System and method for variable rate, high speed irrigation control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10405505-B2
Application number	US-201816059214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method which combines sensor inputs, control systems, field mapping, motor controls, and high speed and variable speed motor designs within an irrigation machine. According to a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides systems which are capable of full torque operation, even at speeds less than the rated speed of the motor. According to further preferred embodiments, the present invention utilizes a combination of motor types including Switch Reluctance, DC Permanent Magnet and AC Permanent Magnet motors in combination with Variable Frequency Drives.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for use with a mechanized irrigation system, wherein the mechanized irrigation system comprises a plurality of conduits which are flexibly connected at a plurality of connection points; wherein the alignment of each of the plurality of conduits is independently adjustable; wherein the mechanized irrigation system further comprises a plurality of drive towers attached to the plurality of connection points; wherein the control system comprises:
a first drive motor, wherein the first drive motor is attached to a first drive tower; wherein the first drive tower is connected to a first connection point; wherein the first connection point flexibly attaches a first conduit and a second conduit;
a second drive motor, wherein the second drive motor is attached to a second drive tower; wherein the second drive tower is connected to a second connection point; wherein the second connection point flexibly attaches the second conduit and a third conduit;
wherein the first motor is capable of producing a ground speed for the first drive tower in excess of 27 ft./min;
wherein the second drive motor is capable of producing a ground speed for the second drive tower in excess of 27 ft./min;
a first motor control system, wherein the first motor control system receives inputs and instructions and adjusts the operational status of the first drive motor;
a second motor control system, wherein the second motor control system receives inputs and instructions and adjusts the operational status of the second drive motor;
wherein the first and second motor control systems are configured to vary a drive motor characteristic in response to a drive command; wherein the drive motor characteristic is selected from the group of drive motor characteristics comprising: electrical pulse rate, voltage, RPM, current and frequency;
wherein the drive command comprises a commanded speed of the irrigation machine;
a motor command system, wherein the motor command system determines a target drive motor status and outputs a drive command to each drive motor to achieve the target drive motor status; wherein the motor command system determines the target drive motor status based on detected input condition data;
wherein the detected input condition data comprises alignment sensor data; wherein the alignment sensor data comprises data indicating the alignment between the first conduit and the second conduit; wherein the alignment sensor data further comprises data indicating the alignment between the second conduit and the third conduit;
wherein the detected input condition data comprises detected input condition data selected from the group of detected input data comprising: wind speed, cloud cover, sunlight intensity, and wind direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a first processing system; further wherein the first processing system receives first drive motor data and determines a desired first drive motor status from the received first drive motor data; further wherein the first motor control system receives input and instructions from the first processing system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first processing system receives at least one input from a group of inputs comprising: commanded irrigation machine speed, motor speed, operator commands, GPS position, ground speed and agronomic sensor data.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first drive motor data comprises data indicating the RPM of the drive motor.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the adjustments to the operational status of the first drive motor comprise changes to the RPM rate of the first drive motor.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the inputs to the first motor control system comprise the commanded speed of the irrigation machine.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first motor control system receives a variable input signal to continuously adjust the speed of an end tower.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the detected input condition data comprises slope of the terrain being irrigated.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the detected input condition data comprises max/min trajectories and minimum Arc Radius.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein an alignment sensor provides an alignment signal to the first motor control system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the alignment signal causes the first motor control system to adjust the RPM rate of the first motor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first motor control system receives a variable input signal to continuously adjust the speed of the first motor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the variable input signal is triggered by a sensor that measures the relative alignment between two spans.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the alignment between the two spans is maintained in a substantially straight alignment.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is a potentiometer-type sensor.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first drive motor is a motor capable of providing full-speed torque at speeds lower than the rated speed of the motor.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detected input condition data comprises wind speed and wind direction.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detected input condition data comprises cloud cover.

20. The system of claim 17 , detected input condition data comprises sunlight intensity.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second drive motors are capable of an RPM rate that will produce a ground speed of an irrigation system tower structure in excess of 36 ft./min.

22. A control system for use with a mechanized irrigation system, wherein the mechanized irrigation system comprises a plurality of conduits which are flexibly connected at a plurality of connection points; wherein the alignment of each of the plurality of conduits is independently adjustable; wherein the mechanized irrigation system further comprises a plurality of drive towers attached to the plurality of connection points; wherein the control system comprises:
a first drive motor, wherein the first drive motor is attached to a first drive tower; wherein the first drive tower is connected to a first connection point; wherein the first connection point flexibly attaches a first conduit and a second conduit;
a second drive motor, wherein the second drive motor is attached to a second drive tower; wherein the second drive tower is connected to a second connection point; wherein the second connection point flexibly attaches the second conduit and a third conduit;
wherein the first motor is capable of producing a ground speed for the first drive tower in excess of 27 ft./min;
wherein the second drive motor is capable of producing a ground speed for the second drive tower in excess of 27 ft./min;
a first motor control system, wherein the first motor control system receives inputs and instructions and adjusts the operational status of the first drive motor;
a second motor control system, wherein the second motor control system receives inputs and instructions and adjusts the operational status of the second drive motor;
wherein the first and second motor control systems are configured to vary a drive motor characteristic in response to a drive command; wherein the drive motor characteristic is selected from the group of drive motor characteristics comprising: electrical pulse rate, voltage, RPM

Assignees

• Valmont Industries

Inventors

• Kastl John

Classifications

• A01G25/092 Primary

  movable around a pivot centre · CPC title

• H02P29/10

  for preventing overspeed or under speed · CPC title

• H02P2205/07

  Speed loop, i.e. comparison of the motor speed with a speed reference · CPC title

• A01G25/09 Primary

  Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like · CPC title

• A01G25/16

  Control of watering · CPC title