System and method for storing water in an underground reservoir and managing the same

• US 10,336,544 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Next Tier Agribusiness, LLC
• Original Assignee: Next Tier Agribusiness, LLC
• Inventors: Fabbri, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oquendo, Carib A
• Application Number:
  US15/705,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20190077603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 5/005 in porous layers
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 11/14 of underground tanks
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/002 with disposal into the ground, e.g. via dry wells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use

Abstract

A water storage and management system takes water from a water source, such as captured run-off, and through a piping system, directs a flow of the water into an aquifer for storage and future utilization. Using moisture detectors, the system ascertains the water content of different layers or zones of the aquifer and reports this information to a digital processor. The digital processor may utilize this information to issue instructions to one or more control valves to direct the flow of the water into portions of the aquifer which have additional storage capacity. The digital processor may also instruct a submersible pump to withdraw from the aquifer as desired.

Claims

1. A system for delivering and storing water comprising:

a water source located at a base elevation;

an aquifer comprising a first porous and permeable layer located at a first elevation, the aquifer further comprising a second porous and permeable layer located at a second elevation;

an upper zone overlying, and in fluid communication with, the first porous and permeable layer;

a piping system having a first inlet proximal the water source and a first outlet proximal the first elevation and a second outlet proximal the second elevation, the piping system placing the water source in hydraulic communication with the aquifer;

a soil moisture detector disposed in the upper zone, the soil moisture detector sensing a moisture in the upper zone and generating an output signal associated with the moisture;

a digital processor which receives the output signal from the soil moisture detector, wherein the digital processor is configured to compare the output signal from the soil moisture detector to a predetermined moisture value; and

an actuated valve disposed between the water source and the aquifer, wherein the actuated valve is in electronic communication with said digital processor and configured to selectively increase or restrict flow of water from the water source into the aquifer,

wherein when the moisture detected in the upper zone is greater than the predetermined moisture value, the digital processor sends a signal to the actuated valve causing the actuated valve to restrict flow of water into the aquifer, and further wherein when the moisture detected in the upper zone is less than the predetermined moisture value, the digital processor sends a signal to the actuated valve causing the actuated valve to increase flow of water into the aquifer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuated valve is communicatively connected to the digital processor, wherein the actuated valve adjusts the flow of water to a flow rate specified by the digital processor which flow rate is in the range of flow rates extending from the no-flow condition to the full-open flow condition.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a flow meter in the piping system, wherein the flow meter generates an output transmission associated with an observed flow rate and transmits said observed output transmission to the digital processor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the base elevation is above the first elevation and the second elevation.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the soil moisture detector is a first soil moisture detector sensing a first soil moisture and generating a first output signal associated with the first soil moisture, the system further comprising:

a second soil moisture detector moisture detector disposed in the first porous and permeable layer, the second soil moisture detector sensing a second soil moisture in the first porous and permeable layer and generating a second output signal associated with the second moisture; and

a third soil moisture detector disposed in the second porous and permeable layer, the third soil moisture detector sensing a third moisture in the second porous and permeable layer and generating a third output signal associated with the third moisture.

6. A system for delivering and storing water comprising:

a water source located at a base elevation;

an aquifer comprising a first porous and permeable section and an adjacent second porous and permeable section, the first porous and permeable section and the second porous and permeable section located at a first elevation;

an upper zone overlying, and in fluid communication with, one or both of said first porous and permeable section and said second permeable section;

a piping system having a first inlet proximal the water source and a first outlet proximal the first elevation, the piping system placing thew water source in hydraulic communication with the aquifer;

a soil moisture detector disposed in the upper zone, the soil moisture detector sensing a moisture in the upper zone and generating an output signal associated with the moisture;

a digital processor which receives the output signal, wherein the digital processor is configured to compare the output signal to a predetermined moisture value; and

an actuated valve disposed between the water source and the aquifer, wherein the actuated valve is in electronic communication with said digital processor and configured to selectively increase or restrict flow of water from said water source into said aquifer,

wherein when the moisture detected in the upper zone is greater than the predetermined moisture value, the digital processor sends a signal to the actuated valve causing the actuated valve to increase flow of water into the aquifer, and further wherein when the moisture detected in the upper zone is less than the predetermined moisture value, the digital processor sends a signal to the actuated valve causing the actuated valve to restrict flow of water into the aquifer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first outlet is disposed within the first porous and permeable section.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising a second outlet disposed within the second porous and permeable section.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the actuated valve is a first actuated valve, and wherein the first actuated valve adjusts the flow of water to a first flow rate specified by the digital processor for flow into the first porous and permeable section, the system further comprising:

a second actuated valve communicatively connected to the digital processor wherein the second actuated valve adjusts flow of water to a second flow rate specified by the digital processor for flow into the second porous and permeable section.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a first flow meter in the piping system, wherein the first flow meter generates a first output transmission associated with a first observed flow rate through the actuated valve and transmits said first observed output transmission to the digital processor.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a second flow meter in the piping system, wherein the second flow meter generates a second output transmission associated with the second observed flow rate through the second actuated valve and transmits said second observed output transmission to the digital processor.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the soil moisture detector is a first soil moisture detector sensing a first soil moisture and generating a first output signal, the system further comprising:

a second soil moisture detector disposed in the first porous and permeable section, the second soul moisture detector sensing a second moisture in the first porous and permeable section and generating a second output signal associated with the second moisture; and

a third soil moisture detector disposed in the second porous and permeable section, the third soil moisture detector sensing a third moisture in the second porous and permeable section and generating a third output signal associated with the third moisture.

13. A system for delivering and storing water comprising:

a water source located at a base elevation;

an aquifer comprising a first porous and permeable section located at a first elevation and a second porous and permeable section located at a second elevation;

an upper zone overlying, and in fluid communication with, the first porous and permeable layer;

a piping system having a first inlet proximal the water source and a first outlet proximal the first elevation and a second outlet proximal the second elevation, the piping system placing the water source in hydraulic communication with the aquifer;

a first soil moisture detector disposed in the first porous and permeable section, the first soil moisture detector sensing a first moisture in the first porous and permeable section and generating a first output signal associated with the first moisture;

a second soil moisture detector disposed in the second porous and permeable section, the second soil moisture detector sensing a second moisture in the second porous and permeable section and generating a second output signal associated with the second moisture;

a third soil moisture detector disposed in the upper zone, the third soil moisture detector sensing a third moisture in the upper zone and generating a third output signal associated with the third moisture; and

a digital processor which receives the first output signal, and the second output signal, and the third output signal.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the piping system comprises a first actuated valve which controls flow of water between the water source and the first outlet from a range of flow rates from a no-flow condition to a full-open flow condition.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the piping system comprises a second actuated valve which controls flow of water between the water source and the second outlet from a range of flow rates from a no-flow condition to a full-open flow condition.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a first flow meter in the piping system, wherein the first flow meter generates a first output transmission associated with a first observed flow rate through the first outlet and transmits said first observed output transmission to the digital processor.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a second flow meter in the piping system, wherein the second flow meter generates a second output transmission associated with a second observed flow rate through the second outlet and transmits said second observed output transmission to the digital processor.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the aquifer comprises a subsurface pump activatable by the digital processor.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the piping system is configured to restrict flow of water to the first porous and permeable layer when the third moisture exceeds a predetermined value.

20. A method for storing water in an aquifer underlying a surface crop and root zone comprising the steps of:

gathering a volume of water into a surface collection system at an upper elevation;

causing the volume of water to be directed into a piping system wherein the volume of water enters an inlet hydraulically connected to the surface collection system and a first portion of the volume of water exits the piping system through a first outlet into a first porous and permeable layer of the aquifer located at a first elevation below the upper elevation; and

ascertaining a first moisture content in the first porous and permeable layer with a first moisture detector which emits a first output signal associated with the first moisture content and transmits the first output signal to a digital processor, wherein the digital processor instructs an actuated valve to close if flow of the volume of water into the root zone is detected.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a second portion of the volume of water exits the piping system through a second outlet into a second porous and permeable layer located at a second elevation below the upper elevation.

22. The method of claim 21 comprising the further step of ascertaining a second moisture content in the second porous and permeable layer with a second moisture detector which emits a second output signal associated with the second moisture content and transmits the second output signal to the digital processor.

23. The method of claim 20 where the piping system comprises an actuated valve which controls flow of the volume of water between the surface collection system and the first outlet from a range of flow rates from a no-flow condition to a full-open flow condition.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the actuated valve is communicatively connected to the digital processor, wherein the actuated valve adjusts the flow of water to a flow rate specified by the digital processor which flow rate is in the range of flow rates extending from the no-flow condition to the full-open flow condition.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the aquifer comprises a subsurface pump activatable by the digital processor.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising the further step of instructing the subsurface pump to activate to remove water from the root-zone.