DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING BLOCKAGES IN AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYER

• US 20170363454A1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Ni, Bingcheng
• Granted Patent: US 10,209,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/09 Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0042 Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• 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 1/20 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 12/008 integrated in or attached to a discharge apparatus, e.g. a spray gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/50 Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/658 the spraying apparatus or its outlet axis being perpendicular to the flow conduit
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/68 by using thermal effects

Abstract

An agricultural sprayer arrangement includes a chassis; a ground engaging traction member carried by the chassis; a liquid tank carried by the chassis; a boom carried by the chassis; a conduit associated with the boom in fluid communication with the liquid tank that acts as a fluid flow path; a nozzle having an inlet in fluid communication with the conduit; a first flow sensor placed upstream of the inlet in the fluid flow path that provides a first flow signal; a second flow sensor placed downstream of the inlet in the fluid flow path that provides a second flow signal; and an electrical processing circuit coupled to the first flow sensor and the second flow sensor that is configured to compare the first and second flow signals to determine a flow rate decrease and issue an alarm if the flow rate decrease is less than a predetermined threshold level.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a blockage in an agricultural sprayer, comprising the steps of:

providing a sprayer that includes a chassis, at least one ground engaging traction member carried by said chassis, a liquid tank carried by said chassis, a boom carried by said chassis, a fluid conduit associated with said boom, a pump configured to produce a liquid flow through at least a portion of said fluid conduit from said liquid tank, a nozzle having an inlet that is fluidly connected to said liquid flow in said fluid conduit, a first flow sensor in said liquid flow upstream of said inlet, and a second flow sensor in said liquid flow downstream of said inlet;

determining a first flow rate at said first flow sensor;

determining a second flow rate at said second flow sensor;

comparing said first flow rate to said second flow rate to determine a flow rate decrease; and

reporting a blockage exists in said nozzle when said flow rate decrease is less than a predetermined threshold level.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of determining a nozzle flow rate based on said flow rate decrease.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined threshold level corresponds to said nozzle flow rate being below a desired level.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said desired level is approximately 80% of unobstructed liquid flow through said nozzle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first flow sensor and said second flow sensors are thermal dispersion flow sensors.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including an electrical processing circuit coupled to said first flow sensor and said second flow sensor.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said electrical processing circuit performs said determining, comparing and reporting steps.