System and method for purging agricultural sprayer nozzles using air pressure data

A system for purging nozzles of an agricultural sprayer, the system comprising:

• a pressurized air source;
• a main fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the pressurized air source;
• a main valve configured to selectively permit air from the pressurized air source to flow through the main fluid conduit;
• a nozzle configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying field;
• a downstream fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the nozzle;
• a downstream valve fluidly coupled between the main fluid conduit and the downstream fluid conduit, the downstream valve configured to selectively permit air from the main fluid conduit to flow to the nozzle;
• a first pressure sensor configured to capture data indicative of a first air pressure associated with the pressurized air source;
• a second pressure sensor configured to capture data indicative of a second air pressure associated with the nozzle;
• and
• a computing system communicatively coupled to the first and second pressure sensors, the computing system configured to:
• receive an input indicative of initiation of a purging operation to purge the agricultural fluid present within the nozzle;
• upon receipt of the input, control an operation of the main valve such that the main valve is moved to an opened position to allow the air to flow through the main fluid conduit;
• upon receipt of the input, control the operation of the downstream valve such that the downstream valve is moved to an opened position to purge the agricultural fluid present within the nozzle;
• monitor the first air pressure associated with the pressurized air source based on the data captured by the first pressure sensor;
• monitor the second air pressure associated with based on the data captured by the second pressure sensor;
• control an operation of the downstream valve during the purging operation based on the monitored first and second air pressures;
• and
• when controlling the operation of the downstream valve, determine a differential between the monitored first and second air pressures.

A method for purging nozzles of an agricultural sprayer, the agricultural sprayer including a pressurized air source, a main valve configured to selectively permit air from the pressurized air source to flow through a main fluid conduit, and a nozzle configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying field, the agricultural sprayer further including a downstream valve configured to selectively permit air from the main fluid conduit to flow to the nozzle, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a computing system, an input indicative of initiation of a purging operation to purge the agricultural fluid present within the nozzle;
• upon receipt of the input, controlling, with the computing system, an operation of the main valve such that the main valve is moved to an opened position to allow the air to flow through the main fluid conduit;
• upon receipt of the input, controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the downstream valve such that the downstream valve is moved to an opened position to purge the agricultural fluid present within the nozzle;
• receiving, with the computing system, first pressure sensor data indicative of a first air pressure associated with the pressurized air source;
• monitoring, with the computing system, the first air pressure associated with the pressurized air source based on the received first pressure sensor data;
• receiving, with the computing system, second pressure sensor data indicative of a second air pressure associated with the nozzle;
• monitoring, with the computing system, the second air pressure associated with based on the received second pressure sensor data;
• controlling, with the computing system, an operation of the downstream valve during the purging operation based on the monitored first and second air pressures;
• and
• when controlling the operation of the downstream valve, determine a differential between the monitored first and second air pressures.