|
PatentVote.com: Vote on your favourite invention!
|
|
 |
Title: Feed regulator for nutrient film agriculture system
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A nutrient film agriculture system comprising: (a) a plurality of elongated and horizontally sloped plant growth containers each accommodating a plurality of plants spaced along its length with the plant roots supplied with liquid nutrient by flow thereof along the bottom of the container in contact with the plant roots; (b) a plurality of nutrient feed regulators each mounted adjacent the higher end of one of said plant growth containers and each comprising: (i) housing means defining a nutrient reservoir and further defining a nutrient inlet and nutrient feed and bypass outlets; (ii) means in said feed outlet defining a metering orifice for controlled flow of nutrient from said reservoir into the adjacent plant growth container in accordance with the metering orifice area and the hydrostatic pressure across said orifice; and (iii) reservoir level control means comprising a weir disposed between said feed outlet and said bypass outlet for bypassing such quantity of nutrient as necessary to control the reservoir level above said feed outlet; (c) and means for supplying nutrient liquid to the inlets of all of said feed regulators in quantities such as to produce bypass flow in each of said regulators to thus maintin constant the reservoir level therein and the hydrostatic head established thereby across said metering orifice thereby to maintain a predetermined nutrient flow rate to each of the plant growth containers of the system. 2. A nutrient film agriculture system as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said plant growth containers are disposed on different vertical levels with the inlets and bypass outlets of their respective regulators connected in serial flow relation and with the inlet of the regulator of the uppermost plant growth container being connected to said nutrient supply means. 3. The combination defined in claim 2 further comprising float means disposed within said nutrient reservoir in said housing means of at least the lowermost one of said regulators, said float means including an indicator element visible externally of the housing to provide an indication of nutrient level in the reservoir of said one regulator and thus of nutrient level in the other regulators as well. 4. A nutrient film agriculture system as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said plant growth containers are disposed on a common horizontal level and with the inlets of their respective regulators connected in parallel to said nutrient supply means. 5. The combination defined in claim 4 further comprising float means disposed within said nutrient reservoir in said housing means of at least the one of said regulators most remote from the nutrient supply source, said float means including an indicator element visible externally of the housing to provide an indication of nutrient level in the reservoir of said one regulator and thus of nutrient level in the other regulators as well. 6. In combination in a nutrient film agriculture system including an elongated plant growth container in which the plant roots are spaced along the length of the container and are supplied with liquid nutrient by flow thereof along the bottom of the container in contact with the plant roots, nutrient supply means for providing a regulated flow of nutrient liquid to said plant growth container comprising: (a) nutrient feed regulator means including housing means defining a nutrient reservoir disposed at a level above the bottom of said plant growth container and having a nutrient inlet and nutrient feed and bypass outlets; (b) interchangeable metering plug means removably located in said feed outlet defining a single metering orifice for controlling nutrient flow through said feed outlet and into said plant growth container in accordance with the metering orifice area and the hydrostatic head across said orifice; (c) weir means disposed in said housing means between said feed outlet and said bypass outlet and permitting overflow of liquid within the housing above the level of such weir into said bypass outlet to thus control the level of liquid within the housing means; and (d) nutrient supply means connected to supply to said inlet a flow of nutrient in excess of that passed by said metering orifice in normal operation of the regulator, whereby the excess flows over said weir means and into said bypass outlet thus maintaining a constant level of liquid in said housing means and a constant hydrostatic head across said orifice means thereby regulating the flow therethrough to the desired constant value. Other info: Inventors: Miller, William M. (Lafayette, NY, US) Application Number: 848818 Filing Date: 1977-11-07 Publication_date: 1980-01-29 Assignee: General Electric Company (Syracuse, NY) Primary Class(es): 47/62C 47/79, 137/577 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
| |