Agricultural Sprayer Boom Slope Correction via Actuator Length Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural sprayers face challenges in achieving precise and accurate slope correction control for their sprayer booms, which is crucial for maintaining the horizontal position or orientation of the boom relative to the ground, especially when dealing with changing terrain.
Innovation Solution
The agricultural sprayer incorporates an actuator with an adjustable element length that can move between retracted and extended positions, controlled by an operation controller to adjust the sprayer boom's slope, allowing for precise slope correction by changing the actuator's length to align the boom parallel to the ground surface, using sensors to detect ground slope changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the sprayer boom is made rigid and fixed in position, then structural strength and stability are improved, but the ability to adapt to changing ground slopes is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sprayer boom adaptable through movable boom sections that can pivot and adjust their position. The actuator moves the boom section between different locations to correct slope deviations, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamic system that can respond to changing terrain conditions while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the boom section is made movable to correct slope deviations, then adaptability to ground slope is improved, but control precision and stability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using a sensor arrangement to detect the actual position and slope deviations of the boom section, then feeding this information back to the operation controller. The controller processes this feedback and adjusts the actuator's movement to correct deviations, ensuring precise positioning and stable control while maintaining adaptability to ground slope changes.
3Measurement precision
If sensors and control systems are added for slope correction, then measurement precision and control accuracy are improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the operation controller to perform multiple functions: it controls the actuator for slope correction, manages the sensor arrangement for position detection, and coordinates the movement of boom sections. This multi-functional approach consolidates control tasks into a single controller, improving measurement precision and control accuracy while minimizing the increase in device complexity through functional integration.
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural sprayer is disclosed, comprising a sprayer boom (1), an actuator (6a; 6b; 6c) and an operation controller (8). The sprayer boom (1) has a central boom section (5); a plurality of boom sections (2) provided in boom wings (3, 4) pivotably connected to the central boom section (5) on opposite sides of the central boom section (5), and a plurality of dispensing elements provided on the boom wings (3, 4) for dispensing a spraying material in operation. The actuator (6a; 6b; 6c) comprises an actuator element (7) which, for slope correction, can be moved between at least a retracted and an extended position, wherein an element length of the actuator element (7) is changed when the actuator element (7) is moved between the retracted and the extended position and wherein the actuator (6a; 6b; 6c) is configured, by adjusting the element length of the actuator element (7), to provide slope correction for the sprayer boom (1). The operation controller (8) is configured to receive a first request for slope correction for the sprayer boom (1), comprising moving the sprayer boom (1) to a first slope correction position; assign the first slope correction position of the sprayer boom (1) to a first element length of the actuator element (7); provide first slope correction control signals assigned to the first element length of the actuator element (7); and apply the first slope correction control signals to the actuator element (7), thereby, adjusting the element length of the actuator element (7) to the first element length for moving the sprayer boom (1) to the first slope correction position. Furthermore, a method for operating an agricultural sprayer is provided.