Back to results
US 12,728,436 B2Granted
System and method for an agricultural applicator
AssigneesCNH Industrial America LLC, Kansas State University Research Foundation
InventorsAndrew W. Harmon, Ajay Sharda, Jonathan Fabula
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural system can include a first nozzle assembly positioned along a boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom. An airflow detection system can be configured to capture data indicative of one or more airflow sources. A computing system can be communicatively coupled to the first nozzle assembly and the airflow detection system. The computing system can be configured to receive, from the airflow detection system, the data associated with the one or more airflow sources and generate a first nozzle vector for the first nozzle assembly based at least in part on the data from the airflow detection system.
Claims15
An agricultural system comprising:
- a first nozzle assembly positioned along a boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom;
- an airflow detection system configured to capture data indicative of one or more airflow sources;
- a position sensor positioned along the boom assembly, the position sensor configured to capture data indicative of a deflection of the boom assembly in a fore-aft direction;
- and
- a computing system communicatively coupled to the first nozzle assembly, the airflow detection system, and the position sensor, the computing system being configured to:
- receive, from the airflow detection system, the data associated with the one or more airflow sources;
- generate a first nozzle assembly vector for the first nozzle assembly based on the data captured from the airflow detection system and a deflection of the boom assembly as detected by the position sensor, wherein the first nozzle assembly vector is a combination of an environmental vector and a movement airflow vector, the movement airflow vector defined as a combination of a boom deflection airflow caused by movement of a boom arm relative to a chassis of a work vehicle and a work vehicle movement airflow caused by the movement of the work vehicle relative to a ground surface at the first nozzle assembly, and wherein a magnitude of the first nozzle assembly vector is based on a magnitude of deflection in the fore-aft direction of the first nozzle assembly relative to a default position;
- calculate a spray quality index based on the first nozzle assembly vector;
- and
- alter a flow rate of the first nozzle assembly based on a deviation from a defined range by the spray quality index.
7 more elements
An agricultural system comprising:
- a first nozzle assembly positioned along a boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom;
- a second nozzle assembly positioned along the boom assembly and laterally offset from the first nozzle assembly along the boom assembly, the second nozzle assembly configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom;
- an airflow detection system configured to capture data indicative of one or more airflow sources;
- a position sensor positioned along the boom assembly, the position sensor configured to capture data indicative of a deflection of the boom assembly in a fore-aft direction;
- and
- a computing system communicatively coupled to the first nozzle assembly, to the second nozzle assembly, the airflow detection system, and the position sensor, the computing system being configured to:
- receive, from the airflow detection system, the data associated with the one or more airflow sources;
- generate a first nozzle assembly vector for the first nozzle assembly based on the data from the airflow detection system and a deflection of the boom assembly as detected by the position sensor, wherein a magnitude of the first nozzle assembly vector is based on a magnitude of deflection in the fore-aft direction of the first nozzle assembly relative to a default position, wherein the first nozzle assembly vector is a combination of an environmental vector and a first movement airflow vector, the first movement airflow vector defined as a combination of a boom deflection airflow caused by movement of a boom arm relative to a chassis of a work vehicle and a work vehicle movement airflow caused by the movement of the work vehicle relative to a ground surface at the first nozzle assembly, the environmental vector defined by a direction and a speed of airflow caused by environmental or ambient factors;
- generate a second nozzle assembly vector for the second nozzle assembly based on the data from the airflow detection system and a deflection of the boom assembly as detected by the position sensor, wherein a magnitude of the second nozzle assembly vector is based on a magnitude of deflection in the fore-aft direction of the second nozzle assembly relative to the default position, wherein the second nozzle assembly vector is a combination of an environmental vector and a second movement airflow vector, the second movement airflow vector defined as a combination of the boom deflection airflow caused by movement of the boom arm relative to the chassis of the work vehicle and the work vehicle movement airflow caused by the movement of the work vehicle relative to the ground surface at the second nozzle assembly, the environmental vector defined by the direction and the speed of airflow caused by environmental or ambient factors, and wherein the first movement airflow vector is different from the second airflow movement vector;
- and
- alter a flow rate of the first nozzle assembly based on the first nozzle assembly vector for the first nozzle assembly or the second nozzle assembly based on the second nozzle assembly vector for the second nozzle assembly.
8 more elements
An agricultural system comprising:
- a user interface;
- a first nozzle assembly positioned along a boom assembly and configured to selectively dispense an agricultural product therefrom;
- an airflow detection system configured to capture data indicative of one or more airflow sources, wherein the airflow detection system comprises one or more nozzle sensors configured to capture data indicative of the one or more airflow sources associated with the first nozzle assembly;
- a position sensor positioned along the boom assembly, the position sensor configured to capture data indicative of a deflection of the boom assembly in a fore-aft direction;
- and
- a computing system communicatively coupled to the first nozzle assembly, the user interface, the airflow detection system, and the position sensor, the computing system being configured to:
- receive, from the airflow detection system, the data associated with the one or more airflow sources;
- generate a first nozzle assembly vector for the first nozzle assembly based on the data from the airflow detection system and a deflection of the boom assembly as detected by the position sensor, wherein a magnitude of the first nozzle assembly vector is based on a magnitude of deflection in the fore-aft direction of the first nozzle assembly relative to a default position, wherein the magnitude of deflection in the fore-aft direction of the first nozzle assembly is determined based on a lateral position of the first nozzle assembly along the boom assembly the data from the position sensor, the magnitude of deflection characterized by a known position of the first nozzle assembly in the fore-aft direction relative to a default axis;
- and
- alter a flow rate of the first nozzle assembly based on the magnitude of the first nozzle assembly vector.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.