Control system for application of liquid or solid material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823591-B2
Application number	US-201514627227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for a material application system. A sensor may be disposed and configured to monitor one or more of a material level and a material flow for the material application system. A signal may be received from the sensor corresponding to the material level or flow. A reference quantity of material contained by the material application system, an expected application rate for the material, and an indicator of current application duration may be determined. An estimated application rate may be determined based upon one or more of the indicator of current application duration, the reference quantity of material, and the signal. The estimated and expected application rates may be compared and the expected application rate updated based upon the comparison. A remaining interval for application without a replenishment of the container may be determined and indicated to an operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural material application system configured to apply an agricultural material at a desired location in a field, the agricultural material application system comprising:
a base container mounted to a frame of the agricultural material application system and defining a first capacity configured to store a first quantity of the material;
a transfer container removably mounted to the base container and defining a second capacity configured to store a second quantity of the material greater than the first quantity of the material;
a transfer passage located between the base container and the transfer container, the transfer passage configured to provide material flow from the transfer container into the base container to enable filling the base container to the first capacity, wherein the material provided by the transfer passage moves past the transfer passage into the base container to fill the base container to the first capacity;
a metering device, wherein the metering device is associated with the base container, the metering device configured to adjust a flow of the material from the base container;
a sensor disposed at one of the base container, the transfer container, and the transfer passage and configured to monitor one or more of a material level and a material flow for one of the base container and the transfer container;
a display device; and
a controller including a memory and a processing device operatively connected to the sensor, to the metering device, and to the memory, wherein the processing device is configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory to:
receive a signal from the sensor corresponding to the one or more of the material level and the material flow;
determine a reference quantity of the material contained by the agricultural material application system, an expected application rate for the material, and an indicator of current application duration that corresponds to an amount of time or a distance over which a current application operation has continued, wherein the reference quantity of the material, the expected application rate, and the indicator of current application duration collectively form a material application parameter set;
determine, based upon one or more of the signal and the material application parameter set, an amount of material remaining for application;
determine, based upon the amount of material remaining for application and the expected application rate, a remaining interval including one of: i) a time remaining, ii) a distance remaining, and iii) a coverage area, for application without a replenishment of the transfer container;
provide an indicator of the remaining interval to an operator of the agricultural material application system at the display device;
determine an estimated application rate based upon the indicator of current application duration, the reference quantity of the material, and the one or more of the material level and the material flow;
compare the estimated and expected application rates; and

further wherein the processing device is configured to control the metering device between open and closed positions to adjust a rate of application of the material based on the comparison of the estimated and expected application rates.

2. The agricultural material application system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of base containers mounted to the frame of the agricultural material application system, each of the plurality of base containers being configured to store the first quantity of the material;
a plurality of transfer containers, each of the plurality of transfer containers being configured to be removably mounted to at least one of the plurality of base containers and each being configured to store the second quantity of the material greater than the first quantity of material;
a plurality of transfer passages, each of the plurality of transfer passages being located between one of the plurality of base containers and one of the plurality of transfer containers;
a plurality of metering devices, wherein each of the plurality of metering devices is associated with one of the plurality of base containers, each of the plurality of metering devices configured to adjust a flow of the material from the one of the plurality of base containers;
a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors disposed at one of the base container, the transfer container, and the transfer passage configured to monitor one or more of the material level and the material flow for each base or transfer container of the plurality of base and transfer containers;
wherein the processing device is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:
determine a plurality of remaining intervals for application without a replenishment of one of the plurality of transfer containers, each of the plurality of remaining intervals being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of transfer containers; and
cause the display device to display indicators of the plurality of remaining intervals for application to the operator.

3. The agricultural material application system of claim 2 , wherein the processing device is further configured to execute stored program instructions to:
identify a first one or more of the plurality of transfer containers having a lower remaining interval for application than a second one or more of the plurality of transfer containers; and
cause the display device to provide a current display of only a subset of the indicators of the plurality of remaining intervals of application, the subset corresponding to the first one or more of the plurality of transfer containers.

4. The agricultural material application system of claim 1 , wherein the base container is configured to receive the material from the transfer container before application of the material outside the agricultural material application system and further comprising a plurality of sensors;
wherein, one of the plurality of sensors is configured to monitor the material level, the material level corresponds to a current material level for the transfer container; and
wherein, one of the plurality of sensors is configured to monitor the material flow, the material flow corresponds to one of a current material flow from the transfer container to the base container and a current material flow out of the base container.

5. The agricultural material application system of claim 1 , further comprising a base mounting structure, wherein the transfer passage extends through the base mounting structure and wherein the transfer container is removably mounted to the base container at the base mounting structure, such that, during normal operation of the agricultural material application system, the transfer container is replenished when substantially empty of the material by removing the transfer container from the base mounting structure for replacement with a substitute transfer container that is substantially full of the material.

6. The agricultural material application system of claim 1 , wherein, when the signal received by the processing device corresponds to one or more of a reduced material level, with respect to the reference quantity of the material, or a reduced material flow, the processing device is further configured to execute stored program instructions to execute a calibration operation including:
determining an estimated application rate based upon the indicator of current application duration, the reference quantity of the material, and the one or more of the reduced material level and the reduced material flow;
comparing the estimated and expected application rates; and
updating the expected application rate based upon the comparison of the estimated and

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Yang Xinzhan Z

Classifications

• A01C15/006

  Hoppers · CPC title

• A01C23/007 Primary

  Metering or regulating systems · CPC title

• A01C21/002

  Apparatus for sowing fertiliser; Fertiliser drill · CPC title

• A01M7/0089

  Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06) · CPC title

• A01C7/06

  Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus · CPC title