The present invention generally relates to devices for controlling dust and other particulates generated from agitation of the ground or other soil bearing surfaces. In particular, a mountable apparatus for use in combination with agricultural and/or soil working machinery is disclosed. The apparatus and the method are applied to the problems presented by air particulates, to reduce dust generated by agricultural and soil working machinery. The general mechanism employed by the apparatus is to wet the airborne dust particles with mist.
Dust generation by agricultural and construction machinery is a known problem, particularly in and areas. To name just a few problems caused by dust generation, dust particles result in air pollution, water pollution, soil loss, human and animal health problems, and potentially hazardous reductions in visibility. In addition, the dust can adversely impact the health of various plants. In an effort to reduce dust production, some air pollution control districts impose speed limitations on farm machinery or otherwise impose different dust control measures.
One method of controlling dust is by applying water to the ground surface, or by applying water mist to the dust particles. A number of different devices are known for using water mist for dust reduction in industrial activities. Examples of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,371,477; 5,219,208; and 5,803,955. However, these devices are typically stationary devices used primarily for mining and material transfer operations.
It is also know to use irrigation for dust control in agricultural and construction activities. The typical form of irrigation is to sprinkle the ground surface with water until the surface is wet. The water confines and settles the dust for a temporary period of time.
The presently disclosed dust-control apparatus is used in combination with machinery which generates dust by moving across, tilling, planting, cultivating, harvesting, or otherwise agitating the ground surface. The disclosed apparatus acts to bind the dust as the dust is created by the implement. Other known irrigation methods of dust control in agricultural and construction applications typically sprinkle or drench the ground surface with water until the ground surface is wet or muddy. In contrast, the present system applies a water mist created by pressurized water injection through nozzles. Because the apparatus is used in combination with the operation of the machinery, the dust suppressing mist is applied nearly simultaneously to the generation of the dust by the agitation of the soil by the mobile soil treatment implement. An embodiment of the device allows the operator to manually control the apparatus so that the mist is applied upon the operator manipulating the controls. In another embodiment of the device, the operation of the water pump or valves which control water flow to the nozzles is automatically activated by a sensor, which turns the pump on to create mist upon the dust level reaching a preset trigger point as detected by an optical sensor.
The apparatus, which is used in combination with mobile agricultural or construction equipment, comprises a water reservoir, pump, pump drive means (such as a directly coupled motor or engine or electrical power source or a power take-off), connecting conduit, and a plurality of nozzles which are mounted at predetermined locations on the equipment. The apparatus further comprises control means for activating the pump drive means. The control means may comprise manual controls. Alternatively, the controls means may be automated and activated and deactivated respectively by preset start and stop triggering logic.
Referring now specifically to
An embodiment of the mist-discharging apparatus 12 comprises a mobile soil treatment implement 10 such as the disc shown in the figures, which is a tilling implement. The disc has a front end 14 and a back end 16 defining a longitudinal axis L. The disc may comprise two or more banks 18 of tilling members 20 disposed along the longitudinal axis as shown in the figures. As shown in
The apparatus 12 comprises liquid storage means, such as liquid storage vessel 24. A liquid storage vessel 24 having a volume range of 150 to 300 gallons has been found to be a suitable size for most applications. The liquid storage vessel 24 may either be attached to a tow vehicle, such as a tractor, or it may be attached to the mobile soil treatment implement 10 as shown in the figures. The apparatus 12 further comprises a pump 26. As with the liquid storage vessel 24, the pump 26 may either be attached to a tow vehicle or attached to the mobile soil treatment implement 10. The pump 26 has a suction end 28 and a discharge end 30, where the suction end is hydraulically connected to the liquid storage vessel with appropriate conduit 32, such as PVC pipe or flexible hose. As shown in
Depending upon the application, the mist generating nozzles 38 may have different spray configurations. As shown in
The nozzles 38 may emit overlapping and generally circular mist patterns 42 as shown in
It has been found that mist emitting nozzles 38 having an opening of approximately 0.015 to 0.030 inch provide an acceptable mist when used in conjunction with a pump 26 having approximately 20 to 40 psig discharge pressure. One source of this type of nozzle 38 is that manufactured by AQUARIOUS for drip irrigation systems. It is to be appreciated that the disclosed apparatus does not drench the soil, but rather creates a mist which binds airborne dust particles. In addition, the cooling effect of the mist acts to lower temperatures at ground level and reduces dust particles being lifted by air flow generated from the thermal gradient. The reduction of the thermal transport mechanism reduces particulate emissions which might otherwise be dispersed in a large geographic area and impacting the regional air quality.
The apparatus may further comprise controls for activating the prime mover 36 on the pump 26. The controls may comprise a simple on-off switch which allows the operator to turn the pump on and off as desired. Alternatively, the controls may be more elaborate. For example, the pump may be automatically activated by optical sensors 52, which sense either light level or particulate matter levels and emit an output signal when preset light thresholds are detected. It has been found that an acceptable optical sensor 24 is the BALLUF BOS 65 K Series, including part number BOS-65K-1-M110T-1, which emits an infrared beam which generates an output signal based upon reflection of an emitted infrared beam.
In the embodiment utilizing optical sensors, water would be supplied to the nozzles 38 when the dust level (i.e., the light level or particulate level) reaches a magnitude sufficient to trigger the preset value on the optical sensor 52, and water would continue to be supplied to the nozzles 38 until the dust is reduced to a level which triggers a preset shut-off of the pump 26. The automated controls allow the operator of the implement 10 to focus on operation of the implement as opposed to concentrating on reducing the dust. As an alternative to controlling the pump, optical sensors 52 may be connected to solenoid-controlled actuators on valves 54 which may be used to control flow of liquid to each bank of nozzles 14. In this embodiment, a separate optical sensor 24 is used to activate each valve 54, thereby allowing flow to the applicable bank of nozzles 14. Relays and/or transformers may be required to obtain the proper voltage and current for driving a valve actuator or pump controls.
Although
It is to be appreciated that various components of the mist-discharging apparatus 12 may either be individually attached to the mobile soil treatment implement, or attached separately to a towing vehicle or related vehicle. As an alternative embodiment, the components of the mist-discharging apparatus 12 may be packaged together such that they may be readily installed to an existing piece of equipment. In this embodiment, a support structure 56 may be utilized which is used for supporting some of the different components. The support structure may comprise a vessel cradle 58 which is used to mount the liquid storage vessel 24. The support structure 56 may further comprise a pump platform 60 which may be used for mounting the pump 26, valves 54, filters 50 and interconnecting piping as illustrated in
While the above is a description of various embodiments of the present invention, further modifications may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the invention should not be limited according to these factors, but according to the claims to be filed in the forthcoming utility application.
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/741,788 for this invention was filed on Dec. 1, 2005 for which the inventor claims domestic priority.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20070125558 A1 | Jun 2007 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60741788 | Dec 2005 | US |