JP2023052827A - Service water management system and pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent occurrence of air hammer without manual work in start of water feeding to a faucet in a farm field.

SOLUTION: There is provided a service water management system comprising: a faucet which is provided to feed service water fed through a pipeline from a service water feeding source, to a farm field; and a service water management server. The service water management system comprises: a stopper driving part for driving opening/closing of a stopper part which is provided on a flowing water path through which the service water fed from the pipeline is discharged to an outside of the faucet, on the faucet; a water feeding start detecting part for detecting start of feeding of the service water to the faucet from the service water feeding source; and a faucet control part for, according to detection of start of feeding of the service water by the water feeding start detecting part on the service water management server, performing stopper opening control so that the stopper driving part makes a state of the stopper part an open state.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to water management systems and pipelines.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a water management system that manages water supply and drainage in a paddy field by controlling the opening and closing of a water tap and a drain tap in the paddy field with a computer (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). This water management system compares the water temperature of the paddy field measured by the water temperature gauge with the water temperature of the water supply pipeline measured by the water temperature gauge. Water can be replenished.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-161192

A phenomenon called air hammer may occur with the start of water supply to the hydrant. Air hammer is a phenomenon in which the air remaining in the pipeline is compressed by the supplied water when water supply is started, and collides with the water tap with high pressure. Depending on the air hammer, the hydrant may be destroyed. Therefore, it is required to prevent air hammers from occurring when water supply is started.

In order to prevent the occurrence of the air hammer, for example, the water supply tap should be opened in advance before the water supply to the water supply is started. However, since the water tap is installed in an outdoor field, for example, the owner of the field must go to the place where the water tap is installed in the field and open the water tap. Such work is a burden on farmers and hinders labor saving.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to prevent the occurrence of air hammers without manual work at the start of supplying water to a hydrant in a field.

In order to solve the above-described problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an irrigation water system including a water tap provided to supply irrigation water supplied from a irrigation water supply source via a pipeline to a field, and a irrigation water management server. A control system, comprising: a plug driving unit for opening and closing a plug provided in a water flow path of the water faucet until water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside of the water faucet; a water supply start detection unit for detecting the start of supply of service water from a supply source to the water tap; The water management system is provided with a water faucet control section that controls opening of the faucet so that the driving section opens the faucet section.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above-described utility water management system, further comprising a first utility water sensor that detects utility water flowing from the utility water supply source to the water tap, wherein the water supply start detection unit detects the first Whether or not the supply of water has started may be determined based on the detection result of the water sensor.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above water management system, wherein the water tap control unit, after the water tap is discharged from the water tap as a result of performing the plug opening control, Among water taps targeted for opening control, for water taps that are determined not to be used for supplying water to a field, even if the plug driving section performs plug closing control so as to close the plug section. good.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above-described utility water management system, further comprising a second utility water sensor that detects the utility water flowing through the water tap, wherein the water supply start detection unit detects a result of detection by the second utility water sensor. The closing control may be performed when it is determined that the service water has been discharged from the water tap based on.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is provided to supply irrigation water supplied from an irrigation water supply source via a pipeline to an agricultural field, and a water flow until the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside. a communication unit that communicates with a water faucet that includes a plug driving unit that drives the opening and closing of a plug provided in a path; The water management server is provided with a water tap control section that performs plug opening control so that the tap drive section opens the tap section.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect of preventing the occurrence of an air hammer at the start of water supply to a hydrant in a field without manual work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the whole structural example of the water management system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the hydrant in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the hydrant in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the water sensor in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the water management server in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the content of the hydrant management information in this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing procedure executed by the water management server in the present embodiment in relation to air hammer prevention;

Hereinafter, a water management system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration example of a water management system in this embodiment. The water management system of this embodiment manages water supply and drainage in a plurality of fields.

First, with reference to the same figure, the water supply and drainage system of the farm field to which the water management system corresponds will be described. The figure shows an example in which the water management system manages three fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. The farm fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 in this embodiment are paddy fields, for example, and are irrigated and drained (water supply and drainage) so that the water level is appropriate according to the rice cultivation season.
In the following description, fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 will be referred to as field FM unless otherwise distinguished. The number of field FMs to be managed by the water management system of this embodiment is not particularly limited.

A water tap 100-1 is provided in the field FM-1. The water tap 100-1 is a facility that supplies irrigation water sent from a farm pond FP (an example of an irrigation water supply source) to the field FM-1 via a pipeline PL. The water tap 100-1 is provided with a plug portion (valve) that opens and closes in the water flow path until the irrigation water sent from the farm pond FP is discharged to the farm field FM-1, so that the irrigation water sent from the farm pond FP is discharged to the farm field. The amount supplied to FM-1 is made adjustable.
A drain plug 200-1 is provided in the field FM-1. The drain plug 200-1 is a facility for draining water accumulated in the farm field FM-1. The drain plug 200-1 is provided with a plug portion (valve) that opens and closes along the water flow path until the water drawn up from the farm field FM-1 is discharged to a pipeline, for example, so that the amount of drainage can be adjusted.

Similarly to the field FM-1, the field FM-2 is also provided with a water tap 100-2 and a drain tap 200-2. Also, the field FM-3 is provided with a water tap 100-3 and a drain tap 200-3.

In the following description, the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 will be referred to as the water tap 100 unless otherwise distinguished. Further, in the following description, the drain plugs 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 will be referred to as drain plugs 200 unless otherwise distinguished.

Here, the water management system of this embodiment includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router RT whose communication range is an area covering fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. The wireless LAN router RT is connected to the network NT, and the water management server 500 is connected to the network NT.

The water tap 100 and the drain tap 200 of each field FM in this embodiment each have a network communication function corresponding to a wireless LAN. Thereby, the water tap 100 and the drain tap 200 of each field FM can communicate with the water management server 500 via the network NT from the wireless LAN router RT.

Each field FM is watered (irrigated) as follows. The water supplied to the farm field FM is first drawn from the river RV to the farm pond FP via a pipeline, for example, and stored in the farm pond FP. A farm pond FP is a pond that stores water for irrigation.
The water stored in the farm pond FP is pumped up by a pump (not shown) and supplied to the pipeline PL by being pressurized. In the case of the figure, the pipeline PL is branched into three routes, which are respectively connected to water taps 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3 provided in fields FM-1, FM-2 and FM-3. ing. As a result, the water sent from the farm pond FP via the pipeline PL reaches the hydrants 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3. At this time, if the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 are open, the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 are connected to the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM. -3 will be supplied with water and irrigated.

Further, in the water management system of the present embodiment, the water sensor 300-A (an example of the first water sensor) and the water sensor 300-A (an example of the first water sensor) are used to control the water supply to the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. -B1, 300-B2 and 300-B3 (an example of a second service water sensor).

The service water sensor 300-A detects service water flowing from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL. As a specific example, the service water sensor 300-A is a flow rate sensor provided to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing through the pipeline PL in a portion of the pipeline PL near the farm pond FP. The service water sensor 300-A provided in this manner can detect the amount of service water flowing into the pipeline PL from the farm pond FP in response to the supply of service water from the farm pond FP.
In addition, the water sensor 300-A has a network communication function compatible with wireless LAN. Therefore, the utility water sensor 300-A can communicate with the utility water management server 500 via the network NT from the wireless LAN router RT.

The service water sensor 300-B1 is provided corresponding to the water tap 100-1 and detects the service water flowing through the water tap 100-1. As a specific example, the water sensor 300-B1 is provided to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing to a portion near the water tap 100-1 in the pipeline PL connected to the water tap 100-1.
For example, when the water tap 100-1 is in a closed state and water does not flow to the water tap 100-1, water does not flow in the pipeline PL near the water tap 100-1. Therefore, the utility water sensor 300-B1 in this case detects that the flow rate is zero.
On the other hand, when the water tap 100-1 is open and service water is flowing through the water tap 100-1, service water flows also in the pipeline PL near the water tap 100-1. Therefore, the service water sensor 300-B1 in this case detects the flow rate corresponding to the amount of service water flowing at the water tap 100-1.
Thus, the utility water sensor 300-B1 can detect the utility water flowing through the water tap 100-1.
Also, the water sensor 300-B1 and the water tap 100-1 are installed relatively close to each other. Therefore, the water sensor 300-B1 and the hydrant 100-1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication. As a result, the water sensor 300-B1 transmits detection information indicating the detected result to the water faucet 100-1, and the water faucet 100-1 transmits the received detection information from the wireless LAN router RT via the network NT. and can be transmitted to the water management server 500 . Thus, the utility water management server 500 can acquire the detection information of the utility water sensor 300-B1 through communication.

Although the short-range wireless communication method between the water sensor 300-B1 and the water tap 100-1 is not particularly limited, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc. are adopted. can do.
Since such short-range wireless communication consumes less power, the water sensor 300-B1, for example, can be operated for a long period of time using a battery as a power source, thereby saving labor for maintenance. In addition, for example, even when the electric power generated during the day by a solar battery is charged and used as a power supply, a small-capacity solar battery or a rechargeable battery can be used.

The service water sensor 300-B2 is provided corresponding to the water tap 100-2 and detects the service water flowing through the water tap 100-2. For example, a service water sensor 300-B2 is also provided to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing through the pipeline PL near the water tap 100-2.
Also, the water sensor 300-B2 and the hydrant 100-2 can communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication. As a result, the utility water management server 500 can acquire the detection information of the utility water sensor 300-B2 from the hydrant 100-2 via communication.

The service water sensor 300-B3 is provided corresponding to the water tap 100-3 and detects the service water flowing through the water tap 100-3. For example, a service water sensor 300-B3 is also provided to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing through the pipeline PL in a portion near the water tap 100-3.
Also, the water sensor 300-B3 and the hydrant 100-3 can communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication. Thereby, the utility water management server 500 can acquire the detection information of the utility water sensor 300-B3 from the hydrant 100-3 via communication.

The utility water management server 500 utilizes the detection information acquired from the utility water sensors 300-A, 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 as described above to detect fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. Water supply and drainage control corresponding to each can be performed.

In the following description, the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 corresponding to the water taps 100 are referred to as the water sensor 300-B unless otherwise distinguished. Moreover, the utility water sensor 300-A corresponding to the farm pond FP and the utility water sensor 300-B corresponding to the faucet 100 are referred to as the utility water sensor 300 unless otherwise distinguished.

A plurality of water level sensors 400-1 are installed in the field FM-1. The figure shows an example in which four water level sensors 400-1 are installed. Each water level sensor 400-1 detects (measures) the water level at the place where it is installed.
The water level in the field differs, for example, from position to position in the field. For this reason, when obtaining one water level corresponding to one field, water level sensors are arranged at a plurality of different positions in the field, and one representative water level is obtained based on the water level detected by each water level sensor. is preferable in terms of increasing the reliability of measurement results. In this embodiment, a plurality of water level sensors 400-1 are installed in the farm field FM-1 from such a point of view.
Further, each water level sensor 400-1 can communicate with the water tap 100-1 installed in the same field FM-1 by short-range wireless communication. Thereby, each water level sensor 400-1 can transmit the detected water level information to the hydrant 100-1. Further, the water tap 100-1 can transmit the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-1 to the water management server 500 via the network NT from the wireless LAN router RT. That is, each water level sensor 400-1 can transmit the detected water level information to the water management server 500 via communication relayed by the hydrant 100-1.

Similarly, in field FM-2, a plurality of water level sensors 400-2 are installed. Each water level sensor 400-2 can communicate with the water tap 100-2 installed in the same field FM-2 by short-range wireless communication. As a result, each water level sensor 400-2 can transmit the detected water level information to the water management server 500 via the relay of the water tap 100-2.
A plurality of water level sensors 400-3 are installed in field FM-3. Each water level sensor 400-3 can communicate with the water tap 100-3 installed in the same field FM-3 by short-range wireless communication. As a result, each water level sensor 400-3 can transmit the detected water level information to the water management server 500 via the relay of the hydrant 100-3. In the following description, the water level sensors 400-1, 400-2, and 400-3 will be referred to as the water level sensor 400 unless otherwise distinguished.

The water management server 500 obtains the water level in the field FM-1 using the information on the water level received from each water level sensor 400-1 installed in the field FM-1, and uses the obtained water level as water supply and drainage management in the field FM-1. can be used for
Similarly, the water management server 500 uses the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-2 installed in the field FM-2 to determine the water level in the field FM-2, and the determined water level in the field FM-2. It can be used for water supply and drainage management in 2.
In addition, the water management server 500 uses the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-3 installed in the field FM-3 to determine the water level in the field FM-3, and the determined water level in the field FM-3. It can be used for water supply and drainage management in

The water management server 500 manages water supply and drainage (water supply and drainage management) in fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3.
For water supply and drainage management, the water management server 500 controls the opening and closing of the faucet of each faucet 100 by communicating with the faucet 100 in each field FM from the network NT via the wireless LAN router RT. Thereby, the water management server 500 can individually control the water supply for each field FM.
Further, the water management server 500 controls opening and closing of the plug portion of each drain plug 200 by communicating with the drain plug 200 in each field FM from the network NT via the wireless LAN router RT. Thereby, the water management server 500 can control drainage individually for each field FM.

The field master terminal 600-1 is a network terminal device used by the field master (farmer) of the field FM-1. The farm field master terminal 600-1 is, for example, a personal computer, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, etc. owned by the farm field master of the farm field FM-1. Similarly, field master terminals 600-2 and 600-3 are network terminal devices used by the field masters of fields FM-2 and FM-3, respectively. In the following description, the field main terminals 600-1, 600-2, and 600-3 will be referred to as the field main terminal 600 unless otherwise distinguished.
In the same figure, corresponding to the case where the farm fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 are different from each other, the farm field master terminals 600-1, 600-1, and 600-1 An example is shown in which 600-2, 600-3 are provided. However, for fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 with the same field owner, one field master terminal 600 may be used in common.

A configuration example of the hydrant 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. In each figure, the structure of the hydrant 100 is shown by a cross-sectional view of the hydrant 100 viewed from the side. A water supply pipe 101 in the water tap 100 is a pipe to which service water is supplied from the pipeline PL. The lower end side of the water supply pipe 101 is connected to the end of the pipeline PL as shown. Thereby, as indicated by arrow α in FIG.

A discharge pipe 102 is attached to the upper end of the water supply pipe 101 . A hollow portion 102 a of the discharge pipe 102 communicates with a hollow portion 101 a of the water supply pipe 101 . In addition, in the connecting portion between the water supply pipe 101 and the discharge pipe 102, the diameter of the hollow portion 101a of the water supply pipe 101 is larger than that of the water shutoff ball 104, and the diameter of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is made to stop water. It is smaller than the plug ball 104 . Further, since the opening of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 on the side of the hollow portion 101a is tapered as shown in the figure, when the stopcock ball 104 rises to the opening of the hollow portion 102a, the The hollow portion 102a is positioned so as to be closed by the stopcock ball 104. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the stopcock ball 104 and the lower opening of the hollow portion 102a form a plug portion.

A cup 103 is provided on the upper side of the discharge pipe 102 so as to cover the discharge pipe 102 . A hollow portion 103 a is formed between the inside of the cup 103 and the discharge pipe 102 . The hollow portion 103a serves as a path through which water discharged from the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is discharged to the outside.

The stopcock ball 104 is a spherical member having buoyancy. The stopcock ball 104 is provided in the hollow portion 101a as shown.
Further, the shaft portion 105 is provided so as to pass through the cup 103 and the hollow portion 102 a of the discharge pipe 102 . The shaft portion 105 can be vertically moved within a certain movable range by the plug driving portion 111 as indicated by the arrow A in FIG.

The shaft portion 105 shown in FIG. 2 is in, for example, the highest position in the movable range. In this state, the pressure of the service water supplied from the pipeline PL to the water supply pipe 101 floats the stopcock ball 104, which is a buoyant body, to the state shown in FIG. A state (closed state) of being blocked by the ball 104 is reached. By being in the closed state in this way, the service water supplied to the water supply pipe 101 from the pipeline PL is not discharged to the outside of the water supply tap 100 .

On the other hand, the shaft portion 105 shown in FIG. 3 is moved downward from the state shown in FIG. 2 as indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 3 and is positioned at the lowest position in the movable range. In this state, the stop cock ball 104 is pushed down by the shaft portion 105 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the stop cock ball 104 is in a state (open state) positioned below the hollow portion 102a in the hollow portion 101a.
By being in the open state in this way, water supplied from the pipeline PL to the water supply pipe 101 flows through the hollow portions 101a, 102a, and 103a as indicated by the dashed arrow β in FIG. It is discharged to the outside of the hydrant 100 through the path. In this manner, water is supplied from the water tap 100 to the farm field FM. At this time, since the cup 103 is provided on the discharge pipe 102, even when the pressure of the water discharged from the hollow portion 102a is high, the water is not blown upward, and the water is discharged downward through the hollow portion 103a. can flow to

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a case 110 is provided on the cup 103, for example. A plug driving unit 111 , a control unit 112 , a sensor corresponding communication unit 113 , a server corresponding communication unit 114 and a power supply unit 115 are provided in the case 110 .
The plug drive unit 111 drives the plug to open and close. That is, the plug driver 111 vertically moves the shaft 105 so that the stop plug ball 104 closes the opening of the hollow portion 102a and the stop plug ball 104 moves from the opening of the hollow portion 102a to the closed state. The state is changed between the open state located on the lower side.
The plug drive unit 111 can adjust the gap between the opening of the hollow portion 102a and the stop plug ball 104 by changing the vertical position of the shaft portion 105 in the open state. Thereby, the amount of water discharged from the water tap 100 can be adjusted.

The plug drive section 111 is configured by, for example, a motor and a mechanism section that vertically moves the shaft section 105 according to the rotation of the motor. For example, the mechanism for moving the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction can be moved vertically by rotation by screwing the shaft portion 105 with a predetermined portion of the faucet 100. It can be configured by a structure adapted to rotate according to the rotation of the It should be noted that other structures can be adopted as the mechanism for moving the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction, and the structure is not limited to the above example.

The control section 112 controls the operation of the plug drive section 111 . For this purpose, the control section 112 outputs a motor control signal for rotating the motor of the plug drive section 111 to the plug drive section 111, for example.
The control unit 112 also transmits and receives information to and from the water sensor 300 and the water level sensor 400 located within the communication distance of the sensor-compatible communication unit 113 via the sensor-compatible communication unit 113 . Further, the control unit 112 transmits and receives information to and from the water management server 500 via the network NT via the communication unit 114 corresponding to the server.

The sensor corresponding communication unit 113 communicates with the water sensor 300 and the water level sensor 400 located within the range of communication distance by short-range wireless communication.
The server correspondence communication part 114 communicates with the water management server 500 via the network NT.

The power supply unit 115 supplies power to the plug driving unit 111 , the control unit 112 , the sensor corresponding communication unit 113 and the server corresponding communication unit 114 . The power supply unit 115 includes, for example, a solar cell and a storage battery, and stores electric power generated by the solar cell during the daytime in the storage battery. The power supply unit 115 is configured to supply electric power accumulated in the storage battery as a power supply.
Alternatively, the power supply unit 115 is configured to supply power using a battery of a predetermined standard such as a secondary battery or a primary battery, and then replace the battery when the remaining amount of the battery becomes low. It may be the configuration used.

A configuration example of the water sensor 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . As shown in the figure, the water sensor includes a communication section 301 and a flow rate sensor 302 .
The communication unit 301 communicates with the faucet 100 located within the range of communication distance by short-range wireless communication.
The flow sensor 302 detects the flow rate of water at the site where the flow sensor 302 is attached. Information on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 302 is transmitted by the communication unit 301 to the faucet 100 of the communication partner.

A configuration example of the water management server 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . A water management server 500 in the figure includes a communication unit 501 , a control unit 502 and a storage unit 503 .

The communication unit 501 performs communication corresponding to the network NT. By providing the communication unit 501, the water management server 500 can communicate with the water tap 100 and drain tap 200 of each field FM from the network NT via the wireless LAN router RT.

The control unit 502 executes various controls in the water management server 500 . The function as the control part 502 is implement|achieved, for example when CPU(Central Processing Unit) with which the water management server 500 is provided runs a program.
The control unit 502 in this embodiment includes a water supply start detection unit 521 and a water tap control unit 522 as functional units related to control in response to the start of supply of service water from the farm pond FP.

The water supply start detection unit 521 detects that supply of service water from the farm pond FP to the water tap 100 is started based on the detection result of the service water sensor 300-A. Specifically, the water supply start detection unit 521 receives the flow rate detection information transmitted at regular intervals (for example, about one second to several seconds) from the water sensor 300-A installed corresponding to the farm pond FP, Monitor the flow rate indicated by the received flow rate detection information.

When water is not being supplied from the farm pond FP to the water tap 100, water does not flow in the pipeline PL near the farm pond FP detected by the utility water sensor 300-A. At this time, the water sensor 300-A detects that the flow rate is zero.
Then, when a pump (not shown) for sending service water from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL is operated and water supply from the farm pond FP to the water tap 100 is started, pressure is applied to the farm pond FP. A water flow occurs in the nearby pipeline PL. At this time, the water sensor 300-A detects a flow rate value greater than zero. That is, the utility water sensor 300-A detects that there is a flow rate.
Therefore, the water supply start detection unit 521 detects that water supply from the farm pond FP has started when the monitored flow rate changes from zero to a flow rate (flow rate value greater than zero). To detect.

The water tap control unit 522 opens the tap drive unit 111 of the water tap 100 so that the tap portion is opened in response to the start of supply of service water detected by the water supply start detection unit 521. control.
That is, when the water supply start detection unit 521 detects that the supply of service water has started, the water hydrant control unit 522 controls all the water hydrants 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 (that is, , to all the water taps 100 that receive water supply from the farm pond FP, a plug opening control signal for opening the plug portions.

As described above, the water tap control unit 522 performs plug opening control, so that all the water taps 100 that receive the supply of service water from the farm pond FP are operated at timings corresponding to the start of supply of service water from the farm pond FP. Open the stopper.

If the plug portion of the water tap 100 remains closed after the supply of water from the farm pond FP is started, the air remaining in the pipeline PL is compressed and the water tap 100 is overpressured. A phenomenon called air hammer may occur. When an air hammer occurs, the excessive pressure may damage the water tap.

Therefore, if the faucet 100 is opened at the timing corresponding to the start of supply of service water from the farm pond FP as in the present embodiment, the air remaining in the pipeline PL will flow through the water flow path in the faucet 100. is discharged to the outside. As a result, the occurrence of air hammers is prevented, and damage to the water faucet is also prevented.
Further, with the above configuration, the water supply tap 100 for preventing the occurrence of air hammers can be opened under the control of the water management server 500 without manual work. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to save labor in preventing the occurrence of air hammers.

However, among the water taps 100 for which the opening control is performed as described above, there may be some that are not originally used for water supply to the field FM. For example, soil conditions and crop growth are different for each field FM. In addition, the way of thinking about growing crops differs depending on the land owner. Alternatively, even if the farm field FM is fallow land, there is no need to supply water. For this reason, even in the same season, the need for water supply differs from field FM to field FM, such that some field FMs should be watered, while other field FMs should not be watered.
For this reason, if all the water taps 100 are kept open in order to prevent the occurrence of air hammers in response to the start of supply of water from the farm pond FP, the following problems may occur. have a nature.
In other words, if there is an agricultural field FM that should not be supplied with water at this time, water is supplied to the agricultural field FM from the water tap 100 installed in this agricultural field FM. In the event of such a problem, it is troublesome for the farm owner to go to the water tap 100 and manually close the water tap 100, which is undesirable in terms of labor saving.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the water tap 100 installed in the field FM to which water should not be supplied is opened by the previous tap opening control to avoid the occurrence of the air hammer. Returning to the closed state is performed by control.

For this reason, the water tap control unit 522 performs the following control after water is discharged from the water tap 100 due to the opening control. In other words, the water tap control unit 522 causes the tap driving unit 111 to close the taps of the water taps 100 that are set in advance not to be used for supplying water to the field FM among the water taps 100 targeted for opening control. Closing control is performed so as to achieve the state.
Specifically, after performing the above-described plug-opening control, the water plug control unit 522 determines whether the service water supplied from the farm pond FP is discharged from each of the water plugs 100 targeted for plug-opening control. wait for Since the pipeline PL between the farm pond FP and the water tap 100 physically has a certain length, when the supply of water from the farm pond FP is started, the water tap It takes a certain amount of time for the water to be discharged from the nozzle 100 .

At this time, the water hydrant control unit 522 controls the water sensors 300-B (300-B1 , 300-B2, and 300-B3), and monitors the flow rate indicated by the received flow rate detection information.
In a state where service water is not yet discharged from the water tap 100, water does not flow even in the pipeline PL near the water tap 100 provided with the service water sensor 300-B. At this time, the water sensor 300-B detects that the flow rate is zero.
When water is being discharged from the water tap 100, water also flows in the pipeline PL near the water tap 100 provided with the water sensor 300-B. At this time, the water sensor 300-B detects a flow rate value greater than zero. That is, the utility water sensor 300-B detects that there is a flow rate.
Therefore, when the flow rate detected by each service water sensor 300-B has changed from zero to the flow rate, the water tap control unit 522 detects the service water at all the water taps 100 targeted for opening control. is determined to have been discharged.

Next, the water tap control unit 522 identifies the water taps 100 that are determined not to be used for water supply among the water taps 100 targeted for opening control. For this purpose, the hydrant control unit 522 uses the hydrant management information stored in the hydrant management information storage unit 531 of the storage unit 503 .

FIG. 6 shows an example of the contents of hydrant management information. The faucet management information in the figure is that the water management server 500 manages the water supply and drainage in the farm fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 shown in FIG. It corresponds to the case of performing water supply and drainage management of two fields that are designed to receive water.
The hydrant management information in FIG. 6 has a structure in which a farm pond ID, a hydrant ID, and a usage flag are associated with each other.
The firm pound ID is an identifier assigned to each firm pound FP.
The hydrant ID is an identifier that uniquely indicates the hydrant 100 . For example, in the same figure, the farm pond ID [P0001] is associated with three faucet IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003]. This shows that the faucets that receive water supply from the farm pond with the farm pound ID [P0001] are the faucet indicated by the faucet ID [F0001], the faucet indicated by the faucet ID [F0002], and the faucet It indicates that there are three indicated by the faucet with ID [F0003].
Firm pond ID [P0001] in FIG. 1 indicates the farm pond FP in FIG. 2, 100-3.

6, the farm pond ID [P0002] indicates a farm pond other than the farm pond FP shown in FIG. . Also, depending on the water tap management information in FIG. 6, two water taps assigned with water tap IDs [F0011] and [F0012] are supplied with water from the farm pond indicated by the farm pond ID [P0002]. is shown.

The use flag is a flag indicating whether or not the water tap indicated by the associated water tap ID is permitted to be used for supplying water to the field. Here, when the use flag is "1", it indicates that use for water supply to the field FM is permitted, and when the use flag is "0", it indicates that the water supply for the field FM is permitted. Indicates that the use of is prohibited. In the example of FIG. 1, the water tap 100-1 (water tap ID [F0001]) and the water tap 100-2 (water tap ID=[F0002]) in FIG. Although it is permitted, it is indicated that the water tap 100-3 (water tap ID=[F0003]) is prohibited from being used for supplying water to the field FM. That is, the water tap 100-3 is a water tap that is determined not to be used for water supply.
Further, it is indicated that both the water tap with the water tap ID [F0011] and the water tap with the ID [F0012] are permitted to be used for supplying water to the field.

The setting of the use flag in the hydrant management information can be performed from the agricultural field main terminal 600 . For example, the farm field owner operates the farm field main terminal 600 owned by himself and causes the farm field main terminal 600 to access the web site for settings related to the hydrant provided by the water management server 500 . Then, the farm field owner can operate the accessed website from the farm field owner terminal 600 to set permission or prohibition of use of the water tap 100 in the farm field FM owned by the farm owner. The content set for the website in this way is reflected in the hydrant management information.

The water tap control unit 522 refers to the water tap management information to identify the water taps 100 whose use flag is "0" among the water taps 100 for which opening control has been performed. Then, the hydrant control unit 522 transmits a plug-closing control signal for closing the identified hydrant 100 .
The control unit 112 of the water tap 100 that has received the plug-closing control signal controls the plug drive unit 111 to close the plug. As a result, after the opening control is performed, the water supply to the field FM is continued from the water tap 100 permitted to supply water according to the water tap management information. On the other hand, the water supply to the farm field FM is stopped for the water supply tap 100 for which water supply is prohibited by the water supply tap management information. In this way, the water hydrant control unit 522 is configured to perform plug closing control when it is determined that service water is being discharged from the water hydrant 100 based on the detection result of the service water sensor 300-B. .

In addition, the storage unit 503 stores various information used by the control unit 502 . The storage unit 503 in this embodiment includes a hydrant management information storage unit 531 . The hydrant management information storage unit 531 stores hydrant management information. As described above, the water tap management information indicates setting contents regarding permission or prohibition of water supply to the field FM for each water tap.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the water management server 500 in the present embodiment in relation to air hammer prevention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 . Note that the processing shown in FIG. This is a process that targets pounds. Therefore, the water management server 500 executes the processing shown in the figure in parallel for each farm pond whose farm pond ID is stored in the hydrant management information.
Here, an example will be described in which the processing in FIG. 1 is performed for the firm pond FP shown in FIG.

The service water sensor 300-A corresponding to the farm pond FP in FIG. 1 detects the flow rate of water in the pipeline PL near the farm pond FP. Then, the utility water sensor 300-A transmits detection information indicating the detected flow rate value to the utility water management server 500 at regular intervals. Further, when transmitting the detection information, the utility water sensor 300-A includes in the detection information a firm pond ID [P0001] indicating the farm pond FP to which the utility water sensor 300-A corresponds.

Therefore, the water supply start detection unit 521 of the utility water management server 500 detects detection information including the farm pond ID [P0001] indicating the farm pond FP to be monitored for the start of water supply (that is, detection transmitted by the utility water sensor 300-A in FIG. 1). information) is received (step S101-NO).
The detection information transmitted from the utility water sensor 300-A may include, for example, a utility water sensor ID that uniquely identifies the utility water sensor 300-A instead of the farm pond ID. In this case, the utility water management server 500 associates and manages the farm pond ID of the farm pond FP and the utility water sensor ID of the utility water sensor 300-A, so that the farm pond FP whose flow rate is to be detected by the utility water sensor 300-A. can be uniquely identified.
When the detection information including the farm pond ID [P0001] indicating the farm pond FP is received (step S101-YES), the water supply start detection unit 521 acquires the flow rate value included in the received detection information (step S102 ).

Next, the water supply start detection unit 521 determines whether the supply of water from the corresponding farm pond FP is detected based on the flow rate value acquired in step S102 this time and the flow rate value acquired in step S102 before this time. It is determined whether or not it has started (step S103). For the determination in step S103, for example, the water supply start detection unit 521 changes the flow rate from the state in which the flow rate value acquired in step S102 up to the previous time was zero to the state in which the flow rate value acquired in step S102 this time is zero. It suffices to determine whether or not it has changed to be greater than zero. That is, in this case, control is performed to immediately open the water tap 100 in response to the detection of the flow rate of water from the farm pond FP.
It should be noted that it may be determined whether or not the flow rate value has changed from zero to a predetermined value greater than zero according to a predetermined margin value. For example, even if it is determined that the supply of water from the farm pond FP has started when a predetermined flow rate value larger than zero is obtained continuously for a certain number of times from a state where the flow rate value is zero. good. In the case of the above two configurations, it is possible to avoid erroneously determining that the temporary flow of water in the pipeline PL for some reason is the start of supply of water from the farm pond FP. It becomes possible to improve the reliability of the results.

When it is determined that the supply of water from the farm pond FP has not started (step S103-NO), the water supply start detection unit 521 returns the process to step S101.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the supply of water from the farm pond FP has started (step S103-YES), the water tap control section 522 executes the following processing.

That is, the water tap control unit 522 performs plug opening control for all the water taps 100 that receive water supply from the monitoring target farm pond FP (step S104). The plug opening control in step S104 is performed as follows.
First, the hydrant control unit 522 identifies a hydrant to be controlled for opening. For this reason, the water hydrant control unit 522 stores the water hydrant ID associated with the farm pond ID of the farm pond FP to be monitored for the start of supply of water in the water hydrant management information stored in the water hydrant management information storage unit 531. Get from
Specifically, the farm pond ID of the farm pond FP to be monitored for the start of water supply in this case is [P0001]. Therefore, the water tap control unit 522 in this case acquires three water tap IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003] associated with the farm pond ID [P0001] from the water tap management information. By acquiring the water tap ID in this way, the water taps to be controlled to be opened are identified as the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3. The water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 identified in this way are the water taps 100 that receive water supply from the monitored farm pond FP.
Then, the water tap control unit 522 transmits a plug-opening control signal to the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 specified as targets of the plug-opening control as described above. Thus, the plug opening control in step S104 is performed.
In response to the opening control being performed as described above, each control unit 112 in the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 controls the tap drive unit 111 so that the taps are in the open state. do. As a result, all of the water taps 100 targeted for opening control are opened.
Here, the open state of the water tap 100 by the opening control in step S104 may be fully open (100% opening). By fully opening the faucet 100, the stroke distance of the faucet ball 104 is made as short as possible, so that breakage due to the phenomenon of air hammer is even less likely to occur.

As described above, due to the physical length of the pipeline PL, there is a certain amount of time from the start of supply of service water on the farm pond FP side until the supplied service water is actually discharged from the water tap 100. It takes a certain amount of time.
Therefore, after opening all the water taps 100 targeted for opening control as described above, the water tap control unit 522 waits for the water to be discharged from the water taps 100 . For this reason, the hydrant control unit 522 performs the processing of steps S105 and S106 as follows.
That is, the water tap control unit 522 monitors the flow rates detected by the service water sensors 300-B corresponding to all the water taps 100 (step S105).
The water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 respectively detect the flow rate in the pipeline PL near the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3, and generate a flow rate value indicating the detected flow rate. The detected information including the detection information is transmitted to the utility water management server 500 via the utility water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 at regular time intervals.
In addition, the detection information transmitted by the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 includes information indicating the corresponding water taps of the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3, respectively. ID is included.

Therefore, as the process of step S105, the water hydrant control unit 522 receives detection information from any of the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3. The flow rate value obtained is acquired in association with the water tap ID included in the same detection information. In this way, in step S105, the flow rate detected by the water sensor 300-B corresponding to each water tap 100 to be controlled to be opened is monitored.

While monitoring the flow rate in step S105 as described above, the water tap control unit 522 determines whether or not water has been discharged from all the water taps 100 subject to opening control (step S106). .
For this reason, the faucet control unit 522 may determine whether or not the flow rate detected by each of the water sensors 300-B has changed from zero to greater than zero. The fact that all of the flow rates detected by the service water sensor 300-B have changed to a state greater than zero means that the service water supplied from the farm pond FP at all the water taps 100 that are subject to opening control and are in the open state. is discharged.

When it is determined that service water has not yet been discharged from at least one of the water taps 100 subject to opening control (step S106-NO), the water tap control unit 522 returns the process to step S105. That is, the faucet control unit 522 continues monitoring the flow rate in step S105 until it is determined that service water has been discharged from all the faucets 100 subject to opening control.
On the other hand, when it is determined that service water has been discharged from all the water taps 100 subject to opening control (step S106-YES), the water tap control unit 522 proceeds to the following control. That is, the water tap control unit 522 shifts to control for closing the water taps 100 that are prohibited from being used for supplying water among the water taps 100 that are subject to opening control.
Therefore, the water tap control unit 522 first identifies the water taps 100 that are prohibited from being used for supplying water among the water taps 100 subject to opening control (step S107). Therefore, the water hydrant control unit 522 identifies the water hydrant ID with the associated use flag of "0" among the water hydrant IDs of the water hydrants 100 to be controlled to be opened stored in the water hydrant management information. do. By identifying the hydrant ID in this manner, the hydrant 100 whose use for supplying water is prohibited is identified.
In the example of the hydrant management information in FIG. 6, among the hydrant IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003], the use flag associated with the hydrant ID [F0003] is "0". Therefore, in this case, the water tap 100-3 indicated by the water tap ID [F0003] is specified as a water tap whose use for supplying water is prohibited.

Then, the water hydrant control unit 522 performs plug closing control on the water hydrant 100 specified in step S107 as being prohibited from using water supply (step S108). That is, the faucet control unit 522 transmits the faucet closing control signal to the faucet 100 specified as being prohibited from being used for supplying water in step S107.
Among the water taps 100 that have been opened by the tap opening control in step S104, the water taps 100 identified in step S107 receive the tapping control signal. The faucet 100 that has received the closing control signal controls the faucet drive section 111 so that the previously open faucet is closed.
As a result, among the water faucets 100 targeted for the opening control, the water faucets 100 permitted to be used for water supply are maintained in an open state, and the water faucets 100 prohibited to be used for water supply. is closed. As a result, water is supplied to the field FM that needs water supply, while water is not supplied to the field FM that does not need water supply. It becomes possible.

In the above description, an example is given in which control is performed to open all the water taps 100 corresponding to one firm pond FP in order to prevent air hammers.
However, in order to prevent air hammers, control may be performed so that some of the water taps 100 corresponding to one firm pond FP are opened, and the rest of the water taps 100 are kept closed. In this case, it is preferable to control the open state of the water taps 100 at regular intervals (for example, every one or two) so that the air pressure is not uneven among the water taps 100 as much as possible.
In this way, even if some of the water taps 100 corresponding to the firm pond FP are opened, the air pressure applied to the water taps 100 in the closed state can be sufficiently reduced, so destruction by an air hammer is prevented. be. By restricting the water taps 100 to be opened among the water taps 100 corresponding to the farm pond FP in this manner, the tap drive unit 111 operates for the water taps 100 that are not subject to control in the open state. Since it is not necessary, for example, the capacity of the secondary battery or primary battery in the power supply unit 115 can be saved.

In the description of the embodiments so far, the service water sensor 300-A detects the flow rate of service water flowing from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL, and the water supply start detection unit 521 in the service water management server 500 detects the service water sensor 300-A. Based on the flow rate detected by A, it is configured to detect whether water supply from the farm pond FP has started.
However, in the present embodiment, for example, the water sensor 300-A is configured to detect the flow rate and to detect whether water supply from the farm pond FP has started based on the detected flow rate. good too. That is, the water supply start detector 521 may be provided in the utility water sensor 300-A. In this case, when the water supply start detection unit 521 of the utility water sensor 300-A detects that the water supply from the farm pond FP has started, it transmits a water supply start notice to the utility water management server 500 to that effect. The water tap control unit 522 in the water management server 500 may perform tap opening control in response to receiving the water supply start notification.
Further, the water supply start detection unit 521 monitors, for example, the operating state of a pump for sending service water from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL, and responds to the state in which the pump has started operating from a stopped state. to detect the start of water supply. Alternatively, the water supply start detector 521 may be provided in the pump. In other words, in this case, the pump itself may be configured to detect that water supply has started in response to starting its own operation, and to transmit an operation start notification to the water management server 500 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the target of the plug closing control is the hydrant for which the use flag of "0" is set in the hydrant management information stored in the water management server 500. FIG. However, for example, the water supply start detection unit 521 obtains the water level of the farm field FM when the plug opening control is performed from the detection information of the water level sensor 400. In some cases, the plug-on control may be performed also for the water tap provided corresponding to this field FM.

Further, the structure of the water tap in this embodiment is not limited to the one illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and other structures may be employed.

A program for realizing the functions of the above-described water management server 500 and hydrant 100 is recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in this recording medium is read and executed by a computer system. Therefore, the processing of the water management server 500 and the water tap 100 described above may be performed. Here, "loading and executing the program recorded on the recording medium into the computer system" includes installing the program in the computer system. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Also, the "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including communication lines such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and dedicated lines. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible discs, magneto-optical discs, ROMs and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard discs incorporated in computer systems. Thus, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Recording media also include internal or external recording media accessible from the distribution server for distributing the program. The program code stored in the recording medium of the distribution server may be different from the program code in a format executable by the terminal device. That is, as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a form that can be executed on the terminal device, the form stored in the distribution server does not matter. It should be noted that the program may be divided into a plurality of parts, and the divided programs may be downloaded at different timings and then merged in the terminal device, or the distribution servers that distribute the divided programs may be different. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" is a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that acts as a server or client when the program is transmitted via a network, and retains the program for a certain period of time. It shall also include things. Further, the program may be for realizing part of the functions described above. Further, it may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above functions by combining with a program already recorded in the computer system.

100 (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) water tap, 101 water supply pipe, 101a hollow portion, 102 discharge pipe, 102a hollow portion, 103 cup, 103a hollow portion, 104 stop cock ball, 105 shaft portion, 110 Case, 111 Stopper Drive Unit, 112 Control Unit, 113 Sensor Corresponding Communication Unit, 114 Server Corresponding Communication Unit, 115 Power Supply Unit, 200 (200-1, 200-2, 200-3) Drain Plug, 300 Water Sensor, 301 Communication unit, 302 flow sensor, 400 (400-1, 400-2, 400-3) water level sensor, 500 water management server, 501 communication unit, 502 control unit, 503 storage unit, 521 water supply start detection unit, 522 hydrant Control unit 531 Hydrant management information storage unit 600 (600-1, 600-2, 600-3) Field main terminal

Claims (7)

A water management system comprising: a water tap provided to supply a field with water supplied from a water supply source via a pipeline; and a water management server,
a pump that supplies service water to the pipeline;
a water supply start detection unit that detects whether the pump is in a stopped state or an operating state as the operating state of the pump;
a water sensor installed to detect the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply source; and a water level sensor installed to detect the water level in the farm field,
The water level sensor is capable of transmitting the detected water level to a hydrant,
The water hydrant further includes a power supply unit, a sensor-compatible communication unit, and a server-compatible communication unit, and the water management server receives the water level transmitted from the water hydrant,
The utility water sensor is configured to be able to transmit the detected flow rate of utility water to the utility water management server,
The water supply start detection unit is configured to be capable of transmitting a notification corresponding to the detected operating state to the water management server.
Water management system. A water management system comprising: a water tap provided to supply a field with water supplied from a water supply source via a pipeline; and a water management server,
a water sensor installed to detect the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply source; and a water level sensor installed to detect the water level in the farm field,
The water level sensor is capable of transmitting the detected water level to the hydrant,
The water management server receives the water level transmitted from the hydrant,
The water management system, wherein the water sensor is configured to transmit the detected flow rate of water to the water management server. A water management system comprising: a water tap provided to supply a field with water supplied from a water supply source via a pipeline; a drain valve for discharging water from the field; and a water management server,
a wireless LAN router whose communication distance is the area covering the agricultural field;
a water sensor installed to detect the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply source; and a water level sensor installed to detect the water level in the farm field,
The water tap further includes a power supply unit, a sensor compatible communication unit, and a server compatible communication unit; The drain plug further includes a server compatible communication unit;
The water management system, wherein the water management server is capable of communicating with the water sensor, the water level sensor, the feed cock, and the drain cock via the wireless LAN router. A water management system comprising: a water tap provided to supply a field with water supplied from a water supply source via a pipeline; a drain valve for discharging water from the field; and a water management server,
a water sensor installed to detect the flow rate of water supplied from the water supply source; and a water level sensor installed to detect the water level in the farm field,
The water tap further includes a power supply unit, a sensor compatible communication unit, and a server compatible communication unit; The drain plug further includes a server compatible communication unit;
The water management system, wherein the water sensor, the water level sensor, the water tap, and the drain tap can communicate with the water management server and a farm field master terminal of a farm land owner who owns the farm field via a network. 5. The water tap management information in which the identifier of the water tap is associated with the identifier of the water supply source from which water is supplied to the water tap among the identifiers of the plurality of water supply sources. Water management system as described. A pipeline in which the flow of utility water is managed by the utility water management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The irrigation water from the irrigation water supply source is sent to a water faucet that supplies irrigation water to a field equipped with a water level sensor that detects the water level,
A pipeline provided with a service water sensor that detects the flow rate of service water. 7. The pipeline of claim 6, wherein the hydrant is configured to vary the discharge of service water using a buoyant spherical stopcock ball.

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