System and method for irrigation system management

Abstract

An irrigation management system includes a water pump, at least one mobile irrigation system, and a pump controller. The mobile irrigation system includes a water pressure sensor for generating water pressure data indicating water pressure in the irrigation system. The pump controller is configured to receive the water pressure data generated by the water pressure sensor, to compare a target water pressure with the sensed water pressure data to determine a difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure, and to adjust operation of the water pump to increase or decrease water pressure to the irrigation system in a manner that resolves the difference between the target water pressure and the sensed water pressure.

1 . A fluid distribution management system for controlling a plurality of fluid distribution systems, the fluid distribution management system comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 compare fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems with a target fluid pressure to determine differences between the fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems and the target fluid pressure; 
 determine whether the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure; 
 if the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure; and 
 adjust fluid pressure of the fluid distribution systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 1 , the controller configured to adjust fluid pressure of the fluid distribution systems only when the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is greater than a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 2 , the predetermined amount being between two percent and ten percent of the target fluid pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 2 , the predetermined amount being between 1 psi and 10 psi. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 1 , the controller configured to adjust fluid pressure of the fluid distribution systems such that the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is resolved in a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 5 , the predetermined amount of time being between one minute and five minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 1 , the controller configured to adjust fluid pressure of the fluid distribution systems within bounds of a maximum setpoint and a minimum setpoint. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 1 , the controller being implemented by a computer located remotely from the fluid distribution systems. 
     
     
         9 . A fluid distribution management system for controlling one or more fluid pumps supplying fluid to a plurality of fluid distribution systems, the fluid distribution management system comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 receive fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems; 
 compare the fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems with a target fluid pressure to determine differences between the fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems and the target fluid pressure; 
 determine whether the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure; 
 if the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure; and 
 adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps to increase fluid pressure to the fluid distribution systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure. 
   
     
     
         10 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 9 , the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps only when the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is greater than a predetermined amount. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 10 , the predetermined amount being between two percent and ten percent of the target fluid pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 10 , the predetermined amount being between 1 psi and 10 psi. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 9 , the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps to increase fluid pressure to the fluid distribution systems such that the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is resolved in a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 13 , the predetermined amount of time being between one minute and five minutes. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 9 , the controller configured to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps within bounds of a maximum setpoint and a minimum setpoint. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 9 , the controller being implemented by a computer located remotely from the one or more fluid pumps and from the fluid distribution systems. 
     
     
         17 . A fluid distribution management system for controlling one or more fluid pumps supplying fluid to a plurality of fluid distribution systems, the fluid distribution management system comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 receive fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems; 
 compare the fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems with a target fluid pressure to determine differences between the fluid pressure data from each of the fluid distribution systems and the target fluid pressure; 
 determine whether the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure; 
 if the differences indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure; 
 adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps to increase fluid pressure to the fluid distribution systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure; 
 if the differences do not indicate that fluid pressure of at least one of the fluid distribution systems is lower than the target fluid pressure, determine whether the differences indicate that fluid pressure of each of the fluid distribution systems is higher than the target fluid pressure; 
 if the differences indicate that fluid pressure of each of the fluid distribution systems is higher than the target fluid pressure, determine which of the differences indicates a smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure; and 
 adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps to decrease fluid pressure to the fluid distribution systems in a manner that resolves the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure. 
   
     
     
         18 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 17 , the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure is greater than a predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps only if the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure is greater than the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 17 , the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is greater than a first predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps only if the difference indicating the greatest deviation below the target fluid pressure is greater than the first predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid distribution management system of  claim 19 , the controller configured to, after determining which of the differences indicates the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure, determine whether the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure is greater than a second predetermined threshold, and to adjust operation of the one or more fluid pumps only if the difference indicating the smallest deviation above the target fluid pressure is greater than the second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold differentiating from the target threshold more the first predetermined threshold.