PATH-BASED WATER CAPACITY DETERMINATION FOR ANCILLARY SPANS

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining optimal water capacity or distribution for each of a plurality of sections of a field to be irrigated by an ancillary span of an irrigation system are provided. A path is determined for a steering tower of the ancillary span that is comprised of a plurality of position-based coordinates. The position of the ancillary span steering tower (and thus the position of the ancillary span) relative to the determined path is always known and, accordingly, the optimal water capacity or distribution for the needs of its location can be readily determined based upon a calculated area factor percentage.

Claims

1. A method for determining a path of travel for a steering tower of an ancillary span of an irrigation system, the irrigation system having a central pivot point about which a primary irrigation pipeline swivels and having a hinge point at which the ancillary span is coupled with the primary irrigation pipeline, the method comprising: defining a boundary of a field-of-interest; based, at least in part, on the defined boundary, determining optimal placement of the central pivot point so as to maximize a portion of the field-of-interest capable of being irrigated by the primary irrigation pipeline; based, at least in part, on the defined boundary and the determined optimal placement of the central pivot point, selecting one or more spans for the primary irrigation pipeline; based, at least in part, on the defined boundary and a location, relative to the central pivot point, of an outer end point of a last span of the primary irrigation pipeline, selecting the ancillary span for coupling with the primary irrigation pipeline at the hinge point so as to optimize water capacity for portions of the field-of-interest that are not capable of being irrigated by the primary irrigation pipeline; and determining the path of travel for the steering tower of the ancillary span based, at least in part, on the selected ancillary span and a location of the steering tower relative to a length of the ancillary span; wherein a portion of the ancillary span comprises one or more sprinkler nozzles, and wherein water capacity for at least a portion of the one or more sprinkler nozzles is adjusted based upon the path of travel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary of interest is defined via geospatial mapping.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein defining the boundary of the field-of-interest via geospatial mapping comprises defining the boundary of the field-of-interest utilizing a global positioning system that outputs a file containing a plurality of coordinates that correspond to the boundary of the field-of-interest.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the path of travel for the steering tower of the ancillary span comprises a file containing a plurality of polar coordinates that correlate the location of the steering tower to the central pivot point as the steering tower traverses the path of travel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steering tower is rotatably coupled to the ancillary span.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the steering tower comprises at least one wheel having an orientation that is fixed relative to the steering tower.

7. A method for determining a nozzle configuration of an ancillary span of an irrigation system, the irrigation system having a central pivot point about which a primary irrigation pipeline swivels and having a hinge point at which the ancillary span is coupled with the primary irrigation pipeline, the method comprising: determining a path of travel for the ancillary span; defining a plurality of sectors and a plurality of zones within a portion of the field to be irrigated by the ancillary span, the portion of the field-of-interest corresponding to the path of travel; defining a plurality of sections within the portion of the field-of-interest to be irrigated by the ancillary span, each of the plurality of sections corresponding to one of the plurality of sectors and one of the plurality of zones; calculating an area for each of the plurality of sections; identifying a section in each of the plurality of zones that has an area of the largest magnitude; determining the maximum water capacity of the area of the largest magnitude; defining a plurality of nozzle zones along a longitudinal length of the ancillary span, the nozzles zones corresponding to portions of a field to be irrigated; determining, for each nozzle zone, a number of nozzles and their respective water capacity based, at least in part, on the maximum water capacity required for the area of the largest magnitude within that zone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two nozzles in at least one of the nozzle zones are different from each other.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the nozzles are further configured to run linearly and longitudinally down the ancillary span.

10. A method for irrigating a field, the method comprising: configuring an irrigation system for irrigating the field, the irrigation system comprising an ancillary span hingedly connected to a primary irrigation pipeline, the ancillary span further comprising a longitudinal length having a plurality of sprinkler nozzles along the longitudinal length with each nozzle having an adjustable rate of flow and a steering tower supporting the longitudinal length, and a reference point having a fixed position relative to the ancillary span; determining a path of travel of the reference point; and adjusting the rate of flow for at least a portion of the one or more sprinkler nozzles based, at least in part, upon the path of travel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the primary irrigation pipeline comprises one more spans connected to each other.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the primary irrigation pipeline is rotatable around a central pivot point.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the path of travel is determined at least in part by geospatial mapping.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the path of travel is further determined by a boundary of the field and the position of the central pivot point.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference point is located on the steering tower.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the rate of flow is adjusted to avoid overwatering at least a portion of the field.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Aspects of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a center pivot irrigation system with an ancillary span operating in a corner of a field in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the irrigation system of FIG. 1 with the ancillary span in a first location where the ancillary span is just entering the corner and is almost completely trailing the primary irrigation pipeline;

[0019] FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the irrigation system of FIG. 1 with the ancillary span in a second location where the ancillary span is at an almost fully extended position with respect to the primary irrigation pipeline;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a top side of a pipeline of the ancillary span with a plurality of sprinkler outlets thereon, each sprinkler outlet illustrated in an open position in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 5 is the pipeline of FIG. 4 with some of the sprinkler outlets illustrated in a closed position in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the pipeline of FIG. 5;

[0023] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a portion of an area to be irrigated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7;

[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary area factor chart in accordance with aspects of the disclosure; and

[0026] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method of determining optimal water capacity for portions of a field-of-interest to be irrigated by an ancillary span of an irrigation system in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The subject matter of aspects of the present disclosure is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter also might be embodied in other ways, to include different components, steps, or combinations of components and/or steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” may be used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described.

[0028] As previously set forth, in center pivot irrigation systems, spans comprising a primary irrigation pipeline travel in a fixed circular operation in relation to the center pivot point of the irrigation system of which the primary irrigation pipeline is a part. The path of travel is determined by the radial position of the span relative to the central pivot point. Since the span is a structural assembly and it operates in a constant and known circular path, the area of a field-of-interest capable of being irrigated by the span can be ascertained through standard mathematical calculations. And, when the area of the field-of-interest capable of being irrigated by the span is known, optimal water capacity is substantially uniform and can be readily determined. For an ancillary span, this process is more complex due to the ability of ancillary spans to maneuver at changing orientations and changing extension and retraction velocities independent of the primary irrigation pipeline. Through the use of a predetermined path, however, these maneuvers are predictable and optimal water capacity can be calculated using the methods described in the present disclosure.

[0029] Aspects of the disclosure provide systems and methods for determining optimal water capacity or distribution for each of a plurality of sections of a field-of-interest that are to be irrigated by an ancillary span of an irrigation system. With reference to the schematic illustrations of FIGS. 1-3, an irrigation system 100 suitable for performing methods in accordance with embodiments hereof includes a central pivot point 110, about which a primary irrigation pipeline 112 swivels, and a hinge point 114, at which an ancillary span 116 is coupled with a distal end of the primary irrigation pipeline 112. Irrigation systems suitable for performing methods in accordance with embodiments hereof further include a steering tower 118 positioned along the length of the ancillary span 116 at a distance spaced from the hinge point 114. The steering tower 118 of the ancillary span 116 is controllable independently of the central pivot point 110 and/or the primary irrigation pipeline 112. In embodiments, the steering tower 118 includes one or more motors (not shown) and electronic components (not shown) suitable for controlling movement of the ancillary span 116.

[0030] The disclosed systems and methods utilize a path of travel 120 determined for the ancillary span steering tower 118. (It is noted that in FIGS. 1-3, only a portion of the path of travel 120 is depicted. This is in no way meant to limit embodiments of the present disclosure.) The area capable of being irrigated by the ancillary span 116 is highly variable due to the number of maneuvers that can be performed by the ancillary span 116. That is, during normal operations, the ancillary span 116 can extend and retract as well as travel at increased and decreased velocities relative to the primary irrigation pipeline 112, even though it is coupled with the primary irrigation pipeline 112 at the hinge point 114. The path of travel 120 for the ancillary span steering tower 118 comprises a file that includes a plurality of polar coordinates that are referenced from the central pivot point 110. In some embodiments, the path of travel includes 3,600 polar coordinates for a full rotation of the irrigation system.

[0031] It should be noted that in the illustrated embodiment and the discussion described herein, the orientation of the steering tower 118 with respect to the pipeline 117 of the ancillary span 116 is fixed and the wheels 119 of the steering tower 118 rotate with respect to the steering tower 118. Consequently, the wheels 119 of the steering tower 118 do not follow in the same path nor do they follow along the path of travel 120, as described herein or illustrated. Instead, the path of travel 120 is the imaginary path along the ground above which a reference point 121 of the steering tower 118 travels. In the illustrated embodiment, the reference point 121 is the center point where the steering tower 118 connects to the ancillary span 116. The location of the reference point 121 relative to the steering tower 118, however, can vary based upon the application. Thus, it is within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure to have a reference point, or guidance system, anywhere on or about the steering tower 118 (e.g., on a leg of the steering tower 118, proximate to the center of the steering tower 118, on a bracket coupled with the steering tower, or the like). It is further within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure to have a steering tower where the orientation between the wheels of the steering tower and the steering tower itself is fixed (e.g., like it is on a tower under the principle span of the parent system) and the orientation of the steering tower with respect to the pipeline 117 of the ancillary span 116 is variable (i.e., where the steering tower rotates with respect to the ancillary span). In such an arrangement, the wheels of the ancillary tower could ride in a single path, thereby minimizing crop damage, and the single path could actually be along the path of travel.

[0032] In illustrative embodiments, to determine the path of travel 120 for the ancillary span steering tower 118, the distance of the reference point 121 (the center point in the illustrated embodiment) of the steering tower 118 from the central pivot point 110 and the angle 122 of the ancillary span 116 relative to the primary irrigation pipeline 112 may be determined. To determine these two factors, the boundary 124 (i.e., physical borders) of the field-of-interest 126 is determined. (It is noted that in FIGS. 1-3, only a portion of the boundary 124 and of the field-of-interest 126 is illustrated. This is in no way meant to limit embodiments of the present disclosure.)

[0033] In some embodiments, the boundary 124 of the field-of-interest 126 may be determined by geospatial mapping. In some embodiments, geospatial mapping is accomplished through the use of global positioning systems (GPSs) with the output being a file containing coordinates. These coordinates define the boundary 124 of the field-of-interest 126. In some embodiments, a GPS sensor or other suitable geospatial mapping apparatus (not shown) is coupled with the ancillary span steering tower 118. The sensor or other suitable apparatus may be communicatively coupled with one or more computing devices (e.g., servers and/or databases) configured for receiving, interpreting, and storing sensed geospatial data.

[0034] It will be understood and appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that other methods of capturing the field-of-interest may be utilized. Reference to the illustrative embodiments herein is not meant to limit the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure in any way. Any number of field-of-interest-capturing variations, and any combination thereof, are contemplated to be within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] With the boundary 124 known, the irrigation system is fitted to optimize the area within the mapped boundary that is capable of being irrigated by the primary irrigation pipeline 112. As a result of this optimization process, an optimal location for the central pivot point 110 of the irrigation system is determined. The central pivot point 110 provides the point at which all spans 128 of the primary irrigation pipeline 112, typical and non-typical, are attached through linking the spans 128 together. The spans 128 swivel as a single unit around the central pivot point 110. This causes the spans 128 to travel in a circular operation, representing a circle upon completion of a full operation. During the optimization process and determination of the location of the central pivot point 110, spans 128 are selected to fit within the boundary. The “last span” 130 of the primary irrigation pipeline 112 is the final span in the link of one or more typical spans comprising the primary irrigation pipeline 112.

[0036] Utilizing the combination of the field-of-interest boundary 124 and the last span 130 as constraints, an optimal ancillary span 116 is selected such that the ancillary span 116 is capable of irrigating as large an area outside the area covered by the primary irrigation pipeline 112 as possible. The selected ancillary span 116 is coupled with the primary irrigation pipeline 112 at the hinge point 114 located at a distal end of the last span 130 to provide additional coverage in the corners due to the ability of the ancillary span 116 to extend and retract in and out of the field corners and/or around other obstacles through the use of the independently controlled ancillary span steering tower 118.

[0037] The selected ancillary span 116 is further optimized by the arrangement of sprinkler nozzles 410 along the length thereof. The sprinkler nozzles 410 are connected to the ancillary span 116 at sprinkler outlets positioned longitudinally along the ancillary span 116. Various arrangements can be seen with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 4-6. It will be understood and appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that different lengths of ancillary spans 116 may be available and/or may become available in the future. As such, the illustrated embodiments are not exhaustive of all possible zone and sprinkler nozzle arrangements but rather are merely illustrative for the purposes of the present disclosure. A plurality of zones and a plurality of sprinkler nozzles may be present on any given ancillary span 116.

[0038] In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the sprinkler nozzles 410 are progressively arranged into zones (more fully described below) located linearly and longitudinally along the ancillary span 116. In many prior art systems (not shown), the sprinkler nozzles were arranged in what could have been considered a random distribution method known as sprinkler groupings.

[0039] With reference back to FIGS. 1-3, the result of the optimization of the ancillary span 116 is a path of travel 120 based on the location of the ancillary span steering tower 118 relative to the central pivot point 110 and the angle 122 at the hinge point 114 of the ancillary span 116 relative to the parent system or primary irrigation pipeline 112. The path of travel 120 of the ancillary span steering tower 118 is determined by the maneuvers required to optimize coverage within the constraints of the field-of-interest boundary 124 and the last span 130. These maneuvers are recorded within a file referred to herein as the “path.dat” which contains, by way of example only, 3,600 polar coordinates correlating the central pivot point 110 to the location of a positioning system (not shown) corresponding to the ancillary span steering tower 118. In embodiments, the ancillary span steering tower positioning system is coupled with the ancillary span steering tower 118 itself.

[0040] Turning now to FIG. 7, a plurality of sectors 710 and a plurality of zones 712 within a portion of the field-of-interest 126 that is to be irrigated by the ancillary span are defined, the portion of the field-of-interest 126 corresponding to the path of travel 120. A “sector” 710, as the term is utilized herein, is a defined area containing a beginning angle and an ending angle corresponding to the central pivot point 110 of the irrigation system 100. For instance, a sector 710 may begin at an angle of 30 degrees relative to the central pivot point 110 and end at an angle of 30.1 degrees relative to the central pivot point 110. In this way, sectors 710 extend from the central pivot point to the field boundary. For purposes of the present disclosure, particular interest is taken of the portion of each sector that is to be irrigated by the ancillary span 116.

[0041] A “zone” 712, as the term is utilized herein, is a defined area containing a beginning distance or radius and an ending distance or radius, each distance/radius being determined based upon a distance from the central pivot point 110 of the irrigation system 100. For instance, a zone 712 may begin at 451 feet from the central pivot point 110 and end at 523 feet from the central pivot point 110. Zones 712 defined by distances closer to the central pivot point will be entirely contained within the boundary of the field and will have a circular outer perimeter. Zones 712 defined by distances further from the central pivot point will have an arcuate portion but the boundary of the field may prevent the zone from having a fully circular outer perimeter. For purposes of the present disclosure, particular interest is taken of those zones that are to be at least partially irrigated by the ancillary span 116. Zones 712 that are to be fully or partially irrigated by the ancillary span 116 may be defined similarly to the above-description, however, the distances from the central pivot point 110 that define the zones 712 will vary based upon sector 710.

[0042] Based upon the defined sectors 710 and zones 712, a plurality of sections 714 is defined within the portion of the field-of-interest 126 to be irrigated by the ancillary span 116. An exemplary section 714 is shown with reference to FIG. 8. Each section 714 exists within a corresponding zone 712 and sector 710. Each section 714 is defined by determining the angle 122 of the ancillary span 116 at the hinge point 114 relative to the parent system or primary irrigation pipeline 112 and determining a distance between the steering tower 118 of the ancillary span 116 and the central pivot point 110 at each coordinate location along the path of travel 120. Each section 714 is defined by a resultant sector 710 and zone 712 in which the steering tower 118 of the ancillary span 116 is located at each coordinate location along the path of travel 120, the steering tower 118 location being based upon the determined angle 122 of the ancillary span 116 at the hinge point 114 relative to the parent system or primary irrigation pipeline 112 and the determined distance between the steering tower 118 and the central pivot point 110. While the perimeter of each section 714 generally will form a polygon, the area of each section 714 can vary based upon the zone 712 and sector 710 defining its location.

[0043] To optimize water capacity for each section 714, the area of each section 714 is determined. In embodiments, the shoelace algorithm attributed to Gauss, as known to those having ordinary skill in the art, (or a similar method) is utilized to determine the area within each polygonal section 714. The section 714 having the largest area within each zone 712 (i.e., the “prime section”) is used to determine maximum water capacity or demand required within the zone 712. Thus, by definition, the prime section within each zone 712 will require the largest water demand. Where there are multiple zones 712 within the portion of the field-of-interest 126 to be watered by the ancillary span 116, multiple prime sections will result. There can, however, only be one prime section per zone 712. In the event there is more than one section 714 within a zone 712 that have identical areas that are the largest areas in the zone 710, only one is selected to be the prime section. However, as more fully described below, the other equivalent-area section(s) 714 would also receive 100% water capacity. All other sections 714 within the zone 712 have an area less than the area of the prime section and, accordingly, variations in water capacity for those smaller area zones 712 is required. For instance, in some embodiments, there may be multiple sectors 710 within the field-of-interest 126 having widths of varying degrees (e.g., one sector width may be 10 degrees and another sector width may be 3 degrees when measured at the hinge point 114). In such embodiments, area factor percentages may be determined by dividing the area of each of the sections by the width of their corresponding sector 710 when measured at the hinge point 114. The prime section is then defined by the greatest magnitude of this quotient, not the original area.

[0044] Area factor percentages then may be determined by dividing the area of each section (or area of a section divided by the width of its sector, as appropriate) by the area of the prime section. An exemplary chart showing various area factor percentages based upon section area is illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0045] Sprinkler nozzle sizes for the ancillary span 116 are selected to satisfy the water demand for the prime section. However, if these sprinklers were to continue to operate at maximum capacity within other sections 714 throughout the zone 712, intense over-watering or oversupply of water to those sections 714 could occur. To avoid over-watering sections 714 within the zones 712 having smaller areas, area factors are determined by dividing the area of each other section 714 within the zone 712 by the area of the prime section. In this way, the water distribution within each section 714 of a zone 712 may be adjusted in accordance with its area factor, preventing overwatering of sections 714 having smaller areas.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure the area factor controls the running time of sprinkler nozzles 410 along the length of the ancillary span 116 based on the area factor percentage. For example, if the ancillary span 116 had a run time of three minutes to cross a particular section 714, the sprinklers positioned to correspond to a section 714 having an area factor percentage of 100% would be turned on for all three minutes, whereas the sprinklers corresponding to a section 714 having area factor percentage of 50% would be turned on for ninety seconds and turned off for ninety seconds. The prime section and sections with an area equal to the prime section are the only sections 714 where the sprinklers will be turned on for 100% of the time period. In all other sections 714 the sprinklers are turned off for some period of time as the ancillary span 116 crosses that section 714.

[0047] While the volume of water applied to sections 714 other than a prime section and sections equal to the prime section is controlled in the embodiment described above by turning sprinklers in a particular zone 712 off for a time period to reduce the amount of water applied to the smaller area sections (i.e., a binary, on-off water control method), other methods of reducing the volume of water applied to the section 714 may be used and still be within the scope of embodiments of the disclosure. For example, a variable volume method may be used, whereby the sprinklers are throttled down to reduce the volume of water dispensed therefrom to match the area factor percentage for that section 714. Such a method would require being able to independently control either the volume of water delivered to each sprinkler or the volume of water each sprinkler may dispense, either of which may increase complexity and cost. Additionally, reducing the volume of water applied to a sprinkler head may have the undesired effect of reducing its area of coverage. In yet a further alternate embodiment only certain sprinklers within each zone may be turned off for certain period of time to achieve the proper volume of water applied to a section based on its area factor percentage. Again, such a method may increase complexity and cost. For these reasons the binary/on-off method describe initially above may be found to be beneficial in some applications.

[0048] With reference now to FIG. 10, an exemplary method for determining optimal water capacity for portions of a field-of-interest 126 to be irrigated by an ancillary span 116 of an irrigation system 100 is shown. The irrigation system 100 has a central pivot point 110 about which a primary irrigation pipeline 112 swivels and has a hinge point 114 at which the ancillary span 116 is coupled with the primary irrigation pipeline 112. Initially, as illustrated at block 1010, a path of travel 120 is determined for the steering tower 118 of the ancillary span 116. As illustrated at block 1012, a plurality of sectors 710 and a plurality of zones 712 within a portion of the field 126 to be irrigated by the ancillary span 116 are defined. The portion of the field-of-interest 126 corresponds to the path of travel 120.

[0049] As illustrated at block 1014, a plurality of sections 714 within the portion of the field-of-interest 126 to be irrigated by the ancillary span 116 is defined, each of the plurality of sections 714 corresponding to one of the plurality of sectors 710 and one of the plurality of zones 714. As illustrated at block 1016, an area of each of the plurality of sections 714 is calculated. As illustrated at block 1018, a section 714 in each of the plurality of zones 712 that has an area of the largest magnitude is identified.

[0050] As illustrated at block 1020, an area factor for each section 714 of the plurality of sections 714 is calculated based, at least in part, upon the area of the largest magnitude identified for the one of the plurality of zones 712 that corresponds to each section 714. Based upon the area factor, optimal water capacity or distribution to each section 714 is determined.

[0051] Additionally, although some exemplary implementations of the embodiments described herein are shown in the accompanying figures, these implementations are not intended to be limiting. Rather, it should be understood that the various embodiments and aspects described herein may be implemented upon any number of irrigation systems. It is within the scope of the present disclosure that the above principals could be equally applied in other settings.

[0052] Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] Aspects of the disclosure have been described to be illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.