A spray system and method for testing the flow rate of individual nozzles in the spray system are disclosed. The spray system can include a spray tank for holding a fluid to be sprayed, a pump in fluid communication with the spray tank, a manifold in fluid communication with the pump, a plurality of spray nozzles in fluid communication with the manifold, a main flow meter located in a first branch line in fluid communication with the pump and the manifold, a nozzle check flow meter located in a second branch line in fluid communication with the pump and the manifold, and a valve assembly for operating the spray system between a normal operation mode and a nozzle test mode, wherein in the normal operation mode, the valve assembly directs flow to the main flow meter, wherein in the nozzle test mode, the valve assembly directs flow to the nozzle check flow meter.

A spray pattern monitoring system includes a spray sensor disposed proximate an outlet of a spray nozzle. The spray sensor has one or more optical sensors configured to emit directional light, such as laser pulses, towards the expected position of a liquid spray emitted from the nozzle. The spray sensor can detect the absence or presence of the liquid spray based on returns of the directional light to the optical sensor.

With the use of electromagnetic radiation sources, such as lasers emitting light, and corresponding detectors, spray patterns from spray nozzle assemblies can be sampled and compared to one or more calibration patterns to determine if nozzles of spray nozzle assemblies are worn out. A unique calibration pattern could be used to compare for each spray nozzle assembly, and/or a single calibration pattern could be used to compare for multiple spray assemblies. In one aspect, detectors can be arranged near sources to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected by spray patterns. In another aspect, detectors can be arranged opposite of sources to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a spray pattern.

An agricultural sprayer includes at least one nozzle configure to receive a fluid and direct atomized fluid to an agricultural surface in a dispersal area. A radio-frequency (RF) transmitter is disposed to generate an RF signal that passes through the dispersal area. The RF signal is detectably changed when interacting with droplets of the atomized fluid. A first RF receiver is disposed to receive the RF signal after the RF signal passes through the dispersal area and provides an output indicative of the RF signal. A controller is coupled to the first RF receiver and is configured to detect plugging of the at least one nozzle based on the output of the first RF receiver.

An agricultural sprayer includes at least one nozzle configured to receive a liquid and direct atomized liquid to an agricultural field in a dispersal area. A thermal imager is operably coupled to the agricultural sprayer and has a field of view behind the agricultural sprayer. The thermal imager is configured to provide an indication of a thermal reaction of the agricultural field in response to application of the atomized liquid. An output of the thermal imager is used to characterize operation of the at least one nozzle.

An agricultural spreader includes at least one delivery conduit that carries material to be spread from a bin to an exit end of the delivery conduit under the influence of air blown through the delivery conduit by a fan. A deflector is mounted proximate the exit end of the delivery pipe and deflects the material onto agricultural field in a dispersal area. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter is disposed to generate an RF signal that passes through the dispersal area. The RF signal is detectably changed when interacting with the material passing through the dispersal area. An RF receiver is disposed to receive the RF signal after the RF signal passes through the dispersal area and provides an output indicative of the RF signal. A controller is coupled to RF receiver and detects plugging of the delivery conduit based on the output of the RF receiver.

With the use of electromagnetic radiation sources, such as lasers emitting light, and corresponding detectors, spray patterns from spray nozzle assemblies can be sampled and compared to one or more calibration patterns to determine if nozzles of spray nozzle assemblies are worn out. A unique calibration pattern could be used to compare for each spray nozzle assembly, and/or a single calibration pattern could be used to compare for multiple spray assemblies. In one aspect, detectors can be arranged near sources to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected by spray patterns. In another aspect, detectors can be arranged opposite of sources to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a spray pattern.

A spray system and method for testing the flow rate of individual nozzles in the spray system are disclosed. The spray system can include a spray tank for holding a fluid to be sprayed, a pump in fluid communication with the spray tank, a manifold in fluid communication with the pump, a plurality of spray nozzles in fluid communication with the manifold, a main flow meter located in a first branch line in fluid communication with the pump and the manifold, a nozzle check flow meter located in a second branch line in fluid communication with the pump and the manifold, and a valve assembly for operating the spray system between a normal operation mode and a nozzle test mode, wherein in the normal operation mode, the valve assembly directs flow to the main flow meter, wherein in the nozzle test mode, the valve assembly directs flow to the nozzle check flow meter.

The present invention relates to a method of selectively spraying an area of a cultivated field (10) with an agriculture spraying vehicle. The vehicle comprises a spraying equipment (200) having at least one imaging system (210), and at least one trailing spray bar (300) comprising a plurality of electromechanical nozzles (310) spaced apart from each other by a constant pitch distance. The plurality of electromechanical nozzles (310) includes a corresponding plurality of nozzles (314) and of electromechanical valves (312). The agriculture spraying equipment (200) further comprises a control unit (220) including a processing unit to control the electromechanical valve (312) of each electromechanical nozzle (310). The method comprises: i) acquiring, by the at least one imaging system (210), an image of an area of the cultivated field (10) and differentiating on the image, by the processing unit, a plant (14) to be sprayed from a plant (12) which shall not be sprayed; ii) determining at least one nozzle (350) which is about to be substantially vertically positioned above a plant (14) to be sprayed; iii) computing a spraying pattern on the area based on the divergence angle of said at least one nozzle (350) and the vertical distance between said nozzle (350) and said area to be selectively sprayed, said spraying pattern covering the plant (14) to be sprayed and possibly touching a plant (12) which shall not be sprayed; iv) computing a distance called the jet shift distance (354) to laterally shift the spraying pattern such that the shifted pattern covers the plant (14) to be sprayed without covering the plant (12) which shall not be sprayed, and express said jet shift distance (354) as a multiple of said nozzle-to-nozzle pitch, and v) laterally shifting said spraying pattern by shifting the at least one nozzle (350) vertically positioned above a plant to be sprayed (14) by said jet shift distance (354) so that the spraying pattern from the at least one newly selected nozzle (352) does not spray the plant that shall not be sprayed (12).

In a system for applying sprayed droplets from a nozzle located in an environment with changing conditions affecting droplet size, a method of controlling droplet size comprising locating a droplet size measurement system at a location downstream from an outlet of the nozzle; receiving at a processor data describing droplets measured by the droplet size measurement system; determining at the processor a measured droplet size distribution from the data; inputting the measured droplet size distribution to a control algorithm in the processor; comparing the measured droplet size distribution to a target droplet size distribution; and outputting from the control algorithm a at least one signal corresponding to a parameter of the system for effecting a change in the droplet size distribution.