US-12618785-B1 - Systems and methods of cosmic ray sensing of soil moisture for turf grass and crop management

Abstract

Methods and systems for cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management included at least one cosmic ray sensor (CRS) positioned within an environment. The CRS detects a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment. A computing platform is in communication with the at least one CRS. Data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons is communicated to the computing platform. A processing system is within the computing platform. The processing system determines a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons. The processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller which controls an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level. The methods and systems may be used to manage moisture levels within agricultural crops and turf grass, such as on golf courses.

Inventors

• Jonathan Dowell
• Steven Hamann

Assignees

• QUAESTA INSTRUMENTS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20221025

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system comprising: at least two cosmic ray sensors (CRSs) positioned within an environment and above a ground surface, wherein the CRSs detects a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment, and wherein the at least two CRSs have an at least partially overlapping measurement field; a computing platform in communication with the at least two CRSs, wherein data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons is communicated to the computing platform; and a processing system within the computing platform, wherein the processing system determines a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons, wherein the processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller, the irrigation controller controlling an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level.
2. 2 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the at least two CRSs is carried on a mobile vehicle which moves through the environment.
3. 3 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile vehicle operates without a human driver.
4. 4 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the at least two CRSs is positioned on a substantially stationary object within the environment.
5. 5 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two CRSs further comprises at least one of: a wide-area CRS having a shield positioned only on a top surface thereof; a wide-area CRS having a shield positioned only on the top surface thereof and immediately below a bottom surface thereof; an intermediate-area CRS having a shield positioned on a top surface thereof and on a portion of the lateral sides thereof; a local-area CRS having a shield positioned on the top surface thereof and on an entirety of the lateral sides thereof; or a laterally-directional CRS having a shield positioned on the top surface thereof and only on one lateral side thereof.
6. 6 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , wherein a first CRS of the at least two CRSs is a primary CRS for detecting the plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the portion of the environment, and wherein a second CRS of the at least two CRSs is a background CRS for detecting background noise of the first CRS and the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the portion of the environment, wherein the determined moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the first CRS is corrected based on the detected background noise from the second CRS.
7. 7 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one computerized display device in communication with the computing platform, wherein a display screen of the at least one computerized display device displays at least one map depicting an image of the determined moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons.
8. 8 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one map further comprises a pixelated map with a grid of pixels, wherein pixels represent portions of the environment and are displayed with different colors.
9. 9 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the at least two CRSs is carried on a mobile vehicle which moves through the environment, and wherein each pixel in the grid of pixels is measured as a weighted average of CRS measurements within a CRS footprint range of that pixel, wherein a weighting function is a function of a distance between a location of a pixel and a physical location of the mobile vehicle in the environment at each measurement.
10. 10 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system of claim 1 , wherein the environment further comprises a golf course having turf grass and sand traps.
11. 11 . A cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system comprising: at least one cosmic ray sensor (CRS) positioned within an environment, wherein the CRS detects a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment; a computing platform in communication with the at least one CRS, wherein data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons is communicated to the computing platform; a processing system within the computing platform, wherein the processing system determines a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons, wherein the processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller, the irrigation controller controlling an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level; and wherein the CRS is movable in at least one of: a vertical direction, whereby a position of elevation of the CRS is adjustable; or an angular tilt direction, whereby an angle of measurement of the CRS is adjustable.
12. 12 . A cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method, the method comprising: positioning at least two cosmic ray sensors (CRSs) within an environment and above a ground surface, wherein the at least two CRSs have an at least partially overlapping measurement field; detecting a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment with the CRSs; communicating data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons to a computing platform in communication with at least one of the at least two CRSs; and using a processing system within the computing platform, determining a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons, whereby the processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller, the irrigation controller controlling an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level.
13. 13 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of carrying at least one of the at least two CRSs through the environment on a mobile vehicle which moves through the environment.
14. 14 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of positioning at least one of the at least two CRSs on a substantially stationary object within the environment.
15. 15 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 12 , further comprising moving at least one of the at least two CRSs in at least one of: a vertical direction, whereby a position of elevation of the CRS is adjustable; or an angular tilt direction, whereby an angle of measurement of the CRS is adjustable.
16. 16 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 12 , wherein a first CRS of the at least two CRSs is a primary CRS for detecting the plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the portion of the environment, and wherein a second CRS of the at least two CRSs is a background CRS for detecting background noise of the first CRS and the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the portion of the environment, wherein the determined moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from the first CRS is corrected based on the detected background noise from the second CRS.
17. 17 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 12 , further comprising: providing at least one computerized display device in communication with the computing platform; and displaying, on a display screen of the at least one computerized display device, at least one map depicting an image of the determined moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons.
18. 18 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one map further comprises a pixelated map with a grid of pixels, wherein pixels represent portions of the environment and are displayed with different colors.
19. 19 . The cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the at least two CRSs is carried on a mobile vehicle which moves through the environment, and wherein each pixel in the grid of pixels is measured as a weighted average of CRS measurements within a CRS footprint range of that pixel, wherein a weighting function is a function of a distance between a location of a pixel and a physical location of the mobile vehicle in the environment at each measurement.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/271,626, entitled, “Cosmic Ray Sensing In Golf Course And Turf Grass Management” filed Oct. 25, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure is generally related to cosmic ray sensing and more particularly is related to cosmic ray sensing in golf course and turf grass management. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Measuring the moisture content of materials such as surface soils using cosmogenic neutron detection is known in the art. Cosmic rays continually bombard the Earth and penetrate into materials at the land surface, including soil, atmosphere, water, man-made structures, vegetation, and the like. Inside these materials, cosmogenic high-energy (>10 MeV) neutrons collide with matter and produce fast (<2 MeV) cosmogenic neutrons. These neutrons interact with matter in reactions called neutron scattering that lead to the gradual decrease of neutron energies and eventually to the removal of neutrons from the environment. Hydrogen is by far the most efficient element in scattering neutrons. Therefore, moisture content of the soil through which neutrons have traveled can be inferred from the measured neutron flux, which is inversely correlated with soil moisture content. This principle has been used to develop cosmogenic neutron soil moisture measuring systems and methods which are used around the world. In recent times, cosmogenic neutron soil moisture measuring systems have been used in academic and government research fields to conduct experimentation with the detection of soil moisture in various locations for various purposes. While initial experiments have been conducted, these trials do not account for the shortcomings of these systems to provide practical and commercially viable soil moisture monitoring within industries which utilize turf grass settings and other, similar vegetative landscapes. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management system. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. At least one cosmic ray sensor (CRS) is positioned within an environment, wherein the CRS detects a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment. A computing platform is in communication with the at least one CRS, wherein data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons is communicated to the computing platform. A processing system is within the computing platform, wherein the processing system determines a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons, wherein the processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller, the irrigation controller controlling an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level. The present disclosure can also be viewed as providing a cosmic ray sensing soil moisture management method. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: positioning at least one cosmic ray sensor (CRS) within an environment; detecting a plurality of cosmogenic neutrons from a portion of the environment with the CRS; communicating data corresponding to the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons to a computing platform in communication with the at least one CRS; and using a processing system within the computing platform, determining a moisture level within the portion of the environment based on the detected plurality of cosmogenic neutrons, whereby the processing system is configured to activate an irrigation controller, the irrigation controller controlling an irrigation network positioned at least partially within the portion of the environment based on the determined moisture level. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical