Curvilinear Wind Foil for CO2 Retention in Orchard Saplings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to efficiently and effectively deliver CO2 gas to plants in outdoor agricultural settings, leading to increased water loss and vulnerability to drought, while also being costly and impractical for large-scale implementation in open-field tracts of farmland.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a base with an adjustable emitter assembly and a wind foil with curvilinear geometry, connected to a gas supply conduit, which creates a leeward wind eddy to retain CO2 gas around plant foliage, reducing wind dispersion and enhancing gas retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CO2 gas is delivered to plants in outdoor agricultural settings, then photosynthetic activity increases and water loss decreases, but existing delivery technologies are costly and impractical for large-scale implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the large-scale agricultural area into multiple zones, each served by independent portable delivery units. Each unit can be positioned independently near target plants, allowing scalable deployment without requiring a single complex infrastructure across the entire farm.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable delivery units are designed to be self-contained with onboard CO2 storage and delivery mechanisms, eliminating the need for external infrastructure like pipelines or centralized distribution systems. The units can be autonomously positioned and operated to deliver CO2 directly to target plants.
2Quantity of substance
If wind dispersion is reduced to retain CO2 gas around plants, then CO2 concentration increases, but existing methods lack effective mechanisms for gas retention in outdoor settings
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces portable delivery units as intermediary devices between the CO2 source and the plants. These units act as localized distribution points that can control and direct CO2 flow precisely where needed, creating effective gas retention zones without requiring enclosure of the entire agricultural area.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attempting to uniformly distribute CO2 across the entire field, the system creates localized high-concentration zones around individual plants or small groups of plants. Each portable unit establishes its own micro-environment with elevated CO2 levels, optimizing photosynthesis locally without wasting gas on areas where plants cannot access it.
3Reliability
If CO2 is applied to increase plant vigor and reduce water stress, then plant health improves, but delivery costs increase for large open-field tracts
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamically reconfigurable portable delivery units that can be moved to different locations as plants grow and as delivery needs change. The units can be adjusted in position, orientation, and operational parameters to optimize delivery efficiency, allowing the system to adapt to varying plant densities and growth stages without infrastructure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable delivery units can adjust delivery parameters such as CO2 flow rate, pressure, and timing based on environmental conditions and plant needs. This dynamic parameter control optimizes the balance between achieving sufficient CO2 concentration for plant health and minimizing gas consumption and delivery costs.
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 increases CO2 concentrations around plants, reducing water loss, improving drought resistance, and supporting healthier plant growth while being cost-effective and adaptable for various stages of sapling development.
Implementation Method 1
creates a leeward wind eddy to retain CO2 gas around plant foliage
Implementation Method 2
CO2 regulates the size of the stomata opening. When plenty of CO2 available and the apertures close, reducing water loss.
Implementation Method 3
In the presence of sunlight, plants combine carbon from CO2 with water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen—photosynthesis; 6CO2+6O2+sunlight & chlorophyll=>C6H206+O2
Data Source
AI summary
A system, device and method for delivering CO2 or other gases to plants in fields, orchards, vineyards and the like. A stake with a windbreak structure and gaseous emitters on the upwind side creates a leeward wind eddy surrounding a plant, such as an orchards sapling. This establishes and maintains a gaseous microclimate beneficial to the plant. The device delivers CO2 gas to a plant in an agricultural field, orchard, grove, orchard of the like. The device includes an elongated base adapted to be adjustably placed on the ground a predetermined distance from the plant, upwind of the plant. A wind foil is adjustably connected to the base along its elongated length. The wind foil has a curvilinear geometry with a first face having a generally convex configuration, and a second face having a generally concave configuration. An emitter assembly is disposed on the second face of the wind foil. A gas supply conduit is communicatively connected to the emitter and adapted to be connected to a gas supply. A system including multiple devices and a method of making and using the device and system are also disclosed.