JP6871347B2 - Water management system and water management server - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an irrigation management system and an irrigation management server.

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 plug in the paddy field by a computer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This water management system compares the paddy field water temperature measured by the water temperature gauge with the water temperature of the water supply pipeline measured by the water temperature gauge, and if the difference is less than a predetermined value, operates the pump to operate the water supply pipeline. On the other hand, water can be replenished.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-161192

A phenomenon called an air hammer may occur with the start of water supply to the faucet. The air hammer is a phenomenon in which the air remaining in the pipeline when the water supply is started is compressed by the supplied water and collides with the faucet at a high pressure. Depending on the air hammer, the faucet may be destroyed. Therefore, it is required to prevent the air hammer from being generated at the start of water supply.

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

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the generation of an air hammer without human work at the start of water supply to a water tap in a field.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is irrigation water provided with a hydrant provided to supply the irrigation water supplied from the irrigation water supply source via a pipeline to the field, and an irrigation management server. In the management system, the irrigation faucet has a faucet drive unit that drives the opening and closing of the irrigation canal provided in the water flow path until the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside of the irrigation canal. The tap is a water supply start detection unit that detects the start of water supply from the supply source to the water faucet, and the water supply management server that detects the start of water supply by the water supply start detection unit. It is a water management system including a water faucet control unit that controls the opening of the plug so that the drive unit opens the plug.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned water management system, further including a first water sensor for detecting water flowing from the water supply source to the water faucet, and the water supply start detection unit is the first. It may be determined whether or not the supply of irrigation water has been started based on the detection result of the irrigation water sensor.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned water management system, in which the water faucet control unit is in a state where water is discharged from the water faucet by performing the opening control. Among the faucets targeted for opening control, in the faucet that is not used for water supply to the field, even if the faucet driving unit performs the plugging control so as to close the faucet portion. Good.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned water management system, further including a second water sensor for detecting the water flowing through the water faucet, and the water supply start detection unit is a detection result by the second water sensor. The closing control may be performed when it is determined that the irrigation water has been discharged from the water faucet based on the above.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is provided so as to supply the irrigation water supplied from the irrigation water supply source via the pipeline to the field, and the running water until the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside. A communication unit that communicates with a faucet having a faucet drive unit that drives the opening and closing of the faucet provided in the route, and a communication unit that communicates with the faucet, and a start of water supply from the water supply source to the faucet is detected. It is a water management server including a water faucet control unit that controls the opening of the plug so that the plug driving unit opens the plug.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect that the generation of an air hammer is prevented without human work at the start of water supply to the faucet in the field.

It is a figure which shows the overall configuration example of the water management system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the water faucet in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the water faucet 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 configuration example of the water management server in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the content example of the water faucet management information in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the processing procedure which the irrigation management server in this embodiment executes in relation to prevention of an air hammer.

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

First, with reference to the figure, the water supply / drainage system of the field supported by the irrigation management system will be described. The figure shows an example in which the irrigation management system targets three fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. The fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 in the present embodiment are, for example, paddy fields, and irrigation and drainage (water supply and drainage) are performed so that the water level becomes appropriate according to the time of rice cultivation.
In the following description, when the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as field FM. The number of field FMs managed by the water management system of the present embodiment is not particularly limited.

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

Similar to the case of the field FM-1 described above, the field FM-2 is also provided with a water tap 100-2 and a drain plug 200-2. Further, the field FM-3 is also provided with a water tap 100-3 and a drain plug 200-3.

In the following description, when the water faucets 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the water faucet 100. Further, in the following description, when the drain plugs 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the drain plug 200.

Here, the water management system of the present embodiment includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router RT whose communication distance is an area covering the 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 plug 200 of each field FM in the present embodiment each have a network communication function corresponding to a wireless LAN. As a result, the water supply plug 100 and the drainage plug 200 of each field FM can communicate with the water management server 500 from the wireless LAN router RT via the network NT, respectively.

Water supply (irrigation) is performed in each of the field FMs as follows. The irrigation water supplied to the field FM is first drawn from, for example, a river RV to Farm Pond FP via a pipeline and stored in Farm Pond FP. Farm Pond FP is a pond that stores water for irrigation.
The irrigation water stored in the farm pond FP is pumped up by a pump (not shown) and supplied to the pipeline PL by applying pressure. In the case of the figure, the pipeline PL is branched into three paths, which are connected to the water faucets 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 provided in the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3, respectively. ing. As a result, the irrigation 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 plugs of the water taps 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3 are in the open state, the fields FM-1, FM-2 and FM from the water taps 100-1, 100-2 and 100-3 Water is supplied to each of -3 and irrigation is carried out.

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 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 water sensor) are provided.

The irrigation sensor 300-A detects the irrigation water flowing from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL. As a specific example, the water sensor 300-A is a flow rate sensor provided so as to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing through the pipeline PL in the portion of the pipeline PL near the farm pond FP. The water sensor 300-A provided in this way can detect the amount of water flowing into the pipeline PL from the farm pond FP in response to the water being supplied from the farm pond FP.
Further, the water sensor 300-A has a network communication function corresponding to a wireless LAN. Therefore, the water sensor 300-A can communicate with the water management server 500 from the wireless LAN router RT via the network NT.

The irrigation sensor 300-B1 is provided corresponding to the hydrant 100-1, and detects the irrigation water flowing through the hydrant 100-1. As a specific example, the water sensor 300-B1 is provided so as to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing in a portion close to the water faucet 100-1 in the pipeline PL connected to the water faucet 100-1.
For example, when the water faucet 100-1 is closed and water does not flow to the water faucet 100-1, no water flow occurs even in the pipeline PL near the water faucet 100-1. Therefore, the water sensor 300-B1 in this case detects that the flow rate is zero.
On the other hand, when the hydrant 100-1 is in the open state and the irrigation water is flowing through the hydrant 100-1, the irrigation water also flows in the pipeline PL in the portion close to the hydrant 100-1. Therefore, the water sensor 300-B1 in this case detects the flow rate according to the amount of water flowing in the water faucet 100-1.
In this way, the irrigation sensor 300-B1 can detect the irrigation water flowing through the faucet 100-1.
Further, the water sensor 300-B1 and the water faucet 100-1 are installed relatively close to each other. Therefore, the water sensor 300-B1 and the water faucet 100-1 are configured to be able to communicate by short-range wireless communication. As a result, the water sensor 300-B1 transmits the 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. Then, it can be transmitted to the water management server 500. In this way, the water management server 500 can acquire the detection information of the water sensor 300-B1 via communication.

The method of short-range wireless communication between the water sensor 300-B1 and the water faucet 100-1 is not particularly limited, but for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark) and the like are adopted. can do.
Since such short-range wireless communication consumes less power, for example, the water sensor 300-B1 can be operated for a long period of time by using a battery as a power source, and maintenance labor can be saved. Further, for example, when the electric power generated in the daytime by the solar cell is charged and used as a power source, a small capacity solar cell or a rechargeable battery can be used.

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

The irrigation sensor 300-B3 is provided corresponding to the hydrant 100-3 and detects the irrigation water flowing through the hydrant 100-3. For example, the water sensor 300-B3 is also provided so as to detect the amount (flow rate) of water flowing through the pipeline PL in the portion close to the water faucet 100-3.
Further, the water sensor 300-B3 and the water faucet 100-3 can communicate with each other by short-range wireless communication. As a result, the water management server 500 can acquire the detection information of the water sensor 300-B3 from the water faucet 100-3 via communication.

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

In the following description, when the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 corresponding to each water faucet 100 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as water sensors 300-B. Further, when the water sensor 300-A corresponding to the farm pond FP and the water sensor 300-B corresponding to the faucet 100 are not particularly distinguished, the water sensor 300 is described.

Further, in the field FM-1, a plurality of water level sensors 400-1 are installed. The figure shows an example in which four water level sensors 400-1 are installed. Each of the water level sensors 400-1 detects (measures) the water level at the place where it is installed.
The water level in the field varies depending on, for example, the position in the field. Therefore, 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 that the reliability of the measurement result is improved. In the present embodiment, a plurality of water level sensors 400-1 are installed in the field FM-1 from such a viewpoint.
Further, each water level sensor 400-1 can communicate with the water faucet 100-1 installed in the same field FM-1 by short-range wireless communication. As a result, each water level sensor 400-1 can transmit the detected water level information to the water faucet 100-1. Further, the water faucet 100-1 can transmit the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-1 from the wireless LAN router RT to the water management server 500 via the network NT. That is, each water level sensor 400-1 can transmit the detected water level information to the water management server 500 via the communication relayed by the water faucet 100-1.

Similarly, in the field FM-2, a plurality of water level sensors 400-2 are installed. Each water level sensor 400-2 can communicate with the water faucet 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 faucet 100-2.
Further, in the field FM-3, a plurality of water level sensors 400-3 are installed. Each water level sensor 400-3 can communicate with the water faucet 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 water faucet 100-3.
In the following description, when the water level sensors 400-1, 400-2, and 400-3 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the water level sensor 400.

The irrigation management server 500 obtains the water level in the field FM-1 by using the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-1 installed in the field FM-1, and manages the obtained water level in the water supply / drainage management in the field FM-1. Can be used for.
Similarly, the irrigation water management server 500 obtains the water level in the field FM-2 by using the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-2 installed in the field FM-2, and obtains the obtained water level in the field FM-. It can be used for water supply and drainage management in 2.
Further, the irrigation water management server 500 obtains the water level in the field FM-3 by using the water level information received from each water level sensor 400-3 installed in the field FM-3, and obtains the obtained water level in the field FM-3. It can be used for water supply and drainage management in Japan.

The irrigation management server 500 manages water supply and drainage in the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 (water supply and drainage management).
In water supply / drainage management, the irrigation management server 500 controls the opening / closing of the tap portion in each water tap 100 by communicating with the water tap 100 in each field FM from the network NT via the wireless LAN router RT. As a result, the irrigation management server 500 can individually control the water supply for each field FM.
Further, the water management server 500 controls the opening and closing of the plug portion in 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. As a result, the irrigation management server 500 can individually control the drainage for each field FM.

The field owner terminal 600-1 is a network terminal device used by the field owner (farmer) of the field FM-1. The field owner terminal 600-1 is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. owned by the field owner of the field FM-1. Similarly, the field owner terminals 600-2 and 600-3 are network terminal devices used by the field owners of the fields FM-2 and FM-3, respectively. In the following description, when the field main terminals 600-1, 600-2, and 600-3 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the field main terminal 600.
In the figure, the field owners of the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 are different from each other, and the field owner terminals 600-1 and FM-3 are used for each of the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3. An example is shown in which 600-2 and 600-3 are provided. However, one field owner terminal 600 may be commonly used for the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 having the same field owner.

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

A discharge pipe 102 is attached to the upper end of the water supply pipe 101. The hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 communicates with the hollow portion 101a of the water supply pipe 101. In addition, at 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 stop valve ball 104, and the diameter of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is water stop. It is smaller than the stopper ball 104. Further, since the opening on the hollow portion 101a side of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is tapered as shown in the drawing, when the water stop valve ball 104 floats up to the opening of the hollow portion 102a, it is not shown. As a result, the hollow portion 102a is set to fit in a position where the water stop valve ball 104 can close the hollow portion 102a.
In the present embodiment, the stopper is formed by the water stop valve ball 104 and the opening on the lower side of the hollow portion 102a.

Further, the upper side of the discharge pipe 102 is provided so as to cover the cup 103. A hollow portion 103a is formed between the inside of the cup 103 and the discharge pipe 102. The hollow portion 103a serves as a path until the irrigation 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 water stop valve ball 104 is provided in the hollow portion 101a as shown in the figure.
Further, the shaft portion 105 is provided so as to penetrate the hollow portion 102a of the cup 103 and the discharge pipe 102. The shaft portion 105 is movable in the vertical direction within a constant movable range as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 2 by the plug driving portion 111.

The shaft portion 105 shown in FIG. 2 is in a state of being positioned at the top in the movable range, for example. In this state, the water stop valve ball 104, which is a buoyant body, floats to the state shown in the figure due to the pressure of the water supplied from the pipeline PL to the water supply pipe 101, so that the opening of the hollow portion 102a is a water stop valve. It is in a state of being blocked by the ball 104 (closed state). By being closed in this way, the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline PL to the water supply pipe 101 is not discharged to the outside of the water supply plug 100.

On the other hand, the shaft portion 105 shown in FIG. 3 is moved downward from the state of FIG. 2 as shown by the arrow B of FIG. 3, and is in the state of being located at the lowest position in the movable range. In this state, the water stop valve ball 104 is pushed down by the shaft portion 105 as shown in the figure. Therefore, the water stop valve ball 104 is in a state (open state) of the hollow portion 101a located below the hollow portion 102a.
By being in the open state in this way, the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline PL to the water supply pipe 101 is flowing water by the hollow portion 101a, the hollow portion 102a, and the hollow portion 103a, as shown by the arrow β shown by the broken line in the figure. It is discharged to the outside of the water tap 100 through the path. In this way, the irrigation water is supplied from the faucet 100 to the field FM. At this time, since the cup 103 is provided on the discharge pipe 102, even if the pressure of the irrigation water discharged from the hollow portion 102a is high, the lower side is passed through the hollow portion 103a without being blown up. Can be flushed to.

Further, as shown in each of FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, a case 110 is provided on the cup 103. The case 110 includes a plug drive unit 111, a control unit 112, a sensor-compatible communication unit 113, a server-compatible communication unit 114, and a power supply unit 115.
The plug driving unit 111 drives the opening and closing of the plug part. That is, the plug driving unit 111 is in a closed state in which the water stop valve ball 104 closes the opening of the hollow portion 102a by moving the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction, and the water stop valve ball 104 is from the opening of the hollow portion 102a. Also changes the state with the open state located on the lower side.
The plug driving unit 111 can adjust the gap between the opening of the hollow portion 102a and the water stop valve ball 104 by changing the position of the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction in the open state. As a result, the amount of water discharged from the water tap 100 can be adjusted.

The plug drive unit 111 includes, for example, a motor and a mechanism unit that moves the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction according to the rotation of the motor. For example, in the mechanism portion that moves the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction, the shaft portion 105 is screwed to a predetermined position in the water faucet 100 so that the shaft portion 105 can be moved in the vertical direction by rotation, and then the shaft portion 105 is motorized. It can be configured by a structure that is made to rotate according to the rotation of. It should be noted that other structures can be adopted as the mechanism portion for moving the shaft portion 105 in the vertical direction, and the present invention is not limited to the above example.

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

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

The power supply unit 115 supplies power to the plug drive unit 111, the control unit 112, the sensor-compatible communication unit 113, and the server-compatible communication unit 114. The power supply unit 115 includes, for example, a solar cell and a storage battery, and stores the electric power generated by the solar cell in the storage battery during the daytime. The power supply unit 115 is configured to supply the electric power stored in the storage battery as a power source.
Alternatively, the power supply unit 115 is provided with power supplied by a battery of a predetermined standard such as a secondary battery or a primary battery, and then the battery is replaced when the remaining battery level is low. It may be the configuration used.

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

A configuration example of the water management server 500 will be described with reference to FIG. The 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 executes communication corresponding to the network NT. By providing the communication unit 501, the water management server 500 can communicate with the water supply plug 100 and the drainage plug 200 of each field FM from the network NT via the wireless LAN router RT.

The control unit 502 executes various controls on the water management server 500. The function as the control unit 502 is realized, for example, by executing a program by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) included in the water management server 500.
The control unit 502 in the present embodiment includes a water supply start detection unit 521 and a water faucet control unit 522 as functional units related to control according to the start of supply of water from the farm pond FP.

The water supply start detection unit 521 detects that the supply of water from the farm pond FP to the water faucet 100 has been started based on the detection result of the water supply sensor 300-A. Specifically, the water supply start detection unit 521 receives the flow rate detection information transmitted from the water sensor 300-A installed corresponding to the farm pond FP at regular time intervals (for example, about 1 second to several seconds), and receives the flow rate detection information. Monitor the flow rate indicated by the received flow rate detection information.

When water is not supplied from the farm pond FP to the faucet 100, no water flow is generated in the pipeline PL in the vicinity of the farm pond FP detected by the 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 water from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL is operated and water supply from the farm pond FP to the faucet 100 is started, pressure is applied to the farm pond FP. A flow of water occurs in the nearby pipeline PL. At this time, the water sensor 300-A detects a flow rate value larger than zero. That is, the water sensor 300-A detects that there is a flow rate.
Therefore, the water supply start detection unit 521 indicates that the water supply from the farm pond FP is started when the monitored flow rate changes from a state of zero to a state of having a flow rate (flow rate value larger than zero). To detect.

The water faucet control unit 522 is opened so that the plug drive unit 111 of the water faucet 100 opens the plug portion in response to the detection that the water supply start detection unit 521 has started the supply of water. Take control.
That is, when the water faucet control unit 522 detects that the water supply start detection unit 521 has started the supply of water, all the water faucets 100-1, 100-2, 100-3 (that is, that is) in each field FM. , A plug opening control signal for opening the plug portion is transmitted to all the water taps 100) that receive the water supply from the farm pond FP.

As described above, the faucet control unit 522 controls the opening of the faucet, so that all the faucets 100 that receive the water supply from the farm pond FP are at the timing corresponding to the start of the water supply from the farm pond FP. The plug is opened.

If the plug portion of the water faucet 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 excessive pressure is applied to the water faucet 100. A phenomenon called an air hammer may occur. If an air hammer occurs, the excessive pressure may damage the faucet.

Therefore, if the water tap 100 is opened at the timing corresponding to the start of the supply of water from the farm pond FP as in the present embodiment, the air remaining in the pipeline PL will flow through the water tap 100. It is discharged to the outside through. As a result, the generation of an air hammer is prevented, and damage to the water faucet is also prevented.
Further, with the above configuration, the water supply plug 100 for preventing the generation of the air hammer is opened under the control of the water management server 500 without human work. As a result, in the present embodiment, labor saving is achieved regarding the prevention of the generation of the air hammer.

However, some of the water faucets 100 whose opening control has been performed as described above may not be originally used for water supply to the field FM. For example, soil conditions and crop growth differ from field FM to field FM. In addition, the way of thinking when growing crops also differs depending on the field owner. Alternatively, even in the case of a field FM that is a fallow land, it is not necessary to supply water. Therefore, even at the same time, the necessity of water supply differs depending on the field FM, such that water should be supplied in a certain field FM, but water should not be supplied in another field FM.
Therefore, if all the water faucets 100 are left open in order to prevent the occurrence of an air hammer in response to the start of water supply from the farm pond FP, the following problems may occur. There is sex.
That is, if there is a field FM that should not be supplied with water at this time, water is supplied to the field FM from the water tap 100 installed in this field FM. When such a problem occurs, it is troublesome for the field owner to go to the water tap 100 and manually close the water tap 100, which is not preferable in terms of labor saving.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the water faucet 100 installed in the field FM to which water should not be supplied is set to the open state by the previous opening control to avoid the generation of the air hammer, and then the water management server 500 is used. It is controlled to return to the closed state.

Therefore, the hydrant control unit 522 performs the following control after the irrigation water is discharged from the hydrant 100 by performing the opening control. That is, the faucet control unit 522 closes the faucet driving unit 111 with respect to the faucet 100 which is predetermined not to be used for water supply to the field FM among the faucet 100 targeted for opening control. The closing control is performed so that the state is set.
Specifically, after performing the above-mentioned opening control, the water faucet control unit 522 discharges the irrigation water supplied from the farm pond FP at each of the water faucets 100 targeted for the opening control. Wait. Since the pipeline PL between the farm pond FP and the faucet 100 has a certain length physically, the faucet responds to the start of water supply from the farm pond FP. It takes a certain amount of time for the irrigation water to be discharged from 100.

At this time, the water faucet control unit 522 is the water sensor 300-B (300-B1) corresponding to each of all the water faucets 100 (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) subject to the opening control. , 300-B2, 300-B3) receives the flow rate detection information transmitted at regular intervals, and monitors the flow rate indicated by the received flow rate detection information.
In the state where the water is not discharged from the water tap 100, no water flow is generated even in the pipeline PL in the vicinity of the water tap 100 provided with the water sensor 300-B. At this time, the water sensor 300-B detects that the flow rate is zero.
Then, when the irrigation water is discharged from the hydrant 100, a water flow also occurs in the pipeline PL in the vicinity of the irrigation faucet 100 provided with the irrigation sensor 300-B. At this time, the water sensor 300-B detects a flow rate value larger than zero. That is, the water sensor 300-B detects that there is a flow rate.
Therefore, the hydrant control unit 522 changes the flow rate detected by each of the irrigation sensors 300-B from zero to with a flow rate, so that the irrigation faucet 100 is subject to the opening control. Is determined to be in the discharged state.

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

FIG. 6 shows an example of the contents of the faucet management information. In the water faucet management information in the figure, the water management server 500 supplies water from another different farm pond in addition to the water supply / drainage management in the fields FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 shown in FIG. Corresponds to the case where the water supply and drainage management of the two fields that are to be received is performed.
The water faucet management information of FIG. 6 has a structure in which a farm pound ID, a water faucet ID, and a use flag are associated with each other.
The farm pound ID is an identifier assigned to each farm pound FP.
The water faucet ID is an identifier that uniquely indicates the water faucet 100. For example, in the figure, the farm pound ID [P0001] is associated with three faucet IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003]. This is because the hydrants that receive the irrigation water from the farm pond of the farm pond ID [P0001] are the faucet indicated by the faucet ID [F0001] and the faucet indicated by the faucet ID [F0002], respectively. It is shown that there are three indicated by the faucet of ID [F0003].
The farm pond ID [P0001] in FIG. 1 indicates the farm pond FP in FIG. 1, and the faucet IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003] are the faucets 100-1, 100- in FIG. 1, respectively. 2, 100-3 are shown.

Further, in the water faucet management information of FIG. 6, the farm pond ID [P0002] indicates another farm pond other than the farm pond FP of FIG. 1 that supplies water to the field to be supplied or drained by the water management server 500. .. Further, depending on the water faucet management information of FIG. 6, two water faucets to which the water faucet IDs [F0011] and [F0012] are assigned 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 faucet indicated by the associated water faucet ID is permitted to be used for water supply to the field. Here, when the use flag is "1", it indicates that the use for water supply to the field FM is permitted, and when the use flag is "0", it indicates that the use for water supply to the field FM is permitted. Indicates that the use of is prohibited.
In the example of the figure, the water faucet 100-1 (water faucet ID [F0001]) and the water faucet 100-2 (water faucet ID = [F0002]) of FIG. 1 are used for water supply to the field FM. Although permitted, it has been shown that the use of water faucet 100-3 (water faucet ID = [F0003]) for water supply to field FM is prohibited. That is, the water faucet 100-3 is a water faucet that is not used for water supply.
Further, it is shown that both the water faucet of the water faucet ID [F0011] and the water faucet of the water faucet ID [F0012] are permitted to be used for water supply to the field.

The use flag in the faucet management information can be set from the field main terminal 600. For example, the field owner operates the field main terminal 600 owned by the field owner to access the field main terminal 600 to access the website for setting the water faucet provided by the water management server 500. Then, the field owner can operate the accessed website from the field owner terminal 600 to set permission or prohibition of use of the water faucet 100 in the field FM owned by the field owner. The contents set for the website in this way are reflected in the faucet management information.

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

Further, the storage unit 503 stores various information used by the control unit 502. The storage unit 503 in the present embodiment includes a water faucet management information storage unit 531. The water faucet management information storage unit 531 stores the water faucet management information. As described above, the water faucet management information indicates the setting contents regarding permission and prohibition of water supply to the field FM for each water faucet.

Subsequently, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, an example of a processing procedure executed by the water management server 500 in the present embodiment in connection with the prevention of the air hammer will be described. The process shown in the figure is one of the farm pounds (that is, the farm pound in which the farm pound ID is stored in the faucet management information) that the water management server 500 monitors for the start of water supply. This is a process that is performed on the pound. Therefore, the irrigation management server 500 executes the process shown in the figure in parallel for each farm pound in which the farm pound ID is stored in the faucet management information.
Here, a case where the processing in the figure is performed for the farm pound FP shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example.

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

Therefore, the water supply start detection unit 521 of the water supply management server 500 includes detection information including the farm pound ID [P0001] indicating the farm pound FP to be monitored for the start of water supply (that is, the detection transmitted by the water sensor 300-A in FIG. 1). Information) is waited for to be received (step S101-NO).
The detection information transmitted from the water sensor 300-A may include, for example, a water sensor ID uniquely indicating the water sensor 300-A instead of the farm pound ID. In this case, the irrigation management server 500 manages the farm pond ID of the farm pond FP in association with the water sensor ID of the water sensor 300-A, so that the farm pond FP whose flow rate is detected by the water sensor 300-A is managed. Can be uniquely identified.
When the detection information including the farm pound ID [P0001] indicating the farm pound 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 supplies water from the corresponding farm pond FP 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 been started (step S103).
In the determination in step S103, for example, the water supply start detection unit 521 changes from the state in which the flow rate value acquired in step S102 up to the previous time is zero to the state in which the flow rate value acquired in step S102 this time is zero. It may be determined whether or not the change has been made to be greater than zero. That is, in this case, the control for immediately opening the water faucet 100 is performed according to the detection of the flow rate of the irrigation 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 a state of zero to a predetermined value larger than zero according to the predetermined margin value. It should be noted that, for example, even if it is determined that the supply of irrigation water from the farm pond FP is started when the flow rate value larger than zero is continuously acquired for a certain number of times from the 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 water flow in the pipeline PL caused by some cause is the start of water supply from the farm pond FP, and the determination is made. It is possible to improve the reliability of the results.

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

That is, the water faucet control unit 522 performs cap opening control for all the water faucets 100 that receive the water supply from the farm pond FP to be monitored (step S104). The opening control in step S104 is performed as follows.
First, the faucet control unit 522 identifies the faucet as the target of the opening control. For this purpose, the faucet control unit 522 stores the faucet ID associated with the farm pond ID of the farm pond FP to be monitored for the start of water supply, and the faucet management information storage unit 531 stores the faucet management information. Get from.
Specifically, the farm pound ID of the farm pound FP to be monitored for starting the water supply in this case is [P0001]. Therefore, the faucet control unit 522 in this case acquires three faucet IDs [F0001], [F0002], and [F0003] associated with the farm pound ID [P0001] from the faucet management information. By acquiring the faucet ID in this way, it is specified that the faucets to be controlled to open are the faucets 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3. The water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 thus identified are the water taps 100 that receive the water supply from the farm pond FP to be monitored.
Then, the water faucet control unit 522 transmits an opening control signal to the water faucets 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 specified as the target of the opening control as described above. In this way, the opening control in step S104 is performed.
In response to the opening control being performed as described above, each of the control units 112 in the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 controls the plug driving unit 111 so that the plug is opened. To do. As a result, all of the water taps 100 to be controlled to open are opened.
Here, the open state of the water tap 100 by the opening control in step S104 may be fully open (100% opening degree). By setting the water faucet 100 to the fully open state, the stroke distance of the water stop valve ball 104 becomes as small as possible, so that the destruction due to the phenomenon of the air hammer is further less likely to occur.

As described above, since the pipeline PL has a physical length, it is possible from the timing of starting the water supply on the farm pond FP side to the time when the supplied water is actually discharged from the water tap 100. It takes a certain amount of time.
Therefore, after all the water faucets 100 to be controlled to be opened are opened as described above, the water faucet control unit 522 waits for the water to be discharged from the water faucet 100. For this purpose, the faucet control unit 522 performs the processes of steps S105 and S106 as follows.
That is, the water faucet control unit 522 monitors the flow rate detected by the water sensors 300-B corresponding to each of the water faucets 100 (step S105).
The irrigation sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 detect the flow rate in the pipeline PL in the vicinity of the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3, respectively, and obtain a flow rate value indicating the detected flow rate. The included detection information is transmitted to the water management server 500 via the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 at regular intervals.
Further, the detection information transmitted by the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 includes the water taps of the water taps 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3, respectively, as information indicating the corresponding water taps. The ID is included.

Therefore, the water faucet control unit 522 is included in the received detection information in response to the detection information being received from any of the water sensors 300-B1, 300-B2, and 300-B3 as the process of step S105. The flow rate value to be obtained is acquired in association with the faucet 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 of the water taps 100 to be controlled to be opened is monitored.

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

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

Then, the water faucet control unit 522 performs plug closing control for the water faucet 100 specified in step S107 to prohibit the use of water supply (step S108). That is, the water faucet control unit 522 transmits a plug closing control signal to the water faucet 100 specified in step S107 as being prohibited from being used for water supply.
Of the water taps 100 that have been opened by the plug opening control in step S104, the water tap 100 identified by step S107 receives the plug closing control signal. Upon receiving the closing control signal, the water tap 100 controls the plug driving unit 111 so that the plug portion that has been in the open state is closed.
As a result, among the water faucets 100 subject to the opening control, the water faucet 100 that is permitted to be used for water supply is maintained in the open state, and the water faucet 100 that is prohibited from being used for water supply is maintained. 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, and proper water supply management is performed according to the setting of the faucet management information. It will be possible.

In the above description, in order to prevent the air hammer, an example is given in which all the water faucets 100 corresponding to one farm pond FP are controlled to be in the open state.
However, in order to prevent the air hammer, a part of the faucet 100 corresponding to one farm pond FP may be controlled to be in the open state, and the remaining faucet 100 may be left in the closed state. In this case, the water faucets 100 at regular intervals (for example, every other water faucet 100) may be controlled in the open state so that the air pressure is not biased among the water faucets 100 as much as possible.
Even if some of the water faucets 100 corresponding to the farm pond FP are opened in this way, the pressure of the air applied to the water faucet 100 in the closed state can be sufficiently reduced, so that the destruction by the air hammer is prevented. To. By limiting the water faucet 100 to be opened to a part of the water faucets 100 corresponding to the farm pond FP in this way, the plug drive unit 111 operates for the water faucet 100 that is not subject to control in the open state. Since it is not necessary, for example, the capacity of the secondary battery or the primary battery in the power supply unit 115 can be saved.

In the description of the embodiments so far, the irrigation sensor 300-A detects the flow rate of the irrigation water flowing from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL, and the water supply start detection unit 521 of the irrigation management server 500 detects the irrigation sensor 300-. Based on the flow rate detected by A, it is configured to detect whether or not the water supply from the farm pond FP has been started.
However, in the present embodiment, for example, the water sensor 300-A is configured so that it can detect the flow rate and detect whether or not the water supply from the farm pond FP is started based on the detected flow rate. May be good. That is, the water supply start detection unit 521 may be provided in the water supply sensor 300-A. In this case, when the water supply start detection unit 521 of the water sensor 300-A detects that the water supply from the farm pond FP has started, it transmits a water supply start notification to that effect to the water management server 500. The water faucet control unit 522 of the water management server 500 may be configured to perform cap opening control in response to the receipt of the water supply start notification.
Further, the water supply start detection unit 521 monitors the operating state of the pump for sending water from the farm pond FP to the pipeline PL, for example, and responds to the change from the state where the pump is stopped to the state where the operation is started. It may be possible to detect that the water supply has been started. Alternatively, the pump may be provided with a water supply start detection unit 521. That is, in this case, the pump itself may be configured to detect that the water supply has been started in response to the start of its own operation and transmit the crop start notification to the water management server 500.

Further, in the above embodiment, the target of the plug closing control is the water faucet in which the use flag of "0" is set in the water faucet management information stored in the water management server 500. However, for example, the water supply start detection unit 521 obtains the water level of the field FM when the opening control is performed from the detection information of the water level sensor 400, and the obtained water level is equal to or higher than the water level previously specified by the field owner. In some cases, the water faucet provided corresponding to the field FM may also be closed.

Further, the structure of the faucet in the present embodiment is not limited to the one illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3, and other structures may be adopted.

A program for realizing the functions of the water management server 500 and the water faucet 100 described above is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read by the computer system and executed. As a result, the above-mentioned water management server 500 and water tap 100 may be processed. Here, "loading and executing a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system" includes installing the program in the computer system. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Further, the "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and a dedicated line. Further, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in a computer system. As described above, the recording medium in which the program is stored may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The recording medium also includes an internal or external recording medium that can be accessed from the distribution server to distribute the program. The code of the program stored in the recording medium of the distribution server may be different from the code of the program in a format that can be executed by the terminal device. That is, the format stored in the distribution server does not matter as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a form that can be executed by the terminal device. The program may be divided into a plurality of parts, downloaded at different timings, and then combined by the terminal device, or the distribution server for distributing each of the divided programs may be different. Furthermore, a "computer-readable recording medium" is a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that serves as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network, and holds the program for a certain period of time. It shall also include things. Further, the above program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Further, it may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

100 (100-1, 100-2, 100-3) Water faucet, 101 water supply pipe, 101a hollow part, 102 discharge pipe, 102a hollow part, 103 cup, 103a hollow part, 104 water stopcock ball, 105 shaft part, 110 case, 111 plug drive unit, 112 control unit, 113 sensor compatible communication unit, 114 server compatible 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 water faucet Control unit, 513 Water faucet management information storage unit, 600 (600-1, 600-2, 600-3) Field main terminal

Claims (8)

It is an irrigation management system including a hydrant provided to supply the irrigation water supplied from the irrigation source via a pipeline to the field and an irrigation management server.
In the water tap, a plug drive unit that drives the opening and closing of the plug portion provided in the water flow path until the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside of the water tap.
A pump that supplies water to the pipeline and
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 level sensor installed to detect the water level in the field and
The water management server includes a water faucet control unit that controls the plug drive unit to open and close the plug portion.
The water level sensor can transmit the detected water level to the faucet, and
The water tap further includes a power supply unit, a sensor-compatible communication unit, and a server-compatible communication unit.
The water supply start detection unit is configured to be able to transmit a notification according to the detected operating state to the water management server.
Water management system. It is an irrigation management system including a hydrant provided to supply the irrigation water supplied from the irrigation source via a pipeline to the field and an irrigation management server.
In the water tap, a plug drive unit that drives the opening and closing of the plug portion provided in the water flow path until the irrigation water supplied from the pipeline is discharged to the outside of the water tap.
A water supply start detection unit that detects the start of water supply from the water supply source to the water faucet, and a water supply start detection unit.
A water level sensor installed to detect the water level in the field and
The water management server includes a water faucet control unit that controls the plug drive unit to open and close the plug portion.
The water supply start detection unit is an irrigation management system configured so that the start of the detected irrigation water supply can be transmitted to the irrigation management server. The water level sensor can transmit the detected water level to the faucet, and
The water management system according to claim 2, wherein the water faucet can transmit the water level detected by the water level sensor to the water management server. The water faucet control unit performs plugging control in which the water faucet closes the faucet when the received water level detected by the water level sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined water level. The water management system described in any one of the items. The water management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water supply start detection unit transmits flow rate detection information at regular time intervals. Claims 1 to 5 include a first irrigation sensor that detects the irrigation water supplied from the irrigation source, and a second irrigation sensor that can detect the irrigation water flowing through the faucet and transmit the detection information to the faucet. The water management system described in any one of the items. In any one of claims 1 to 6, the identifier of the faucet is provided with faucet management information in which the identifier of the faucet is associated with the identifier of the water supply source to which the faucet is supplied with water among the identifiers of a plurality of water supply sources. Described water management system. The water management server in the water management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Water supply / drainage of each of the plurality of water supply sources based on the faucet management information in which the faucet identifier is associated with the identifier of the water supply source to which the faucet receives the water supply among the identifiers of the plurality of water supply sources. Aqueduct management server that performs management.

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