System and method to monitor gaseous concentrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532499-B2
Application number	US-201414548962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A gas monitoring system on an agricultural implement such as a tractor or cultivator includes a nutrient applicator to inject chemicals or compounds into the soil. Although the soil generally covers over the chemicals or compounds, there still may be gases released into the atmosphere. The system includes a sensor that detects the gas phase of the chemicals or compounds. The system is also set up to generate an indication when a concentration of the gas passes a threshold. If the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere is too high, an alarm may sound or flash, or the release of the chemicals or compounds is reduced or ceased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor monitoring system on an agricultural implement, the system comprising:
a nutrient applicator configured to inject compound into a soil surface;
a sensor configured to detect a gas corresponding to the compound under the soil surface, wherein the sensor is located directly or indirectly above a release end of the nutrient applicator; and
wherein the vapor monitoring system is configured to generate an indication when a concentration of the gas passes a threshold.

2. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas monitoring processing circuit having an alarm, wherein the gas monitoring processing circuit is electrically coupled to the nutrient applicator to reduce or stop further injection of the compound based on a gas alarm condition.

3. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising a ground engaging tool positioned at a lower end of the agricultural implement to open the soil surface, wherein the nutrient applicator is mounted to the agricultural implement and is behind the ground engaging tool to release the compound into the opened soil surface, and wherein the vapor monitoring system is set up to generate the indication when the concentration of the gas passes the threshold while planting a crop.

4. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes an attachment to the agricultural implement using at least a magnetic material, an adhesive, or a fastener, wherein the sensor is re-locatable free of mechanical tools.

5. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural implement is hitched to a motorized vehicle, and wherein the vapor monitoring system is set up to generate the indication when the concentration of the gas passes the threshold while planting a crop.

6. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the compound includes at least one of a plant fertilizer, a pesticide, or organic waste.

7. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising atmospheric sensors mounted on the agricultural implement and a location indicator of the agricultural implement.

8. The vapor monitoring system of claim 7 , further comprising a memory circuit of a gas monitoring computer that stores a gas dispersion equation in the memory circuit, wherein the gas monitoring computer receives measurements from the sensor, and the atmospheric sensors and the location indicator to generate an alarm of excessive gas computed from the gas dispersion equation.

9. The vapor monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the indication is based at least in part on a lookup table having an acceptable gas threshold level that is correlated with an atmospheric condition.

10. An agricultural assembly having a detector, the agricultural assembly comprising:
a soil cutting tool attached to the agricultural assembly;
a feeding dispenser mounted to the agricultural assembly behind the soil cutting tool, wherein the feeding dispenser is designed to inject a chemical into the soil;
a gas sensor mounted to the agricultural assembly above the feeding dispenser; and
wherein the detector includes an alarm that indicates an excess concentration of a gas phase of the chemical based on a dispersion calculation or a lookup table.

11. The agricultural assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a gas monitoring processing circuit electrically coupled to a flow controller for the feeding dispenser to revise injection of the chemical based on an alarm condition, wherein the alarm condition is generated in the gas monitoring processing circuit.

12. The agricultural assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a gas monitoring processing circuit where the alarm is generated, and the gas monitoring processing circuit monitors the gas phase of the chemical and is electrically or wirelessly coupled to a visual or auditory or haptic alert that indicates an alarm condition associated with the gas phase of the chemical.

13. The agricultural assembly of claim 10 , wherein the feeding dispenser is positioned low enough that a dispensing tip of the feeding dispenser is below an anticipated ground surface level.

14. The agricultural assembly of claim 10 , wherein the chemical includes a plant fertilizer, and wherein the alarm indicates the excess concentration of the gas phase of the chemical during planting of a crop.

15. The agricultural assembly of claim 10 , further comprising wind and temperature sensors and a location determiner that provides sensed information to a determination of the alarm.

16. A method of using a vapor monitoring system, the method comprising:
mounting a gas sensor above and behind a compound applicator, wherein behind is directly or indirectly opposite a direction of travel of the compound applicator;
positioning a dispenser of the compound applicator below the gas sensor, the dispenser positioned low enough to inject a compound below a surface-level of a ground; and
accessing a gas dispersion calculation program in a gas monitoring computer associated with the gas sensor indicating an alarm level of a pre-determined gas if a concentration of the predetermined gas exceeds a threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising coupling the gas monitoring computer to the compound applicator to turn off compound injection upon detection of an excess of the pre-determined gas in atmosphere.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising instructing attaching the compound applicator and the gas sensor to a frame towed by an agricultural motorized vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adding gas sensor information to calculate a plume cone to determine an excess of the pre-determined gas detected in atmosphere.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising instructing attaching the compound applicator and gas sensors to an agricultural motorized vehicle.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Anderson Noel W
• Turner Christopher D
• Bruns Daniel P

Classifications

• A01C21/00 Primary

  Methods of fertilising {, sowing or planting} · CPC title

• A01C23/023

  for liquid or gas fertilisers · CPC title

• A01C21/007

  Determining fertilization requirements · CPC title