FLUID FLOW MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20160178422A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Humpal, Richard A., Wu, Dolly Y.
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/003 Bulk fertiliser or grain handling in the field or on the farm
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0042 Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/006 Mounting of the nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1645 the outlets being rotated during selection
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/30 designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages B05B11/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/008 integrated in or attached to a discharge apparatus, e.g. a spray gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/69 of resistive type
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/698 Feedback or rebalancing circuits, e.g. self heated constant temperature flowmeters

Abstract

Embodiments of a sprayer system having spray nozzles; each nozzle includes a thermistor or resistor that provides an electronic current or voltage value correlated with a flow rate or a local temperature. A low flow rate indicates of a fluid flow clog or plug within the nozzle or conduit. The flow rate or temperature results among the different nozzles are compared to detect which nozzles are partially or entirely clogged or otherwise anomalous. In various embodiments, the thermistor electronics are integrated in each individual nozzle. In some embodiments, upon detection of a potential clog, the electronics create an alert and respond to the clogged condition.

Claims

1. A system to monitor fluids in nozzles, the system comprising:

a spray nozzle configured to release a fluid according to a desired flow rate;

a thermal material positioned in a flow path of the fluid inside the spray nozzle;

an electronic feedback circuit designed to attempt to maintain at least one of a current through the thermal material and a voltage across the thermal material;

wherein a measured value of at least one of the current and the voltage different from a target value indicates a change in resistance of the thermal material; and

wherein a range of the measured value is correlated with an actual flow rate of the fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic feedback circuit is electronically connected to leads of the thermal material, and at least part of the electronic feedback circuit is outside of the flow path but still inside the spray nozzle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic feedback circuit is in communication with a computer having a screen that displays an alert of the spray nozzle, as determined by a deviation of the measured value past a pre-set threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic feedback circuit includes a pulse width modulated circuit, and wherein a pulse width is adjusted to maintain the current through the thermal material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermal material comprises at least one of a thermistor and a resistor.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a sense resistor is in series with the thermal material, and the voltage across the sense resistor indicates the current through the thermal material.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the current or the voltage past a threshold value is flagged as the stagnant state of the spray nozzle and an alert is issued.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the spray nozzle includes multiple thermal materials, each of which is associated with a fluid outlet of the spray nozzle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the spray nozzle is mounted on a spray boom for an agricultural application, and wherein each of the plurality includes the thermal material to provide flow values;

and a deviation among the flow values indicate anomalous fluid flow in one of the plurality associated with the deviation.

10. An agricultural spray system comprising:

a spray boom mounted on a motor vehicle;

a fluid distribution pipe mounted to the spray boom;

spray nozzles mounted along the fluid distribution pipe to receive a fluid;

each of the spray nozzles include a thermal sensor system having;

a thermal sensor positioned in a fluid flow path inside each of the spray nozzles;

an electronic circuit that attempts to maintain at least one of a current through the thermal sensor and a voltage across the thermal sensor;

wherein a measured value of at least one of the current and the voltage different from a target value indicates a change in resistance of the thermal sensor; and

wherein the measured value correlates with a flow rate of the fluid in each of the spray nozzles.

11. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the electronic circuit is electronically connected to leads of the thermal sensor, and at least part of the electronic circuit is outside of the fluid flow path but still inside each of the spray nozzles;

and wherein the electronic circuit includes a pulse width modulated circuit, and wherein a pulse width is adjusted to maintain the current through the thermal sensor.

12. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the measured value from each of the spray nozzles is compared with a maximum and a minimum threshold value.

13. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the current or the voltage past a threshold value is flagged as a stagnant state of the spray nozzle;

and where under the stagnant state, an alert is issued and a corrective action is initiated to expel the stagnant state.

14. The agricultural spray system of claim 13, wherein the corrective action includes at least changing a position of the spray boom, changing a position of the spray nozzle, or plunging a valve inside the spray nozzle associated with the stagnant state.

15. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the thermal sensor comprises at least one of a thermistor or a resistor.

16. The agricultural spray system of claim 13, wherein each of the spray nozzles includes a first flow valve and a second flow valve;

the thermal sensor is located between the first flow valve and a first spray nozzle outlet; and

a second thermal sensor is located between the second flow valve and a second spray nozzle outlet.

17. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the spray boom comprises composite fiber material.

18. The agricultural spray system of claim 10, wherein the fluid distribution pipe comprises a fluid section valve;

and the fluid section valve also includes the thermal sensor to detect a section flow rate through the section valve.

19. An agricultural spray system comprising:

a spray boom mounted on a motor vehicle;

a fluid distribution pipe mounted to the spray boom;

spray nozzles mounted along the fluid distribution pipe to receive a fluid;

each of the spray nozzles include a single thermal material located between each fluid valve and corresponding fluid outlet;

an electronic circuit configured to attempt to maintain at least a current through the thermal material or a voltage across the thermal material;

wherein a measured value of at least the current or the voltage different from a target value indicates a change in resistance of the thermal material; and

wherein the measured value correlates with a flow rate of the fluid in each of the spray nozzles.

20. The agricultural spray system of claim 19, wherein the single thermal material includes electrical leads;

and the electrical leads socket into the electronic circuit; and

wherein the electronic circuit is protected from a flow path of the fluid but still located in each of the spray nozzles.