Abstract: An irrigation management system is disclosed and positionable in-line with an irrigation pipe for monitoring and controlling a flow of fluid therethrough. In at least one embodiment, the system provides an inlet pipe and an opposing outlet pipe in serial fluid communication with the irrigation pipe. At least one fluid control valve is in serial fluid communication between the inlet pipe and outlet pipe for selectively controlling the flow of fluid therebetween. The fluid control valve provides a main valve and a hydraulic actuator for selectively moving the main valve between open and closed positions. The hydraulic actuator is also in serial fluid communication between a pair of actuator valves for moving the hydraulic actuator between open and closed positions. The system also provides at least one sample collection tank configured for temporarily storing a volume of fluid diverted from the irrigation pipe in order to be tested.

Abstract: A convenient, water-saving and labor-saving FROG irrigation controller and system are provided, which determine the appropriate water budget and schedule for the property's landscaping based on evapotranspiration data for the geographic area, any regulation data, and property-specific data, with consideration given to reduction in watering days, increase in soil watering depth, and day of year. Once set, the FROG controller provides incremental adjustments over the course of the year; the homeowner no longer needs to re-set the watering program seasonally to automatically comply with local mandated and voluntary watering restrictions. One aspect provides a web-based wizard that is used to determine a customized water budget/schedule which is input into the FROG controller. Another aspect provides an integration of a network of FROG controllers with a central command unit.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based microwell solution for irrigation. In various embodiments, in response to receiving, from the plurality of sensors, first sensor data indicative of environmental conditions within an area, a computing system may analyze the first sensor data to determine parameters associated with water requirements within the area, may generate a water distribution plan based at least in part on the determined parameters, and may map the generated water distribution plan to a positional map of a plurality of microwells disposed at pre-installed locations within the area. The computing system may generate and send instructions to the microwells to pump water from an underground water source(s) (in some cases, surface water sources as well) and to irrigate plants or crops in the area using integrated irrigation systems, based on the mapping. The microwells and sensors may utilize IoT functionalities.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and system for regulating plant irrigation at a crop field. The method comprises obtaining soil water tension (SWT) data and/or soil water content (SWC) data corresponding to a crop field. The SWT data and/or the SWC data is segmented into three segments. A respective line of best fit is determined for each of the three segments. The intercepts of the lines of best fit are used to determine an irrigation start threshold and an irrigation stop threshold. Devices that control irrigation for the crop field are caused to start or stop irrigation based on the irrigation start threshold and irrigation stop threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed are an energy service system of a multi-machine production line and a control method thereof, the method includes reorganizing respective machines in the production line into three types of controllable entities: a drive system, an energy supply bus and an execution device, equipping them with a control center, and selecting a sub-drive system that is idle and is capable of completing the work stage with high energy efficiency to supply energy service for the corresponding execution device through the energy supply bus. Further disclosed is a design method of a multi-machine shared drive system of a production line, which increases the number of basic flow units of each drive unit to a maximum value one by one, and coordinates action time to form a variety of scheduling schemes, and selects a configuration scheme whose total time and total energy consumption are less as the shared drive system.

Abstract: An alignment control system for controlling an alignment of a plurality of mobile towers, each mobile tower supporting a section of conduit in an irrigation system comprises a plurality of tower angle measurement devices and a control processing element. Each tower angle measurement device is associated with a successive one of the mobile towers and is configured to measure an angle value which varies according to a rotation angle of the associated mobile tower relative to one or more of the other mobile towers. The control processing element is configured or programmed to receive the angle value from each tower angle measurement device, compare the angle value to a threshold angle value, and generate and transmit control signals, data, or both that include an activation hysteresis value to a drive motor associated with each mobile tower that has an angle value greater than the threshold angle value.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed. The method, when implemented in a computer system, includes obtaining product information, selecting a production node from a plurality of production nodes, and communicating production information to the production node. The product information is configured to facilitate production of a product. The selecting performed by the computer system comprises determining a physical location of a destination of the product and identifying the production node. The identifying is based, at least in part, on the physical location and one or more production criteria. The production information comprises information identifying the product. The computer system is configured to communicate with each production node of the plurality of production nodes. The communicating is configured to result in production of the product by the production node.

Abstract: A distributed building management system for controlling a building control device of a building includes a virtual controller that is hosted on a computing device and an edge controller that is associated with the building control device. The virtual controller includes a virtual container or a virtual machine that has control logic that generates control commands for controlling the building control device. The edge controller includes control logic that is configured to at least selectively provide closed loop control of one or more functions of the building control device. The edge controller is in operative communication with the virtual controller and is configured to receive and execute the control commands generated by the virtual controller.

Abstract: On a user interface presented on a display screen, an alteration point marker is rendered on a circular shape representing a center pivot irrigation system. The alteration point marker is aligned with an input point specified by user input. A fine position control may also be rendered on the display screen. The fine position control may comprise a first icon and a second icon, wherein the first icon is for repositioning the alteration point marker in a first circular direction, and wherein the second icon is for rotating the alteration point marker in the second circular direction.

Abstract: A method for initiating and automatically improving model-driven operations in a low-data scenario includes creating a regression model using pre-operation data prior to initiating the model-driven operations, using the regression model to initiate and perform the model-driven operations during an operational stage, collecting operational data during the operational stage, creating a first artificial neural network model using the operational data, transitioning from using the regression model to perform the model-driven operations to using the first artificial neural network model to perform the model-driven operations responsive to the operational data satisfying a first sufficiency threshold.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a unit commitment method considering security region of wind turbine generators with frequency response control, and the main steps are: 1) determining security region of wind turbine generators when provides frequency response; 2) based on the security region of the wind turbine generators when provides frequency response, establishing a unit commitment model considering security region of wind turbine generators; and 3) calculating the unit commitment model considering the security region of the wind turbine generators by using mixed-integer linear programming method, and obtaining the operation result of the unit commitment considering the security region of the wind turbine generators with frequency response control. The present invention can be widely used in the setting of frequency response parameters of wind turbine generators dispatched in the prior art and the start-stop and output plans of synchronous generator.

Abstract: An irrigation method for coastal regions. The method includes: selecting coastal region and collecting natural and environmental data of the coastal region; building a basic database of the coastal region based on high-precision map of the coastal region; establishing a water demand calculation model for coastal crops and a multi-source water supply model, where the multi-source water supply model includes a multi-source water of mixed salt-fresh water calculation model and a freshwater source calculation model; calculating water demand Qdemand during a forecast period according to the water demand calculation model for coastal crops; clarifying salt content Slimit of the water demand during the forecast period; calculating the water supply amount Qsupply in the coastal region during the forecast period according to the multi-source water of mixed salt-fresh water calculation model; and comparing the Qdemand and the Qsupply to accordingly regulate irrigation operation.

Abstract: An irrigation water optimization system based on predictive calculation of water potential of soil through web/cloud is provided. A field data collection system includes a local weather station and a soil data detection device for each area a prediction is to be obtained. Sensors of water potential in the soil detect efforts made by the crop in using available water. A neural network provides the necessary irrigation predictions based on acquired data and evapotranspiration calculated by appropriate equations. Predictions specifically refer to concerned land and allow saving water.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for novel uses and/or improvements to artificial intelligence applications in an environment with limited or no available data. In particular, systems and methods are described herein for providing power consumption predictions for selected applications within network arrangements featuring devices with non-homogenous or unknown specifications.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for controlling irrigation comprises an irrigation control unit comprising: an input configured to receive a user entered number of watering passes for a rotary sprinkler configured to repetitively rotate about an arc and irrigate an area of an irrigation site, wherein each rotation about the arc comprises a watering pass; a memory to store the number of watering passes and arc rotation data for the rotary sprinkler corresponding to a time duration for the rotary sprinkler to make the watering pass about the arc; and a control circuit configured to: receive the number of watering passes; receive the arc rotation data; determine a run time that will result in irrigation by the rotary sprinkler about the arc for the user entered number of passes; and store the run time.

Abstract: A building system of a building, the building system including an embedded computer, the embedded computer including one or more circuits configured to implement a universal serial bus (USB) host and communicate with peripheral USB building devices via the USB host, receive building data from at least one of the peripheral USB building devices, generate one or more control decisions for one or more of the peripheral USB building devices, and communicate the one or more control decisions to the one or more of the peripheral USB building devices via one or more USB connections. The building system includes the peripheral USB building devices, wherein each of the peripheral USB building devices are connected to the USB host via at least one of a direct USB connection to the embedded computer or an indirect USB connection through another one of the peripheral USB building devices.

Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.

Abstract: A novel sprinkler system designed to take into account the effect of wind on water droplets. There is also disclosed a wind shifting algorithm which, when used, corrects the sprinkler water spray to counteract the effect of wind, such that good water coverage and precipitation uniformity can be achieved.

Abstract: A recoater collision prediction and calibration method for additive manufacturing and a system thereof are provided.

Abstract: A system for providing continuous cooling to a storage rack, including a storage rack, including a first storage node and a second storage node; a first cooling loop including a first cooling distribution unit (CDU); a second cooling loop including a second cooling distribution unit (CDU); a first inlet switching valve coupled between the first storage node and each of the first and the second CDUs; a second inlet switching valve coupled between the second storage node and each of the first and the second CDUs; wherein, when the first cooling loop experiences a failure, a state of the first inlet switch and a state of the second inlet switch is adjusted to i) prevent the first CDU from providing cooling of the first storage node and the second storage node, ii) allow only the second CDU to provide cooling of the first storage node and the second storage node.