Time varying control of the operation of spray systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773271-B2
Application number	US-201514844619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments include a sprayer system having dynamic pre-sets to control spray nozzles that each individually operates continuously or under a time-modulated or a frequency-modulated electronic signal control to release the liquid droplets. Collectively, adjacent or near neighboring nozzles are also controlled by time-sequencing through different modes of operation or physical configurations on each spray nozzle. The spray nozzles are mounted on a variety of implements including agricultural or industrial spray booms.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:
nozzle bodies mounted on a boom, wherein each of the nozzle bodies includes:
a rotatable turret, a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, a first outlet, a second outlet, wherein the first outlet and the second outlet join together to form a combined outlet; wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the first outlet via a first valve; and the fluid inlet is also coupled to the second outlet via a second valve, and the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve, and wherein fluid received at the fluid inlet is separated into at least two flow paths via the first valve and the second valve before recombining into a single flow path at the combined outlet; and

a controller in electrical communication with the first valve and the second valve; wherein the controller is programmed to move the first valve and the second valve according to any one of a following control modes:
a first mode wherein the fluid is released from both the first outlet and the second outlet based on a first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first valve, and a second PWM signal coupled to the valve, respectively;
a second mode wherein the fluid is released from only the first outlet or only the second outlet based on the first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first valve or the second PWM signal coupled to the valve, respectively; and
a third mode wherein:
the fluid is released from the combined outlet based on the first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first and the second PWM signal coupled to the second value,
the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal are each of a predetermined time-duration and are in a predetermined phase relation to one another to operate the first and second value in a first position and a second position such that fluid is released at a greater frequency from the combined outlet than from either the first valve or the second value, separately,
in a first sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have the same phase relationship and frequency, and
in a second sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have a different phase relationship and the same frequency.

2. A spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:
a spray boom having a fluid distribution pipe;
at least one spray nozzle body mounted along the fluid distribution pipe, the spray nozzle body including a rotatable turret, a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, and a combined outlet arranged on the rotatable turret, wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve, and wherein fluid received at the fluid inlet is separated into at least two flow paths via the first valve and the second valve before recombining into a single flow path at the combined outlet;
an electronic controller;
a first actuator communicatively coupled to the electronic controller that is responsive to a first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal; and
a second actuator communicatively coupled to the electronic controller that is responsive to a second pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal,
wherein:
the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal are each of a predetermined time-duration and are in a predetermined phase relation to one another to operate the first and second actuators in a first position and a second position such that fluid is released at a greater frequency from the combined outlet than from either the first valve or the second value, separately,
in a first sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have the same phase relationship and frequency, and
in a second sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have a different phase relationship and the same frequency.

3. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , further comprising a first outlet and a second outlet arranged on the rotatable turret and oriented to both point substantially in the same direction.

4. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the combined outlet has a nozzle tip.

5. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator both have a solenoid to electrically effect pulse width modulation.

6. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from a first outlet out of phase with releasing the fluid from a second outlet.

7. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from a first outlet in phase with releasing the fluid from a second outlet.

8. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from a first outlet while continuously releasing the fluid from a second outlet.

9. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein fluid released from the combined outlet is provided to a spray nozzle tip.

10. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , further comprising a sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller that indicates a speed of travel of the spray nozzle body, and wherein the electronic controller is configured to generate a control signal to control the first actuator and the second actuator based on the speed of travel.

11. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , further comprising a sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller that indicates a flow rate of the fluid out of the spray nozzle body, and wherein the electronic controller is configured to generate a control signal to control the first actuator and the second actuator based on the flow rate.

12. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , further comprising a sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller that indicates a pressure of the fluid into the spray nozzle body, and wherein the electronic controller is configured to generate a control signal to control the first actuator and the second actuator based on the pressure.

13. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one spray nozzle body comprises a plurality of adjacently arranged nozzle bodies; and wherein the adjacently arranged nozzle bodies release the fluid in phase.

14. The spray nozzle system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one spray nozzle body comprises a plurality of adjacently arranged nozzle bodies, and wherein in a fourth mode fluid is released out of phase from each of the adjacently arranged nozzle bodies.

15. A spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:
an agricultural vehicle having a boom; adjacent nozzle bodies that are mounted along a length of the boom; wherein the adjacent nozzle bodies each includes:
a rotatable turret, a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, and a combined outlet arranged on the rotatable turret, wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve, and wherein fluid received at the fluid inlet is separated into at least two flow streams via the first valve and the second valve before recombining into a single flow stream at the combined outlet, wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to (i) a first outlet via a first value and (ii) a second outlet via a second valve;
a circuit in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies, wherein the circuit is in electrical communication with the first valve and the second valve in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies, and wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet is arranged on the rotatable turret relative to a position of the combined outlet;
wherein the circuit in each of the adjacen

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Funseth Travis G
• Humpal Richard A
• Bullock Stacy L

Classifications

• B05B1/169

  having three or more selectively effective outlets · CPC title

• B05B12/06

  for effecting pulsating flow {(nozzles, spray heads or other outlets with means for generating a discharge of pulsating nature B05B1/08)} · CPC title

• B05B1/3053

  the actuating means being a solenoid · CPC title

• B05B1/1645

  the outlets being rotated during selection · CPC title

• B05B1/20

  Perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms; Outlet elements therefor · CPC title