Nutrient Dosing Assembly With Reciprocating Pump for Clog-Free Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated nutrient dosing systems for soilless culture face issues with clogging due to the viscosity of nutrient media, leading to imprecise and non-repetitive nutrient delivery, and the degradation of diluted nutrients over time.
Innovation Solution
A nutrient dosing system utilizing a reciprocating pump with a mixing tank and sensors to control the injection of nutrient medium, ensuring precise and repeatable nutrient solution composition through positive displacement, homogenization, and electroconductivity monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If nutrient media are diluted in a solvent to reduce viscosity, then clogging is prevented, but nutrients degrade quickly over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the nutrient delivery process into two separate stages: a storage tank holding concentrated nutrient medium and a mixing tank where dilution occurs. This segmentation allows the nutrient medium to remain concentrated and stable during storage, while dilution is performed immediately before use to prevent degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary preparation by storing the concentrated nutrient medium in the storage tank at ready-to-use concentration. The mixing tank is pre-configured with the capability to dilute the medium on demand, ensuring that dilution occurs just-in-time before application to plants, thereby maintaining nutrient stability.
2Ease of operation
If automated dosing systems use standard pumps, then operation is simplified, but precise dosing cannot be achieved due to clogging from viscous nutrient media
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mixing tank between the storage tank and the application point. The pump draws from the mixing tank where the nutrient medium has been diluted to a less viscous state, making it easier to pump and dose precisely without clogging, while the original concentrated medium remains in the storage tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the nutrient medium by controlling its concentration through the mixing process. The mixing tank allows dynamic adjustment of the dilution ratio, changing the viscosity and flow characteristics of the medium to optimize both pumpability and dosing precision.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If nutrient media are stored in a ready-to-use diluted state, then clogging is avoided, but nutrients degrade over time reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into two functional zones: a storage tank for concentrated medium and a mixing tank for diluted medium. This allows the system to maintain concentrated stable nutrients during storage while providing diluted ready-to-use nutrients during application, eliminating the trade-off between preventing clogging and maintaining efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic mixing and transfer operations between the storage tank and mixing tank. The mixing tank is refilled from the storage tank in periodic cycles, ensuring that diluted nutrient medium is continuously available for application while the main storage remains in a stable concentrated state.
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
The system effectively prevents clogging, maintains consistent nutrient dosing, and ensures precise nutrient delivery by flushing potential clogs, allowing for individual adjustments based on plant needs and reducing errors in nutrient composition.
Implementation Method 1
the pump is a reciprocating pump for providing a pushing force through a positive displacement of the reciprocating pump
Implementation Method 2
at least one sensor configured to output a measurement signal representing at least: an electroconductivity of the nutrient solution in the nutrient solution storing tank
Implementation Method 3
the growth enclosure is configured to pulverize, on said plants, the nutrient solution stored in the nutrient solution storing tank
Data Source
AI summary
A nutrient dosing system including: a mixing tank for receiving a solvent and at least one nutrient medium; and at least one dosing device, each dosing device being fluidly connected to the mixing tank. Each dosing device includes a nutrient tank for storing a nutrient medium, a reciprocating pump having an inlet port fluidly connected to the corresponding nutrient tank, and an outlet port fluidly connected to the mixing tank, and an actuator configured to actuate the reciprocating pump. The nutrient dosing system also includes a controller configured to, for at least one dosing device, control the respective actuator to cause the corresponding reciprocating pump to: load the nutrient medium from the corresponding nutrient tank; and inject a target amount of nutrient medium into the mixing tank.