Irrigation system

• US 9,532,515 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• 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): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barrera, Juan C
• Application Number:
  US14/853,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20160000025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 239/556, 239/557, 239/562, 239/563, 239/565, 239/266, 239/267, 239/574, 239/571, 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: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/04 for sequential operation or multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

A method of operating a drip irrigation system is provided and includes providing drip irrigation lines aside a diverter line with T-junctions interleaved between adjacent ones of the drip irrigation lines and each T-junction including a three-way line coupled to the diverter line, a check valve operably disposable between the three-way line and a downstream end of an upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to permit fluid flow in only a forward direction and a controllable valve operably disposable between the three-way line and an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines.

Claims

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

providing drip irrigation lines aside a diverter line with T-junctions interleaved between adjacent ones of the drip irrigation lines and each T-junction comprising;

a three-way line coupled to the diverter line;

a check valve operably disposable between the three-way line and a downstream end of an upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to permit fluid flow in only a forward direction from the downstream end of the upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to each leg of the three-way line; and

a controllable valve operably disposable between the three-way line and an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines;

opening each of the controllable valves to permit fluid flow in only the forward direction from each leg of the three-way line to an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines; and

closing each of the controllable valves to prevent the fluid flow.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing is in accordance with a predefined schedule.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predefined schedule is defined in accordance with a predefined temporal resolution.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing is in accordance with current atmospheric conditions.

5. A method of operating a drip irrigation system, the method comprising:

providing drip irrigation lines aside a diverter line;

interleaving T-junctions between adjacent drip irrigation lines with each T-junction comprising;

a three-way diverter line coupling;

a check valve operably disposable between the three-way diverter line coupling and a downstream end of an upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to permit fluid flow in only a forward direction from the downstream end of the upstream one of the drip irrigation lines to each leg of the three-way line; and

a controllable valve operably disposable between the three-way diverter line coupling and an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines from each leg of the three-way line to an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines; and

opening each of the controllable valves of each of the T-junctions to permit fluid flow in only the forward direction from each leg of the three-way line to an upstream end of a downstream one of the drip irrigation lines; and

closing each of the controllable valves to prevent the fluid flow.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the opening and closing is in accordance with a predefined schedule.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predefined schedule is defined in accordance with a predefined temporal resolution.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the opening and closing is in accordance with current atmospheric conditions.