Plant husbandry – Water culture – apparatus or method – Nutrient recirculation system
Patent
1998-10-27
1999-08-17
Swiatek, Robert P.
Plant husbandry
Water culture, apparatus or method
Nutrient recirculation system
261 81, 25033913, A01G 3102
Patent
active
059375752
ABSTRACT:
This invention provides apparatus and methods for stabilization of ultrasonically generated nutrient fog. To eliminate the sensitivity to the humidity and temperature of the intake air, the fog is recirculated from the growth chamber to the fog-generating reservoir. The chamber and reservoir are connected by a fog supply conduit and a fog return conduit which form a fog circulation circuit. The recirculation eliminates the fog density dependence on intake air humidity and stabilizes the amount of nutrients used. To monitor the fog density, this invention provides an optical fog density detector that operates by measuring the absorbance of the fog. The density detector can be coupled with the fog generator so that the rate of fog generation is responsive to the measured fog density. The detector can be coupled with an alarm to signal fog generator malfunction. This invention also provides fog concentration stabilization by using a large ballast reservoir connected to a fog-generating reservoir. Recirculation of nutrient solution between the fog-generating reservoir and the larger ballast reservoir mitigates increased salt concentration in the solution due to evaporation of water, thus allowing longer periods of continuous operation. Nutrient solution drains from the fog-generating reservoir into the ballast reservoir at a regulated rate. Replacement solution is transferred from the ballast reservoir to the fog-generating reservoir. The recirculating system can include a solution replacement indicator. Additionally, the recirculating nutrient solution can pass through ion exchange resins that maintain nutrient concentrations and solution pH within desired ranges.
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Lychalk Richard F.
Zobel Richard W.
Fado John D.
Gellner Jeffrey L.
Graeter Janelle S.
Silverstein M. Howard
Swiatek Robert P.
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