Mobile fertilizer device for storing and supplying multiple fertilizers to a greenhouse

Abstract

A mobile device for storing and supplying multiple liquid fertilizers, comprising a housing, enclosing: two or more storage units, each suitable for storing a liquid fertilizer, wherein each storage unit is provided with a storage unit level measurement system, a storage unit filling system and a storage unit venting system; a safety drain liquid fertilizer storage, comprising at least two separate collectors for the separate containment of spilled liquid fertilizer; a dosing and controlling system; and wherein the housing is equipped with a connection for the input of a water flow, at least two connections for the output of liquid fertilizer, and an output for venting gasses.

Claims

1. A mobile “plug-and-play” device for storing and supplying multiple liquid fertilizers, comprising a housing, enclosing two or more storage units, each for storing a different liquid fertilizer of which at least one is acid-based and at least one is alkaline-based, wherein each storage unit is provided with a storage unit level measurement system, a storage unit filling system and a storage unit venting system; a safety drain liquid fertilizer storage, comprising at least two separate collectors for the separate containment of spilled liquid fertilizer, to contain and separate spilled acid-based and alkaline-based liquid fertilizers; and a dosing and controlling system, wherein the housing is equipped with a connection for the input of a water flow, at least two connections for the output of two different and separate flows of liquid fertilizer, designed to be connected to a fertigation system that uses a two-tank nutrient system, and an output for venting gasses.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a freight container, a truck, a trailer, or a semi-trailer.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is a freight container.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the freight container has a dimension of from 10 to 40 feet.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is a rigid housing.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising piping and tubing affixed to the rigid housing.

7. The device according to claim 5 wherein the housing is made of metal.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one storage unit is adapted to hold at least 0.1 m.sup.3 and at most 10 m.sup.3 of liquid fertilizer.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein at least one storage unit is adapted to hold at least about 1 m.sup.3 and at most 5 m.sup.3 of liquid fertilizer.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein all storage units in the mobile device contain a liquid fertilizer.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises seven storage units.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein each of the seven storage units contain a different liquid fertilizer of which at least one is acid-based and at least one is alkaline-based.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the level measurement system comprises an electrical pressure sensor.

14. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional connection to externally located storage units containing liquid fertilizer.

15. A method comprising supplying multiple liquid fertilizers to a fertigation system of a greenhouse that uses a two-tank nutrient system comprising Tank A and Tank B with the mobile device of claim 1.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising making a fertilizer solution in at least one of Tank A and Tank B from an output flow comprising multiple liquid fertilizers of the mobile device.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the fertilizer solution in Tank A is prepared from at least one first output flow comprising a liquid fertilizer of the mobile device, and the fertilizer solution in Tank B is prepared from at least one second output flow comprising a liquid fertilizer of the mobile device.

18. A process comprising transferring liquid fertilizer from the mobile device of claim 1 to a fertigation system.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is connected to a water supply, at least one of an A-nutrient tank and a B-nutrient tank of the fertigation system of a greenhouse, and, optionally, to at least one of a venting system of a greenhouse and an external electrical power system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be elucidated on the basis of one embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 1 and described hereafter. However, the invention will not be limited thereto but only by the scope of the claims as appended.

(2) One embodiment for carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which

(3) FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a layout of a device according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 2 provides a 3D-view of the inside of a container wherein each storage unit is provided with a venting pipe, which is provided on top of the unit, and is connected to one or more common venting pipes.

(5) FIG. 3 provides a plot plan of the connection of the 7 storage units inside the mobile device and 2 storage units outside the mobile device.

(6) FIG. 4 provides a view of the access opening of a container, and shows filling points for the storage units, the dosing system including the control panel, and a pump fixed onto the base of the container.

(7) FIG. 5 provides a 3D-view of the connection of the mobile device to a greenhouse fertigation system comprising two nutrient tanks A and B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

(8) Referring to FIG. 1, a layout is shown of a mobile device in accordance with the present invention, generally designed for introducing liquid fertilizers into fertigation or hydroponic systems for fertigation applications.

(9) The device comprises 7 vessels, ranging in content between 5 and 1 m.sup.3. The vessels are designed to hold different liquid fertilizer and are positioned in a safety drain liquid fertilizer storage comprising two separate collectors. According to the SUBSTRAFEED™ system, the vessels can hold volumes of the following liquid fertilizers (names are tradenames of Yara):

(10) TABLE-US-00001 Vessel Name Composition 1 CALSAL ™ Calcium nitrate solution; 8.7% (w/w) Total N 8.7% (w/w) Nitrate N; 0.002% Ammoniacal N (very low); 12.5% (w/w) Calcium Ca (17.5% (w/w) CaO); density at 20° C. 1.5 kg/l 2 ZWAKAL ™ 0.6 mole K/kg; 1.2 mole Mg/kg; 3.0 mole S/kg; 3 mole H+/kg; density at 20° C. 1.32 kg/l. 3 NITRAKAL ™ Nitric acid solution; 7 mole N—NO.sub.3/kg; 1 mole K/kg; 6 mole H+/kg; density at 20° C. 1.32 kg/l. 4 AMNITRA ™ Ammonium nitrate solution; 6.43 mole N—NH.sub.4/kg; 6.43 mole N—NO.sub.3/kg; density at 20° C. 1.24 kg/l. pH neutral. 5 BFK ™ 2.31 mole P/kg; 5.31 mole K/kg; 3.0 mole OH−/kg; density at 20° C. 1.47 kg/l. 6 Magnitra ™ Magnesium nitrate solution; 2.5 mole Mg/kg; 5.0 mole N—NO.sub.3/kg; density at 20° C. 1.35 kg/l; pH neutral. 7 BASKAL ™ Solution of potassium carbonate and potassium hydroxide; 7.0 mole K/kg; 7.0 mole OH− kg; density at 20° C. 1.45 kg/l.
Near the access opening in one side of the container, filling and outlet valves are provided for filling the storage units and for extracting the liquid fertilizer from the storage units in a controlled way.

(11) Referring to FIG. 2, a 3D-view is shown of an embodiment of the inside of a container according to the invention. Each storage unit is provided with a venting pipe, which is provided on top of the unit, and is connected to one or more common venting pipes. Storage unit 1 and 2 are connected to one common venting pipe, and storage units 2 to 6 are equally connected to one common different venting pipe. Both pipes vent to the exterior of the container. Liquid fertilizer is filled into the storage units by a set of pipes, connecting to the top of each unit. Liquid fertilizer is extracted from the storage units by a set of pipes, connecting to the base of each unit.

(12) Referring to FIG. 3, a principle schema is shown for connection of the 7 storage units inside the mobile device and 2 storage units outside the mobile device. Each storage unit is connected through a valve (EPDM or Viton) to a set of 4 output lines (A1, A2, B1 and B2). Each valve is controlled by a controller (control panel) that can dose appropriate amounts of liquid fertilizer from each of the 9 storage units, intermitted by a flow of water.

(13) Referring to FIG. 4, the access opening of the container is shown, showing, to the right, the filling points for the storage units, and to the left, the dosing system including the control panel, and a pump fixed onto the base of the container.

(14) Referring to FIG. 5, the connection of the mobile device according to the invention to a greenhouse fertigation system comprising two nutrient tanks A and B is shown.