Agricultural sprayer with compressed air spray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148158-B2
Application number	US-201815962533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

An agricultural sprayer system includes a solution circuit including solution lines and a fluid pump to pump a solution from the solution tank through the solution lines to the spray nozzles; an air circuit including air lines and a source of compressed air to selectively introduce air pressure into the solution circuit; and a control system including a controller configured to control flow of the solution and the compressed air. The controller is configured to perform a spray cycle in which, during a primary portion, a control valve is controlled to isolate the air circuit from the solution circuit so that the solution is pumped by the fluid pump from the solution tank to the spray nozzles, and in which, during an air pressure application portion, the control valve is controlled so that the solution is forced through the solution circuit by the compressed air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural sprayer system having a chassis supporting a solution tank and a boom assembly mounting spray nozzles, the sprayer system comprising:
a solution circuit including solution lines and a fluid pump coupled to the solution tank to pump a solution from the solution tank through the solution lines to the spray nozzles, wherein the solution circuit further includes a recirculation arrangement with recirculation lines fluidly coupled to at least one of the solution lines downstream of the fluid pump and extending to the solution tank such that a portion of the solution from the solution lines is selectively recirculated back into the solution tank;
an air circuit including air lines and a source of compressed air to selectively introduce air pressure into the solution circuit, wherein the air circuit is configured to selectively introduce air pressure into the recirculation arrangement via at least one control valve; and
a control system including a controller operatively coupled to the at least one control valve configured to control flow of the solution and the compressed air through the solution lines, wherein the controller is configured to perform a spray cycle including:
a primary portion of the spray cycle in which the at least one control valve is controlled to isolate the air circuit from the solution circuit and the recirculation arrangement while the solution is pumped by the fluid pump from the solution tank to the spray nozzles;
an air pressure application portion of the spray cycle in which the at least one control valve is controlled so that the solution in the solution lines is forced through at least a portion of the solution to the spray nozzles by the compressed air from the air source; and
an air pressure recirculation portion of the spray cycle in which the at least one control valve is controlled so that the solution in at least one of the recirculation lines is forced into the solution tank with the compressed air from the air source while the solution is pumped by the fluid pump from the solution tank to the spray nozzles.

2. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein, during the air pressure application portion of the spray cycle, the compressed air is introduced into the solution circuit at the fluid pump or upstream of the fluid pump.

3. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , further comprising a sump valve arranged on a first solution line of the solution lines between the solution tank and the fluid pump and operatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to open the sump valve during the primary portion of the spray cycle and to close the sump valve during the air pressure application portion of the spray cycle.

4. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the air pressure application portion of the spray cycle when the solution tank is substantially empty.

5. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to stop operation of the fluid pump prior to or during the air pressure application portion of the spray cycle.

6. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the air pressure recirculation portion of the spray cycle based on a solution level within the solution tank.

7. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain operation of the fluid pump to pump the solution from the solution tank through the solution lines to the spray nozzles during the air pressure recirculation portion of the spray cycle.

8. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rinse arrangement including rinse tank configured to contain a rinsate and rinse lines selectively fluidly coupled to the rinse tank and the solution lines;
wherein the controller is configured to perform a primary portion of a rinse cycle in which the at least one control valve is controlled such that the rinsate is directed from the rinse tank, through the rinse lines, and into the solution lines; and
wherein the controller is configured to perform an air pressure portion of the rinse cycle in which the at least one control valve is controlled to force at least a portion the rinsate in the solution lines into the solution tank with the air pressure from the air source.

9. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the air pressure portion of the rinse cycle after the primary portion of the rinse cycle.

10. An agricultural sprayer system having a chassis supporting a solution tank and a boom assembly mounting spray nozzles, the sprayer system comprising:
a solution circuit including solution lines and a fluid pump coupled to the solution tank to pump a solution from the solution tank through the solution lines to the spray nozzles, wherein the solution circuit further includes a recirculation arrangement with recirculation lines fluidly coupled to at least one of the solution lines downstream of the fluid pump and extending to the solution tank such that a portion of the solution from the solution lines is selectively recirculated back into the solution tank:
an air circuit including air lines and a source of compressed air to selectively introduce air pressure into the solution circuit, wherein the air circuit is configured to selectively introduce air pressure into the recirculation arrangement via at least one control valve; and
a control system including a controller operatively coupled to the at least one control valve configured to control flow of the solution and the compressed air through the solution lines;
wherein the controller is configured to perform a spray cycle in which, during a primary portion of the spray cycle, the at least one control valve is controlled to isolate the air circuit from the solution circuit and the recirculation arrangement so that the solution is pumped by the fluid pump from the solution tank to the spray nozzles, and in which, during an air pressure application portion of the spray cycle, the at least one control valve is controlled so that the solution in the solution lines is forced through at least a portion of the solution circuit by the compressed air from the air source, including, during an air pressure recirculation portion of the spray cycle, the at least one control valve is controlled so that the solution in at least one of the recirculation lines is forced into the solution tank with the compressed air from the air source;
wherein the recirculation lines include a first recirculation line selectively fluidly coupled to the at least one of the solution lines downstream of the solution pump to receive the portion of the solution, a second recirculation line selectively fluidly coupled to the first recirculation line and the solution tank, and a third recirculation line selectively fluidly coupled to the first recirculation line and the solution tank; and
wherein the at least one control valve includes a first control valve that selectively couples the first recirculation line to the at least one of the solution lines, a second control valve that selectively couples the second recirculation line to the first recirculation line, a third control valve that selectively couples the third recirculation line to the first recirculation line, and a fourth control valve that selectively couples at least one of the air lines to the first recirculation line; and
wherein the controller is configured to,
during the primary portion of the spray cycle, close the fourth control valve such that the air circuit is isolated from the recirculation arrangement,
during a first part o

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Engelbrecht Joshua J
• Van Raaij Pierre
• Saint Laurent Julien

Classifications

• A01M7/0089 Primary

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

• A01M7/0042 Primary

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

• A01C23/04

  Distributing under pressure; Distributing mud; Adaptation of watering systems for fertilising-liquids · CPC title

• B05B1/20

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

• B05B15/55 Primary

  using cleaning fluids · CPC title