Electric fluid flow monitoring apparatus and agricultural fluid application systems including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10857557-B2
Application number	US-201715650476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Electric fluid flow monitoring apparatus, and agricultural fluid application systems and methods including the same are described. The fluid flow monitoring apparatus generally includes an outer housing defining a cavity. The outer housing includes an inlet for fluid to enter the cavity and an outlet for fluid to exit the cavity. Fluid flows through the cavity from the inlet to the outlet. The flow monitoring apparatus also includes an inner housing defining an interior cavity and positioned within the outer housing cavity such that fluid flows through the interior cavity. The inner housing is removably connected to the outer housing such that the inner housing is interchangeable with another inner housing having a different cross-sectional profile. The flow monitoring apparatus further includes a traveler movably disposed within the interior cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow monitoring apparatus for detecting fluid flow through a system, the flow monitoring apparatus comprising:
an outer housing defining a cavity, the outer housing including an inlet for fluid to enter the cavity and an outlet for fluid to exit the cavity, wherein fluid flows through the cavity from the inlet to the outlet; and
an inner housing defining an interior cavity and positioned within the cavity of the outer housing such that fluid flows through the interior cavity,
wherein the inner housing is removably connected to the outer housing such that the inner housing is interchangeable with another inner housing having a different cross-sectional profile, the inner housing including a sidewall and a bottom wall, an inlet for fluid to enter the interior cavity from the cavity of the outer housing, and an outlet for fluid to exit the interior cavity, wherein the inlet of the inner housing is defined by the sidewalk; and
a traveler movably disposed within the interior cavity.

2. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor assembly configured to detect a position of the traveler within the interior cavity.

3. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing includes a visual indicator that corresponds to a range of flow rates measurable by the flow monitoring apparatus when operated with the inner housing.

4. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the visual indicator comprises at least one of a color and an alphanumeric character.

5. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing includes a first end and a second end, wherein the sidewall extends between the first end and the second end, the sidewall defining a cross-sectional area that changes between the first end and the second end.

6. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the sidewall has a non-uniform taper from the second end to the first end.

7. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the inlet of the inner housing is adjacent the first end and the outlet of the inner housing is adjacent the second end, fluid flowing through the inner housing from the inlet to the outlet.

8. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the inner housing increases from the first end to the second end.

9. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the traveler includes a visual indicator that corresponds to a range of flow rates measurable by the flow monitoring apparatus when operated with the traveler.

10. The flow monitoring apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing includes a sidewall, at least a portion of the sidewall of the inner housing being spaced from the sidewall of the outer housing when the inner housing is positioned within the cavity of the outer housing.

11. A system for applying fluid to an agricultural field, the system comprising:
a supply tank;
a fluid line connected to the supply tank;
a fluid dispenser connected in fluid communication with the fluid line for dispensing fluid onto or into the agricultural field; and
a flow monitoring apparatus connected in fluid communication with the fluid line, the flow monitoring apparatus comprising:
an outer housing defining a cavity,
the outer housing including an inlet for fluid to enter the cavity and an outlet for fluid to exit the cavity,
wherein the flow monitoring apparatus is connected to the fluid line such that fluid flows through the cavity from the inlet to the outlet;
an inner housing defining an interior cavity and positioned within the cavity such that fluid flows through the interior cavity, wherein the inner housing is removably connected to the outer housing such that the inner housing is interchangeable with another inner housing having a different cross-sectional profile, the inner housing including a sidewall and a bottom wall, an inlet for fluid to enter the interior cavity from the cavity of the outer housing, and an outlet for fluid to exit the interior cavity, wherein the inlet of the inner housing is defined by the sidewall; and
a traveler movably disposed within the interior cavity.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid dispenser includes a nozzle tip, the inner housing further including a visual indicator that corresponds to the nozzle tip.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the visual indicator includes a color.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the visual indicator corresponds to a matching visual indicator of the nozzle tip.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising a sensor assembly configured to detect a position of the traveler within the interior cavity.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a controller communicatively connected to the sensor assembly, wherein the sensor assembly outputs a signal relating to fluid flow through the flow monitoring apparatus to the controller.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a pump for directing fluid from the supply tank through the fluid line.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid is a liquid fertilizer.

19. A method of assembling a flow monitoring apparatus of an agricultural fluid application system, the flow monitoring apparatus including an outer housing defining a cavity, an inlet, and an outlet, and an inner housing positioned within the cavity and associated with a first range of measurable flow rates, the method comprising:
connecting the outer housing of the flow monitoring apparatus to a fluid line such that fluid flows through the cavity from the inlet to the outlet;
removing the inner housing from within the cavity;
positioning a second inner housing associated with a second range of measurable flow rates within the cavity;
removably connecting the second inner housing to the outer housing within the cavity,
wherein the second inner housing defines an interior cavity and includes a sidewall and a bottom wall, an inlet for fluid to enter the interior cavity from the cavity of the outer housing, and an outlet for fluid to exit the interior cavity,
wherein the inlet of the second inner housing is defined by the sidewall; and
positioning a traveler within the interior cavity such that the traveler is movable within the interior cavity.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising connecting a sensor assembly to the outer housing, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect a position of the traveler within the interior cavity.

Assignees

• Capstan Ag Systems Inc

Inventors

• Grimm Jeffrey John
• Boyd Andrew
• Marx Samuel Evans

Classifications

• A01M7/006 Primary

  Mounting of the nozzles · CPC title

• A01M7/0042

  Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted · CPC title

• A01C23/007

  Metering or regulating systems · CPC title

• G01F1/24

  with magnetic or electric coupling to the indicating device · CPC title

• B05B1/30

  designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages {(B05B11/0094 takes precedence)} · CPC title