Continuous-move irrigation control system
AssigneeLindsay Corporation
InventorJohn Paul Grabow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control system of an irrigation system to continuously drive a plurality of towers supporting an elevated pipeline along a path while maintaining the pipeline in an aligned configuration. The system includes an antenna, a receiver, a controller, and a variable-speed drive motor. The antenna receives signals from at least one external positional information source. The receiver is in communication with the antenna and operable to process the signals to produce positional data corresponding to an alignment of the elevated pipeline. The controller is in communication with the receiver and programmed to adjust a speed of the motor based on the alignment data.
Claims20
A control system to guide an irrigation system drive tower carrying a linear pipeline in a continuous manner along a path, the control system comprising:
- an antenna coupled to the linear pipeline and operable to receive signals from at least one external positional information source;
- a receiver in communication with the antenna, the receiver operable to (i) process the signals to produce position data corresponding to a current position of the drive tower with respect to a support tower, and (ii) produce alignment data of the drive tower with respect to the support tower;
- and
- a controller in communication with the receiver, the controller programmed to (i) drive a wheel of the drive tower at a speed corresponding to a difference between the current position of the support tower and a point along the path, and (ii) adjust the speed of the wheel based on the alignment data.
A tower to transport a portion of an irrigation system along a path, the tower comprising:
- a frame having a wheel;
- a variable-speed drive motor coupled with the wheel and operable to drive the wheel continuously and at variable speeds to perform correction operations;
- a portion of an overhead irrigation pipeline supported by the frame and positioned at a right angle with respect to a central vertical plane through the wheel;
- an antenna coupled to the frame and vertically aligned with the portion of the overhead irrigation pipeline, the antenna operable to receive signals from at least one external positional information source;
- a receiver in communication with the antenna, the receiver operable to (i) process the signals to produce position data corresponding to a current position of the frame, and (ii) produce alignment data of the frame;
- and
- a controller in communication with the receiver and the variable-speed drive motor, the controller programmed to (i) drive the wheel at a speed corresponding to a difference between the current position of the frame and a point along the path, and (ii) adjust the speed of the wheel based on the alignment data.
A method of driving a tower with an elevated pipeline of an irrigation system in a continuous manner along a path while maintaining alignment of the elevated pipeline, the method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring a current position of the tower along the path;
- acquiring alignment data related to the tower and a portion of the irrigation pipeline coupled to the tower;
- calculating a point along the path that is a distance from the current position;
- generating a control signal based on the alignment data and the calculated point along the path;
- transmitting the control signal to a variable-speed drive motor;
- driving a wheel coupled to the tower via the variable-speed drive motor to cause the tower to continuously move toward the point at a rate that maintains the alignment data within a range of values;
- and
- increasing the rate if the alignment data is less than a value within the range of values, or decreasing the rate if the alignment data is greater than the value or another value within the range of values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.