Irrigation system and method

• US 9,173,354 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamann, Hendrik F., Klein, Levente I., Rodriguez, Sergio A. Bermudez, Schappert, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jonaitis, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barrera, Juan C
• Application Number:
  US13/968,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20140252114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 239/67, 239/68, 239/69, 239/70, 239/542, 239/463, 239200-210
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/02 Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/162 Sequential operation
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/04 for sequential operation or multiple outlets

Abstract

A method of operating an irrigation system is provided and includes coupling one or more lateral driplines to a main irrigation line, dividing each lateral dripline into zones and providing each lateral dripline with a plurality of replaceable emitters at each zone, disposing a plurality of controllable valves along each of the one or more lateral driplines at zone borders and actuating each one of the plurality of controllable valves to thereby activate corresponding emitters in the associated zone.

Claims

1. A method of operating an irrigation system, the method comprising:

coupling lateral driplines to a main irrigation line;

dividing each of the lateral driplines into zones such that multiple zones are formed along a respective length of each of the lateral driplines and providing each of the lateral driplines with a plurality of replaceable emitters at each of the multiple zones;

disposing a plurality of controllable valves remotely from the emitters along the respective length of each of the lateral driplines at zone borders between each of the multiple zones such that each plurality of emitters at each of the multiple zones is disposed non-inclusively between sequential controllable valves; and

actuating each one of the plurality of controllable valves on each of the lateral driplines to thereby activate corresponding emitters in the associated zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actuating comprises time-multiplexing each one of the plurality of controllable valves to vary an amount of fluid deliverable in the associated zones.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the actuating further comprises replacing the emitters in one or more zones.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selectively actuating each one of the controllable valves.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the selective actuating of each one of the controllable valves is in accordance with at least one of a predefined schedule, historical data and current atmospheric conditions.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating multiple lateral driplines with similar zones.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each emitter in each zone has a similar emission rate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emitters in zones remote from the main irrigation line have higher emission rates than emitters in zones proximate to the main irrigation line and further comprising activating the emitters in the zones remote from the main irrigation line for a shorter time than the emitters in the zones proximate to the main irrigation line.

9. A method of operating an irrigation system, the method comprising:

coupling lateral driplines to a main irrigation line;

dividing each of the lateral driplines into zones along respective lengths thereof and providing each of the lateral driplines with a replaceable emitter at each zone;

disposing a plurality of controllable valves remotely from the emitters along each of the lateral driplines at zone borders between each of the multiple zones such that each plurality of emitters at each of the multiple zones is disposed non-inclusively between sequential controllable valves; and

actuating the plurality of controllable valves along of the lateral driplines to thereby activate a corresponding emitter in each of the associated zones.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the actuating comprises time-multiplexing the plurality of the controllable valves to vary an amount of fluid deliverable in the associated zone.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the actuating further comprises replacing the emitter in a zone.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising selectively actuating the plurality of the controllable valves.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the selective actuating is in accordance with at least one of a predefined schedule, historical data and current atmospheric conditions.