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WO2018203067A1 - Appareil de pulvérisation - Google Patents

Appareil de pulvérisation Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018203067A1
WO2018203067A1 PCT/GB2018/051185 GB2018051185W WO2018203067A1 WO 2018203067 A1 WO2018203067 A1 WO 2018203067A1 GB 2018051185 W GB2018051185 W GB 2018051185W WO 2018203067 A1 WO2018203067 A1 WO 2018203067A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
control valve
sprayer
liquid
tank
potentiometer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/GB2018/051185
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Andrew Kneen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
HOUSEHAM SPRAYERS Ltd
Original Assignee
HOUSEHAM SPRAYERS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by HOUSEHAM SPRAYERS Ltd filed Critical HOUSEHAM SPRAYERS Ltd
Publication of WO2018203067A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018203067A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
    • A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
    • A01M7/0089—Regulating or controlling systems

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to spray apparatus as applied to an agricultural sprayer.
  • Agricultural sprayers can either be self-propelled such as described in GB20120018741 or towed by a separately powered vehicle such as a tractor.
  • the main components of an agricultural sprayer are a tank for holding a quantity of liquid, an arrangement of spray nozzles on a spray boom and a pump for delivering the content of the tank to the spray nozzles under pressure.
  • the rate of application of the liquid is set by a controller in terms of litre per hectare volume.
  • the set value is measured as an average over a hectare and is determined by a combination of the forward speed of the sprayer and the pressure set by the application volume.
  • a control valve is used to control the input pressure of the liquid in response to variations in the forward speed of the sprayer.
  • the liquid is evenly applied to the field to be sprayed. If the litre per hectare volume is set too low it is likely that weeds will grow or crops damaged by pests. If the litre per hectare volume is set too high there is a risk of weeds or pests becoming resistant to commonly used agricultural chemicals over time. Measuring the application of the liquid as an average litre per hectare is effective when a sprayer is travelling at a constant forward speed but less so when turning at the end of a field or when the sprayer slows down to negate an obstacle.
  • An aspect of the invention provides an agricultural sprayer comprising: a tank for holding a liquid; a plurality of nozzles arranged along a spray boom and fluidly connected to the tank; a pump for transferring the liquid from the tank to the nozzles; a control valve for controlling the pressure of the liquid being transferred from the tank to the nozzles by the pump; means for determining a parameter of the control valve; and a controller for controlling the parameter of the control valve dynamically in response to a change of one or more variables.
  • Determining a parameter of the control valve enables the controller to identify how the control valve should be adjusted to account for a change in one or more variables. Accordingly, the control valve can be controlled dynamically and accurately to quickly adjust the pressure/flow rate of the liquid in response to a change in the one or more variables.
  • Such a configuration minimises variation of spray application if, for example, the sprayer slows down at the end of a field to turn and then accelerates back up to operating speed. As the sprayer slows, turns and accelerates, the controller adjusts the control valve accordingly based on its measured position to keep the pressure/flow rate of the liquid consistent with the selected litres per hectare application rate.
  • the present invention significantly reduces the hysteresis effect that can be exhibited by the prior art by quickly adjusting the position of the control valve upon, or in some cases before, changes of one or more variables.
  • the parameter of the control valve may be the position of the control valve.
  • the means for determining the position of the control valve may be a potentiometer.
  • potentiometer provides a reliable and repeatable output dependent on the position of the control valve at a known litre per hectare application rate and/or pressure/flow rate reading from a pressure/flow sensor. The position of the control valve can thus be accurately determined based on the potentiometer output for given settings and sensor readings.
  • the potentiometer may provide an output associated with the position of the control valve and the output is stored in a controller memory.
  • a desired mode i.e. spray, fill, chemical induction, tank wash and rinse or boom flush
  • spray mode is adjusted in advance of a predicted change in one or more variables, i.e. the sprayer GPS position or forward speed.
  • a desired mode i.e. spray, fill, chemical induction, tank wash and rinse or boom flush
  • spray mode is adjusted in advance of a predicted change in one or more variables, i.e. the sprayer GPS position or forward speed.
  • Such predictive functionality enables the application rate to remain consistent when boom sections are automatically switched on/off upon determination that certain sections of field have already been sprayed or upon approach to sections that have not yet been sprayed.
  • the operator is not required to manually set the required pressure for each of the different modes, although manual adjustment is possible if necessary.
  • the sprayer may comprise a GPS module for determining the real time position of the agricultural sprayer.
  • Determination of the real time position of the sprayer enables the controller to regulate the control valve in real time in response to a predicted action, i.e. slowing of the sprayer as it approaches the field boundary or the gradient of the field increases. Accordingly, the pressure of the liquid can be adjusted to maintain a consistent application rate regardless of the forward speed of the sprayer. Furthermore, sections of the sprayer boom can be automatically turned on/off as necessary in response to GPS data processed by the controller and the application rate adjusted accordingly.
  • the one or more variables may include, but are not limited to: forward speed of the agricultural sprayer GPS positioning, elevation change and physical obstacles.
  • the sprayer may comprise one or more pressure and/or flow sensors.
  • the one or more variables may further include pressure and/or flow rate.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides a method of operating an agricultural sprayer, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing an agricultural sprayer comprising a tank for holding liquid, a plurality of nozzles arranged along a spray boom and fluidly connected to the tank, a pump for transferring the liquid from the tank to the nozzles, a control valve for controlling the pressure of the liquid being transferred from the tank to the nozzles by the pump and a controller for determining and controlling a position of the control valve; ii) setting a liquid application rate; ii) setting a starting position of the control valve associated with the liquid application rate; iii) monitoring the position of the control valve; and iv) adjusting the position of the control valve in response to identification of one or more variables.
  • the controller can establish a base line from which it can adjust the position of the control valve in response to identification of one or more variables.
  • the controller always knows the position of the control valve and is able to adjust the control valve continuously to maintain the desired liquid pressure/flow rate or application rate and maintain a continuous application rate regardless of the forward speed of the sprayer.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides a method of operating an agricultural sprayer, the method comprising the steps of: i) identifying a baseline measurement for one or more parameters of the sprayer; ii) monitoring the one or more parameters of the sprayer; iii) identifying changes in one or more environmental variables; iv) adjusting the one or more parameters of the sprayer in advance of changes in the one or more environmental variables;
  • an agricultural sprayer comprising: a tank for holding a liquid; a plurality of nozzles arranged along a spray boom and fluidly connected to the tank; a pump for transferring the liquid from the tank to the nozzles; a control valve for controlling the pressure of the liquid being transferred from the tank to the nozzles by the pump; a potentiometer for determining a position of the control valve; and a controller for controlling the position of the control valve dynamically in response to change of one or more variables.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides a control valve for an agricultural sprayer comprising a valve body and a valve mechanism moveable between at least a first and second position relative to the valve body, and a potentiometer operable to provide an output associated with the position of the valve mechanism.
  • Another aspect of the invention provides a control system for an agricultural sprayer comprising a control valve operable to move between at least a first and second position, a potentiometer operable to provide an output associated with the position of the valve and a controller operable to receive the output from the potentiometer and compare said output with a stored value for a given set of sprayer parameters, wherein the controller is further operable to adjust the position of the control valve to match the output of the potentiometer with the stored value for the given set of sprayer parameters.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a schematic of spray apparatus according to the present invention.
  • the basic components of an agricultural sprayer 10 are a tank 12 for holding a liquid, a plurality of nozzles 14 arranged along a spray boom 30, a pump 16 for transferring the liquid from the tank to the nozzles 14 and a control valve 18 for controlling the flow of liquid from the tank 12 to the nozzles 14.
  • the configuration of the tank 12, nozzles 14 and pump 16 will not be discussed further due to being commonplace.
  • Each of the above components is mounted onto a chassis, which, in the case of a self- propelled sprayer 10, defines a power generation unit and a wheelbase sized for a particular application.
  • a cab is positioned at the front of the sprayer 10 within which power, steering and operational controls are situated.
  • the pump 16 and control valve 18 are regulated by a controller 20.
  • the controller 20 is operable to set a litre per hectare application rate and control the transfer of the liquid from the tank 12 to the nozzles 14 accordingly.
  • the position of the control valve 18 is adjusted by the controller 20 in response to changes in forward speed of the sprayer
  • the volume of liquid sprayed from the nozzles 14 will substantially match the litre per hectare application rate set by the controller 20.
  • the controller is itself controlled by a master ECU 26.
  • the position of the control valve 18, i.e. its angular orientation, is measured by a potentiometer 22.
  • the potentiometer 22 provides an output that is associated with the position of the control valve 18 for a given litre per hectare application rate and associated flow or pressure sensor reading.
  • the controller 20 stores the potentiometer
  • the controller 20 In use, as the forward speed of the sprayer 10 increases/decreases the controller 20 identifies such a variation in forward speed and retrieves potentiometer 22 outputs from the memory that are associated with the particular litre per hectare application rate at a given forward speed and flow or pressure reading. Such real time monitoring and control enables the control valve 18 to be regulated in a manner such that the litre per hectare application rate remains consistent during the spraying operation and reduces the amount of variation in spray application in response to environmental and operational variables.
  • the controller 20 is also in communication with a GPS unit 24 that determines the position of the sprayer 10 to within fifty centimetres.
  • the controller 20 can determine from the GPS information where the sprayer 10 is located in relation to a field boundary. Upon detecting that the sprayer 10 is approaching the field boundary or other obstacle, the flow rate or pressure of the liquid can be reduced and/or certain sections of the spray boom 30 can be turned off.
  • the controller 20 can quickly and accurately adjust the flow of liquid avoiding a hysteresis effect.
  • the GPS unit 24 is itself controlled by the master ECU 26
  • the controller 20 is pre-programmed to turn sections of the spray boom 30 on/off during the spraying operation depending on the real-time position of the sprayer 10 and the spray volume required at its current position. As the sprayer approaches the field boundary, for example, the controller identifies that one or more sections of the spray boom 30 are not required as the sprayer 10 turns through one-hundred-eighty degrees. Accordingly, the controller 20 turns off the sections of the spray boom 30 that are not required. As the sprayer 10 completes its turn at the field boundary, the controller 20 recognises that additional sections of the spray boom 30 are again required to spray the field across the entire span of the spray boom 30 and turns the required sections back on.
  • the controller 20 can identify environmental variables such as position of the sprayer 10 relative to the boundaries of the field, changes in elevation, gradients, crop height, ground firmness and pre-programmed obstacles.
  • the controller 20 identifies when the sprayer 20 is overlapping sections of field that have already been sprayed and automatically turns off sections of the spray boom 30 to avoid the relevant area being sprayed again. Similarly, when the controller 20 identifies that the sprayer 10 is approaching a section of field that has not been sprayed it turns the relevant section of the spray boom 30 back on.
  • the controller 20 processes the real time position of the sprayer as received from the GPS unit 24 and retrieves a stored potentiometer 22 output from memory where the stored potentiometer 22 output is associated with the desired position of the control valve 18.
  • the controller 20 causes the control valve 18 to move to the control valve 18 position that re-produces the stores potentiometer 22 output thus adjusting the pressure/flow rate of the liquid as necessary to account for sections of the spray boom 30 being turned on/off.
  • the controller 20 is operable to select various different modes of operation including: spray, fill, chemical induction, tank wash and rinse and boom 30 flush.
  • Each mode of operation has a pre-defined starting pressure, for example the starting pressure for spray mode may be greater than for fill mode although an operator can adjust the pressure.
  • the controller stores a potentiometer 22 output associated with the starting position of the control valve 18.
  • the starting position of the control valve 18 determines the starting pressure for each mode and acts as a base line for the controller 20 to control the control valve 18 in response to change of one or more variables.
  • a multi- way valve 28 is used to direct liquid to/from the tank to one or more of the nozzles 14, an outlet, a chemical induction tank or a cleaning tank, for example.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
  • Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un pulvérisateur agricole comprenant : un réservoir destiné à contenir un liquide ; une pluralité de buses disposées le long d'une rampe de pulvérisation et reliées fluidiquement au réservoir ; une pompe pour transférer le liquide du réservoir jusqu'aux buses ; une valve de commande pour commander la pression du liquide transféré du réservoir jusqu'aux buses par la pompe ; un moyen pour déterminer un paramètre de base pour la valve de commande ; et un dispositif de commande pour commander le paramètre de la valve de commande de manière dynamique par rapport à la valeur de base en réponse à la modification d'une ou de plusieurs variables.
PCT/GB2018/051185 2017-05-05 2018-05-03 Appareil de pulvérisation Ceased WO2018203067A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB1707221.6A GB201707221D0 (en) 2017-05-05 2017-05-05 Sprayer apparatus
GB1707221.6 2017-05-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2018203067A1 true WO2018203067A1 (fr) 2018-11-08

Family

ID=59065605

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2018/051185 Ceased WO2018203067A1 (fr) 2017-05-05 2018-05-03 Appareil de pulvérisation

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB201707221D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2018203067A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110063321A (zh) * 2019-04-24 2019-07-30 河池学院 一种喷农药机器人系统
US11396892B2 (en) 2020-03-23 2022-07-26 Cnh Industrial America Llc Common rail product circuit for an agricultural applicator with pressure accumulation capabilities and related systems and methods

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4530463A (en) * 1982-08-05 1985-07-23 Hiniker Company Control method and apparatus for liquid distributor
EP0864369A2 (fr) * 1997-02-26 1998-09-16 Dickey-john Corporation Système de contrÔle pour une installation de distribution de matériel mobile
WO2003011022A1 (fr) * 2001-08-01 2003-02-13 Bo Leander Gylling Systeme permettant de pulveriser un pesticide ou des fluides similaires sur des champs agricoles, gicleur et procede de pulverisation et d'utilisation associe
EP2253187A1 (fr) * 2009-05-20 2010-11-24 Deere & Company Système d'application de matériau et procédé de contrôle du système d'application de matériau
US20150375247A1 (en) * 2014-06-20 2015-12-31 Deere & Company Time varying control of the operation of spray systems

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4530463A (en) * 1982-08-05 1985-07-23 Hiniker Company Control method and apparatus for liquid distributor
EP0864369A2 (fr) * 1997-02-26 1998-09-16 Dickey-john Corporation Système de contrÔle pour une installation de distribution de matériel mobile
US5911362A (en) * 1997-02-26 1999-06-15 Dickey-John Corporation Control system for a mobile material distribution device
WO2003011022A1 (fr) * 2001-08-01 2003-02-13 Bo Leander Gylling Systeme permettant de pulveriser un pesticide ou des fluides similaires sur des champs agricoles, gicleur et procede de pulverisation et d'utilisation associe
EP2253187A1 (fr) * 2009-05-20 2010-11-24 Deere & Company Système d'application de matériau et procédé de contrôle du système d'application de matériau
US20150375247A1 (en) * 2014-06-20 2015-12-31 Deere & Company Time varying control of the operation of spray systems

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN110063321A (zh) * 2019-04-24 2019-07-30 河池学院 一种喷农药机器人系统
US11396892B2 (en) 2020-03-23 2022-07-26 Cnh Industrial America Llc Common rail product circuit for an agricultural applicator with pressure accumulation capabilities and related systems and methods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201707221D0 (en) 2017-06-21

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