rapid changes in active ingredient composition.
Implementation Method 1
The mixing chamber (20) is used to mix at least two liquids, in particular to mix a carrier liquid and an active ingredient liquid
Implementation Method 2
The spray nozzles (13) produce a spray cone directed towards the ground or the crop
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The invention relates to a spraying device for an agricultural field sprayer for the metered application of spray liquid, preferably on agricultural land. The spraying device comprises a pivotable spray boom with two lateral arms, each having a plurality of application elements for spraying and/or finely dispersing the spray liquid. The spraying device further comprises at least one mixing chamber (20) for mixing spray liquid. The mixing chamber comprises a first inlet (21) for introducing a first liquid stream and a second inlet (22) for introducing a second liquid stream. The mixing chamber is characterized in that it has several outlets (23) for releasing the mixed liquid stream as several partial streams and thus also serves as a fluid distributor. The invention further relates to an agricultural field sprayer with such a spraying device.