Automated Blending System with Purge Mechanism for Aqueous Mixtures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated liquid blending systems face challenges in achieving precise proportions of liquid additives in water mixtures for irrigation, particularly in preventing residue buildup that can lead to system failures and inefficiencies in nutrient application for crop farming.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a plurality of reservoirs with level indicators, dedicated control modules, and a venturi-type mixing injector, along with electromechanical and modulating valves, to ensure precise blending and purging of additives, including fertilizers and pesticides, using a touch screen interface for monitoring and remote access, and includes features like air and water purging to prevent residue buildup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If automated metering systems are used to mix liquid additives with water, then blending precision is improved, but residue buildup in components occurs leading to system failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a purging operation after the blending cycle is complete to remove liquid additive residue from components before the next cycle begins. This preliminary cleaning action prevents residue buildup that would otherwise lead to system failures and maintains reliability while preserving blending precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The purging system extracts and removes liquid additive residue from the mixing chamber, valves, and delivery lines using pressurized air or water. By taking out the harmful residue, the system prevents it from causing future failures while maintaining the precision of the blending operation.
2Measurement precision
If liquid additives are stored in reservoirs for precise dispensing, then blending accuracy is improved, but liquid level monitoring complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex electronic level monitoring systems with simple float-based mechanical indicators that provide visual feedback on liquid levels. This substitution maintains precise blending accuracy while significantly reducing monitoring complexity and eliminating the need for sophisticated sensors or control systems.
3Reliability
If purging cycles are implemented to remove residue, then system reliability is improved, but operational time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic purging cycles at strategically determined intervals based on usage patterns and additive properties. This periodic maintenance approach maintains high system reliability by removing residue before it causes failures, while minimizing the time lost to purging operations by performing them only when necessary rather than continuously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables precise and efficient blending of nutrients with irrigation water, optimizing crop yields, reducing waste, and maintaining records for future forecasting, while ensuring system cleanliness and reliability through effective purging of additives.
Implementation Method 1
The mixing injector of the system is a venturi type injector which has a water inlet, a liquid additive inlet, and a mixed liquid discharge
Data Source
AI summary
A proportionate automated blending system for aqueous mixtures has a plurality of liquid additive control modules which each provide a desired amount of additive to a dedicated mixing injector to blend each additive with water to provide a precise mixture of additive and water. The system has the capability, in between blending cycles, of purging the components of the additive control modules with air and water to displace any residue additive which may remain in the control module. The system is controlled by a controller which controls an actuated control valve to achieve the desired flow rate of liquid additive to acquire the desired proportion of liquid additive to water.