Self-filling soil processing chamber with dynamic extractant volume

• US 10,168,260 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winfield Solutions LLC (Land O'Lakes Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Winfield Solutions LLC (Land O'Lakes Incorporated)
• Inventors: White, Justin S., Prouty, Stephen D., Preiner, Michael J., Koshnick, Nicholas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, David Z
• Application Number:
  US15/682,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 1/04 Sampling of soil E02D1/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/38 Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/06 Investigating concentration of particle suspensions by weighing G01N5/00; investigating sedimentation of particle suspensions G01N15/04; investigating individual particles G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/10 Measuring moisture content, e.g. by measuring change in length of hygroscopic filament; Hygrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/383 collecting and diluting in a flow of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4061 Solvent extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/245 for agricultural purposes

Abstract

A soil analysis device is configured to create a soil sample solution. The device includes a reservoir configured to store an extractant, a mixing chamber coupled to the reservoir and configured to receive extractant from the reservoir and to receive a raw soil sample, and a control system. The control system is configured to determine an amount of extractant needed to produce, from the raw soil sample, a soil sample solution with a particular soil-to-extractant ratio and configured to cause the determined amount of extractant to be transferred from the reservoir to the mixing chamber.

Claims

1. A soil analysis device comprising:

one or more reservoirs configured to store an extractant and/or a cleaning fluid;

a mixing chamber coupled to the one or more reservoirs and configured to receive the extractant from the one or more reservoirs and to receive raw soil samples;

a mixing assembly coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to mix contents of the mixing chamber;

a measurement cell coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to analyze a soil sample solution;

a drain box coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to evacuate the contents of the mixing chamber; and

a control system configured to;

cause the mixing chamber to receive an amount of the extractant from the one or more reservoirs;

cause the mixing chamber to receive a raw soil sample;

cause the mixing assembly to mix contents of the mixing chamber to produce the soil sample solution;

cause the measurement cell to receive and analyze the soil sample solution;

cause the drain box to evacuate a substantial portion of the soil sample solution from the mixing chamber;

cause the mixing chamber to receive an amount of the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs;

cause the mixing assembly to move the amount of the cleaning fluid within the mixing chamber to clean leftover particulates of the soil sample solution from the mixing chamber; and

cause the drain box to evacuate the amount of the cleaning fluid from the mixing chamber.

2. The soil analysis device of claim 1, further comprising:

an air source configured to move the amount of the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs to the mixing chamber;

one or more valves configured to control flow of the amount of the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs to the mixing chamber;

a flow meter configured to measure the amount of the cleaning fluid transferred from the one or more reservoirs into the mixing chamber through the one or more valves; and

wherein the control system is configured to cause the air source to move the amount of the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs to the mixing chamber by;

causing the air source to begin moving the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs to the mixing chamber through the one or more valves;

measuring a flow of the cleaning fluid passing through the one or more valves into the mixing chamber using the flow meter; and

in response to a determination that the flow meter has measured the amount of the cleaning fluid, causing the air source to cease moving the cleaning fluid through the one or more valves.

3. The soil analysis device of claim 2, wherein the control system is further configured to, in response to determining that one or more measurements have been completed, cause the air source to dry the mixing chamber.

4. The soil analysis device of claim 3, wherein the one or more measurements are taken using one or more of:

a conductivity probe, a glass pH electrode, or ion selective electrodes.

5. The soil analysis device of claim 3, wherein the one or more measurements include one or more of:

determining a moisture content of the soil sample solution, determining a viscosity of the soil sample solution, determining a temperature of the soil sample solution, or determining an amount of one or more elements comprising the soil sample solution.

6. The soil analysis device of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to cause the air source to move any remaining contents of the mixing chamber through the mixing chamber and the drain box and into a drain line, thereby drying the mixing chamber.

7. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises deionized water.

8. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to cause the drain box to evacuate the substantial portion of the soil sample solution from the mixing chamber by opening the drain box.

9. The soil analysis device of claim 8, wherein opening the drain box causes the substantial portion of the soil sample solution to be evacuated into a drain line.

10. The soil analysis device of claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to close the drain box after the substantial portion of the soil sample solution has been evacuated.

11. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to move the amount of the cleaning fluid from the one or more reservoirs to the mixing chamber through a spray nozzle that cleans one or more sidewalls of the mixing chamber.

12. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the control system, in response to determining that the mixing chamber has been cleaned, is configured to load a new soil sample into the mixing chamber.

13. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the mixing assembly includes one or more blades attached to a motor.

14. The soil analysis device of claim 13, wherein the motor is connected to a mixing shaft to facilitate mixing the contents of the mixing chamber.

15. The soil analysis device of claim 13, wherein the mixing assembly further includes a turbulence-inducing feature that facilitates the mixing of the contents of the mixing chamber.

16. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the mixing assembly is located at a bottom of the mixing chamber.

17. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the mixing assembly mixes the contents of the mixing chamber through sonication.

18. The soil analysis device of claim 1, wherein the measurement cell comprises one or more optical detectors and an optical source.

19. The soil analysis device of claim 18, wherein the control system is configured to cause the optical source to emit light through the soil sample solution within the measurement cell for detection by the one or more optical detectors, and to cause the one or more optical detectors to capture an attenuation spectrum of the light passing through the soil sample solution and to determine characteristics of the soil sample solution based on the attenuation spectrum.