2599 results about "Water conservation" patented technology

The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation.

The present invention provides methods for water conservation with irrigation controllers based upon the ambient temperature and extraterrestrial radiation of a particular geographical area. It receives a preliminary irrigation schedule from the operator and computes a water budget ratio by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, then modifying the preliminary irrigation schedule based upon that ratio. The present invention utilizes fewer variables, is less complex, and is much easier to install and maintain than the current evapotranspiration-based controllers.

The invention discloses a revegetation system on steep rocky slopes and an implementing method thereof, which are suitable for surface vegetalization of steep rocky uncover slopes with the gradient of 60 degrees above. A slope drainage system is arranged in the system to prevent the vegetalization layer from being flushed by rainwater and reduce water loss and soil erosion; a mix-sprayed vegetalization layer plastic-covered with iron wire corrugated meshes and consisting of continuous fiber is arranged on the slopes and has stable structure, rich nutrition and functions of water conservation and ventilation. The casting separator prevents the mix-sprayed vegetalization layer from sliding downwards; and a drop irrigation facility is distributed to make sure that the vegetalization layer is moist. After maintenance of mix-sprayed construction on the slopes, the vegetable layer with herbaceous plants and shrubs can be effectively formed, thereby reconstructing the destructed vegetables on the slopes and recovering the natural landscapes on the uncover slopes.

The present invention provides numerous methods, systems and apparatus that use a novel form of water budgeting technology for water conservation without the use of complex ET (Evapotranspiration) data or methods. Embodiments include incorporating the technology directly into irrigation controllers, into modules added on to existing controllers, or into central units that broadcast a water budget that can alter the schedules of one, many, or selected groups of remotely located controllers or modules. The various methods of the present invention offer the choice of adjusting the station run times, accumulating the water budgets, altering the watering intervals, and/or combining the present water budgeting technology with local watering communities' restricted watering schedules. The result offers residential, commercial, and municipal users a wide range of practical choices for effective water conservation in landscape irrigation with temperature based water budgeting.

Software, databases, computer models, and a series of monitoring devices are provided that are used collectively to optimize farming operations for the purpose of efficiently utilizing the water right associated with the land while recognizing the potential to transfer a proportional amount of the water right in a lease or sale arrangement to other water users. The contemplated system encourages water conservation by allowing those owning water rights to determine the feasibility of changed farming practices intended to maximize net returns and profitability of their overall farming operations.

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for water conservation with landscape irrigation controllers, plug-in and add-on devices, and centralized systems. In embodiments of the invention, a water budget percentage is determined by comparing current local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and the preliminary irrigation schedule or station run times are automatically modified based upon that water budget percentage. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for automation of mandated landscape watering restrictions alone, or in various combinations with water budgeting methods and apparatus.

A flood control device and system which controls conductive fluid(s) in a conductive fluid supply line and or path, using the conductivity of said fluid(s). The conductive fluid system comprises; a conductive fluid supply line, in-line conductive fluid shut-off valve, in-line conductive fluid detector, conductive fluid sensor(s) (attached in or to conductive fluid dependent appliances), a D.C. powered central processing unit, and control panel. The conductive fluid flows through said conductive fluid line, said in-line conductive fluid shut-off valve, intern reaching said in-line conductive fluid detector which detects the flow of conductive fluid, thereby sending data to said central processing unit. When said central processing unit receives said data, said central processing unit delays for a predetermined amount of time (example 3 seconds) waiting to receive data from one or more of said conductive fluid sensor(s). If said central processing unit doesn't receive said data from said conductive fluid sensor(s) within said predetermined, said central processing unit will automatically send data to said in-line conductive fluid shut-off valve, to close, therefore terminating the forward flow of conductive fluid(s). System also includes audible signal(s) to signal an alarm condition, timing mode(s) for water conservation and monitoring in-line conductive fluid shut-off valve movements, a phone notifier for notifying user of said termination of conduct fluid due to a conductive fluid leak detection, and for (user-set) excessive water usage, means for communicating with said central processing unit by way of telephonic communication (to close or re-open said in-line conductive fluid shut-off valve), a battery back up system, and means of operating by way of manual means.

The rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent and using method thereof relate to plant cultivation and strengthening agent and using method thereof, which solves the problems of less nutrition content, larger dosage, high production and transport cost, high labor intensity and complexity in fertilization, labor and time consumption in prior rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent. The rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent comprises nutrition elements, flavohumic acid, acid regulating agent, sequestering agent, water conservation agent, disinfectant, plant growth regulator, phlogiston, mould inhibitor, and additive. The using method is that: 1. the rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent is added with water in a proportion of 1 to 1000 times; 2. the solution is applied in the land with a proportion of 500g of the agent to 50m2 of the land; 3. the rice is planted when the agent is fully permeated in the soil. The rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent of the invention has high content of nutrition and the dosage of 10g in 1m2 land, thereby reducing production and transport cost and labor intensity in fertilization. The using of the rice plant cultivation and strengthening agent combines the fertilization, pH regulation, disinfection and first watering together, which is of time and labor saving.

The present invention provides methods for water conservation with AC, DC, or ambient light powered irrigation controllers without the use of complex ET (evapotranspiration) data or ET related service fees. Programming may consist of the operator entering a preliminary irrigation schedule, and entering the local zip code. The controller then periodically calculates a water budget by comparing current (non ET) local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and then modifies the preliminary schedule using the water budget. A number of embodiments are possible: in stand-alone controllers with a temperature sensor attached directly to the microprocessor within that controller, or as a centrally placed CBM (Central Broadcast Module) which calculates a water budget percentage which is transmitted to one or more field controllers by wired or wireless means. Alternately, a TBM (Temperature Budget Module) that is separate from the controller is connected between the controller outputs and the valves, or mounted at the valves themselves. The TBM calculates the water budget, monitors the controller outputs and shortens the duration times as calculated by the water budget ratio. Because of its flexible capabilities with stand alone AC, DC, solar, or ambient light powered controllers, as a centrally broadcast WBR in a wired or wireless configuration, or as an add-on to existing controllers or valves, its programming simplicity and close approximation to ET without its complications and cost, the present invention significantly reduces that cost, has the potential to save more water and minimize runoff than currently available ET methods.

This invention is a water consumption monitoring and control system comprised of a base unit, itself comprising a display and a data entry device, a microprocessor, a communication link to water meters, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flush toilet vibration sensors and shut-off valves. In addition the base unit has access to the Internet and can access a server which holds a database of water conservation information. This database includes watering advisories from the local government, and weather information from the weather office. The server runs an algorithm and generates control data which is sent to the base unit.

The invention belongs to the field of pesticide, which mainly relates to an ultralow-volume solvent containing pleocidin or spinetoram. The ultralow-volume solvent is an active component I or an active ingredient compounded by the active component I or an active component II, and the balance is solvent and accessory ingredient, wherein the active component I is pleocidin or spinetoram; and the active component II is insecticide of the other type of action mechanism. The ultralow volume solvent is simple to process and has the advantages of water conservation, high work efficiency, long efficacy continuing period, small possibility of generating resistance to drug for a target, small environment pollution, synergy and the like. Ultralow volume spraying, low-volume spraying or low-volume electrostatic spraying is applied to effectively prevent and control various pests, such as Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, Chilo suppressalis, rice planthopper, Ostrinia nubilalis, plutella xylostella, cabbage caterpillar, Spodoptera litura, Spodoptera exigua, aphids, Lesser green leaf hopper, Icerya purchase, aleyrodid, Thrip, stinkbug, acridid, flea beetle, leafminer, looper and the like.

The invention discloses a method for improving seriously saline-alkali land of an oasis area and planting a high-quality lawn, which relates to a soil improving method and the technical field of lawn planting. The method for improving seriously saline-alkali land of the oasis area and planting a high-quality lawn comprises 1 to 18 steps. The method disclosed by the invention has the advantages offast desalination, no salt accumulation in the surface soil, soil fertility improvement, water conservation, high salt absorbing efficiency of plants, and the like.

An irrigation controller has run-times that are modified as a function of a calculated volumetric irrigation amount and a preferred irrigation amount. The preferred irrigation amount is at least partly based on an evapotranspiration (ETo) value and the area of the irrigated site. The calculated volumetric irrigation amount is based on flow meter data and inputted irrigation run-times. Preferably the flow meter is a water meter that measures water distributed to the irrigation system and to other water using devices at the irrigated site, and the flow data is based on signature data. In addition to flow data, water pressure may be measured that corresponds with the flow data. It is anticipated that the function will involve the dividing of the preferred irrigation amount by the calculated volumetric irrigation amount to arrive at a modifying factor.

The invention discloses an urban road rainfall runoff ecological coprocessing device and a method. The device comprises an urban road rainfall runoff ecological coprocessing box and a bioretention purification unit, wherein an overflow weir board, a second screen mesh partition and a perforation partition are arranged in the urban road rainfall runoff ecological coprocessing box at intervals sequentially; the interior of a box body is divided into an overflow chamber, a water inlet chamber, a water distribution chamber and a bioretention purification chamber that are sequentially arranged by the overflow weir board, the second screen mesh partition and the perforation partition; and the bioretention purification unit is arranged in the bioretention purification chamber, and comprises a gravel layer, a sand filter layer, a planting soil layer and plants. The device and the method can sequentially remove floating matters, particles and soluble pollutants that are in different particle sizes in rainfall runoff, achieve hierarchical control of the pollutants in the rainfall runoff, can store a part of rainfall runoff to meet growth requirements of the plants in the bioretention unit, achieve a water conservation effect, and can also achieve multi-purpose control of water quality and water quantity of the urban road rainfall runoff.

In most homes today, when a person turns on a hot water faucet, he or she must wait for residual cold water to flow out of the hot water pipe as hot water travels from the water heater to the faucet. That residual cold water typically goes down the drain. In some buildings, recirculating hot water systems keep hot water flowing in a loop, thereby making hot water immediately available and eliminating the waste of residual hot water, but these systems waste energy from thermal radiation in the hot water pipes at times when no hot water is being utilized. The invention conserves both water and energy by controlling the recirculation of residual cold water by means of momentary activation of any hot water faucet, and also by programmed time-of-day intervals, whereupon the pump replaces the residual cold water with hot water and recirculates the residual cold water, and then turns off so as to avoid energy waste from running hot water through the loop at times it is not needed. The invention provides for fast installation of the pump, detector, and controller on the hot water outlet side of the water heater. It can be used in buildings that have separate hot water return pipes, and it can also be used in configurations where existing cold water pipes are used for the return of hot water.

The system is unique in that a structure's plumbing lines are effectively routed, to stop energy and water waste, while adding little to construction cost. Water pressure to hot water supply (50) is controlled through a selectable flow control valve (10). A hot water manifold (3) and check valves 42 and 43 produce a dual line connection, between hot water manifold (3) and the hot water use area. In the water saver mode, positioning selectable flow control valve (10) causes pump (4) to draw water from distribution conduit (6), through selectable flow control valve (10), through cold water manifold (12) and solenoid valve (37) to hot water supply (50). Pump (4) causes hot water to fill distribution conduit (6), to the hot water use area. This circulation delivers hot water to replace water standing in the line. Circulation period is determined by controller (22). When selectable flow control valve (10) is positioned to the use mode, supply pressure at cold water conduit (28) is applied through selectable flow control valve (10), then via cold water manifold (12), to hot water supply (50). Positioning selectable flow control valve (10) to the energy saver mode causes, cold water pressure to be interrupted to hot water supply (50) and directed through feedback conduit (72) and conduit (71), to a junction down stream from hot water manifold (3). Supply pressure forces hot water towards open hot water outlet (45), thus all hot water delivered from hot water manifold (3) is utilized.

The invention discloses a water conservation coal cutting method for small and medium-sized coal mines in a waterhead area. The method comprises the following steps: 1, defining the position of a coal bed, that is, defining the thickness and the buried depth of the coal bed in an exploited coal mine according to a boring log; 2, defining exploitation parameters, that is, defining a roof rock beambearing load, the higher limit value Lmax of the width of an exploitation strip, and the lower limit value Dmin of the width of a coal pillar; 3, defining an exploitation scheme, that is, defining the mining and the reservation widths during strip exploitation according to the Lmax and the Dmin, wherein the width L0 of a strip exploited during strip exploitation is smaller than or equal to Lmax, and the width D0 of a reserved coal pillar is larger than or equal to Dmin; and 4, exploiting, that is, exploiting the coal bed according to the conventional strip exploitation method, and reserving acoal pillar of which the width is D0 every time when a strip of which the width is L0 is exploited. The water conservation coal cutting method has the advantages that the design is reasonable; the implementation is convenient; the maneuverability is high; the using effect is good; and the problems of easily caused great loss of the phreatic water resource, and poor water conservation coal cuttingeffect during the conventional exploitation of the small and medium-sized coal mines in the waterhead area are solved.

The invention discloses a fresh water scale pond ecological breeding system. The system comprises five parts, namely a breeding pond, a pond water normal-position distributed treatment part, a pond discharge water abnormal-position centralized treatment part, a backwater function recovery treatment part and a pond water quality compensation treatment part. Breeding water aquatic ecology, pond breading and an aquaculture engineering technology are integrated organically; and pond microcirculation is formed through absorption, decomposition and nitrification functions of microorganisms, algae and the aquatic plants, particularly continuous removal of aquatic plants with growth and intermittent water supply, so that the utilization rate of pond eutrophic substances is improved, and breeding backwater is restored. The system has the remarkable effects of water saving and emission reduction and provides the high-efficiency pond ecological breeding system which is novel in process and is high in operability and economic and practical and has a unique structure for fishery industrialization and scale production.

The invention discloses a vegetable organic soil-less culture method. According to the method, non-GMO vegetable seeds which are not treated chemically are disinfected, and organic seedling culture media are adopted for carrying out vegetable seedling culture; vegetable seedlings are transplanted into culture grooves in a greenhouse in a fixed mode; the culture media specially made are uniformly distributed in the culture grooves; vegetables planted in the culture grooves in the greenhouse are cultured and managed. The invention discloses a culture medium and a manufacturing method thereof. As the culture media specially made are adopted for culture, production of rich-nutrition, high-quality, safe and environment-friendly organic vegetables is combined with the advantages of the high fertilizer utilization rate, water conservation and high production controllability of the soil-less culture technology, the problems that when the vegetables are planted in traditional soil, the conversion period is long, the requirement for production sites is high, and organic fertilizer application and disease, insect and weed damage are difficult to control are solved, and the organic vegetables are high in quality and yield.

The invention discloses an optimization design method of an impellor for a cavitation-erosion-resistant centrifugal fan. The method is characterized by acquiring a front cover plate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line, an intermediate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line and a rear cover plate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line on a circumferential XY plane of an original impellor; constructing impellor optimization parameters after parameterization, and constructing an epiphyseal line after variation; inputting the front cover plate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line, the intermediate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line and the rear cover plate two-dimensional airfoil epiphyseal line which are acquired through three dimension variation into a geometric modeling software, thus an impellor three-dimensional shape after variation is formed; measuring and calculating water conservation performances on the basis of single channel meshing; taking a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) of a multi-objective genetic algorithm as an optimization tool, and carrying out multi objective optimization design on the impellor parameters of the centrifugal fan; and selecting a group of impellor parameters with optimal water conservation performance as the impellor parameter after optimization. The method provided by the invention has scientific construction ofoptimization parameters, the optimization process has high automatic degree, the impellor and blade efficiency of the centrifugal pump is high after optimization, and the cavitation erosion performance is outstanding.

The invention discloses a high-precision monitoring method for cyanobacterial blooms in a large shallow lake through an MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and a satellite. The high-precision monitoring method is characterized by comprising the following steps: screening recognition indexes of the cyanobacterial blooms (short for algal blooms) which are insensitive to the type and thickness of an atmospheric aerosol; combining the synchronous MODIS, LandsatTM/ETM and satellite image in 2000-2013 year and a gradient analysis result of land and water information to obtain a pure pixel index threshold value of the algal blooms; precisely calculating the area of the algal blooms in a mixed pixel (part of pixels covered by the algal blooms) of the algal blooms by using a pixel growth algorithm (APA); and furthermore, estimating the actual area of the algal blooms in the total water area of the lake and the areal distribution of the algal blooms. The high-precision monitoring method can be used for precisely obtaining the spatial and temporal distribution of the algal blooms in the shallow lake, accurately analyzing the generation and development condition and trend of the algal blooms, scientifically estimating the lake pollution control and ecological remediation effects and providing the scientific and technological support for making a scientific decision for water resource management and water environment protection of departments of water conservation, environment protection and the like.