SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LAND APPLICATION OF WASTE FLUIDS

• US 20110266357A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Summit Liability Solutions Inc.
• Original Assignee: Summit Liability Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: PECHT, Jason, ORCUTT, Russel Lloyd
• Granted Patent: US 9,004,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/001 Sludge spreaders, e.g. liquid manure spreaders

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automated control of application of fluid to a surface. A surface map is annotated with shapes designating zones for spraying, and excluding others. A control system in a vehicle uses the annotated map and GPS to assist the operator of the vehicle avoid spraying on excluded zones, and provides a record of the spraying operation including locations sprayed and fluid spray rates. The control system operates valves to control spraying from a container on the vehicle, based on several parameters, so as to avoid spraying excluded zones and steep slopes, to avoid overlaps, and to limit fluid spray rates below pre-determined maximums. The system further assists the operator by providing a visual guide on a display. A kit can be provided to retrofit a vehicle for landspraying.

Claims

1. A method for controlled spraying of a surface with fluid from a mobile container, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of spatial coordinates for the surface;

establishing boundary coordinates defining one or more exclusion zones on the surface which are not to be sprayed;

traversing at least a portion of the surface with the container along a path, the container having a spray nozzle for controllably delivering a spray width W of fluid at an areal spray rate R(volume/area) to the surface along the path, and

for each current position of the container along the path;

obtaining position coordinates;

determining the areal spray rate R; and

automatically spraying the spray width W at a sprayed position along the path with the fluid from the container, if the following spray conditions are met, including

the spray width is outside the exclusion zones, and

the areal spray rate R is less than a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein overlaps of the path are avoided, further comprising:

identifying sprayed positions in a record; and

automatically spraying only if an additional spraying condition is met, including, the current position is not in the record as a previously sprayed position.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein while traversing the path and upon encountering any of the sprayed positions, further comprising spraying only if the current position is further than a predetermined minimum distance away from the nearest one of the encountered spayed positions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the areal spray rate R comprises:

determining a flow rate C for the fluid in units of volume per time;

determining a spray width W for the fluid when sprayed from the container;

determining a speed V for the rate of change of the current position; and

computing the areal spray rate as R=C/(WV).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a minimum speed V_min associated with the predetermined maximum areal spray rate R_MAX as V_min=C/(WR_MAX), and

wherein performing the automatically spraying step only if V<

V_min.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the flow rate C comprises:

calibrating the spray nozzle by

discharging a known volume F_V1 of fluid from the container;

measuring the duration t₁ required to discharge the volume F_V1 of fluid; and

computing the flow rate as C=F_V1/t₁.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring pressure in the container; and

automatically spraying only if an additional spraying condition is met, including, the measured pressure is above a predetermined minimum pressure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the slope of the surface at the current position; and

automatically spraying only if an additional spraying condition is met, including, the slope is below a predetermined maximum slope.

9. Apparatus for spraying controlled spraying of a surface to be sprayed with fluid from a mobile container, comprising:

a vehicle supporting and transporting the container;

a navigation unit for determining a current position of the vehicle;

a speed indicator for determining a speed of the vehicle;

a valve-operated spray nozzle mounted on the container for controllably delivering fluid to the spray nozzle;

an actuator interconnected to the valve; and

a control unit having a processor in communication with the navigation unit and the actuator, the control unit having a memory for storing processor-executable instructions for;

determining spatial coordinates of the surface including boundary coordinates defining one or more exclusion zones on the surface which are not to be sprayed;

determining the current position and of the vehicle;

determining whether the current position is outside the exclusion zones; and

determining a minimum speed Vmin for the vehicle for spraying an areal spray rate less than a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX; and

automatically signalling the actuator controllably deliver spray fluid only if the current position is outside the exclusion zone and the speed is greater than or equal to the minimum speed Vmin.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a flow meter for determining a fluid flow rate C from the container, the flow meter being in communication with the control unit for determining the minimum speed Vmin.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the flow meter is an ultrasonic flow meter.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprises a processor-readable medium for identifying and storing sprayed positions in a record on the processor-readable medium and wherein the processor-executable instructions only automatically signal the actuator controllably deliver spray fluid if the current position is not in the record of sprayed positions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the current position is not in the record of sprayed positions, the processor-executable instructions signal the actuator to open only if the current position is further than a predetermined minimum distance away from any of the sprayed positions in the record.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor-executable instructions further comprise a processor-readable medium recording a real-time log of the areal spray rate R=C/(WV).

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a steering-assist unit coupled to the vehicle and the control unit, wherein the processor-executable instructions further adapt the control unit to vary the speed of the vehicle to V′

in response to a varied flow rate C′

while still maintaining that V′

>

C′

/(WR_MAX) to ensure that a new area spray rate R′

=C′

/(WV′

) remains below the predetermined maximum rate R_MAX.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a pressure switch in the container providing pressure data inside the container, wherein the processor-executable instructions further adapt the control unit to signal the actuator to close the valve while the pressure data is below a predetermined minimum pressure.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a slope measurement unit in the vehicle providing slope at the target position, wherein the processor-executable instructions further adapt the control unit to signal the actuator to open the valve only if the slope is below a predetermined maximum slope.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises one of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the actuator comprises a solenoid-piloted actuator.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator for opening and closing the valve, the solenoid-piloted actuator electrically coupled to the control unit for receiving the signalling from the control unit to alternately open the valve, and close the valve.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the actuator further comprises:

an air toggle switch having a first output connected to the valve to open the valve and a second output connected to the valve to close the valve; and

a shuttle valve connected between the second output and the valve an connected between the solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator and the valve; and

wherein the solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator receives the signalling from the control unit to alternately

direct air to the air toggle switch for opening the valve, and

direct air to the shuttle valve to close the valve.

22. A kit for retrofitting a vehicle for use in spraying fluid onto a surface, said vehicle having a container mounted thereon, the container having a valve to control fluid discharge, said kit comprising:

an actuator assembly;

a navigation unit;

a control unit comprising;

a processor in communication with memory, an a control unit comprising a processor in communication with the navigation unit, the actuator; and

memory storing processor-executable instructions adapting the control unit to;

obtain a plurality of coordinates of the surface including boundary coordinates defining exclusion zones which are not to be sprayed;

determine position coordinates for a spraying target position on the surface from the navigation unit;

determine whether the target position is outside the exclusion zones by comparing the position coordinates with the boundary coordinates;

obtain a spray width W, a flow rate C, and a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX for fluid sprayed from the container, to determine a minimum speed Vmin=C/(WRMAX) for the vehicle; and

automatically signal the actuator to open the valve only if the target position is outside the exclusion zone and V>

Vmin; and

otherwise signal the actuator to close the valve; and

a plurality of interconnects for connecting the actuator to the valve; and

for interconnecting the control unit to the actuator and the navigation unit.

23. The kit of claim 22, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator for opening and closing the valve, the solenoid-piloted actuator electrically coupled to the control unit for receiving the signalling from the control unit to alternately open the valve, and close the valve.

24. The kit of claim 23, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises:

an air toggle switch having a first output connected to the valve to open the valve and a second output connected to the valve to close the valve; and

a shuttle valve connected between the second output and the valve an connected between the solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator and the valve; and

wherein the solenoid-piloted pneumatic actuator receives the signalling from the control unit to alternately

direct air to the air toggle switch for opening the valve, and

direct air to the shuttle valve to close the valve.

25. The kit of claim 22, further comprising a relief valve to maintain pressure in the container below a predetermined maximum pressure.

26. A control unit for controlling spraying of fluid from a container to a surface, said control unit comprising:

a processor;

an interface circuit coupled to the processor, providing interconnections to a navigation unit, and an actuator for a valve controlling spraying from the container;

memory in communication with said processor, storing processor-executable instructions adapting said processor to;

obtain a plurality of coordinates of the surface including boundary coordinates defining exclusion zones which are not to be sprayed;

determine position coordinates for a spraying target position on the surface from the navigation unit;

determine whether the target position is outside the exclusion zones by comparing the position coordinates with the boundary coordinates;

obtain a spray width W, a flow rate C, and a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX for fluid sprayed from the container, to determine a minimum speed Vmin=C/(WRMAX) for the vehicle; and

automatically signal the actuator to open the valve only if the target position is outside the exclusion zone and V>

Vmin; and

otherwise signal the actuator to close the valve.

27. A system for spraying fluid on a surface, comprising:

a database of maps representative of surfaces available for spraying;

a computing device interconnected to the database, the computing device having a processor and a processor readable medium storing a set of processor-executable instructions adapting the computing device to;

select a map from the database; and

annotate the map from the database to form an annotated map having exclusion zones in the surface, not to be sprayed;

a vehicle comprising;

a speed indicator proving the speed V of the vehicle;

a navigation unit providing a current location of the vehicle; and

a container with a discharge valve coupled to an actuator, mounted on the vehicle;

a control unit having a second processor in communication with the navigation unit, the valve and memory storing a second set of processor-executable instructions adapting the control unit to;

obtain a plurality of coordinates of the surface from the annotated map including boundary coordinates for the exclusion zones;

determine position coordinates for a spraying target position on the surface from the navigation unit;

determine whether the target position is outside the exclusion zones by comparing the position coordinates with the boundary coordinates;

obtain a spray width W, a flow rate C, and a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX for fluid sprayed from the container, to determine a minimum speed Vmin=C/(WRMAX) for the vehicle; and

automatically signal the actuator to open the valve only if the target position is outside the exclusion zone and V>

Vmin; and

otherwise signal the actuator to close the valve.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the second set of processor-executable instructions further adapt the control unit to maintain a record of all sprayed positions, and signal the actuator to open the valve only if the target position is not in the record.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the second set of processor-executable instructions further adapt the control unit to record spray rate data computed as R=C/(WV) for the each position sprayed.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising a second computing device adapted to receive wireless data;

a wireless communication antenna interconnecting the control unit;

the second set of processor-executable instructions further adapting the control unit to transmit the spray rate data recorded to the second computing device using the data communication antenna.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the database of maps is stored on the computer device.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a third computing device, storing the database of maps.

33. A computer readable medium storing processor-executable instructions for loading into a memory of a control unit, for use in spraying a surface with fluid from a container mounted on a vehicle, the control unit having a processor in communication with a navigation unit, an actuator actuating a discharge valve in the container and the memory, the instructions adapting the control unit to:

obtain a plurality of coordinates of the surface including boundary coordinates for the exclusion zones;

determine position coordinates for a spraying target position on the surface, from the navigation unit;

determine whether the target position is outside the exclusion zones by comparing the position coordinates with the boundary coordinates;

obtain a spray width W, a flow rate C, and a predetermined maximum spray rate RMAX for fluid sprayed from the container, to determine a minimum speed Vmin=C/(WRMAX) for the vehicle; and

automatically signal the actuator to open the valve only if the target position is outside the exclusion zone and V>

V_min; and

otherwise signal the actuator to close the valve.