Wireless Sensor Turf Heating Cooling Subsoil Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-ground hydronic systems for turf management are limited in effectively maintaining ideal root zone temperatures due to potential damage from maintenance operations and insufficient depth for efficient heating and cooling.
Innovation Solution
A turf management system incorporating a subsoil airflow mechanism and in-ground wireless sensors that control fluid circulation and airflow through a network of hydronic tubing, allowing for real-time temperature adjustments and scheduling based on soil profile conditions to maintain optimal root zone temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hydronic tubing is buried at shallow depth for easy installation and maintenance access, then installation cost and maintenance ease are improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to damage from maintenance operations and less effective for heating/cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The hydronic tubing is nested within a protective conduit that is embedded in the soil profile. This nested structure allows the tubing to be protected at deeper depths while maintaining installation feasibility through the use of pre-installed conduits or flexible protective sleeves that can be pulled through existing pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective conduit or sleeve acts as an intermediary between the hydronic tubing and the external environment, shielding the tubing from damage during maintenance operations while allowing thermal energy to transfer effectively to the surrounding soil for heating and cooling functions.
2Reliability
If hydronic tubing is buried at greater depth to avoid damage and improve heating/cooling effectiveness, then reliability and temperature control are improved, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Protective conduits are installed in the soil profile before the hydronic tubing is placed, creating pre-established pathways that simplify the subsequent tubing installation process. This preliminary action reduces the complexity of deep burial installations by providing ready-made protective channels.
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible protective sleeves or thin-walled conduits are used to encase the hydronic tubing at depth. These flexible structures can be easily installed through existing soil pathways and provide adequate protection without requiring complex rigid structural support systems.
3Device complexity
If traditional hydronic systems are used without airflow mechanism, then system simplicity is maintained, but temperature distribution uniformity and heating/cooling efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow mechanism is merged with the existing hydronic tubing system, using the same conduit infrastructure to deliver both fluid-based thermal energy and air circulation. This combination enhances temperature distribution uniformity without requiring completely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydronic tubing system is designed to serve multiple functions: fluid circulation for thermal energy transfer and air passage for enhanced convection. This multi-functionality improves heating and cooling efficiency while avoiding the need for entirely separate air handling infrastructure.
4Device complexity
If manual control of hydronic systems is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but real-time temperature adjustment capability and responsiveness to soil conditions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors are integrated into the hydronic system to continuously monitor soil temperature at multiple depths. This feedback information is used by a control mechanism to automatically adjust fluid flow rates and airflow, enabling real-time temperature adjustments in response to changing soil conditions while maintaining reasonable system simplicity.
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 achieves up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit temperature adjustment in the soil profile, ensuring optimal growing conditions for turf grass by evenly distributing heating or cooling effects and avoiding damage from maintenance operations.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid is heated or cooled to a temperature at or near the desired root zone temperature, and is circulated under the grassy area through a network of in-ground flexible tubing
Implementation Method 2
The airflow mechanism may be controlled to direct airflow around and adjacent the hydronic tubing and toward the root zone of overlying soil profile based on the detected temperature of the soil profile, thereby more evenly distributing radiant heating or cooling provided by the hydronic tubing
Data Source
AI summary
A turf management system includes a wireless receiver that is configured to receive respective wireless signals comprising sensor data from wireless sensors positioned in a soil profile at respective depths below a green surface. A control circuit is coupled to the wireless receiver and is configured to determine soil profile conditions at the respective depths below the green surface responsive to the sensor data. The control circuit is coupled to a subsoil environmental control mechanism and is configured to automatically control operation of the subsoil environmental control mechanism responsive to the soil profile conditions at the respective depths below the green surface. The subsoil environmental control mechanism may include a hydronic mechanism that is configured to circulate fluid through a hydronic tubing network below the green surface.