Plant Treatment Assembly With Steam Circulation for Uniform Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for eliminating plant pathogens and insects on living plants are inefficient in achieving uniform and controlled heat treatment, often leading to non-uniform heating and lack of temperature accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A method and assembly utilizing a process chamber with flexible side walls and a choking arrangement to control gas pressure and flow, combined with steam circulation, ensuring uniform heat distribution and accurate temperature control, using a controlled flow of water steam to maintain a target temperature below 60°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If steam is supplied to heat the plants in the process chamber, then the temperature is elevated to eliminate pathogens, but the heat distribution becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
A circulation gas acts as an intermediary medium between the steam source and the plants. The gas absorbs steam in the pre-chamber and distributes it uniformly throughout the process chamber, ensuring even heat distribution across all plants while maintaining the required temperature elevation for pathogen elimination.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment system is divided into two separate chambers: a pre-chamber for steam generation and gas saturation, and a process chamber for uniform heat distribution. This segmentation allows independent optimization of steam generation and heat distribution, resolving the uniformity problem.
2Quantity of substance
If gas pressure is reduced to enable steam circulation, then steam flow is improved, but temperature control precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation gas is pre-saturated with steam in the pre-chamber before entering the process chamber. This preliminary steam injection ensures sufficient steam quantity is delivered to the plants while the pressure can be quickly equalized between chambers, maintaining temperature control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts pressure parameters: lower pressure in the pre-chamber during steam saturation, then equalizes pressure between chambers during the treatment phase. This parameter changes approach allows both sufficient steam flow and precise temperature control.
3Manufacturing precision
If flexible side walls are moved against the plants using pressure difference, then heat contact is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible side walls are used in the process chamber that can move inward under pressure difference to contact the plants directly. This flexible shell approach ensures uniform heat contact with all plants while using a relatively simple structural mechanism driven by the existing pressure differential.
4Productivity
If steam is supplied at high pressure to increase heat transfer, then heating efficiency improves, but temperature uniformity across plants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation gas serves as an intermediary that distributes steam uniformly throughout the process chamber. Steam is injected into this circulating gas at moderate pressure, and the gas flow ensures even distribution to all plants, maintaining both heating efficiency and temperature uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas circulation operates continuously throughout the treatment process, constantly moving and distributing steam to all plants. This continuous circulation ensures uniform heat transfer across all plants while maintaining efficient heating rates.
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
Achieves uniform and accurate heat treatment of living plants, effectively eliminating pathogens and insects while maintaining plant health, with temperature control within ±0.5°C of the target.
Implementation Method 1
reducing the gas pressure inside the process chamber to a treatment pressure by operating a pump connected to the process chamber outlet
Implementation Method 2
elevating the gas temperature inside the process chamber to a target temperature by providing a controlled flow of water steam to the process chamber inlet
Implementation Method 3
Step b) further includes moving the flexible side walls against the plurality of plants as a result of the pressure difference over the flexible walls
Implementation Method 4
The choking arrangement is an adjustable choking arrangement, and the method comprises controlling the flow of gas and/or the pressure in the process chamber by controlling the choking arrangement
Implementation Method 5
recirculating gas from the process chamber through the process chamber outlet, through the pump, into a pre-chamber, and into the process chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Plant heat treatment assembly (100) for elimination of pathogens on living plants, comprising a process chamber (1) with inlet (3) and outlet (5), a pre-chamber (4) with pre-chamber inlet (7) and outlet (6). The pre-chamber outlet communicates with the process chamber inlet. A pump (9) is arranged between the process chamber outlet (5) and the pre-chamber inlet (7), circulating gas through the process chamber. A gas heating arrangement (19) has water steam supply. A choking arrangement (11) is between the pre-chamber and the process chamber. The plant heat treatment assembly (100) has a temperature sensor (45) and an adjustable steam supply valve (21) to govern the supply of water steam based on input from the temperature sensor (45). The choking arrangement (11) is adjustable. A method is also disclosed.