Crop Sprayer Liquid Distribution System with Water Quality Sensor
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crop sprayers lack effective methods to ensure consistent and even distribution of chemicals, as well as efficient cleaning and rinsing processes, leading to potential uneven application and waste of chemicals.
Innovation Solution
A liquid distribution system equipped with a product tank, pump, and nozzles, featuring a water quality sensor to detect properties like pH, turbidity, and salinity, which allows for real-time monitoring and adjustment of water quality, enabling precise mixing and rinsing processes to ensure consistent chemical application and equipment cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sprayers flush product through pipes to remove air bubbles and purge prior products, then consistent and even product distribution is achieved, but several gallons of product are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting air bubbles and prior product residues in the plumbing before product application begins. The sensor detects the presence of air bubbles or prior product in the plumbing, and the controller activates the pump to circulate fresh water through the plumbing to purge these contaminants before they can affect product distribution consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
Fresh water serves as an intermediary substance that replaces the need to flush with actual product. The controller directs fresh water through the plumbing system to remove air bubbles and prior product residues, using this intermediate cleaning step to prepare the system for consistent product application without wasting expensive chemicals.
2Ease of operation
If sprayers use wet boom design with product flowing through pipe to nozzles, then liquid distribution is achieved, but air bubbles can trap product and cause uneven distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor provides continuous feedback about the presence of air bubbles or prior product in the plumbing. When the sensor detects air bubbles or residues, it sends a signal to the controller, which then activates the pump to circulate fresh water through the plumbing to purge these contaminants, ensuring reliable and even product distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary purging of air bubbles and prior product from the plumbing before actual product application. The sensor detects contaminants in advance, and the controller activates the pump to circulate fresh water through the plumbing to remove these contaminants before they can interfere with consistent product distribution.
3Reliability
If sprayers purgle prior products from plumbing before entering planted area, then uneven distribution is avoided, but time is lost during the flushing process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection and purging of prior products and air bubbles from the plumbing before product application enters the planted area. The sensor detects contaminants in advance, and the controller activates the pump to circulate fresh water through the plumbing to remove these contaminants, ensuring even product distribution without unnecessary time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides real-time feedback about the presence of air bubbles or prior product in the plumbing. When contaminants are detected, the controller activates the pump to purge the plumbing with fresh water. This feedback-based approach ensures that purging is performed only when necessary, optimizing the balance between achieving even product distribution and minimizing time loss.
4Reliability
If sprayers dispense several gallons of product to ensure air is removed from boom, then consistent liquid dispensing is achieved, but chemical usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Fresh water serves as an intermediary cleaning agent that replaces the need to use expensive chemical products for flushing. The sensor detects air bubbles and prior residues, and the controller directs fresh water through the plumbing to purge these contaminants, achieving consistent liquid dispensing without wasting chemical products.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary purging of air bubbles and prior product from the plumbing using fresh water before actual product application. This preliminary action ensures consistent liquid dispensing while avoiding the need to dispense several gallons of expensive chemical products through the plumbing, thereby reducing chemical usage.
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 system ensures consistent and even chemical distribution, reduces waste by optimizing rinsing processes, and allows operators to verify equipment cleanliness without laboratory analysis, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing chemical usage.
Implementation Method 1
at least one water quality sensor is configured to detect a water quality property of liquid entering the product tank through the fluid inlet
Implementation Method 2
The at least one water quality sensor can include, for example, a pH sensor, a turbidity sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A liquid distribution system (202) for a crop sprayer (102, FIG. 1) includes a product tank (110) configured to contain a liquid, a pump (302), and nozzles (204) carried by a boom. (112, FIG. 1) The product tank has a fluid inlet (306), and at least one water quality sensor (314) is configured to detect a water quality property of liquid entering the product tank through the fluid inlet. Methods of operating a crop sprayer (102, FIG. 1) include measuring a first water quality property of fresh water entering a product tank, measuring a second water quality property of rinsate formed from the fresh water within the product tank, removing the rinsate from the product tank, and if a difference between the second water quality property and the first water quality property is greater than a preselected threshold, forming a second rinsate in the product tank.