Surface Irrigation Control Using Real-Time Water Depth Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surface irrigation cannot be accurately controlled using only empirical data, leading to inefficiencies in water distribution and management.
Innovation Solution
A method that measures real-time surface water depths and water stream advancing durations, uses these data to optimize soil infiltration parameters, and adjusts irrigation duration based on predictions from a surface irrigation model to achieve precise control over the irrigation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If empirical data is used to control border inflow rate or irrigation duration, then the control process is simple, but the irrigation accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback by measuring actual surface water depths at multiple points during irrigation and using these measurements to adjust the irrigation duration. The control system continuously monitors water depth information and feeds this data back to optimize the irrigation process, transitioning from open-loop empirical control to closed-loop precise control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional empirical mechanical control methods with an intelligent control system that uses sensors to measure water depths and a computer system to process data and calculate optimal irrigation parameters. This substitution of mechanical/empirical methods with electronic sensing and computational analysis enables precise control while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Measurement precision
If real-time measurement and model optimization are implemented, then the irrigation control accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the farmland into multiple measurement sections with specific measurement points in each section. By segmenting the field and using a surface irrigation model to calculate parameters for each segment separately, the system achieves comprehensive coverage and high accuracy without requiring a single complex centralized measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-service principles through automated data collection using sensors that independently measure water depths, and an automated calculation system that processes measurements and determines optimal irrigation duration without requiring manual intervention. This automation reduces operational complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling surface irrigation comprising: measuring in real time surface water depths and water stream advancing durations of each of measuring points in a first half of a target farmland block, and substituting them into a surface irrigation model, to obtain initial values of soil infiltration parameters, substituting the initial values into the surface irrigation model, to obtain analog values of surface water depths of each of measuring points having water before a preset measuring point when the water stream in the first half of the target farmland block has advanced to the preset measuring point, by using the objective function that average value of the errors of the measured values that are corresponding to it is minimum, reversely solving and optimizing the soil infiltration parameters, and substituting optimized soil infiltration parameters again into the surface irrigation model, and adjusting an irrigation duration according to the prediction result.