Nitrogen-Enhanced Liquid Fertilizer Using Yeast Hydrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural waste materials rich in nitrogen, such as blood meal and gelatin, are inefficiently used as fertilizers due to their solid form, which makes it difficult for plants to uptake nitrogen, and they act as slow-release fertilizers, requiring frequent applications.
Innovation Solution
A process using brewer's spent yeast to enzymatically break down solid nitrogen-rich materials into soluble forms like polypeptides and amino acids by creating a metabolically active culture mixture, inhibiting ethanol production, and hydrolyzing the mixture to extract dissolved nitrogen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If solid nitrogen-rich materials like blood meal and gelatin are used as fertilizers, then they provide high nitrogen content, but they act as slow-release fertilizers and require frequent applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of solid nitrogen-rich materials by converting them from solid granular form into liquid soluble form through chemical processing. This transformation alters the release characteristics from slow-release to immediate-release, allowing plants to rapidly absorb nitrogen without requiring frequent reapplication.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition by converting solid nitrogen-rich materials into liquid form. This phase change from solid to liquid enables the nitrogen to become immediately soluble and readily absorbable by plants, resolving the contradiction between high nitrogen content and slow release rate.
2Quantity of substance
If solid blood meal is added directly to water, then it provides nitrogen source, but it results in a grainy, gloppy mixture which is foul smelling and does not spread well
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies parameter changes by chemically processing solid blood meal to transform it into a liquid solution with completely different physical properties. The processed liquid fertilizer is homogeneous, odorless, and readily soluble in water, eliminating the grainy, gloppy texture and foul odor associated with direct water addition of solid blood meal.
3Productivity
If proteases are used to break down proteins into amino acids for plant uptake, then nitrogen becomes available to plants, but the process requires soil microbes which are absent in greenhouse settings
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary chemical processing step that pre-breaks down proteins into amino acids and soluble nitrogen compounds before application. This intermediary processing replaces the need for soil microbial proteases, making the fertilizer effective in both soil and greenhouse environments where microbial activity may be limited or absent.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-hydrolyzing proteins into amino acids and soluble nitrogen compounds during the manufacturing process. This preliminary breakdown eliminates the dependency on in-field microbial activity, ensuring consistent nitrogen availability across different growing environments including greenhouses, hydroponics, and container gardens.
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
Produces a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer that can be immediately absorbed by plants, overcoming the limitations of slow-release solid fertilizers and ensuring efficient nitrogen uptake.
Implementation Method 1
A process using brewer's spent yeast to enzymatically break down solid nitrogen-rich materials into soluble forms like polypeptides and amino acids
Implementation Method 2
providing a live yeast in solution adapted to enzymatically removing nitrogen-containing compounds from said solid
Implementation Method 3
exposing said solid to said yeast in an aqueous environment, thereby creating a metabolically active culture mixture; incubating said metabolically active culture
Implementation Method 4
injecting air in to the metabolically active mixture during an incubating step so as to inhibit the production of ethanol
Implementation Method 5
hydrolyzing (by autolysis) the resulting nitrogen-fed yeast mixture for a period of time sufficient to remove nitrogen from said yeast, where the nitrogen removed from said yeast is present in the mixture as dissolved nitrogen
Data Source
AI summary
A process to prepare an aqueous fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, said process comprising the steps of: —providing a solid material having a high nitrogen content; —providing a live yeast in solution adapted to enzymatically removing nitrogen-containing compounds from said solid; —exposing said solid to said yeast in an aqueous environment, thereby creating a metabolically active culture mixture; —incubating said metabolically active culture; —injecting air in to the metabolically active mixture during said incubating step so as to inhibit the production of ethanol; wherein said metabolically active mixture undergoes said incubating step for a period of time sufficient to result in a nitrogen-fed yeast mixture; —hydrolyzing (by autolysis) the resulting nitrogen-fed yeast mixture for a period of time sufficient to remove nitrogen from said yeast, where the nitrogen removed from said yeast is present in the mixture as dissolved nitrogen.