Parallel Distribution Hub for Tree Injection Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tree injection devices face issues such as contamination risks, thread wear, lack of flexibility in injector numbers, uneven flow distribution, and inefficient pressurization due to fixed bottle sizes and serial port connections, limiting their ability to deliver high pressure and volume uniformly across multiple injection sites.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable pressure injection system with a parallel distribution system (PDS) that includes multiple ports, customizable valve control, and flexible bottle sizes, allowing for up to 120 PSI pressure and simultaneous injection into multiple sites without removing the bottle cap, using a hexagonal or octagonal PDS hub for expandability and even distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single fixed-size bottle is used for all injection volumes, then the device structure is simplified, but pressurization time and effort increase significantly for small volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows dynamic selection of different bottle sizes (100ml, 250ml, 500ml, 650ml) based on the specific injection requirements. This dynamic adaptability enables users to optimize pressurization time by selecting the appropriate bottle size for the desired injection volume, rather than being constrained to a single fixed size.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of bottle volume to optimize system performance. By offering multiple bottle sizes with the same height but different volumes, the system allows users to adjust the air-to-liquid ratio, thereby reducing pressurization time and effort for small injection volumes while maintaining compatibility with the same injection device.
2Device complexity
If serial port connections are used in the distribution system, then the device structure is simplified, but flow distribution becomes uneven across ports
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution system is segmented into multiple independent parallel pathways, each with its own flow control valve. This segmentation allows each port to receive balanced flow independently, eliminating the uneven distribution problem inherent in serial connections while maintaining system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each port in the parallel distribution system is equipped with individual flow control valves and regulators, allowing local adjustment of flow characteristics. This local quality control ensures that each injection site receives the precise flow and pressure needed, achieving uniform flow distribution across all ports.
3Ease of operation
If the bottle cap is removed for filling, then filling access is improved, but contamination risk and thread wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
A fill port with a filter serves as an intermediary mechanism that allows filling without removing the cap. The filter acts as a barrier to contaminants while permitting liquid passage, and the threaded fill port enables controlled filling while protecting the main cap threads from wear and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs its own filling operation through the integrated fill port without requiring cap removal. The design enables the user to fill the bottle through a dedicated opening that maintains the integrity and protection of the main sealing interface.
4Device complexity
If limited ports are provided in the distribution system, then device complexity is reduced, but flexibility in number of injection sites decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution hub is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate various numbers of ports (4, 6, or 8) depending on the application requirements. This multi-functional design allows the same basic system to be adapted to different tree sizes and injection needs, providing flexibility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The distribution system uses a hierarchical port structure where additional ports can be added through expandable configurations. The hexagonal or octagonal hub provides a nested arrangement that allows 4, 6, or 8 ports to be integrated into a compact unified structure, enabling scalability while maintaining system coherence.
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 enables faster and more efficient tree injection by minimizing air volume requirements, ensuring uniform flow to all ports, reducing setup and operation time, and accommodating various tree sizes and types, including conifers, with the ability to assess injection viability using an air bubble diagnostic method.
Implementation Method 1
an air pump to pressurize the system
Implementation Method 2
assess the time it takes for injection of an agent into a tree, wherein the method comprises a) filling the bottle with the agent; b) pressurizing the system; c) turning the bottle upside down to force an air bubble into the bottle; d) evaluating the speed of travel of the bubble
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to an adjustable pressure injection device system for delivering an agent into a tree, comprising at least two fill bottles for containing the agent; a cap attached to the open end of the bottles, the cap comprising at least two ports and an on/off valve; a main line connected to the cap through a port, wherein the agent flows out of the bottle and into the main line; a parallel distribution system (PDS) connected to the main line, wherein the PDS comprises multiple ports, each port either being closed or connected to an injection line, and further wherein the PDS is optionally expandable by combining a PDS with additional PDS units; at least 2 injection lines connected to the PDS through the PDS ports, and an injection needle attached to each injection line, wherein the agent flows through the injection needle into the tree.