METHOD FOR A SPRAYING DEVICE

Abstract

A method for detecting at least one spray liquid data set of a spray liquid applied to an agricultural area using at least one spray nozzle unit of a spraying device. The method includes receiving a property signal, including a piece of property information of the spray liquid detected using a sensor unit of the spraying device in a through-flow area of the spray nozzle unit during an application operation of the spray liquid; receiving a position signal, including a piece of position information of the spray liquid, using a position unit, the position information representing a geographic position of the spray liquid during the application operation of the spray liquid; and storing the property information and/or a piece of spray liquid information of the applied spray liquid ascertained using the property information, together with the associated position information, using an information unit, for detecting the spray liquid data set.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for detecting at least one spray liquid data set of a spray liquid applied using at least one spray nozzle unit of a spraying device to an agricultural area, the method comprising the following steps: receiving at least one property signal, including a piece of property information of the spray liquid detected using a sensor unit of the spraying device in a through-flow area of the at least one spray nozzle unit during an application operation of the spray liquid; receiving at least one position signal, including a piece of position information of the spray liquid, using a position unit, the position information representing a geographic position of the spray liquid during the application operation of the spray liquid; and storing the property information and/or a piece of spray liquid information of the applied spray liquid ascertained using the property information, together with the position information, using an information unit for detecting the spray liquid data set.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein, in the receiving of the property signal step, a large number of property signals are received, each of the large number of property signals including a respective piece of property information of the spray liquid detected using the sensor unit of the spraying device in a through-flow area of each of the spray nozzle units, during the application operation, wherein in the receiving of the position signal step, a large number of position signals are received, each of the large number of position signals including a respective piece of position information of the spray liquid, and in the storing step, the large number of respective pieces of property information and/or ascertained spray liquid information of the spray liquid is stored, in each case together with the respective position information, for detecting a large number of spray liquid data sets.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the following step: ascertaining a value of the spray liquid information, using a value of the property information, with the aid of the information unit.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the following step: creating an application map, using the detected spray liquid data sets, including values of spray liquid information, with the aid of the information unit.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the property information includes at least one physical property of the spray liquid and/or chemical property of the spray liquid and/or material of the spray liquid and/or substance-based property of the spray liquid.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the property information includes: (i) a volume flow of the spray liquid, and/or (ii) an active agent concentration in the spray liquid ascertainable using the property information, the property information being at least one of the following group: electrical property, electrical conductivity or permittivity, optical property, in particular absorption property, emission property, fluorescence, sound velocity.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the ascertained spray liquid information includes a quantity of the applied spray liquid and/or an active agent concentration in the applied spray liquid.

23. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein a value of the property information and/or the spray liquid information is ascertained, using a temperature of the spray liquid and/or a carrier liquid detected with the aid of the sensor unit and/or a further sensor unit.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the position information includes a a GPS position of the spraying device and/or a position of a particular spray nozzle unit with the aid of which the spray liquid was applied.

25. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the property information and the position information of the spray liquid are detected for an entire duration of the application operation.

26. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the property information and/or the position information of the spray liquid, is detected during an entire duration of a treatment operation, in which an entire agricultural area to be treated is treated.

27. An information unit for detecting at least one spray liquid data set of a spray liquid applied using at least one spray nozzle unit of a spraying device to an agricultural area, the information unit configured to: receive at least one property signal, including a piece of property information of the spray liquid detected using a sensor unit of the spraying device in a through-flow area of the at least one spray nozzle unit during an application operation of the spray liquid; receive at least one position signal, including a piece of position information of the spray liquid, using a position unit, the position information representing a geographic position of the spray liquid during the application operation of the spray liquid; and store the property information and/or a piece of spray liquid information of the applied spray liquid ascertained using the property information, together with the position information, using an information unit for detecting the spray liquid data set.

28. A spraying device for applying a spray liquid using at least one spray nozzle unit, for agricultural purposes, the spraying device comprising: a sensor unit configured to detect a piece of property information of the spray liquid in a through-flow area of the at least one spray nozzle unit during an application operation of the spray liquid; a position unit configured to detect a piece of position information of the spray liquid, the position information representing a geographic position of the spray liquid during the application operation of the spray liquid; and (i) an information unit configured to detect a spray liquid data set, and/or (ii) a transmission unit configured to transmit the detected property information, together with the associated position information, and/or a piece of spray liquid information ascertained using the property information, together with the associated position information, to the information unit to detect a spray liquid data set with the aid of the information unit; wherein the information unit configured to: receive at least one property signal, including the piece of property information of the spray liquid; receive at least one position signal, including the piece of position information of the spray liquid; and store the property information and/or a piece of spray liquid information of the applied spray liquid ascertained using the property information, together with the position information.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for detecting at least one spray liquid data set of a spray liquid applied using at least one spray nozzle unit of a spraying device to an agricultural area, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps: receiving at least one property signal, including a piece of property information of the spray liquid detected using a sensor unit of the spraying device in a through-flow area of the at least one spray nozzle unit during an application operation of the spray liquid; receiving at least one position signal, including a piece of position information of the spray liquid, using a position unit, the position information representing a geographic position of the spray liquid during the application operation of the spray liquid; and storing the property information and/or a piece of spray liquid information of the applied spray liquid ascertained using the property information, together with the position information, using an information unit for detecting the spray liquid data set.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The present invention is explained below in greater detail, as an example, on the basis of the figures.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of one exemplary embodiment of the spraying device.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the information unit.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for detecting a spray liquid data set.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0055] In the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the elements which are illustrated in the various figures and appear to be similar are identified with identical or similar reference numerals; a repetitive description of these elements is dispensed with.

[0056] A schematic representation of a spraying device is illustrated in FIG. 1, which is provided in its totality with reference numeral 10.

[0057] Spraying device 10 includes a liquid tank 12 including a liquid 14 and an active agent tank 16 including an active agent 18. Liquid 14 is a carrier liquid 14 or water 14.

[0058] Spraying device 10 also includes a static mixing unit 20. Static mixing unit 20 is fluidically connected to liquid tank 12 via a liquid line 22. A liquid delivery unit 24 is situated in liquid line 22 to be able to supply liquid 14 to static mixing unit 20 or to conduct it thereto. Liquid delivery unit 24 includes a delivery pump 26 and a volume flow meter 28. Similarly, static mixing unit 20 is also connected to active agent tank 16 via an active agent line 30. An active agent delivery unit 32, in turn, is situated in active agent line 30 to be able to supply active agent 18 to static mixing unit 20 or to conduct it thereto. Active agent delivery unit 32 includes a dosing pump 34.

[0059] Accordingly, a mixing of active agent 18 with carrier liquid 14 to form a spray liquid 36 takes place with the aid of static mixing unit 20.

[0060] To achieve a greater dosing bandwidth at a high dosing accuracy, a spray liquid tank 40 is situated downstream from static mixing unit 20 in a spray liquid line 38. Spray liquid tank 40 is designed as a buffer tank 40. Spray liquid tank 40 or buffer tank 40 is situated and designed in such a way that spray liquid 36 is filled thereinto from static mixing unit 20 so that it is then conducted from spray liquid tank 40 to a nozzle system 42 including spray nozzle units 44. Each of spray nozzle units 44 includes a spray nozzle 46 for applying spray liquid 36 to an agricultural area 47, and a valve 48 for controlling or regulating the applied spray liquid quantity.

[0061] Spraying device 10 furthermore includes a spray liquid delivery unit 50 for setting the spray pressure at spray nozzle units 44, which is designed to supply spray liquid 36 from spray liquid tank 40 to nozzle system 42 or spray nozzle units 44 under pressure or under a defined pressure. Spray liquid delivery unit 50 includes a constant pressure source including a pump 52.

[0062] To now be able to detect a spray liquid data set of spray liquid 36 applied to agricultural area 47 with the aid of spray nozzle unit 44, spraying device 10 includes a sensor unit 54 at each of spray nozzles 46 of spray nozzle units 44, a position unit 56 for detecting a piece of position information, and an information unit 58 for storing the spray liquid data set. Sensor units 54 are each designed to detect a piece of property information of spray liquid 36 in a through-flow area 60 of spray nozzle units 44 or spray nozzles 46 of spray nozzle units 44 during the application operation of spray liquid 36, an active agent concentration in spray liquid 36 being ascertainable, using the property information. Position unit 56 is designed to detect a piece of position information of spray liquid 36, the position information representing a geographic position of spray liquid 36 during the application operation of spray liquid 36. The way in which the detection of the spray liquid data set takes place with the aid of information unit 58 is explained below in FIG. 2.

[0063] As is apparent in greater detail from FIG. 2, information unit 58 is configured to receive a property signal 62, including a piece of property information 64 of spray liquid 36 detected in corresponding through-flow area 60 of spray nozzle unit 44 with the aid of a sensor unit 54 of spraying device 10. Property information 64 includes here an electrical conductivity of spray liquid 36, a temperature and a volume flow of applied spray liquid 36. Accordingly, sensor unit 54 includes a sensor for detecting the electrical conductivity and a sensor for detecting the temperature as well as a flow sensor or volume flow meter for detecting the applied spray liquid quantity. Information unit 58 is further designed to ascertain a piece of spray liquid information 68 of spray liquid 36 with the aid of a processing unit 66, using property information 64 or the electrical conductivity. Ascertained spray liquid information 68 therefore includes a quantity of applied spray liquid 36 and an active agent concentration in applied spray liquid 36. Information unit 58 is also configured to receive a position signal 70, including a piece of position information 72 of spray liquid 36, from position unit 56, position information 72 representing a geographic position of spray liquid 36 during the application operation of spray liquid 36. Information unit 58 is further configured to store property information 64 and/or ascertained spray liquid information 68 of applied spray liquid 36, together with associated position information 72, with the aid of a memory unit 74 for the purpose of detecting spray liquid data set 76. Finally, information unit 58 is configured to create an application map 78, using detected spray liquid data sets 76, in particular with values of spray liquid information 68. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a method 100 for detecting at least one spray liquid data set 76 of a spray liquid 36 applied with the aid of at least one spray nozzle unit 44 of a spraying device 10 to an agricultural area 47. Method 100 includes a step 102 of receiving at least one property signal 62, including a piece of property information 64 of spray liquid 36 detected with the aid of a sensor unit 54 of spraying device 10 in a through-flow area 60 of the at least one spray nozzle unit 44 during an application operation of spray liquid 36. Method 100 also includes a step 104 of receiving at least one position signal 70, including a piece of position information 72 of spray liquid 36, with the aid of a position unit 56, position information 72 representing a geographic position of spray liquid 36 during the application operation of spray liquid 36. Method 100 finally includes a step 108 of storing property information 64 and/or a piece of spray liquid information 68 of applied spray liquid 36 ascertained using property information 64, together with associated position information 72, with the aid of an information unit 58 for the purpose of detecting spray liquid data set 76. Method 100 optionally also includes a step 106 of ascertaining a value of spray liquid information 68, using a value of property information 64, with the aid of information unit 58. Method 100 furthermore optionally includes a step 110 of creating an application map 78, using detected spray liquid data sets 76, in particular including values of spray liquid information 68, with the aid of information unit 58.

[0064] If an exemplary embodiment includes an and/or linkage between a first feature and a second feature, this is to be read in such a way that the exemplary embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature according to one specific embodiment and either only the first feature or only the second feature according to another specific embodiment.