U.S. patent application number 13/096341 was filed with the patent office on 2011-11-03 for fertigation efficacy enhancement system and associated methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to DEVELOPMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC. Invention is credited to Edmund A. Sinda.
Application Number | 20110265897 13/096341 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44857324 |
Filed Date | 2011-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110265897 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sinda; Edmund A. |
November 3, 2011 |
Fertigation Efficacy Enhancement System And Associated Methods
Abstract
A fertigation system includes a circulation pump positioned
in-line in a closed-loop, low-flow tubing delivery means. The
circulation pump acts to agitate and substantially equalize a
concentration of nutrients in fluid within the tubing, thereby
preventing a concentration gradient from being established by
upstream plants receiving preferential exposure to the nutrients
relative to downstream plants. The circulation pump should
preferably be configured not to substantially raise a fluid
pressure within the tubing.
Inventors: |
Sinda; Edmund A.;
(Bradenton, FL) |
Assignee: |
DEVELOPMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES,
LLC
Bradenton
FL
|
Family ID: |
44857324 |
Appl. No.: |
13/096341 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61329867 |
Apr 30, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/565.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01C 23/042 20130101;
Y02P 60/21 20151101; Y10T 137/85978 20150401; Y02P 60/214
20151101 |
Class at
Publication: |
137/565.01 |
International
Class: |
E03B 1/00 20060101
E03B001/00 |
Claims
1. A system for increasing an efficacy of a fertigation system
comprising: a closed-loop irrigation tubing array positionable
adjacent a root system of a plant, the irrigation tubing having an
inlet for receiving fluid for low-flow delivery to the plant root
system; and a circulation pump positioned in-line with the tubing
array, for circulating the fluid within the tubing array, thereby
substantially equalizing a concentration of a substance within the
tubing array, without substantially raising a fluid pressure
therewithin.
2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the circulation pump
comprises a peristaltic pump.
3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein an outlet of the
circulation pump feeds into the irrigation tubing array adjacent
the tubing inlet.
4. The system recited in claim 3, wherein the circulation pump
outlet meets the irrigation tubing array at an acute angle.
5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein an inlet of the
circulation pump is positioned adjacent an outlet of the irrigation
tubing array.
6. The system recited in claim 5, further comprising a fluid
reservoir for holding fluid to be delivered to the plant root
system, the reservoir in fluid communication with the tubing inlet,
and an outlet of the circulation pump feeds into the reservoir.
7. The system recited in claim 6, further comprising a network of
outbound tubing sections, inlets thereof in fluid communication
with the tubing inlet, and a manifold in fluid communication with
distal ends of the outbound tubing sections, the manifold in fluid
communication with the circulation pump inlet.
8. A method for increasing an efficacy of a fertigation system
comprising: positioning a closed-loop irrigation tubing array
adjacent a root system of a plant; providing fluid at low flow to
an inlet of the tubing array; and circulating the fluid within the
tubing array, thereby substantially equalizing a concentration of a
substance within the tubing array, without substantially raising a
fluid pressure therewithin.
9. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the circulating comprises
using a peristaltic pump positioned in-line with the tubing
array.
10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein an outlet of the
peristaltic pump feeds into the irrigation tubing array adjacent
the tubing inlet.
11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the peristaltic pump
outlet meets the irrigation tubing array at an acute angle.
12. The method recited in claim 9, wherein an inlet of the
peristaltic pump is positioned adjacent an outlet of the irrigation
tubing array.
13. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising holding
fluid to be delivered to the plant root system in a fluid reservoir
in fluid communication with the tubing inlet, and an outlet of the
peristaltic pump feeds into the reservoir.
14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising feeding the
fluid into a network of outbound tubing sections, inlets thereof in
fluid communication with the tubing inlet, and positioning a
manifold in fluid communication with distal ends of the outbound
tubing sections, the manifold in fluid communication with the
peristaltic pump inlet.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present invention claims priority to provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/329,867, filed Apr. 30, 2010.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to systems and methods for
providing fertilizer to plants, and, more specifically, for
providing fertilizer via low-flow irrigation systems.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] It has been found during the use of low-flow systems, such
as are typical with porous membranes, that most commercial
fertilizers, even though water soluble, often fall out of solution,
or "settle out." When this happens, the amount of fertilizer
available for plant use decreases in proceeding farther and farther
from the fertilizer injection point.
[0006] In the case of systems using porous membranes, such as
taught in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,198,431, 7,712,253, and
7,748,930, it may be that, as a plant pulls fertilizer from the
porous membrane, the fertilizer concentration inside the membrane
decreases, thereby decreasing the amount of fertilizer available to
plants downstream.
[0007] Such a phenomenon is not an issue with high-flow, as the
flowing fluid (water and fertilizer) carries the nutrients to the
plant along with the water. However, with the systems such as the
low-flow porous membrane system, this flow rate can be down to a
level of extraction at the rates at which plants absorb water and
fertilizer.
[0008] In testing the feeding system and method of the
above-referenced '431 patent and '827 and '863 publications, a
decrease in fertilizer concentration was noted. With tomato plants
placed along a 100-ft membrane 1 in. in diameter, plant growth was
seen to decrease at a distance of approximately 50 ft downstream of
the fertilizer injection point, with continuing decrease further
downstream. In recent tests, with the current pull rates of
nutrition and water, it has been found that it takes approximately
30 days for water and/or nutrient to pass from the membrane feed
inlet to the opposite end of the membrane. While this time is a
function of environmental and biological factors, it serves as a
demonstration of how substantially low the flow rates can be.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is directed to a system and method for
increasing an efficacy of a fertigation system, wherein the
fertigation system comprises a low-flow system including a
tubing-based delivery apparatus.
[0010] The fertigation system of the present invention comprises a
circulation pump positioned in-line in a closed-loop, low-flow
tubing delivery array. The circulation pump acts to substantially
equalize a concentration of a substance such as a nutrient in fluid
within the tubing, thereby effectively preventing a concentration
gradient from being established by upstream plants receiving
preferential exposure to higher concentrations of the substance
relative to downstream plants. The circulation pump should
preferably be configured not to substantially raise a fluid
pressure within the tubing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a
fertigation system.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a
fertigation system.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a close-up view of a return feed portion of the
embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a
fertigation system.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a
fertigation system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] A description of the preferred embodiments of the present
invention will now be presented with reference to FIGS. 1-5.
Although a number of embodiments will be presented herein, it will
be understood by one of skill in the art that departures from the
exact constructions illustrated and discussed are intended to be
subsumed within the present invention.
[0017] A first embodiment of a fertigation system 10 is illustrated
in FIG. 1. A feed inlet 11 is positioned in fluid communication
with a tubing inlet 12, leading to outbound tubing 13. The outbound
tubing 13 is connected at a distal end 14 to a distal end 15 of
return tubing 16 using, for example, a "U" fitting 17, although
this is not intended as a limitation. Simple connectors can be
sealed by welding, for example, using a hand-held welder, or by
clamping. A slide assembly can also be used at the tubing ends,
which would require no tools in the field for connecting and
sealing.
[0018] A proximal end 18 of the return tubing 16 is connected to an
inlet 19 of a pump 20, such as, for example, a peristaltic-type
pump, although this is not intended as a limitation on the
invention. The pump 20 should preferably have the attribute of
adding no substantial additional pressure to circulating fluid
within the tubing lumen 21.
[0019] An outlet 22 of the pump 20 can connected adjacent the
tubing inlet 12, thereby providing circulation and substantial
fertilizer concentration equalization within the tubing lumen
21.
[0020] A second embodiment of a fertigation system 30 is
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A feed inlet 31 is positioned in
fluid communication with a tubing inlet 32, leading to outbound
tubing 33. The outbound tubing 33 is connected at a distal end 34
to a distal end 35 of return tubing 36 using, for example, a "U"
fitting 37, although this is not intended as a limitation.
[0021] A proximal end 38 of the return tubing 36 is connected to an
inlet 39 of a pump 40, such as, for example, a peristaltic-type
pump, although this is not intended as a limitation on the
invention. The pump 40 should preferably have the attribute of
adding no substantial additional pressure to circulating fluid
within the tubing lumen 41.
[0022] A difference between this embodiment 30 and that 10
discussed above comprises that an outlet 42 of the pump 40 is
connected with the tubing inlet 32 at an acute angle 43 (FIG. 3),
which decreases agitation in the low-flow-rate system. Again, this
embodiment thereby provides circulation and substantial fertilizer
concentration equalization within the tubing lumen 41.
[0023] In a third embodiment 50 (FIG. 4), the feed inlet 51 is
positioned in fluid communication with a tubing inlet 52, leading
to outbound tubing 53. The outbound tubing 53 is connected at a
distal end 54 to a distal end 55 of return tubing 56 using, for
example, a "U" fitting 57, although this is not intended as a
limitation.
[0024] A proximal end 58 of the return tubing 56 is connected to an
inlet 59 of a pump 60, such as, for example, a peristaltic-type
pump, although this is not intended as a limitation on the
invention.
[0025] A difference between this embodiment 50 and those 10,30
discussed above comprises that an outlet 62 of the pump 60 is in
fluid communication with tubing 63 that leads back to a storage
tank 64. Here the pump 60 can deliver a higher-pressure feed, as
the effect of any agitation would be delivered to the storage tank
64 and not the irrigation tubing 53,56. Thus the pressure within
lumina 65,66 of the tubing 53,56 is maintained at a substantially
constant value determined at least in part by an elevation head of
the storage tank 64.
[0026] In a fourth embodiment 70 (FIG. 5), the feed inlet 71 is
positioned in fluid communication with a tubing inlet 72, leading
to respective inlets 81a,81b, . . . of a network 73 of parallel
outbound tubing sections 73a,73b, . . . . The outbound tubing
network 73 is connected at respective distal ends 74a,74b, . . . to
a manifold 75 leading to a proximal end 76 of return tubing 77.
[0027] A distal end 78 of the return tubing 76 is connected to an
inlet 79 of a pump 80, such as, for example, a peristaltic-type
pump, although this is not intended as a limitation on the
invention.
[0028] As with embodiment 50 discussed above, an outlet 82 of the
pump 80 is in fluid communication with tubing 83 that leads back to
a storage tank 84.
[0029] As discussed above, the pumps 20,40,60,80 can comprise any
type of pump usable in the target setting, although a peristaltic
pump is believed to represent the best mode at the time of
filing.
[0030] In use, the pump 20,40,60,80 can run continuously or can be
triggered intermittently depending upon the pump displacement and
the length of the run. To ensure the fertilizer is kept in
solution, and the concentration is substantially consistent, at
least one full fluid rotation is believed preferable to be
completed every several hours, the cycle time preferably designed
to maintain a substantially constant concentration and keep the
fertilizer in solution. Since the pump is run under low pressure
and at a flow rate large enough to just cycle the fluid, the pump
could be powered by a small solar panel when placed remotely.
[0031] Additional embodiments and elements can include the use of
filtration in the system to help extend membrane lifespan.
[0032] Tubing membranes can be made as a unitary element having
parallel sealed channels, or they can be separate tubing elements.
If together, the tubing elements could be separated by perforations
to enable easy separation.
* * * * *