Agricultural Sprayer Fill Level Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural field sprayers face inaccuracies in liquid fill level measurement due to fluctuations caused by movement and statistical variations from rotary potentiometers and float elements, leading to unreliable determination of the fill level in the liquid tank.
Innovation Solution
Combining measured values from a fill level sensor with those from a flow sensor, using an evaluation device that incorporates algorithms like a Kalman filter to account for the actual application rate and adjust weighting factors based on the sprayer's operation, thereby improving the precision of fill level determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a float element connected to a rotary potentiometer is used to measure liquid level, then the fill level can be determined, but the measurements are subject to significant variations due to sprayer movement and statistical variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple measurement methods (float-based level sensor and flow sensor) into a unified evaluation system that processes both signals together. The evaluation device integrates the level sensor output and flow sensor output through signal processing to produce a corrected fill level determination, eliminating the reliability issues of individual sensors during sprayer movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the flow sensor to correct the level sensor measurements. The evaluation device continuously monitors the relationship between liquid consumption (from flow sensor) and level changes (from level sensor), using this feedback to compensate for measurement errors caused by sprayer movement, acceleration, and deceleration.
2Device complexity
If only a level sensor is used to determine fill level, then the measurement system is simple, but the determination is inaccurate due to fluctuations from sprayer movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the simple level sensor system with a flow sensor system into an integrated measurement approach. The evaluation device combines both measurement signals, maintaining relative simplicity while significantly improving accuracy by using the flow sensor data to compensate for movement-induced fluctuations in the level sensor readings.
3Ease of operation
If the fill level is determined without considering actual liquid application rate, then the measurement process is simple, but the fill level determination becomes inaccurate during sprayer operation
Solution Approach 1:
The evaluation device implements feedback by continuously monitoring the liquid application rate from the flow sensor and using this information to correct the fill level determination. The system automatically adjusts the interpretation of level sensor readings based on the actual consumption pattern, maintaining measurement simplicity while improving accuracy during dynamic sprayer operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural field sprayer comprising: a liquid tank (1); a level sensor (2) associated with the liquid tank (1); and an evaluation device (3) connected to the level sensor (2), wherein the evaluation device (3) is also connected to a flow sensor (9; 21) and is designed to combine a measured value of the level sensor (2) with a measured value of the flow sensor (9; 21) to determine the level of a liquid in the liquid tank (1).