Articles and methods for administering CO2 into plants

• US 10,017,392 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G., Caldeira, Kenneth G., Ferren, Bran, Gates, William, Hillis, W. Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Latham, John, Myhrvold, Nathan P., Salter, Stephen H., Tegreene, Clarence T., Tuckerman, David B., Weaver, Thomas A., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Amjad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stankovic, Bratislav
• Application Number:
  US13/729,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140186916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/50 Carbon dioxide

Abstract

Methods and articles are provided for reducing the amount of water consumed by a plant over a period of time, sequestering CO₂, and producing electricity, where each method includes providing the plant with a composition including at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO₂ and/or at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO₂. An apparatus is also disclosed for providing the plant with a composition including CO₂ and/or a composition that generates CO₂.

Claims

1. A method for increasing carbon-based photosynthate production in a plant, wherein the plant is a tree, the method comprising:

contacting an aqueous amine solution with CO₂ to form a composition, wherein the composition comprises at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % CO₂, and wherein at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of the composition comprises a CO₂-generating composition, wherein the CO₂-generating composition is

a reaction product of an amine, or a salt thereof, and CO₂, wherein the amine comprises ammonia, a primary (C₆-C₃₀) alkyl amine, piperidine, morpholine, monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diisopropylamine (DTPA), aminoethoxyethanol (DGA), or a combination of any two or more thereof;

providing the composition to the tree, wherein the composition is provided to the tree by injecting the composition into the vascular system of the tree;

recovering the amine solution from the tree;

re-contacting the amine solution with additional CO₂ to form a regenerated CO₂-generating composition;

providing the regenerated CO₂-generating composition to the tree, wherein the regenerated CO₂-generating composition is provided to the tree by injecting the regenerated CO₂-generating composition into the vascular system of the tree;

growing the tree under conditions which allow the tree to produce a carbon-based photosynthate product incorporating carbon derived in part from the CO₂ generated by the CO₂-generating composition comprising the reaction product of an amine and CO₂, thereby increasing carbon-based photosynthate production in the tree relative to a control tree; and

extracting the carbon-based photosynthate from the tree;

wherein the tree is operatively connected to an apparatus for providing the composition to the tree, wherein the apparatus comprises;

(a) at least one infusion pump for providing the composition by injection into the tree;

(b) at least one sensor for obtaining data related to the plant, the data comprising any one or more of the concentration of the composition, atmospheric temperature, plant temperature, humidity, plant moisture level, wind speed, sunlight level, the amount of water provided to the plant, the transpiration rate of the plant, guard cell morphology, the rate of injection of the composition, or the rate of extraction of the carbon-based photosynthate from the tree;

(c) at least one control unit comprising a microprocessor electrically connected to the infusion pump and the sensor;

(d) at least one user interface, operatively connected to the control unit;

(e) at least one absorber unit for increasing the rate and/or efficiency by which the aqueous amine solution absorbs CO₂, wherein the absorber unit is operatively connected to the control unit;

(f) at least one regenerator unit operatively connected to the control unit; and

(g) at least one data output interface operatively connected to one or more components (a)-(f).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water removed from soil by the tree.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water transpired from the tree.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises adjusting the amount of the composition that is provided to the tree or the amount of carbon-based photosynthate that is extracted from the tree based on the amount of water removed from the soil by the tree.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises at least about 1.0 (wt./wt.) % CO₂.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises at least about 10.0 (wt./wt.) % CO₂.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises water.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition provided to the tree further comprises an agent selected from a fungicide, antibiotic, antiviral, pesticide, growth regulator, nutrient, anti-herbivore agent, fertilizer, stomata control agent, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is a fluid, gel, solution, aerosol, or a suspension.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based photosynthate comprises a carbohydrate.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the rate of absorption of atmospheric CO₂ by the tree during an interval of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring the quantity of the carbon-based photosynthate that is produced by the tree during an interval of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is at least partially automated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the tree is a wild-type tree or is a domesticated tree.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the tree has been bred or genetically engineered to:

consume a reduced amount of soil-derived water over an interval of time relative to a corresponding wild-type tree;

produce a greater quantity of carbon-based photosynthate over an interval of time relative to a corresponding wild-type tree;

or

have fewer stomata relative to the wild-type tree.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the tree is grown on a farm, orchard, or in a forest.