Spray Boom Nozzle Holder Vibration Sensing for Blockage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural spray booms face issues with nozzle obstruction due to viscosity and suspended deposits, leading to incomplete spraying and the need for constant manual inspection to ensure proper operation.

Innovation Solution

A spray boom system with vibration sensors and amplification devices to measure nozzle vibrations, comparing them to reference signals to detect obstruction, and alert the user when necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vibration sensors and amplification devices are added to detect nozzle obstruction, then the reliability of spraying operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenozzle operation reliabilityVSAvoidspray boom system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated sensing system. Vibration sensors detect nozzle obstruction through vibration signals, and the amplification device enhances these signals for reliable detection. This substitution of mechanical inspection with sensor-based detection improves reliability while the automated nature of the system ultimately reduces operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The spray boom system performs self-diagnosis through the vibration sensing system. The amplification device and sensor automatically detect nozzle obstruction without requiring external manual inspection, enabling the system to monitor its own operational status and alert operators only when issues are detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If manual inspection of nozzles is performed frequently to detect obstruction, then the measurement precision of nozzle status is improved, but the loss of time for inspection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenozzle status detection accuracyVSAvoidinspection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The vibration sensor system operates continuously during spraying, providing constant monitoring of nozzle status. This eliminates the need for periodic manual inspections, as the sensor continuously detects vibration changes that indicate nozzle obstruction, maintaining measurement precision without time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Manual visual inspection is replaced with automated vibration-based detection. The sensor system provides continuous, accurate detection of nozzle status through vibration analysis, eliminating the need for operators to stop and visually inspect nozzles, thereby maintaining detection accuracy while eliminating inspection time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If the spray boom covers the entire field with multiple nozzles, then the productivity is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring nozzle obstruction increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespraying coverage efficiencyVSAvoidnozzle obstruction detection difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The spray boom system divides the monitoring function into individual vibration sensors for each nozzle or nozzle group. This segmentation allows each nozzle's status to be independently detected and measured, making it easier to identify which specific nozzle is obstructed among multiple nozzles, thereby maintaining high productivity while simplifying detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Visual inspection of multiple nozzles is replaced with automated vibration sensors distributed along the spray boom. Each sensor independently monitors its associated nozzle, providing automatic detection and measurement of obstruction status across the entire field coverage area, eliminating the difficulty of manually detecting which nozzle is blocked.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Automatically detects nozzle obstruction, reducing the need for constant manual inspection and ensuring uniform spraying by alerting the user to blocked nozzles.

Implementation Method 1

a vibration sensor measuring the vibration of a fluid passing through said nozzle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

the vibration sensor is a piezoelectric sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP4623686A1Spraying system comprising a nozzle holder with a vibration sensor

Publication Date: 2025.10.01 EXEL INDUSTRIES

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Figure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a spraying system for an agricultural sprayer, comprising a spraying boom having a nozzle holder (5) comprising a body (50) housing an inlet pipe for the product to be sprayed configured to be supplied with the product to be sprayed, a nozzle (1) of said product comprising an outlet orifice of said product and configured to be supplied with product via the inlet pipe and to convey said product to said outlet orifice, vibration sensor (2); said boom being configured to spray product via said nozzle (1); said sensor (2) being configured to measure the vibrations of the body (50), said spraying system further comprising a calculation unit configured to compare the measurement of the vibrations with a reference signal to determine the state of obstruction of said nozzle (1).