Wireless Solenoid Valve Actuator for Long-Range Irrigation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional irrigation systems face issues with long-range remote control and are prone to damage from wire cuts and lightning, leading to inefficiencies and water waste, as they require physical proximity for schedule updates and cannot be shut off remotely.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered solenoid-valve actuator with LoRaWAN wireless communication enables remote control of solenoid valves through a gateway connected to the internet, allowing users to manage irrigation systems from anywhere via a mobile app, reducing the need for extensive underground wiring and enabling remote shut-off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a centralized controller with buried copper wires is used to control solenoid valves, then the irrigation system can be automated and controlled, but the wires are prone to being cut and damaged by lightning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the controller from a centralized location and distributes individual battery-operated controllers (TBOS-BT devices) to each valve location. This eliminates the need for extensive buried copper wiring while maintaining automated control capability, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation and wire damage resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces Bluetooth wireless communication as an intermediary between the user's smartphone and the valve controllers. This allows schedule updates and control commands to be transmitted wirelessly without requiring physical access to the valves or exposed wiring, resolving the contradiction by maintaining automation while eliminating vulnerable wire infrastructure.
2Reliability
If battery-operated controllers (TBOS-BT) are used at each valve to avoid buried wires, then wire damage is avoided, but the user must travel to the job site within several hundred feet to update schedules via Bluetooth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wireless communication intermediary (Bluetooth or other wireless protocol) that enables remote configuration and control of the valve controllers. Users can update irrigation schedules and send commands from a smartphone without traveling to the physical valve locations, thereby resolving the contradiction between wire damage resistance and ease of remote operation.
3Device complexity
If TBOS-BT devices are used without long-range remote access, then the system is simpler, but water cannot be shut off remotely when it rains, causing water waste and plant damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system can detect environmental conditions (such as rain) and automatically respond by shutting off irrigation. This feedback loop enables the system to prevent water waste during rainy conditions while maintaining relative simplicity through automated decision-making rather than complex manual intervention systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the irrigation system to monitor its own operational conditions and automatically make decisions about when to shut off or continue irrigation. By giving the system self-service capabilities to detect rain and autonomously shut off water flow, the patent resolves the contradiction between system simplicity and prevention of water waste.
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
Enables efficient, long-range remote control of irrigation systems, reducing water waste and improving plant health by allowing users to manage irrigation schedules and shut off water supply from anywhere with internet access, while minimizing the risk of wire damage and improving system reliability.
Implementation Method 1
A controller is the brain of an irrigation system that opens the solenoid valves
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention teaches a solenoid-valve actuator that is battery-powered and communicates remotely and wirelessly (e.g., via LoRaWAN) to a gateway that communicates with the internet, thereby enabling a user to remotely control fluid flow through a solenoid valve. The end device interfaces to a range of latching solenoid operated valves, e.g., for the control of water flow in irrigation systems.