Planter Biological Product Delivery System with Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current farming practices face challenges in efficiently delivering nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to crops, which is essential for sustainable agriculture, especially with the need to increase food production by 70% by 2050 amidst dwindling freshwater resources and climate changes.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a container with a biological product, a fluid flow path, and fluid flow units that adjust flow rates based on speed and width, ensuring precise delivery of nitrogen-fixing microbes or phosphate-solubilizing microbes to the field, preventing contamination, and maintaining the viability of the biological product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If biological products are delivered using conventional farming equipment, then delivery capacity is sufficient, but delivery precision and control are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the biological product delivery into separate functional modules: a container for holding the biological product, a fluid flow path for transport, and fluid flow units (pumps) for controlled delivery. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect flow rate and speed, providing feedback to the control unit. The control unit adjusts pump operation based on this feedback to maintain precise delivery rates, ensuring accurate application of biological products regardless of operating conditions.
2Productivity
If flow rate is increased to meet higher delivery demands, then productivity improves, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces valves as intermediary components in the fluid flow path. These valves act as control mediators that regulate flow rate independently of pump capacity, allowing high productivity while maintaining precise control to prevent contamination through proper flow management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces purely mechanical delivery methods with a controlled fluid dynamics approach using pumps, flow meters, and electronic controls. This substitution enables precise regulation of delivery rates, maintaining reliability even at higher productivity levels through automated flow control.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple biological products are mixed together, then nutrient availability improves, but product viability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses separate containers and fluid flow paths for different biological products, keeping them segregated until the point of application. This segmentation prevents premature mixing that could compromise viability, while still enabling combined delivery to achieve synergistic nutrient effects in the field.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares biological products for delivery in separate, stable conditions within individual containers, maintaining their viability through controlled environments. The mixing and combined application occur only at the final delivery stage, ensuring products remain viable until needed.
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 delivers biological products at optimal rates, enhancing nitrogen availability and crop growth while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
at least one pump configured to subject the biological product to flow from within the container along the fluid flow path
Implementation Method 2
at least one one-way valve disposed along the fluid flow path between the container and the pump, configured to allow flow of the biological product in a first direction and inhibit flow of the biological product in a second direction
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for delivering biological products are provided. The biological products may be delivered, for example, to a field. The systems may include a container (110, 210, 310) for holding the biological product. The systems may also include a fluid flow unit (120, 220, 320) configured to subject the biological product to flow from within the container along a fluid flow path (115, 215, 315). Methods of delivering biological products are also provided.