Sprayer Nozzle Valve Timing for Stable Pressure and Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural spraying systems face challenges in accurately applying products while avoiding pressure drops and electrical demand surges, leading to gaps in spray coverage and misapplication of agricultural products.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize time delays between valve actuations based on vehicle speed values, dividing valves into subgroups, and determining phase and subgroup time delays to ensure precise application of agricultural products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If time delays are introduced between valve actuations to minimize pressure changes and electrical demand, then pressure stability and electrical demand are improved, but gaps in spray coverage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the time delay between valve actuations based on real-time vehicle speed measurements. As vehicle speed changes, the controller modifies the delay parameters to maintain both pressure stability and continuous spray coverage, resolving the contradiction between minimizing pressure fluctuations and avoiding coverage gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from vehicle speed sensors to continuously adjust valve actuation timing. The controller receives speed information and uses it to calculate optimal time delays, ensuring that pressure stability and spray coverage continuity are maintained under varying operating conditions.
2Loss of energy
If fixed time delays based on cycle times are used to separate valve actuations, then pressure drops and electrical demand surges are reduced, but spray coverage accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed time delays to dynamic, speed-dependent time delays. The controller adjusts the delay between valve actuations based on measured vehicle speed, which maintains electrical demand stability while ensuring accurate spray application by adapting to changing operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameter (time delay between valve actuations) based on vehicle speed. By adjusting this parameter dynamically, the system maintains both electrical demand stability and spray application precision across different operating speeds.
Data Source
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AI summary
Nozzle control systems and methods for applying an agricultural product using an agricultural vehicle and plurality of valves separated into subgroups are disclosed. An example method includes actuating the valves to dispense the agricultural product, wherein the actuating includes (a) actuating a first subgroup of valves and a second subgroup of valves in succession using a phase delay; and (b) actuating successive valves in the first subgroup and successive valves in the second subgroup using at least one subgroup time delay. The subgroup time delay can be determined based on one or more vehicle speed values and a total number of the plurality of valves.