US 12,458,012 B2Granted

Valve control system and method

AssigneeRaven Industries, Inc.

InventorsJustin Krosschell, Drew John Waltner, Travis Allen Burgers, Jacob David Deines, Seth Steensma

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A sprayer control system includes a plurality of smart nozzles each having at least one control valve with a valve operator, an electronic control unit for the valve operator, and one or more spray nozzles. The at least one control valve and the ECU control a flow rate of liquid agricultural product through the nozzles. A duty cycle modulator is in communication with the ECU and generates an applied duty cycle for the at least one control valve. The duty cycle modulator includes a specified duty cycle input having a specified duty cycle and a pressure monitor associated with the at least one control valve. A pressure comparator compares the valve pressure determined with the pressure monitor with a system pressure and generates a pressure error. An applied duty cycle generator generates the applied duty cycle based on the specified duty cycle modified by the pressure error.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A sprayer control system, comprising:

a first smart nozzle, including:
a control valve having a valve operator;
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to operate the valve operator;
and
a first set of one or more spray nozzles, wherein the control valve and the ECU are configured to control a flow rate of a liquid agricultural product through the first set of one or more spray nozzles;
a plurality of pressure monitors distributed along a boom tube, the boom tube extending between a proximal boom end and a distal boom end, wherein the plurality of pressure monitors are configured to determine one or more nozzle pressures at the first set of one or more spray nozzles proximate to the respective pressure monitors of the plurality of pressure monitors, the plurality of pressure monitors including a first pressure monitor associated with the first smart nozzle, wherein the first pressure monitor is located proximate to at least one of the first set of one or more spray nozzles and is configured to determine a first nozzle pressure proximate to the at least one of the first set of one or more spray nozzles;
and
one or more system pressure regulators configured to control a system pressure of the liquid agricultural product within the boom tube, wherein the sprayer control system is configured to operate the one or more system pressure regulators at pressures above a specified system pressure to generate a system overpressure at the proximal boom end, and the sprayer control system is configured to operate the one or more system pressure regulators to achieve the specified system pressure between the proximal boom end and the distal boom end.

5 more elements

A sprayer control system, comprising:

an array of smart nozzles, each of the smart nozzles of the array of smart nozzles includes:
a control valve having a valve operator;
an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to operate the valve operator;
one or more spray nozzles, wherein the control valve and the ECU are configured to control a flow rate of liquid agricultural product through the first set of one or more spray nozzles;
and
a pressure monitor located proximate to at least one spray nozzle of the one or more spray nozzles, the pressure monitor is configured to determine a nozzle pressure proximate to the at least one spray nozzle;
and
a duty cycle modulator in communication with the ECU of each of the smart nozzles, the duty cycle modulator is configured to generate applied duty cycles for the control valve of each of the smart nozzles of the array of smart nozzles, and the duty cycle modulator includes:
a pressure comparator configured to compare the nozzle pressure for each smart nozzle of the array of smart nozzles with a system pressure and generate a pressure error for each of the smart nozzles;
and
an applied duty cycle generator configured to generate applied duty cycles for each smart nozzle of the array of smart nozzles based on a specified duty cycle modified by the pressure error for each of the smart nozzles.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/164,321Filed 3 Feb 2023 · continuation
Priority: 4 Oct 2019
Published: US 2023/0329220 A119 Oct 2023
Granted: 4 Nov 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

A01M 7/0089
Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass: regulating or controlling systems
B05B 1/083
Of pulsating nature, e.g. delivering liquid in successive separate quantities: the pulsating mechanism comprising movable parts
B05B 1/3026
Designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages: gate valves; Sliding valves; Cocks
B05B 1/3053
The valve element, e.g. a needle, co-operating with a valve seat located downstream of the valve element and its actuating means, generally in…

Family

Application62/911,045Us provisional application · filed 4 Oct 2019
Application17/001,539Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Aug 2020
PCT/US2020/047696Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Aug 2020
Application17/224,955Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Apr 2021
US 2023/0329220 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Oct 2023
US 11,612,160 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,236,841 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application17/224,955Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2021/0102637 A1Published application
US 2021/0219538 A1Published application
US 12,458,012 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.