Automatic water control system for open ditch drainage

• US 10,458,085 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Custom Water Management Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Custom Water Management Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Appelboom, Timothy William, Poole, Chad, Youssef, Mohamed Abdelmoneim, Chescheir, George M., Skaggs, Richard Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Armstrong, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US15/376,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20170089022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 11/00 Drainage of soil, e.g. for agricultural purposes draining sports grounds E01C13/083; for consolidating foundation soil, e.g. sand drain piles E02D3/10
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 7/205 Barrages controlled by the variations of the water level; automatically functioning barrages level regulators G05D9/00; the documents are filed in this subdivision and the relevant subdivision E02B7/26 - E02B7/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 7/28 with sliding gates
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 7/36 Elevating mechanisms for vertical-lift gates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

An automatic water control system for open ditch drainage includes a drainage control apparatus that is designed to be disposed in a drainage ditch and to control the water level in the drainage ditch, as well as the water table level in the field.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling moisture conditions in a field adjacent a drainage ditch comprising:

a drainage control apparatus configured to be disposed in the drainage ditch and including;

(1) a weir having a drainage opening;

(2) a gate moveably mounted adjacent the drainage opening for opening and closing the drainage opening;

(3) an actuator for moving the gate between open and closed positions;

(4) a controller operatively connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator and the movement of the gate;

(5) the controller including inputs for receiving signals representative of the water table level in the field and signals representative of the water level in the ditch; and

(6) wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator and the movement of the gate based on the signals representative of the water table level in the field or the signals representative of the water level in the drainage ditch.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator and the movement of the gate based on the signals representative of the water table in the field and the signals representative of the water level in the drainage ditch, and wherein the controller is operatively connected to an irrigation source and is programmed to actuate the irrigation source and cause water to be pumped into the drainage ditch in response to the water table in the field being above or below a selected threshold and/or the water level in the drainage ditch being above or below a selected threshold.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the drainage control apparatus includes a battery for powering the actuator and a solar collector for charging the battery.

4. The control system of claim 1 further including a water table sensor adapted to be disposed in the field and operatively connected to an input of the controller for generating signals representative of the water table in the field;

and a ditch water level sensor disposed in the ditch and operatively connected to an input of the controller for generating signals that are representative of the water level in the ditch.

5. The control system of claim 1 further including a soil moisture sensor adapted to be disposed in the field and operatively connected to an input of the controller for generating signals that are representative of soil moisture content in the field.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed with dates and the controller controls the water table level in the field based on the programmed dates.

7. The control system of claim 1 further including a water table sensor for sensing the water table in the field;

a ditch water level sensor for sensing the water level in the drainage ditch;

wherein the sensors are operatively connected to inputs of the controller for directing signals from the sensors to the controller;

wherein the controller is operatively connected to an irrigation source and programmed to actuate the irrigation source and cause water to be pumped into the drainage ditch in response to the water table in the field being above or below a selected threshold and/or the water level in the drainage ditch being above or below a selected threshold.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein the drainage control apparatus includes a battery for powering the actuator and a solar collector for charging the battery.