Valve priming and depriming
AssigneeRaven Industries, Inc.
InventorsJustin Krosschell, Travis Allen Burgers, Drew John Waltner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for applying an agricultural product includes at least one control valve. For instance, the control valve has a moveable valve operator. One or more sensors monitor one or more control valve characteristics. A valve controller is configured to determine the control valve is in one or more of a primed state or an unprimed state based on a comparison of the one or more control valve characteristics to a primed valve characteristic threshold.
Claims31
A system for applying an agricultural product, the system comprising:
- a control valve including:
- a moveable valve operator configured to translate between a closed position and an open position;
- one or more sensors configured to monitor one or more control valve characteristics;
- and
- a valve controller in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the valve controller includes:
- an actuator configured to repeatedly open and close the valve operator with agricultural product delivered to the control valve;
- a comparator configured to compare the monitored one or more control valve characteristics to a primed valve characteristic threshold;
- and
- wherein the valve controller is configured to determine the control valve is in one or more of a primed state or an unprimed state based on the comparison of the one or more control valve characteristics to the primed valve characteristic threshold.
The system of claim of 4, wherein the primed valve characteristic threshold includes the first operator transition time.
A method of priming a control valve, comprising:
- delivering an agricultural product to the control valve, the control valve in an unprimed state;
- and
- detecting whether the control valve is in a primed state, detecting including:
- repeatedly opening and closing of the control valve while delivering flow of the agricultural product to the control valve, wherein repeatedly opening and closing of the control valve includes moving a valve operator between closed and open positions;
- monitoring one or more control valve characteristics while repeatedly opening and closing the control valve;
- comparing the monitored control valve characteristics of the valve operator with a primed valve characteristic threshold;
- and
- determining that the control valve is in one or more of the unprimed state or the primed state based on the comparison of the monitored control valve characteristics to the primed valve characteristic threshold.
A system for applying an agricultural product, the system comprising:
- a plurality of control valves including a first control valve and a second control valve, each of the plurality of control valves including:
- a moveable valve operator configured to translate between a closed position and an open position;
- one or more sensors configured to monitor one or more control valve characteristics of individual ones of the plurality of control valves;
- and
- a valve controller in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the valve controller includes:
- an actuator configured to repeatedly open and close the movable valve operator for the plurality of control valves, wherein agricultural product is delivered to the control valve with the actuator opening and closing the moveable valve operator;
- a comparator configured to compare of the monitored one or more control valve characteristics to a primed valve characteristic threshold;
- and
- wherein the valve controller is configured to determine each of the control valves is in one or more of a primed state or an unprimed state based on the comparison of the one or more control valve characteristics to the primed valve characteristic threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.