System and method for design of subsurface drainage systems incorporating control weirs, surface to subsurface inlets, and irrigation inlets

• US 9,965,573 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chad R. Meiners, Jeremy R. Meiners, Robert E. Meiners
• Original Assignee: Chad R. Meiners, Jeremy R. Meiners, Robert E. Meiners
• Inventors: Meiners, Chad R, Meiners, Jeremy R, Meiners, Robert E
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Brian S
• Application Number:
  US13/894,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 703 1, 703 9, 703 10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads

Abstract

A method for the creation of subsurface water management systems that place subsurface drainage lines at a consistent grade and within defined elevation bounds throughout a field with topographical undulation and inconsistent slopes, incorporate control weirs for dividing the subsurface into elevation and acreage zones, place and size surface to subsurface, size and determine inside surface of drainage mains and laterals according to the desired coefficient of the subsurface system, and determine the amount of water required at irrigation inlets in order to deliver a determined amount of water into the subsurface system for purposes of irrigation.

Claims

1. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system that maintains a set slope and consistent depth for tile laterals throughout a specified area with an automated grade controlled installation machine comprising:

gathering GPS data of said specified area, said GPS data comprising a longitude, latitude and altitude of a plurality of points along a perimeter of said specified area and an interior of said specified area;

transferring said gathered GPS data to a management computer;

storing said gathered GPS data in said management computer;

generating in said management computer a contour map showing a topography of said specified area using said gathered GPS data;

generating from said contour map and said GPS data with said management computer a drainage system design for said specified area, said drainage system design having an outlet, a tile main, and a plurality of laterals, wherein said plurality of tile laterals have, a unique set of longitude and latitude coordinate locations per lateral, a set non-zero slope, and consistent depth throughout the specified area,

wherein said generating with said management computer a drainage system design for said specified area comprises;

generating with said management computer a unique series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations of said tile main in said design from said outlet to a location of highest elevation in said specified area, wherein a path taken by said tile main follows an outside border of the specified area;

determining with said management computer a required slope of the tile main so as to minimize a number of changes in slope of said tile main while maintaining said tile main within a bounded depth range from a ground level;

inputting into said management computer with an input device a desired bounded distance range from tile lateral to tile lateral, grade, and bounded depth range from ground level;

generating in said design with said management computer a unique series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations of a first tile lateral position connecting to said tile main, wherein generating said first tile lateral position in said design comprises;

generating in said design with said management computer, a starting series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations of said first tile lateral at a starting longitude and latitude coordinate location in a starting direction for a footage in said starting direction so as to maintain said desired bounded distance range from tile lateral to tile lateral, said set non-zero slope, and said bounded depth range from ground level; and

generating in said design with said management computer additional series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations of said first tile lateral in directions different than said starting direction for differing footages so as to maintain said desired bounded distance range from tile lateral to tile lateral, said set non-zero slope, and said bounded depth range from ground level until a total defined footage of said first tile lateral is reached; and

generating in said design with said management computer a unique series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations of a second tile lateral connecting to said tile main, wherein said second tile lateral is place at a unique latitude and longitude coordinate starting location, direction, and footage, wherein said second lateral will vary in distance and direction to said first lateral within said inputted desired bounded distance range from tile lateral to tile lateral so as to maintain said set non-zero slope and said bounded depth range as undulations in the topography of the specified area may be inconsistent between the paths of said first tile lateral and said second lateral;

after completion of said generating with said management computer a drainage system design for said specified area, initiating, with an input device commutatively attached to said management computer, a first routine to generate a machine code used during installation of said drainage system according to said generated drainage system design, and

initiating with an input device commutatively attached to said management computer, a second routine to generate a printed map or computer display, used during installation of tile laterals according to the generated drainage system design, and

providing the generated machine code to a machine control of an automated grade controlled installation machine used during installation of a drainage system according to the generated drainage system design, and

controlling the operation of the automated grade controlled machine by executing the machine code in the automated grade controlled installation machine, and

installing the tile main and the plurality of laterals at the unique series of longitude and latitude coordinate locations, the set non-zero slope, and the consistent depth throughout the specified area as illustrated on the printed map or computer display that are at the inputted grade and within the desired bounded distance range from tile lateral to tile lateral, and bounded depth range from ground level.

2. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, wherein designing said drainage system further comprises:

determining with said management computer locations of a first control weir and a second control weir.

3. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 2, wherein said locations of said first control weir and said second control weir are determined by said management computer according to a specified distance from said first control weir to said second control weir and a specified number of acres to be controlled by said first control weir.

4. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 3, wherein said management computer determines said specified distance from said first control weir to said second control weir based upon an inputted water table height and an inputted amount of water to be controlled within said specified number of acres to be controlled by said first control weir.

5. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 3, further comprising:

placing in said design with said management computer an irrigation inlet in each control weir.

6. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating with said management computer machine code for installing a designed drainage system.

7. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, wherein designing said drainage system further comprises:

determining with said management computer an acreage draining into a depression and a volume of water that will enter into the inlet under a theoretically optimal situation of saturation above an outlet with no obstructions under multiple sizes and types of surface to subsurface inlets;

inputting into said management computer a desired drainage coefficient and type of surface to subsurface inlet; and

sizing with said management computer said surface and subsurface inlet and a tile main according to a volume of water entering through the surface to subsurface inlet, the specified drainage coefficient, the slope of tile main, and additional laterals and mains attached to the main for which the surface to subsurface inlet is draining.

8. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, wherein designing said drainage system further comprises:

determining with said management computer required diameter sizes and inside surface of tile laterals and mains according to a specified calculation.

9. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 8, wherein said determining required diameter sizes and inside surface of tile laterals and mains further comprises:

automatically assigning with said management computer sequence numbers to all tile laterals and mains;

selecting a main by its sequence number using an input device;

specifying a drainage coefficient for the selected main;

determining with said management computer said selected main'"'"'s length, slope, and number of laterals, mains, and surface to subsurface inlets connected to said selected main; and

calculating with said management computer a required size of said selected main and inside surface to meet said specified drainage coefficient with the conditions of length, perforation, slope, and number of laterals, mains, and attachments to the main.

10. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 9, wherein said determining required diameter sizes and inside surface of tile laterals and mains further comprises:

calculating with said management computer a required size and inside surface of laterals attached to said selected main based on said drainage coefficient entered in for the main.

11. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 10, further comprising:

modifying said design as to incorporate the changes of tile size and inside surface into information provided for a bid sheet, map printing, and installation commands for a tile machine.

12. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, wherein said generating with said management computer a drainage system design for said specified area further comprises:

determining with said management computer locations of a first control weir and a second control weir, wherein said locations of said first control weir and said second control weir are determined by said management computer according to a specified distance from a first control weir to said second control weir and a specified number of acres to be controlled by said first control weir and said management computer determines said specified distance from said first control weir to said second control weir based upon an inputted water table height and an inputted amount of water to be controlled within said specified number of acres to be controlled by said first control weir;

placing in said design with said management computer an irrigation inlet in each control weir;

determining with said management computer acreage sizes of each of a plurality of irrigation zones in said specific area;

inputting with an input device a rate and amount of water to be added to the system;

calculating with said management computer a volume of water to be supplied to each irrigation zone so as to apply the water uniformly to the system at the rate and total amount desired; and

determining with said management computer a size of an irrigation pressure line for each irrigation inlet and the total gallons per minute required by an irrigation pump;

wherein said first and second tile laterals have a set non-zero slope and consistent depth for tile throughout the specified area.

13. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining with said management computer the set non-zero slope of the laterals so as to minimize the number of times slope of the main must be changed given the topography of the path of the main.

14. A method for installing a subsurface drainage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining with said management computer the set non-zero slope of the laterals so as to maintain an elevation of the main given the topography of the path of the main.