A method and device for indicating whether a dispensable product will require refilling prior to the next scheduled service interval includes tracking the amount of use over a first interval, and calculating a frequency based from the use over the first interval. The quantity remaining is compared with the required amount, which is the product of the number of weeks in the service interval and the calculated frequency. Thus, when the quantity remaining is less that the required amount, a warning will be provided to indicate that the dispensing product should be replaced, as it will be empty before the next service interval.

A non-intrussive monitoring terminal that monitors operating states of an irrigation system and transmits related data to a remote irrigation monitoring system. The monitoring terminal may be installed on any irrigation system without connecting to the irrigation system's existing control system, electrical system, or water distribution system and includes a housing that may be attached to a water pipe or other component of the irrigation system; a sensor mounted in the housing that senses vibrations of the irrigation system and generates a corresponding sensor signal; and an electronic circuit electrically coupled with the sensor to evaluate attributes of the sensor signal to determine operating states of the irrigation system.

A powdery-material feeding device includes a hopper configured to reserve a powdery material, a transfer member configured to deliver and to discharge the powdery material fed from the hopper, a motor configured to drive the transfer member, a measuring instrument configured to measure a discharge amount of a powdery material delivered to be discharged by the transfer member, and a controller configured to control, while control according to the discharge amount of the powdery material measured by the measuring instrument is not conducted, a current applied to a coil of the motor to have a substantially constant amount, to control the discharge amount of the powdery material delivered to be discharged by the transfer member to have a required amount.

An intelligent spray nozzle, comprising an input pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a flow modulator, a nozzle pressure sensor, a linear actuator, and an output orifice modulator, wherein an input pressure read from the input pressure sensor and a flow rate read from the flow rate sensor are used as inputs by the flow modulator to drive the at least one linear actuator to control an output spray rate from the intelligent spray nozzle, and wherein a nozzle pressure read from the nozzle pressure sensor is used as feedback for the output orifice modulator, wherein an output orifice is modified by the output orifice modulator to achieve optimal output spray.

A system for growing plants, the system may include a substrate having one or more weakened areas or openings: one or more grow portions coupled to the substrate and situated at the one or more weakened areas or openings and having at least one seed or plant; and/or a fluid distribution portion coupled to the substrate and configured to provide fluid to the one or more grow portions. The system may further include a method of operation including one or more acts of: obtaining a weather forecast for a future time period; determining whether rain is expected during the future time period; and preventing, terminating, or restricting an irrigation cycle when it is determined that rain is expected during the fare time period. The restricting may restrict a flow of liquid during the irrigation cycle or shorten the irrigation interval.

A sprayer for attachment to a hose, the sprayer including an inlet for introducing fluid into the sprayer, an outlet for discharging fluid from the sprayer, a first controller to control the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet, a first fluid path located between the first controller and the outlet, a second fluid path located between the first controller and the outlet, the second fluid path fluidly connectable to a container having an active liquid, and a second controller to control the flow of fluid in the second fluid path, wherein in use, when fluid is flowing in the second fluid path, the fluid flow causes the active liquid to enter the second fluid path and exit the sprayer via the outlet.

A high-volume low-pressure spray system includes a hose disposed between a compressor and a spray gun. The hose acts as an accumulator when the spray gun is deactivated. A check valve is disposed in a fitting connecting the hose to the compressor. The check valve includes a spring that applies a nonlinear force to a downstream end of a valve member, such that the valve member tips open in response to the pressure differential, providing a variable flowpath opening through the check valve.

A portable inhalation device includes a medication storage component, a flow controller, an atomizer, a medication delivery component, and a pressure sensor. The medication storage component is configured to store medication. The flow controller is configured to cause a force to be applied to the medication stored by the medication storage component to transport the medication to the atomizer. The atomizer is configured to generate droplets from the medication. The medication delivery component includes a delivery channel extending from the atomizer to an outlet opening. The medication delivery component is configured to receive the medication in the delivery channel from the atomizer and dispense the medication via the opening. The pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure corresponding to a flow rate of air in the delivery channel and output an indication of the detected pressure.

The present disclosure relates to a method for the detection, characterization and assessment of the quality of a spray which is produced by atomizing liquids with nozzles of different designs and constructional forms. The spray may have an application-specific droplet size distribution ranging from fine to very coarse droplets which move at different speeds. A radar signal is directed into and reflected by the spray. The reflected radar signal is subject to a Doppler shift caused by the movement of the droplets in the spray. The transmitted and received radar signals are mixed to create a low-frequency Doppler oscillation signal which is sampled at a predetermined rate with an analog-digital converter, the output of which is stored in a data array and transformed from the time domain into the frequency domain for further processing.

An agricultural machine applies liquid material to a field. Valve control signals control valves to apply the liquid material. Row pressure on the agricultural machine is sensed to identify when the valve is opened to apply the liquid material. The valve control signals are generated, based on the row pressure, to control the valves to apply the liquid material at a desired location in the field, relative to plant locations in the field.