Efficient solar irrigation controller system

• US 20110087379A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telsco Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Telsco Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Savelle, William C. JR., René, Michael Dean
• Application Number:
  US12/587,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/12 using renewable energies, e.g. solar water pumping

Abstract

An efficient solar powered irrigation controller system is disclosed with methods for implementing and operating the system. In a solar powered irrigation system, an irrigation controller is configured to deliver a predetermined alternating current voltage to a plurality of solenoid valves for activating the valves. A photovoltaic system is electrically coupled to the irrigation controller and supplies the predetermined alternating current voltage, rather than 110 VAC line voltage, thereby eliminating the necessity for step-down transformer in the controller. The scheduling of the watering duration in the irrigation cycles is predicated on the amount of solar radiation received at the site, in conjunction with the solar cells in the photovoltaic system, thereby lowering the power consumption of the controller and the plurality of solenoid valves corresponding with solar radiation received at the solar cells. A photovoltaic system is selected for the irrigation system, by matching the power generation capacity of the solar cells to the lowered power demand of the irrigation controller by biasing irrigation zone activation durations with solar radiation.

Claims

1. An solar powered irrigation controller system, comprising:

an irrigation controller, comprising;

a plurality of electronic switches, each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches being responsive to a control signal for increasing electrical conductivity between and an input and an output;

a predetermined voltage power connection for receiving external power at predetermined voltage, said predetermined voltage being less than line voltage, said predetermined voltage power connection electrically coupled to the input of each of the plurality of electronic switches for supplying the predetermined voltage;

a plurality of electrical connections for connecting a plurality of solenoid irrigation valves, each of the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupled to a unique electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches for providing the predetermined voltage from an electronic switch to one solenoid irrigation valve of the plurality of solenoid irrigation valves;

memory for storing executable instructions and data; and

a processor unit coupled to the memory for receiving executable instructions and data from the memory and for executing the executable instructions for a schedule of irrigation watering cycles and for generating a plurality of control signals for controlling each of the plurality of electronic switches to conduct the predetermined voltage based on the schedule of irrigation watering cycles;

a photovoltaic system, comprising;

a photovoltaic unit for converting light into a combined voltage;

a power converter electrically coupled to the photovoltaic unit for converting the combined voltage to the predetermined voltage; and

a predetermined voltage output power port electrically coupled between the power converter and the predetermined voltage power connection of the irrigation system for providing the predetermined voltage power converter to the irrigation controller.

2. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than one-hundred volts alternating current.

3. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts alternating current.

4. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts direct current.

5. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts alternating current and greater than twenty volts alternating current.

6. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 1, wherein the data in the memory includes information related to an amount of sunlight received at a location and the processor unit receives the information and alters the schedule of irrigation watering cycles based on the amount of sunlight at the location.

7. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 6, wherein the location is identified by one of latitude, latitude-longitude, ZIP code and address.

8. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than one-hundred volts alternating current.

9. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts alternating current.

10. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts direct current.

11. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined voltage from the power converter of the photovoltaic system and received by each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches is less than thirty volts alternating current and greater than twenty volts alternating current.

12. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 5, further comprises:

a water distribution system, comprising;

a water supply conduit; and

a plurality of irrigation solenoid valves hydraulically connected to the water supply conduit, each of the plurality of irrigation solenoid valves electrically coupled to a unique electrical connection of the plurality of electrical connections and rated to operate at the predetermined voltage.

13. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 11, further comprises wherein the data in the memory includes information related to an amount of sunlight received at a location and the processor unit receives the information and alters the schedule of irrigation watering cycles based on the amount of sunlight at the location.

14. An solar powered irrigation controller system, comprising:

an irrigation controller, comprising;

a plurality of electronic switches, each electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches being responsive to a control signal for increasing electrical conductivity between and an input and an output;

a line voltage power connection for receiving external power at a line voltage, wherein the line voltage is greater than one-hundred volts;

a transformer for transforming the line voltage to a predetermined voltage of less than one-hundred volts, said transformer electrically coupled between the line voltage power connection and the input of each of plurality of electronic switches for supplying the predetermined voltage to each of plurality of electronic switches;

a plurality of electrical connections for connecting a plurality of solenoid irrigation valves, each of the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupled to a unique electronic switch of the plurality of electronic switches for providing the predetermined voltage from an electronic switch to one solenoid irrigation valve of the plurality of solenoid irrigation valves;

memory for storing executable instructions and solar radiation information at a location and other data; and

a processor unit coupled to the memory for receiving executable instructions, solar radiation information and other data from the memory and for executing the executable instructions for a schedule of irrigation watering cycles and for generating a plurality of control signals for each of the plurality of electronic switches based on the schedule of irrigation watering cycles and for altering the schedule of irrigation watering cycles based on the solar radiation information at a location;

a photovoltaic system, comprising;

a photovoltaic unit for converting light into a combined voltage;

a power converter electrically coupled to the photovoltaic unit for converting the combined voltage to the line voltage; and

a line voltage output power port electrically coupled between the power converter and the power connection of the irrigation system for providing the line voltage to the irrigation controller.

15. The solar powered irrigation controller system recited in claim 15, wherein the location is identified by one of latitude, latitude-longitude, ZIP code and address.