Hydraulic & Water Systems

The Hydraulics Layer defines all physical water-handling components governed or monitored by AOFS controllers, including pumps, pipes, tanks, valves, and safety devices.

This layer is safety-critical. Hydraulic failures can cause flooding, crop loss, equipment damage, or long-term soil degradation. AOFS therefore treats hydraulics as a first-class engineering domain, not an implementation detail.

All AOFS-compliant deployments must follow the principles and requirements defined here.

The Hydraulics Layer covers:

• Water sources and intake systems
• Storage tanks and reservoirs
• Pumps and pumping stations
• Distribution pipes and manifolds
• Valves (automatic and manual)
• Drainage and overflow paths

Authority Rules:

• The Field Controller is the only system allowed to make authoritative hydraulic control decisions
• Remote systems may configure schedules or parameters, but may never bypass local hydraulic safety
• All hydraulic safety logic must function fully offline

AOFS hydraulic systems must follow these non-negotiable principles:

• Fail-safe by default

Loss of power, controller failure, or sensor failure must result in a safe hydraulic state

• Local autonomy

Hydraulic operation must not depend on network connectivity

• Manual survivability

The system must remain operable using manual valves and pumps

• Auditability

All hydraulic actions must be logged, whether automatic or manual

AOFS supports all sorts of water sources:

• Boreholes / wells
• Surface water (rivers, canals, dams)
• Municipal supply
• Rainwater harvesting
• Recycled or treated water

Requirements:

• Each source must be uniquely identified
• Source availability and constraints must be configurable
• Source switching (if supported) must be explicit and logged

Optional source-quality sensors (e.g. turbidity, EC) may be integrated but are not mandatory.

Purpose: Buffer water supply and protect pumps.

Mandatory Requirements:

• LOW level sensor to prevent pump dry-run
• FULL level sensor to prevent overflow
• Defined overflow or spillway path

Design Rules:

• Tank geometry and capacity must be documented
• Overflow must never depend on powered components
• Tank isolation valves must be accessible for manual operation

Tank level sensors are safety-authoritative and must directly enforce pump shutdown.

Purpose: Move water from source to storage or distribution.

Pump Types:

• Submersible pumps
• Surface centrifugal pumps
• Booster pumps
• Gravity-fed systems (no pump)

AOFS Requirements:

• Each pump must have a unique identifier
• Pump start/stop actions must be logged
• Pump operation must be interlocked with:
  • Tank LOW level
  • Downstream pressure limits
  • Flow confirmation (if available)

Safety Rules:

• Pumps must never run dry
• Pumps must stop on over-pressure or zero-flow conditions
• Manual pump operation must be explicitly logged when possible

Purpose: Deliver water from pumps or tanks to irrigation zones.

Components:

• Main distribution lines
• Manifolds
• Zone pipelines
• Filters and strainers

Requirements:

• Flow meters on main and/or zoned lines
• Pressure sensors on critical sections
• Filters must be accessible for maintenance

Design Considerations:

• Pipe sizing must match expected flow rates
• Pressure losses must be documented
• Air release and drain points are recommended

AOFS explicitly supports both automatic and manual valves.

• Electrically actuated (solenoid, motorized)
• Controlled by the Field Controller
• Valve open/close actions must be logged

Safety:

• Default power-loss state must be defined (normally closed or open)
• Valve state feedback is recommended but not mandatory

Manual valves are fully AOFS-compliant.

If automatic valves are not present:

• AOFS must generate clear, step-by-step instructions:
  • Which valve to operate
  • Required action (open/close)
  • Timing and duration
• Operator confirmations must be logged:
  • Operator identity
  • Action taken
  • Timestamp
  • Relevant sensor context

Manual operation is not a degraded mode; it is a supported baseline configuration.

Purpose: Prevent uncontrolled flooding and structural damage.

Requirements:

• Defined drainage paths for excess water
• Emergency overflow paths for tanks and basins
• Drainage must function without power

AOFS Safety Rules:

• Drainage paths must never be obstructed by controllable valves
• Emergency water release must not depend on software logic

Hydraulic components are tightly coupled with the Sensors Layer.

Required integrations include:

• Tank level sensors → pump enable/disable
• Pressure sensors → pump and valve safety cutoffs
• Flow meters → leak detection and flow confirmation
• Rainfall sensors → irrigation lockout

Sensor failure or invalid data must result in a safe hydraulic state.

AOFS systems must remain operable without automation.

Manual fallback includes:

• Manual pump start/stop
• Manual valve operation
• Human confirmation workflows

All manual hydraulic actions should be logged whenever possible to preserve auditability.

AOFS deployments must document:

• Hydraulic schematics
• Component identifiers
• Pipe diameters and lengths
• Pump specifications
• Tank capacities

Changes to the hydraulic system must be recorded and versioned.

An AOFS-compliant hydraulic system must implement at minimum:

• Defined water source(s)
• Storage tank with LOW and FULL protection
• Pump interlocks preventing dry-run and over-pressure
• Flow and pressure monitoring
• Manual operability of critical components

Optional enhancements must never weaken baseline safety guarantees.

• Field Controller Layer
• Sensors Layer
• Actuation & Control
• Safety & Fail-Safe Design