COMPACT SPRAY MODULE, SYSTEM FOR SPRAYING AND CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF SUCH MODULES AND METHOD FOR

专利摘要:
The present invention relates to a compact spray module for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets (18) for the treatment of a target, said module comprising a spraying unit (3) comprising a nozzle containing at least one spraying member and a fan capable of generating a flow of carrier air into the nozzle and carrying the droplets from said member to the target. It comprises its own liquid supply system (7, 11) comprising an electric pump (11), an electronic control and control unit, a support holding said pump close to the spray unit, a communication interface individual (20) and a power supply interface (20 '). It also relates to a system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules and a method for controlling the modules of such a system.
公开号:FR3037827A1
申请号:FR1555895
申请日:2015-06-25
公开日:2016-12-30
发明作者:Jean-Marc Gialis；Roger Pellenc
申请人:Pellenc SAS；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

[0001] The invention is in the field of apparatus projecting a liquid in the form of droplets mixed with a carrier air flow on a target consisting for example of a plant mattress, and has for object a compact spray module. It also relates to a system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules and a method for controlling the modules of such a system. It is applicable in particular in the agricultural field for the treatment of arable crops, arboriculture or viticulture. It will be described below for the sake of simplification in its application to the wine sector, requiring significant inputs of phytosanitary products. The contribution of these in nature can generate more or less long term serious consequences in terms of health as well as ecologically but also economically. These products are indeed one of the main sources of pollution of water, soil and groundwater and their inhalation or ingestion has irreversible consequences on the health of users. In economic terms, besides the high cost of the products and their implementation, the inefficiency of a treatment can cause irreversible damage to the crop.
[0002] In this context, the public authorities in recent years have tightened the standards on treatment equipment, requiring, for example, in France a mandatory technical inspection every 5 years of spray equipment. In another axis, active ingredients identified as being the most dangerous are prohibited or their approved dose reduced.
[0003] It is clear that these standards will continue to evolve in the future and thus further tighten the regulatory status of machinery and products. This development requires the design of new spraying machines that make it possible to judiciously use minimal doses of active ingredient to a targeted plant target while limiting their energy consumption to preserve both the environment and the health of the plants concerned, as well as that of the operators having to control such machines. There are several types of sprayers used in the vineyard for cover treatments or located in the zone 3037827 - 2 - bunches of grapes, including the following four types of sprayers: jet, air blast, pneumatic and centrifugal . All these devices have in common the projection on the vegetation of porridge (term used to define the liquid to be sprayed usually composed of a mixture of water and active material) which is conveyed in liquid form and under pressure in a pipe leading to to a spray nozzle. The slurry is micronized into droplets at the nozzle, and directed to the vegetation by various means depending on the technology of the spray apparatus. The nozzle 10 comprises a calibrated nozzle, most often constituted by the orifice formed in a thin wafer, this orifice passing through the wafer may have various shapes (cylinder, prism, cone, etc.) but of small size. to be able to transform the liquid under pressure upstream into droplets downstream. The nozzle defines the spray rate that will be sprayed and the size of the droplets. This slurry flow rate is however not precisely controlled because it depends in particular on the pressure conditions of the upstream liquid, different for each nozzle, as a function of the geometry and the length of the pipe between the pump and the nozzle, and of the wear during the time of the nozzle due to the abrasion of its orifice at the passage of the products.
[0004] In jet projectors, generally comprising a plurality of nozzles to cover the area to be sprayed, the slurry is formed into droplets at each nozzle by the combined effect of the liquid pressure upstream of the nozzle. and the geometry of the nozzle, which effect also communicates to said droplets a kinetic energy and a direction of their spraying. The droplets are thus projected directly into the ambient air generally in the form of a larger or smaller angle spreading cone also depending on the shape of the nozzle and the pressure of the slurry upstream thereof. latest. On the other hand, the higher the pressure of the slurry, the more the droplets formed at the outlet of the nozzle will have a high speed but they will then be small, limiting their kinetic energy and therefore their ability to reach the leaves and clusters, adding the fact of their evaporation between the exit of the nozzle and the targeted vegetation. Droplets may also be subject to significant drift in the event of wind. It is also known on this type of device that a large variation in pressure generates only a small variation in flow, while greatly varying the size of the droplets. This type of apparatus then defines an optimum operating between the pressure and the nozzle at each nozzle which allows little or no adjustment of the spray rate to spray the target vegetation, it is that is, the flow is not controlled upstream of the nozzle. The change in the flow of slurry sprayed towards the vegetation requires all the nozzles (or their nozzles) to be changed by a long, tedious human intervention requiring the wearing of safety equipment. In airblast devices, the slurry is still delivered under pressure at the nozzle with an effect similar to the jetjets being sprayed. In this technology, however, a high-speed air flow (large airflow at speeds of 100 to 200 km / h) will surround the nozzle to carry the droplets to the vegetation, increasing the speed of droplets towards the targeted vegetation and favoring their penetration. This air flow is provided by a centralized ventilation system on the machine 15 and will then be channeled to each spray nozzle. Thus, with a blast device, the size of the droplets is always determined by the combination of the pressure and the nozzle, but it is essentially the airflow at the nozzle that will carry the droplets in a trajectory oriented towards the targeted vegetation, greatly reducing the sensitivity of said trajectory to the influence of the external winds, and by limiting the evaporation of the droplets during their trajectory. However, like spray jet technology, the flow rate at each nozzle is only indicative, uncontrolled, different from one nozzle to another and can vary only over a small flow range, requiring changing the nozzles (or their nozzle) to change the spray rate of the slurry. In addition, the air required for the constitution of the air flow is generated centrally and then distributed to the different nozzles through a long and complex pipe circuit generating significant pressure losses, different air velocities and not controlled from one nozzle to another as well as superabundant energy consumption. The high power turbines used here are also particularly noisy. In contrast to jet or jet devices, pneumatic devices directly form the droplets from an accelerated high velocity airflow at the nozzle (typically 35,300 to 500 km / hr) spark gap (often a simple nozzle). The slurry is pressurized at the spark gap to form a vein of non-micronized liquid in the absence of airflow. The high-speed air flow is accelerated at the spark gap (for example by venturi effect) to generate the micronization of the liquid vein into droplets. The size of the droplets on such devices is related to the speed of the airflow closely related to the flow of the slurry at the level of the spark gap.
[0005] 5 A change of air speed must then always be accompanied by a change of flow, and generally nozzles of the spark gap, so as not to penalize the spray quality. And conversely, a change of nozzle to change the flow will also need to adapt the speed of the airflow. The operating principle of these devices also generates, as previously mentioned technologies, different flow rates and air velocities from one nozzle to another resulting in the spraying of the targeted vegetation with an indicative slurry flow rate. uncontrolled. The generation of airflow is also centralized, highly energy-consuming and particularly noisy.
[0006] The major drawbacks of these first 3 technologies can be summarized as follows: the spraying parameters, such as for example the flow rate or the air velocity, are indicative at each nozzle, different from one nozzle to another and drift over time, in particular following the wear of the nozzles. These systems therefore do not make it possible to precisely control and control these spray parameters at each nozzle, as much as they do not make it possible to vary these parameters in a large range with the same nozzle to be adapted instantaneously to the vegetation. encountered during treatment. However, many factors such as the nature of the field, the age and the grape variety of the vine, can result in very different amounts of plant mass from one vine to another which would necessitate porridge flows that can be modified. quickly and on important beaches to adapt to the masses of vegetation opposite the spray nozzles. This point encourages the operator to position the calibrations (nozzles, nozzles, spark gaps) of state-of-the-art machines at their maximum speed so as to avoid wasting time changing them as much as necessary. which then leads to an overabundant consumption of porridge. It is therefore not conceivable with these technologies to imagine dynamic variations of the spraying parameters on the vegetation encountered during treatment, the change of flow rate, the adjustment, the cleaning and the maintenance require a long human intervention and tedious that, considering the toxicity of the slurries, requires the use of individual protections and operating protocols very restrictive, even unfeasible (change dozens of nozzles or nozzles to change a flow or change the product of treatment, cleaning tanks and slurry pipes, etc.), - the small size of the nozzles to ensure the effectiveness of micronisation imposes a slurry with a high dilution rate of plant protection products to prevent their clogging by agglomerates poorly dispersed in the water, thus preventing work with low sprays of sprays. (Less than 100 liters per hectare, for example, whereas conventional volumes vary in the range of 200 to 800 liters per hectare depending on the vegetation and the type of spray mixture). In fact, the autonomy of the sprayer, given the high dilution rate of plant protection products, requires spraying assemblies comprising large tanks of 1000 to 2000 liters of liquids, and therefore equivalent volumes of clear water. The weight of this assembly requires powerful tractor vehicles to combine the traction of the spray assembly and its operation, the necessary pressures at the level of the nozzles are high, which can easily reach values of the order of 30 bar, causing expensive, heavy and cumbersome technology pumps, and requiring significant energy dissipated at the pump. the generation of the air flow in pneumatic or air-blast technologies is done by means of a large, very noisy, large-diameter turbine generally associated with a network of flexible ducts which cause significant losses of loads, requiring oversizing of the turbine and makes a power of the order of 30 kW causing greater consumption of the towing vehicle. In addition, the turbine has a high inertia which generates a starting time and stopping thereof for a period of several seconds that does not allow frequent stop and start sequences during treatment (row end, peak, momentary absence of vegetation, maneuver ...), which then leads to unnecessary and polluting consumption of slurry and fuel, 35 The centrifugal technology, which is the most recent in this area, solves some of the problems posed by the other three technologies mentioned above. The object of the document FR 2 497 439 is a spraying installation using centrifugal technology, in which the droplets are formed by a large diameter rotary nozzle, on the central part of which a nozzle projects the spray mixture. A collector in the form of a ring sector, of fixed or adjustable angle, is fixed opposite the periphery of the rotary nozzle, without contact with it, so as to intercept the pulverized spray in the sector corresponding to the collector and to limit the spray zone at the portion corresponding to the free sector of the collector. The droplets are here formed by bursting due to the centrifugal force of the liquid slurry stream when it reaches the end of the rotating nozzle. This rotary nozzle technology has the advantage of spreading small quantities of slurry, which would require in other technologies to significantly reduce the size of the nozzles to obtain a low slurry flow, thus increasing the risk of clogging of those -this. While using the same nozzle, the appropriate choice of the angle covered by the collector in the form of a sector of ring makes it possible to regulate the flow rate of pulverized spray towards the vegetation depending on the size of the open sector in the collector and therefore inevitably lower the flow of slurry arriving on the nozzle.
[0007] However, the installation of document FR 2 497 439 has the following drawbacks: the portion of slurry not spread on the vegetation is normally recycled by the collecting ring. But some of this slurry is lost uncontrollably by overflow or draining of the recycled product from the collector, resulting in loss of slurry and unwanted pollution of the environment. Thus, all the slurry arriving at the nozzle is not directly projected to the vegetation. the recycled slurry loses its characteristics because of its exposure to the atmosphere: the concentration of active products is modified because of a first spraying (by evaporation of water for example), the slurry can be recycled several times; once before being spread on the vegetation. Thus, the quality of the pulverized spray to the vegetation is not constant, the flow of slurry sprayed to the vegetation depends on the opening angle of the free sector of the collector. It is therefore impossible to modify this flow rate on the same portion of plant mattress next to the free sector, since only then a larger portion of plant mattress will be impacted by the opening of the free sector of the collector. The change of flow rate on an identical portion of plant bedding will then require the change of the nozzle with the disadvantages of the previously mentioned technologies, 5 - the projected flow towards vegetation is indicative and can not be precisely controlled given the losses and recycling of liquid mentioned above, - the kinetic energy of the droplets to reach the vegetation is generated solely by the rotating nozzle. We thus find the disadvantages of jet-spray technology. Still in the centrifugal technology using rotary nozzles having the effect of micronizing a liquid, that is to say a slurry in liquid form in droplets, the document US Pat. No. 6,152,382 relates to a modular spraying apparatus including at least one module of Spray comprising a nozzle formed by a cylindrical tube open at both ends, said nozzle generating a flow of carrier air generated by an axial fan positioned at one of its ends, said carrier air stream acting at the outlet of the nozzle on a rotary nozzle, also known as a rotary atomizer, in the form of a conical piece whose end protrudes from the outlet opening of the nozzle to the outside thereof. Said flow of carrier air is, however, decomposed into two laminar air streams, namely an axial laminar air flow around the rotary nozzle and oriented axially so as to distribute the slurry uniformly over a small thickness of the conical portion of the Rotary nozzle and imparting kinetic energy to the centrifugally generated droplets at the end of the rotating nozzle in a predictable direction, and a helical laminar airflow organized around the axial laminar airflow, mixing the two performing between the exit of the module and the plant mattress to penetrate the droplets on all the faces of the leaves of said plant mattress. The slurry is conveyed in each module by a feed tube passing through the wall of the enclosure of the corresponding module to open at the conical outer surface of the rotary nozzle in an area covered by the axial laminar air flow, to from a central tank and via one or more pumps (one pump per spray bar of several modules) remote from the module providing an indicative flow rate at each module and similar flow conditions of one module 3037827 - 8 - the other. The rates at each module are therefore not controlled and can not be modulated in substantially different ranges from one module to another. In addition, with the type of apparatus disclosed in US 6,152,382, the slurry arrives on the conical surface of the rotating nozzle surrounded by the axial laminar airflow generating a dewatering by combining the effect of gravity and gravity. the suction generated by the laminar air flow at the feed tube followed by a detachment of large drops in the axial laminar air flow, or through the two successive laminar air streams to end out of the targeted plant surface. Moreover, the vortex effect of the helical laminar airflow considerably lengthens the path of the droplets between the module outlet and the plant, increasing the risk of drying the droplets during this journey, the latter losing the effect rapidly. energy required to reach the targeted plant. But also, the means developed for generating each airflow laminarly in the form of two sets of multilayer channels considerably increase the friction surface between the air and these channels and therefore the pressure drops inside the module. , these being further accentuated in the air shear zone generated at the interface of the two laminar air flows, outside the module during mixing between the two laminar air flows, but also during their interaction with the ambient air at the output of the module. The electrical efficiency of the system is thus seriously affected. Moreover, this system requires the introduction of two motors per module to generate, on the one hand, the two laminar air flows and, on the other hand, the micronization of the slurry, which results in an increase in weight. , congestion and complexity of system management. Finally, the introduction of solenoid valves at a distance from the module making it possible to dispense the slurry arriving on the rotary nozzle does not make it possible, in the event of a power failure of the slurry, to instantaneously stop the production of drops or droplets. taking into account the direct interaction of the axial laminar air flow on the arrival of slurry of the rotary nozzle and the unavoidable suction by the axial laminar air flow of the amount of slurry between the solenoid valve and the end of the feed tube.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of these disadvantages by providing a spray module for the suction of ambient air and a liquid from a reservoir for generating an air stream. carrier capable of projecting said mixed air flow of said controlled variable-rate liquid in the form of droplets to a target, with high dynamics, excellent fuel efficiency and very low environmental impact.
[0009] Controlled variable flow rate is defined as the flow rate of a liquid coming from a reservoir and supplied by a liquid supply system under the control and / or control of an electronic intelligence, for example a control unit and electronic control system operating on the basis of a microprocessor, for regulating a given flow rate according to a corresponding flow rate and regardless of the pressure of the circuit. By very low environmental impact is meant the fact of being able to avoid the projection of slurry outside the targeted vegetation, to be able to spray the right quantity of slurry by adapting during spraying the flow of slurry in a controlled manner according to the targeted vegetation, to avoid any loss of porridge by dripping to the ground, to be able to stop spraying instantaneously in the absence of vegetation, to be able to limit the consumption of clear water for the porridge or the cleaning of the system and finally to greatly limit the consumption of electrical energy necessary for the spraying operation. For this purpose, the compact spray module, according to the present invention, for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets for the treatment of a target, such as for example a vegetable hedge, and intended to equip a spraying system and control 25 comprising a plurality of spray modules and a control panel for individual remote control of each spray module, independently of other modules, said spray module comprising a spray unit comprising, on the one hand, a nozzle with an air inlet at one of its ends and an air outlet at its other end, said nozzle surrounding along its axis an internal space containing at least one spraying member, a pipe for the supplying the latter with liquid, a fan capable of generating, axially in the internal space of the nozzle, a flow of carrier air around said nozzle member; spraying to carry to the target the droplets created and propelled by the latter in said airflow, preferably in the internal space, and a fan drive system for driving said fan, and in that it further comprises: a liquid supply system operatively connected to the pipe and comprising an electric pump, preferably a positive displacement pump, more preferably a peristaltic pump, optionally associated with a flow sensor , for discharging, with a controlled variable flow rate, the liquid coming from a reservoir into said pipe and a connection interface enabling said system to receive the liquid coming from the reservoir, 10 - a support making it possible to hold the electric pump securely in the vicinity of the spraying unit, - an electronic control and / or control unit, for example implanted on a electronic board, adapted to control and / or control the operation of the fan drive system 15 and the liquid supply system being operably connected to said drive and liquid supply systems, - an individual communication interface operatively connecting the module, directly or indirectly, to the control panel and a power supply interface operable to be operably connected to a source of electrical power to enable power supply of said module. The present invention also relates to a spraying and control system intended to be on board a machine or a mobile machine, said system comprising a plurality of spray modules for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets for the treatment. a target such as for example a vegetable hedge, said liquid coming from a tank, essentially characterized in that it further comprises a control panel comprising an electronic central control unit and a human machine interface, called HMI , connected to the latter, each spray module consisting of a compact spray module as defined according to the present invention and in that the electronic control central unit is functionally connected to each spray module so as to enable steering. individual remote from each spray module, regardless of the other 35 or s spray modules, from said control panel to individually adjust the spraying and operating parameters of each spray module. The present invention further relates to a method of controlling a plurality of spray modules of a spray and control system for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets for the treatment of a target. such as, for example, a plant hedge, said liquid from a reservoir, said spray and control system being defined according to the present invention, essentially characterized in that it consists in controlling each spray module individually, independently of other spray modules, from the control panel of said spray and control system for individually adjusting and / or controlling the operating and spraying parameters of each spray module. The invention will be better understood, thanks to the following description, which refers to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective and exploded view of a module according to the invention, in the partially mounted state and comprising a spraying unit in the assembled state, with a spraying member 20 consisting of a rotary atomizer, in a first embodiment of the latter, - Figure 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the module shown in Figure 1 in the mounted state, - Figure 3 shows a partial perspective and partial exploded view of the unit. Figure 4a shows a partial perspective view of the spray unit shown in Figure 3 in the assembled state, with the nozzle and the fuse. 1a partially shown so as to reveal the main internal space of the nozzle and the secondary internal space of the fuselage, - Figure 4b shows the spray unit shown in Figure 4a, with the entire fuselage 5, - FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the spray unit shown in FIG. 4, at its distal end 35 including the air outlet opening, and in a second embodiment of the rotary atomizer, FIG. 6 shows a perspective view, with partial cutaway of the feed and distribution piece and a perspective view of the rotary atomizer, traversed axially by the common drive shaft and shown on FIG. FIG. 3; FIG. 7 only shows the feed and distribution part, represented in FIG. 6, on the end side having the feed orifices; FIG. 8 shows a view of a perspe According to the invention, with a nozzle sprayer, FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a ramp of several modules of a spray and control system of the type of module shown. In FIG. 1, FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the module shown in FIG. 1, in the mounted state and of the projection of the liquid in the form of a droplet brush. FIG. rear of a mobile machine carrying a plurality of modules, carried by ramps, a spray and control system according to the invention, - Figure 12 shows a block diagram of the spray and control system according to the invention. FIG. 13 shows a partial cross-sectional view along AA of the module shown in FIG. 2. The appended figures show a compact spray module, according to the present invention, for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets 18 for the treatment of a target 21 such as for example a plant hedge and intended to equip a spray and control system comprising a plurality of spray modules and a control panel 16 for individually controlling each spray module independently, independently other modules, said spray module comprising a spraying unit 3 comprising, on the one hand, a nozzle 1 with an air inlet opening la at one of its ends and an air outlet opening lb at the other end. It can also be seen, particularly in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 8, 10, 13 that the nozzle surrounds, along its axis X, an internal space lc 35 containing at least one spraying member 30, 31, a pipe 8, 9 for the liquid supply of the latter, a fan 2 capable of generating in the internal space 1c of the nozzle 1 a flow of air around the organ 3037827 - 13 - 30, 31 for carrying to the target 21 the droplets created and propelled by the atomizer 30 in said air flow, preferably in the internal space lc, and a fan drive system 4, 4a for the driving said fan.
[0010] According to the invention, the spraying member 30, 31 is adapted to transform the liquid into droplets 18 and to propel the latter into the flow of carrier air and preferably into the internal space 1 c of the nozzle 1 Still in accordance with the invention, such a module further comprises: - a liquid supply system 7, 11 operably connected to the pipe 8, 9 and comprising an electric pump 11, preferably a positive displacement pump, more preferably a peristaltic pump, optionally associated with a flow sensor, 15 for discharging, with a controlled variable flow, the liquid, coming from a reservoir 26, into said pipe 8, 9 and a connection interface 7 enabling said system to receive the liquid from the reservoir 26, a support 10 for fixedly holding the electric pump 11 close to the spraying unit, an electronic unit of control and / or control 17, for example implanted on an electronic card, designed to control and / or control the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a and the liquid supply system 7, 11 being connected to it. functionally to said drive and liquid supply systems, - an individual communication interface 20 for operatively connecting the module, directly or indirectly, to the control desk 16 and a power supply interface 20 'capable of being operably connected to an electrical power source 22 to allow power supply of said module. Liquid is also commonly called porridge in the viticulture business. The source of electrical energy 22 may consist, for example, of an electric generator coupled to a moving vehicle 23 such as a towing vehicle, the energy being able to be distributed by a power supply network 40 (FIG. 12).
[0011] The duct 8, 9 making it possible to supply liquid to the spraying member 30, 31 in the spraying unit 3 can be connected to the electric pump 11. The latter can be connected hydraulically via a connection interface 7 and a hydraulic connection 7b, to the reservoir 26 (see in particular FIGS. 1, 10 and 12). In a preferred embodiment, as can be seen in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 6 and 10 the spray member may consist of a rotary atomizer 30 rotatably mounted about an axis Xl and the module according to the invention may further comprise a rotary atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a provided to be able to transmit torque and rotation to the rotary atomizer 30, the latter being capable, under the effect of its rotation, to centrifugally fragment the liquid into droplets 18 and to propel them into the flow of carrier air, preferably in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle 1, preferably in the internal space 1c of the nozzle 1. The rotary atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a may comprise an electric motor 4', preferably a brushless electric motor, operatively connected to the electronic control unit and / or control 17 and a drive shaft 4'a fit to be rotated about its axis XI by said electric motor and to transmit the torque and rotation to the rotary atomizer 30 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5). In a preferred embodiment, the fan drive system 4, 4a and the rotary atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a may be provided to form a single fan drive system and rotary atomizer 4, 4a, 4 ', 4'a common to both the fan 2 and the rotary atomizer 30. Such a common rotary fan and atomizer drive system may comprise a single common electric motor 4, 4 ', preferably a brushless electric motor, operably connected to the electronic control and / or control unit. and a single common drive shaft 4a, 4'a adapted to be rotated about its axis of rotation X 1, X 2 by said common electric motor and to transmit torque and rotation to both fan 2 and to the rotary atomizer 30. The first and second axes of rotation X1, X2 can then be merged. Such an embodiment makes it possible to enhance or improve the compactness of the spray unit 3 and the spray module. The applicant has carried out numerous tests showing that the speed variation range of the rotation of the helix 2a generating the flow of carrier air, combined with the size of the droplets 18 obtained by the rotary atomizer 30 in this embodiment. range had satisfactory tuning characteristics and incommensurate with existing technologies. Thus, the embodiment based on a common electric motor drive system has the effect of simplifying the construction and management of the module while increasing its compactness and reliability. It has also been demonstrated that the rotary atomizer 30 has the capability of converting into a droplet 18 a liquid flow rate that can vary over a very wide range of flow values, which is also out of proportion with existing solutions, and the completeness thereof. droplets being mixed in this case quite homogeneously in the air flow without noticing loss of liquid by dripping. In addition, the applicant has noted in the tests conducted in the field of viticulture very significant energy consumption gains compared to the main technologies used to date. It can be seen more particularly, particularly in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, that the nozzle 1 may be formed by a duct extending along a longitudinal axis X delimiting internally the main internal space on the and being open at its ends to form the air inlet opening 1a and the air outlet opening 1b, and the rotary atomizer 30 may include a receiving surface 30a for receiving the liquid and for ensuring, at its periphery or its end 30b, the rotational state of said rotary atomizer 30 around a first axis of rotation X1, the fragmentation of the liquid into droplets 18 and their propulsion in the flow of carrier air. It can also be seen that the fan 2 may comprise at least one propeller 2a rotatably mounted about a second axis of rotation X2 and making it possible to generate the air flow in the nozzle 1 in an axial direction towards and beyond the exit aperture lb. Referring now to FIG. 8, it can be seen that in another embodiment the spraying member may be a variable or non-variable nozzle. By means of nozzle 31 according to the present invention, it will be understood that one or more holes or passages passing the liquid, preferably and in a known small manner, make it possible to transform, at a spraying point, the pressurized liquid upstream, conveyed by the pipe 8, in droplets downstream. A variable nozzle 31 will mean a device comprising a plurality of nozzles capable of delivering each of the different flow rates, able to position one of them in cooperation with the pipe 8, for example of the type known and described in the document. FR 3,005,877 describing a nozzle support device that may comprise several nozzles and therefore several nozzles, of different sizes and each capable of being actuated and moved from an inactive point 5 to the spray point cooperating with the pipe 8, ie a device adapted to vary the size of the nozzle and thus the delivered flow, for example of the type using a movable needle system whose cooperation with the nozzle makes it possible to adapt the surface and the passage geometry of the liquid.
[0012] As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 8 and 10, the spraying unit 3 may furthermore comprise an internal fuselage having an airfoil defined by a lateral surface delimiting internally a secondary internal space 5b and can be maintained substantially coaxially in the main internal space 15 between the fan 2 and the air outlet opening 1b so as to define, between the fuselage 5 and the nozzle 1, a circulation channel of the carrier air flow surrounding said fuselage 5. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 10, the fuselage 5 may comprise a rotating portion in the spray state which can be formed by the spraying member 30 or 31 consisting of the rotary atomizer 30 itself so that the periphery or the end 30b, preferably smooth, of the receiving surface 30a can register substantially in the surface side of the fuselage 5 while allows both the rotation of the rotary atomizer 30 and the propulsion, preferably substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X, of the droplets 18 in said channel. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the fuselage 5 can comprise a section that can be formed by the spraying member 31 consisting of the variable or non-variable nozzle 31. In this case, the nozzle 31 may be integrated in the fuselage 5, preferably in the section forming the end of the fuselage 5 facing the exit aperture 1b and that the nozzle 31 may be formed in said end of the fuselage 5. fuselage 5 opening outward. It will be understood that the pipe 8, not visible in FIG. 8, can pass through the secondary internal space 5b of the fuselage 5 to the nozzle 31, upstream of the latter. The flow channel of the air flow can then concentrically surround the fuselage 5 along the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle 1 and the spray member 30 or 31. On the other hand, it can be seen on FIG. 13 shows that the spraying unit 3 may comprise connecting means 6, which may comprise electrical wires, which may be provided to functionally connect the power supply interface 20 'to the electronic control unit and / or control 17, the fan drive system 4, 4a, the electric pump 11 and optionally the rotating atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a. The connection means 6 may also comprise electrical wires for operatively connecting the electronic control and / or control unit 17 to the individual communication interface 20 operatively connected to the control panel 16 and in particular to the central unit. Preferably, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 13, the power supply interface 20 'and the individual communication interface 20 can be located at the same point in the module. for example in the form of a multichannel connector.
[0013] The individual communication interface 20 may also be provided to include a radio frequency transmission circuit for the radiofrequency transmission of the communication signals necessary for the operation of the module. In the operating state of the spraying unit 3, the rotary atomizer 30, more particularly the periphery or end 30b of the rotatable receiving surface 30a, can thus be entirely surrounded by the carrier air flow. generated by the fan 2 so as to be able to propel or project all the droplets into the space of the air flow, preferably inside the nozzle 1 (see in particular FIGS. 1, 2, 4a, 4b, 5 , 10), which has the effect of ensuring their homogeneous mixture in said flow of air which will then bring them to the target (for example vegetation) in the form of a treatment brush. The spraying member 30 or 31 may preferably be arranged near the air outlet opening 1b.
[0014] Thus, the fact that the spraying member 30 or 31 forms a movable or fixed part of the fuselage 5 or is inscribed in part of its lateral or end surface, that is to say for example that the periphery 3037827 18 or the end 30b of the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30 is inscribed in the lateral surface 5a of the fuselage 5 or that the nozzle 31a is inscribed in the end face of the fuselage 5, allows, on the one hand, to promote the flow of the carrier air flow around the spraying member 30 or 31 and to limit the number of obstacles in the flow of carrier air and the turbulence generated by the latter; nozzle outlet 1 and, secondly, to facilitate the incorporation of the droplets 18 into the carrier air flow to wear them to the target 21. The absence of deposition and drops of liquid on the inner wall of the nozzle 1 at the output of module 10 also makes it possible to check the integration of the set of droplets to the flow of carrier air. It will be noted that the fuselage 5, outside the section formed by the spraying member 30 or 31, can be made in several parts or sections assembled together, preferably in a removable or removable manner. , for example to be able to access the various elements contained in the secondary internal space 5b of the fuselage 5 in order to carry out their change or their maintenance (FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and 8). The fan 2a of the fan 2 generates the flow of carrier air during its rotation and by suction of the ambient air through the air inlet opening 20a. Preferably, the first and second axes of rotation X1, X2 respectively of the rotary atomizer 30 and the helix 2a may be merged or substantially coincident with each other and, preferably, merged or substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5). This characteristic is advantageous for limiting the size of the nozzle 1 in the plane perpendicular to the common axis. Preferably, the fan drive system 4, 4a and optionally the rotary atomizer drive system 4 'may be housed in the secondary internal space 5b. of the fuselage 5, this to prevent the flow of carrier air is disturbed by the presence of this or these drive systems. More particularly, where appropriate, the brushless motor has the advantages of a fast rotational speed, preferably more than 15,000 rpm, of low inertia for fast rotational speed changes and a high speed of rotation. low mass. The fuselage 5 may comprise at least one cooling section surrounding the electric motor (s) 4 and being in contact with the flow of carrier air, said section being able to be made of aluminum or other material promoting cooling or limiting the temperature. heating of the electric motor (s) 4 arranged in this fuselage section 5. Preferably, the spraying member 30, 31 may be provided so as to be able to eject the droplets 18 in a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the X longitudinal axis of the nozzle 1. Where appropriate, the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30 may be provided to extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle 1, this of so as to be able to eject the droplets 18 in said transverse direction. In a preferred embodiment, the rotary atomizer 30 may have generally a disc or frustoconical or tapered shape 15 and at least one of the outer faces of the disc or frustoconical or conical piece may form the receiving surface 30a (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 6, 10). The fuselage section 5 and / or the nozzle 1 may be variable in size and / or shape along its longitudinal axis, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and 8. For example the section of the nozzle 1 may be provided to be enlarged at its inlet and outlet openings la, lb. Preferably, the air outlet opening 1b may have an oval shape. Thus, the droplet brush 18 obtained at the outlet of the nozzle may have an oval shape and substantially flattened at the level of the vegetation. Such an oval shape is particularly effective for obtaining a homogeneous brush, in combination, where appropriate, with the diffuser device 15a, 15b. The rotary atomizer 30 may be pierced centrally and axially by a bore 30c to allow the passage of the drive shaft 4a allowing it to rotate about the first axis of rotation X1 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 6). via a drive connection such as for example a connection by pins, keys, splines or teeth, or, as can be seen in Figures 1, 3, 4a, 4b, 6 by pinching or jamming on the shaft of 4a drive or force fitting of the latter in the bore 3c. The drive shaft 4a can also be provided in a variant by being made in one piece with the rotary atomizer 30 (Figure 5). In a preferred embodiment of the pipe 8, 9, it can be seen, in particular in Figures 3, 4a, 4b and 5, that it may comprise a main supply duct 8 provided to receive the liquid from the liquid supply system 7, 11 and for supplying liquid, directly or indirectly, at at least one feed point, the spraying member 30 or 31, optionally the rotary receiving surface 30a or the nozzle 31. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 6, 7, it can be seen that in the case where such a main supply duct 8 is provided for indirectly supplying liquid to the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30, the invention can provide that the pipe 8, 9 may furthermore comprise for this purpose at least two secondary supply ducts 9 each intended to be connected to said main supply duct 8 and to be located in the seco internal space The spraying unit 5 may further comprise an intermediate supply and distribution piece 12 which may comprise the secondary supply ducts 9 and which can be arranged in the secondary internal space 5b of the fuselage 5 between on the one hand, the fan 2, if necessary the electric motor 4, and, on the other hand, the rotary atomizer 30, in close proximity thereto so that each secondary supply duct 9 can open away from the carrier air flow opposite and in the immediate vicinity of the receiving surface 30a to supply liquid at least two feed points, preferably distributed on either side of the first axis of Xl rotation, where appropriate on both sides of the drive shaft 4a for ensuring the rotation of the receiving surface 30a about the first axis of rotation Xl. The high speed rotation of the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30 has the effect of distributing, outside the flow of carrier air, the liquid received by the latter to the periphery or end 30b of said receiving surface 30a, that is to say until one or one of the edges forming its periphery or its end, where the liquid will be fragmented into droplets 18 which will then be projected immediately into the flow of carrier air surrounding the rotary atomizer 30 and in particular the periphery or the end 30b of its rotary reception surface 30a.
[0015] Referring again to FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 6 and 7, it can be seen that the feed and distribution intermediate piece 12 may comprise an annular liquid distribution groove 12a which may comprise at least two ports 12b each opening into one of the secondary supply ducts 9. In addition, the main supply duct 8 can be provided to open into the annular groove 12a which can thus ensure the distribution of the liquid, conveyed since the electric pump 11 through the main supply duct 8, in the secondary supply ducts 9. Preferably, as can be seen in particular in FIGS. 6 and 7, the intermediate feed and distribution piece 12 can have a generally cylindrical shape and can be pierced at one of its end faces, which can be oriented for example by being turned towards the outlet opening or air inlet la or lb of the nozzle 1, by at least two feed holes 12d respectively forming the liquid supply points. In addition, the annular distribution groove 12a may be formed in the external lateral face of the feed and distribution piece 12 and the secondary feed ducts 9 may be made in the material of the feed intermediate piece and distribution 12 so as to open at one of their ends in the annular groove 12a and at their other end in one of said feed holes. On the other hand, the fuselage 5 can be designed in its part 20 receiving the intermediate feed and distribution piece 12 to surround the annular groove by providing a fluid seal with the latter (see in particular Figures 2, 4a and 5) . The feed and distribution intermediate part 12 may be traversed axially by a through bore 12c allowing the passage of the drive shaft 4a which rotates the rotary atomizer 30 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 6 and 6). 7). The fuselage 5 extends longitudinally or axially between two ends, one of which, said distal end, is, in the mounted state in the nozzle 1, the farthest from the fan 2 or the closest to the exit opening 30 lb and the other, said proximal end, is farthest from the exit aperture lb. In a preferred embodiment of the axial or longitudinal position of the rotary section of the fuselage 5 formed by the rotary atomizer 30, the invention can provide that the rotary section can form the distal end of the fuselage 5 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 , 4a, 4b, 5, 9).
[0016] As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 10, the lateral surface 5a of the fuselage 5 can be closed or perforated, continuous or discontinuous. Preferably, in order to provide increased efficiency of the flow of airflow along the fuselage at least to its portion formed by the spraying member 30 or 31, the side surface 5a can be closed, that is to say continuous, along the fuselage at least between its proximal end and the spray member 30 or 31.
[0017] In a first embodiment of the fuselage 5 associated with the rotary atomizer 30, as can be seen in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30 can be located in the secondary internal space 5b and the axial or longitudinal lateral surface continuity 5a of the fuselage 5 can be interrupted by a transverse passage slot 5c allowing the droplets to be propelled into the carrier air flow through the lateral surface 5a of the fuselage 5. The passage slot 5c may be delimited by two outer peripheral edges vis-à-vis and one of said outer peripheral edges may be formed by the periphery or the end 30b of the receiving surface 30a. The passage slot 5c also makes it possible, when the liquid feed is stopped and still in the rotational state of the rotary atomizer 30, to immediately stop the diffusion of the droplets 18 while retaining the liquid by capillary action. within the secondary internal space 5b, capillary effect generated essentially by the proximity of the peripheral edges 20 of the passage slot 5c at the side surface 5a of the fuselage. It allows in fact, as soon as the supply of liquid returns the generation of droplets by centrifugal effect at the end 30b of the receiving surface 30a. In this first embodiment of the fuselage 5, the rotary atomizer 30 may have an ogival or conical or frustoconical shape with an outer end face that may be located in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle 1 and can be turned towards the inlet opening la of the nozzle 1. Such an outer end face may form the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer.
[0018] In a second embodiment of the fuselage 5 associated with the rotary atomizer 30 or the nozzle 31, the distal end of the fuselage 5 may terminate in an outer end face, where appropriate through the nozzle. 31a, extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle 1 and being turned towards the air outlet opening 1b. Such an outer end face may form the receiving surface 30a of the rotary atomizer 30 or an end face including the nozzle 31 (Fig. 5, Fig. 8). As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 3, 4a, 4b and 5, the fuselage 5 may comprise a lateral liquid supply extension 5d which may advantageously have an aerodynamic profile and in which extension may be practiced a liquid supply channel which may at least partly form the main supply duct 8. In addition, the lateral liquid supply extension 5d may extend transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the longitudinal axis of the liquid supply duct 5d. the nozzle 1 in the flow channel of the carrier air flow. As can also be seen in FIG. 13, the fuselage 5 may comprise a lateral power supply extension 5e that may advantageously have an aerodynamic profile. In addition, the lateral power supply extension 5e may extend transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle 1 and may be traversed by a power supply channel 50e forming a passage for the connecting means 6 in the flow channel of the carrier air flow. Preferably, in the case where the spraying unit 3 comprises a lateral liquid supply extension 5d, the lateral power supply extension 5e may be diametrically opposed to the lateral liquid supply extension 5d.
[0019] On the other hand, if one refers to FIGS. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and 13 it can be seen that, so as to be able to straighten the flow of carrier air, having a helical shape at the exit of the 2a, in the axis of the nozzle 1 before its contact with the droplets 18, the present invention can provide that the spray unit 3 may further comprise a rectifier device 14 extending in the flow channel of the flow carrier air and can be arranged axially between the fan 2 and the spray member 30 or 31. Preferably the rectifier device 14 may be located near the fan 2. Thus, with such a rectifier device 14, it is It is possible to obtain, downstream of the latter, a coherent carrier air flow organized in a speed and direction substantially in the axis of the nozzle 1 in a non-laminar manner for a better energetic efficiency before its contact with the droplets. Such a rectifier device 14 may comprise a plurality of rectifying elements 14a such as blades, each blade 14a being able to extend between two end edges, one of which may be fixed on the fuselage 5, that is to say say on the outer face of its surface, or side wall 5a, and the other may be fixed on the nozzle 1, that is to say on the inner face of the latter. The assembly or the plurality of rectifying elements 14 may be made in one piece, for example in combination with a part of the nozzle 1 and part of the wall of the fuselage 5a. In an advantageous embodiment, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 13, the rectifier device 14 may comprise the lateral liquid supply extension 5d and / or the lateral power supply extension 5e. If desired, as can be seen in this FIG. 13, one of the rectifier elements 14a may comprise the lateral liquid supply extension 5d and / or the lateral power supply extension 5e. On the other hand, referring again to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 8, 10 it can be seen that the spraying unit 3 may further comprise a diffuser device 15 extending into the channel the flow of the carrier air flow and that the diffuser device 15 can be arranged axially between the fan 2 and the rotary atomizer 30, preferably close to the receiving surface 30a. In a preferred embodiment (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 10), the diffuser device 15 may comprise at least three diffusing elements 15a, 15b, one of which, said central diffuser 15a, may consist of in 20 a central hollow part of generally cylindrical or frustoconical shape surrounding the fuselage 5, while the other diffuser elements, said lateral diffusers 15b, preferably two other diffuser elements, may each have an aerodynamic wing shape extending transversely to the axis of said diffuser element 15a and be fixed on the outer lateral face of the central diffuser 15a, preferably being distributed diametrically opposite. Such a diffuser device 15 has the effect of organizing, in conjunction with the air outlet opening 1b of the nozzle 1, the mixing of the droplets 18 coming from the rotary atomizer 30, in particular from its receiving surface 30 maintaining the characteristics of the coherent and non-laminar carrier air stream from the fan 2 and the rectifying device 14, and uniformly carrying them in the form of a brush at the target (for example vegetation ). The fixing and holding of the diffuser device 15 can preferably be effected by fixing it, for example by means of the wing-shaped diffuser elements 15b, on the internal face of the nozzle 1 (FIGS. , 4a, 4b, 5). Such a spraying unit 3 makes it possible to obtain an efficient combination of the injection of the droplets 18, preferably in a plane or projection surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the nozzle 1, in a carrier air flow with a high speed and adapted. Indeed, if the speed of the carrier air flow is too low, a portion of the droplets 18 is projected onto the inner wall of the nozzle 1 which generates a dripping and loss of liquid towards the target 21 and if the speed of the carrier air flow is too high, the brush formed by it at the nozzle outlet 1 is then focused and narrow, which does not allow a mixture of droplets throughout the air flow at the nozzle outlet 1. In the present invention, the droplets 18 are projected into the carrier air stream preferentially inside the nozzle 1, that is to say in its main space lc, so that their diffusion in the stream The carrier air is not disturbed by the external atmosphere, unlike, for example, the system described in US 6,152,382. With reference to FIG. 12, it can be seen that the electronic control and / or control unit 17 may comprise a microprocessor and a memory that may contain codes representative of the spraying parameters to be adjusted and / or a code of Id 20 identification of said module, and an internal communication bus to the module members (liquid supply system, electric motor drive system, ...). The microprocessor of the electronic control and / or control unit 17 may be provided for determining at least one of the following control information: - temperature information and / or current / voltage information and / or relative speed information (s) to the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a, - temperature information and / or relative current / voltage information and / or speed information relative to the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a; the electric pump 11, - if appropriate, temperature information and / or current / voltage information (s) and / or relative speed information (s) to the operation of the rotary atomizer drive system 35 4 ', 4'a, - information relating to the identification code Id of said spray module. The microprocessor of the electronic control and / or control unit 17 can also be provided to receive from the electronic control unit 13 at least one of the following set of information: instruction relating to the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a, - a set-point information relating to the operation of the electric pump 11, - if necessary, a set-point information relating to the operation of the atomizer drive system rotary 4 ', 4'a. The spray module may further comprise a housing 19 adapted to house the electronic control and / or control unit 17, said housing being able to be disposed inside or outside the internal space 1e of the nozzle 1 in being secured to the latter or the support 10. On the other hand, the nozzle 1 may comprise a side wall ld extending longitudinally between its air inlet 1a and its air outlet 1b and the housing 19 can be fixed on the outer face of the side wall 1d of the nozzle 1 or may be integrated in said side wall.
[0020] The spray module may comprise a casing 10 capable of housing at least the spray unit 3, the nozzle 1 and the electronic control and / or control unit 17. Such a casing may advantageously form at least in part the support 10 for fixing the electric pump 11.
[0021] Referring, in particular, to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 5, 8, 10 it can be seen that the housing 10 can be fixed for example on the nozzle 1, for example by snapping or engaging. For this purpose, the housing 10 may have a generally cylindrical shape whose open ends each comprise an internal rib 10a generally circular or oval and the nozzle 1 may comprise at each of its ends a ld globally circular or oval adapted to receive by snap or interlocking one of the internal ribs 10a. The casing 10 can be made in two half-shells. The accompanying figures, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 12, also show a spray and control system intended to be loaded onto a machine or a mobile machine, said system comprising a plurality of spray modules for spraying 3037827 A liquid in the form of droplets 18 for the treatment of a target such as for example a vegetable hedge 21, said liquid coming from a reservoir 26. According to the present invention, such a spray system and control device further comprises a control panel 16 comprising an electronic control central unit 13 and a man-machine interface 16a, called the HMI, connected to the latter, each spray module consisting of a compact spray module as defined according to FIG. invention.
[0022] Still in accordance with the invention, and as can be seen in FIG. 12, the electronic control central unit 13 is functionally connected to each spray module so as to allow individual remote control of each spray module. independently of the other one or more spray modules, from the control panel 16 to individually adjust the spray and operating parameters of each spray module. Such a spray and control system may comprise a central communication bus 25 for operably connecting each spray module to the control panel 16. In one embodiment of the communication, not shown, between the control panel 16 and the spray modules, the control panel 16 may be provided to comprise a radio frequency central communication interface and the individual communication interface 20 of each spray module may consist of a radio frequency communication interface so as to enable the piloting individual of each radiofrequency spray module. Referring again to FIG. 12, it can be seen that the spray and control system may further comprise a detection system 24 operably connected to the electronic control unit 13, where appropriate via the central communication bus 25 or radio frequency, and said detection system can be adapted to detect an absence or a presence of the target and / or a target profile and to transmit to the electronic control central unit 13 relative information. said detection of 3037827 - 28 - so as to achieve individual control of each spray module according to said detected information. The detection system 24 may comprise: presence detection means 24a making it possible to detect the presence or absence of the target 2 and which can be adapted to transmit to the electronic control central unit 13 a signal representative of this detection, said central electronic control unit being adapted to allow, depending on this detection, the control of at least one of the spray modules by controlling and controlling the start-up or shutdown of the operation of its own electric pump 11 and its fan drive system 4, 4a and, if appropriate, its rotary atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a, and / or - target profile detection means 24b for detecting a physical quantity providing information on the profile of the target 21, such as its surface or its density, and being adapted to transmit to the electronic central unit a signal representative of this information, said central electronic control unit being adapted to allow individual control of each spray module according to this information by controlling and controlling either the operation of the electric pump 11 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid supplying the spraying member 30, 31 and the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a to adjust the speed of the air flow and, if appropriate, the operation of the drive system; rotary atomizer 4 ', 4'a for adjusting the size of the droplets 18. In a preferred embodiment of the presence detection means 24a, these may consist, for example, of one or more type detection sensors, for example, ultrasound, laser or infra-red.
[0023] The MMI 16a may comprise a display screen 160a arranged to visually display at least one of the control information and / or at least one of the setpoint information as defined above, in order to be able to control and monitor in real time the operation of each spray module directly from the control panel 16. For example, such a display screen can display the air velocities and the amount of liquid sprayed by the modules spray. The HMI 16a may also include peripherals such as a joystick and / or push buttons enabling the user to carry out the various commands, adjustments or controls of the system, for example the setting of a manual mode or automatic system, setting the flow rate of liquid to be sprayed from a selected spray module or the setting of the row width by selecting depending on this width the number of spray module to start . The spray and control system according to the present invention may further comprise a device for calibrating the electric pump 11 of each module making it possible to apply a correction factor to the electric pump 11 concerned directly from the control panel 16 of the invention. to ensure the necessary accuracy of the flow of liquid spray.
[0024] Thus, in such a spraying and control system, the control panel 16, and more particularly its electronic control central unit 13, can be considered as being the master part of the system and the control and electronic control units 17 spray modules may be considered as slaves of the system for controlling and controlling the power elements of the modules. Such a system makes it possible to reduce as much as possible the quantity of product (the liquid) applied to the target 21, such as a vine, and makes it possible, for example, to provide the following functionalities and advantages: - adjustment of the flow rate and the row width on the control panel 16 for the purpose of automatically changing the flow rate, for example from the cab of the mobile machine 23, eliminating the contact between the user and the phytosanitary product (liquid), - variations in the flow rate of the electric pump 11 30 proportionally to the speed of advance of the mobile machine 23, - adjustment of the flow rate / air velocity on each spray module to optimize the application of the liquid on the target 21, such as for example in the case where the target 21 is a grapevine, put more product (liquid in the form of droplets) on the fruiting zone, or for example stop the operation of the spray modules which are not necessary at the beginning of treatment, 3037827 -30- - detection of the target in order to trigger and stop the spraying when the system detects the target 21 (for example vegetation) at the rank entrance or no longer detects target 21 at the end of rank, - allow the user to correlate the information displayed on the control console 16 with the quantity of liquid (slurry) prepared at the beginning of treatment in order to verify that the right amount of product has been applied to the target, - control and monitoring in real time of the spraying system to know for example the power consumption of each spray module, the rotational speed of each electric pump 11, the real-time verification of the communication between the control panel 16 and the spray modules - allow the system to be diagnosed from the control panel 16, and thus for example from the cab of the mobile machine 23 where the desk is located, as well as the operation before and during the treatment in order to detect immediately any malfunction which may affect the quality of treatment, - calibration simplify electric pumps 11 of each module, so as to allow each electric pump 11 to be adjusted as precisely as possible by applying a correction factor on the electric pump 11 directly from the control panel 16. The subject of the present invention is also a method of controlling a plurality of spray modules of a spray and control system for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets for the treatment of a target 21 such as for example a vegetable hedge, said liquid from a reservoir 26, said spray and control system being defined according to the present invention. According to the present invention, such a method consists of controlling each spray module individually, independently of the other spray modules, from the control panel 16 of the spray and control system to individually adjust and / or control the parameters of the spray. operation and spraying of each spray module. In a preferred embodiment of the method, it may consist in controlling individually, from the control panel 16, each spray module according to the presence or absence of the target and / or depending on the target profile detected from the detection system 24. More particularly, the method may consist in carrying out, from the control console 16, the individual control of each spray module by controlling and controlling: following detection of the presence or absence of the target, by virtue of the presence detection means 24a of said detection system 24, the start-up or shutdown of the operation of the electric pump 11 and the system 4a, 4a and, where appropriate, the rotating atomizer drive system 4 ', 4'a, 10 or - following the detection of the physical quantity providing information ion on the profile of the target 21, such as its surface or its density, according to said information, the operation of the electric pump 11 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid supplying the spraying member 30 or 31 15 and the operation of the fan drive system 4, 4a to adjust the speed of the air flow and, if appropriate, the operation of the rotary atomizer 30 to adjust the size of the droplets 18. Of course, the invention is not limited to the modes or embodiments described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, especially from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

权利要求:
Claims (22)
[0001]
CLAIMS1) Compact spray module for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets (18) for the treatment of a target (21) such as for example a plant hedge and intended to equip a spray and control system comprising a a plurality of spray modules and a control panel (16) for individual remote control of each spray module independently of other modules, said spray module comprising a spray unit (3) comprising a nozzle (1) with an air inlet opening (1a) at one of its ends and an air outlet opening (1b) at its other end, said nozzle surrounding along its axis (X) an internal space ( 1c) containing at least one spraying member (30, 31), a pipe (8, 9) for supplying fluid thereto, a fan (2) capable of generating axially in the internal space (lc) of the nozzle ( 1) a flow of carrier air around said spray member to carry to the target (21) the droplets created and propelled by the latter in said air flow, preferably in the internal space (1c), and a fan drive system (4, 4a) for driving said fan, characterized in that it further comprises: - a liquid supply system (7, 11) operatively connected to the pipe (8, 9) and comprising an electric pump (11), preferably a volumetric pump, more preferably a peristaltic pump, optionally associated with a flow sensor, for discharging, with a controlled variable flow, the liquid, coming from a reservoir (26), in said pipe (8, 9) and a connecting interface (7) allowing said system to receive the liquid from the reservoir (26), - a support (10) for fixedly holding the electric pump ( 11) near the spraying unit; - an electronic control and / or control unit (17), for example implanted on an electronic card, designed to control and / or control the operation of the fan drive system (4, 4a) and the liquid supply system (7, 11) being operably connected to said drive and liquid supply systems, an individual communication interface (20) for operatively connecting the module, directly or indirectly indirectly, to the control panel (16) and a power supply interface (20 ') operable to be operably connected to a source of electrical power (22) to allow power supply of said module.
[0002]
2) Spray module, according to claim 1, characterized in that the spraying member consists of a rotary atomizer (30) rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation (Xl) and in that it further comprises a rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a) with an electric motor provided to be able to transmit the torque and the rotation to the rotary atomizer (30), the latter being able, under the effect of its rotation , centrifugally fragmenting the liquid into droplets (18) and propelling them into the carrier air stream, preferably in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle (1).
[0003]
3) spray module, according to claim 2, characterized in that the rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a) comprises an electric motor (4'), preferably a brushless electric motor, connected functionally to the electronic control and / or control unit (17) and a drive shaft (4'a) adapted to be rotated about its axis of rotation (X1) by said electric motor and to transmit the torque and rotation to the rotary atomizer (30).
[0004]
4) Spray module according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the fan drive system (4, 4a) and the rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4a) form a single unit. rotary fan and atomizer drive system common to both the fan (2) and the rotary atomizer (3) and in that said common rotary fan and atomizer drive system comprises a single motor common electric motor (4, 4 '), preferably a brushless electric motor, operably connected to the electronic control and / or control unit (10) and a single common drive shaft (4a, 4'a) suitable to be rotated about its axis (X1, X2) by said common electric motor and to transmit torque and rotation to both the fan (2) and the rotary atomizer (30).
[0005]
5) Spray module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the electronic control and / or control unit (17) comprises a microprocessor (17a), a memory (17b) containing codes representative of the parameters of 3037827 - 34 - spraying to be set and / or an identification code (Id) of said module, and an internal communication bus (17c).
[0006]
6) Spray module according to claim 5, characterized in that the microprocessor (17a) is provided to determine at least one of the following control information: - temperature information and / or current / voltage information and / or speed information relating to the operation of the fan drive system (4, 4a), temperature information and / or relative current / voltage information and / or relative speed information. (s) the operation of the electric pump (11), - if applicable, temperature information and / or relative current / voltage information (s) and / or speed information relating to the operation of the system rotary atomizer drive (4 ', 4'a), - information relating to the identification code (Id) of said spray module.
[0007]
7) Spray module according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that the microprocessor (17a) is provided to receive at least one of the following setpoint information from the electronic control unit (13). : - a set-point information relating to the operation of the fan drive system (4, 4a), - a set-point information relating to the operation of the electric pump (11), - if necessary, a set-point information relating to the operation of the rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a).
[0008]
8) Spray module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises a housing 30 (19) adapted to house the electronic control unit and / or control (17), said housing being disposed outside the internal space (1c) of the nozzle (1) being integral with the latter or the support (10).
[0009]
9) spray module, according to claim 8, characterized in that the nozzle (1) comprises a side wall (1d) extending longitudinally between its air inlet (la) and its air outlet (1b) and in that the housing (19) is fixed on the outer face of the side wall (1d) of the nozzle (1) or is integrated in said side wall. 3037827 - 35 -
[0010]
10) spray module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a housing (10) capable of housing at least the spray unit (3), the nozzle (1) and the electronic control and / or control unit (17), said housing forming at least in part the support (10) for fixing the electric pump (11).
[0011]
11) Spray module according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the fan drive system (4 ', 4'a) comprises an electric motor (4'a), preferably a motor brushless electric, operatively connected to the electronic control and / or control unit (17) and a drive shaft (4 ') adapted to be rotated about its axis by said electric motor and to transmit the torque and rotation of the fan (7).
[0012]
12) A spraying and control system intended to be loaded on a machine or mobile machine (23), said system comprising a plurality of spray modules for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets (18) for the treatment a target such as for example a vegetable hedge (21), said liquid coming from a tank, characterized in that it further comprises a control panel (16) comprising an electronic control central unit (13) 20 and a man-machine interface (16a), called the HMI, connected to the latter, each spray module consisting of a compact spray module as defined according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and in that the electronic central unit The control unit (13) is operably connected to each spray module so as to allow individual remote control of each spray module independently of the other module (s). from said control panel to individually adjust the spraying and operating parameters of each spray module.
[0013]
13) Spray and control system, according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a central communication bus (25) for operatively connecting each spray module to the control panel (16).
[0014]
14) A spray and control system according to claim 12, characterized in that the control panel comprises a radio frequency central communication interface (130a) and that the individual communication interface (20) of each module is a radiofrequency communication interface so as to allow the individual control of each radio frequency spray module.
[0015]
15) spray and control system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that it further comprises a detection system (24) operatively connected to the electronic control unit (13) , where appropriate via the central communication bus (17) or by radio frequency, and in that said detection system is adapted to detect an absence or a presence of the target and / or a target profile and to transmit the electronic control unit (13) information relating to said detection so as to perform the individual control of each spray module according to said detected information.
[0016]
16) spray system and control, according to claim 15, characterized in that the detection system (24) 15 comprises: - presence detection means (24a) for detecting the presence or absence of the target (2) and being adapted to transmit to the central electronic control unit (13) a signal representative of this detection, said central electronic control unit 20 being adapted to allow, depending on this detection, the steering of at least the one of the spraying modules by controlling and controlling the starting or stopping of the operation of its own electric pump (11) and its fan drive system (4, 4a) and, if appropriate, of its rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a), and / or target profile detection means (24b) for detecting a physical quantity providing information on the target profile (21 ), as as its surface or its density, and being adapted to transmit to the central electronic control unit (13) a signal representative of this information, said central electronic control unit being adapted to allow the individual control of each spray module in according to this information by controlling and controlling either the operation of the electric pump (11) to adjust the flow rate of the liquid supplying the spraying member (30, 31) and the operation of the fan drive system (4, 4a) for adjusting the airflow velocity and, where appropriate, the operation of the rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a) to adjust the size of the droplets (18).
[0017]
17. The spray and control system as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the detection means consist of one or more ultrasonic, laser or infrared type detection sensors.
[0018]
18) A spray and control system according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the man-machine interface (16a) comprises a display screen (160a) arranged to visually display at least one of the control information as defined in claim 6 and / or at least one of the setpoint information as defined in claim 7, in order to be able to monitor and monitor in real time the operation of each module spray directly from the control panel (16).
[0019]
19) Spray and control system, according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that it further comprises a device for calibrating the electric pump (11) of each module to apply a factor of correction on the electric pump (11) concerned directly from the control panel (16).
[0020]
20) A method of controlling a plurality of spray modules of a spray and control system for spraying a liquid in the form of droplets (18) for the treatment of a target (21) such as for example a plant hedge, said liquid from a reservoir, said spray and control system being defined according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that it consists in controlling each spray module individually, independently of other spray modules, from the control panel (16) operatively connected to each spray module 30 for individually adjusting and / or controlling the operating and sputtering parameters of each spray module.
[0021]
21) A driving method according to claim 20 characterized in that it consists in controlling individually, from the control panel (16), each spray module according to the presence or absence of the target and or as a function of the target profile detected from the detection system (24) as defined in claim 15 or claim 16.
[0022]
22) Control method, according to claim 21 taken in combination with claim 16 or claim 17, characterized in that it consists in performing, from the control panel (16), the individual control of each spray module by controlling and controlling: - following the detection of presence, respectively absence, of the target, by means of presence detection means (24a) of said detection system (24), the starting, respectively the stopping the operation of the electric pump (11) and the fan drive system (4, 4a) and, if appropriate, the rotary atomizer drive system (4 ', 4'a) such as defined in claim 2, or - following the detection of the physical quantity providing information on the profile of the target (21), such as its surface or its density, as a function of said information, the operation of the electric pump (11) to regulate the flow of the liquid e supplying the spraying member (30, 31) and the operation of the fan drive system (4, 4a) for adjusting the speed of the air flow and, if appropriate, the operation of the rotary atomizer (30) to adjust the size of the droplets (18). 20

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同族专利:

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US20180168140A1|2018-06-21|

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FR3037827B1|2017-06-30|

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CN107750190B|2020-01-17|

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WO2016207559A1|2016-12-29|

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EP3313179A1|2018-05-02|

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法律状态:
2016-04-21| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |

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2016-12-30| PLSC| Publication of the preliminary search report|Effective date: 20161230 |

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2017-04-28| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |

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2018-05-18| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 4 |

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2020-06-11| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 6 |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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FR1555895A|FR3037827B1|2015-06-25|2015-06-25|COMPACT SPRAY MODULE, SYSTEM FOR SPRAYING AND CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF SUCH MODULES AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MODULES OF SUCH A SYSTEM|FR1555895A| FR3037827B1|2015-06-25|2015-06-25|COMPACT SPRAY MODULE, SYSTEM FOR SPRAYING AND CONTROLLING A PLURALITY OF SUCH MODULES AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MODULES OF SUCH A SYSTEM|

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PCT/FR2016/051548| WO2016207559A1|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spraying module, system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules, and method for controlling modules of such a system|

---

EP16741096.8A| EP3313179B1|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact sprayer device, sprayer system, system and method for the control of a plurality of said sprayer devices|

---

CN201680035400.3A| CN107750190B|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spray module, spray and control system of a plurality of such modules and method for controlling modules of such a system|

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ES16741096T| ES2757057T3|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spraying module, polarization system and management of a plurality of such modules and module management procedure of said system|

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AU2016282475A| AU2016282475C1|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spraying module, system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules, and method for controlling modules of such a system|

---

NZ738096A| NZ738096B2|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spraying module, system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules, and method for controlling modules of such a system|

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US15/739,204| US10945424B2|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spraying module, system for spraying and controlling a plurality of such modules, and method for controlling modules of such a system|

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JP2017566840A| JP6749948B2|2015-06-25|2016-06-23|Compact spray module, spray and steering system using multiple such modules, and method of steering modules of such systems|

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CL2017003290A| CL2017003290A1|2015-06-25|2017-12-20|Compact spray module, system for spraying and controlling a plurality of said modules, and method for controlling the modules of said system.|