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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
First Claim
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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 isa 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).

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