Method and apparatus for treating stored crops

• US 20050288184A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Raymond Keim, Michael Joe Keim, William Albert Keim
• Original Assignee: John Raymond Keim, Michael Joe Keim, William Albert Keim
• Inventors: Keim, William Albert, Keim, John Raymond, Keim, Michael Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 504/116.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application , e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/06 Aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/144 in the form of gases, e.g. fumigation; Compositions or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/152 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O ; Elimination of such other gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/153 in the form of liquids or solids
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/154 Organic compounds; Microorganisms; Enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/158 Apparatus for preserving using liquids

Abstract

A method and apparatus for applying aerosols of chemical formulations to a stored crop is described. The aerosol may be generated by any suitable means using thermal aerosol generators or “cool” aerosol generators. The improvement is the use of the crop storage facility air in the generation of the aerosol and, or the cooling of the aerosol. An important use of the invention is the application of CIPC to stored potatoes.

Claims

1. A method for treating crops contained within a storage facility and treating the crops with an aerosol of a chemical formulation, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an aerosol of said chemical formulation with an aerosol generator, mixing the output of said aerosol generator with a source of cooling air where a portion of the cooling air is from the storage facility, and providing said storage facility with the mixture of said cooling air and said aerosol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the cooling air is supplied from the storage facility.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of the cooling air is from the ambient air.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 where the stored crop is potatoes.

6. A method for treating crops contained within a storage facility and treating the crops with an aerosol of a chemical formulation, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a portion of storage facility air to an aerosol generator, generating an aerosol of said chemical formulation, and providing said storage facility with said aerosol.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein all of the air to the aerosol generator is supplied from the storage facility.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a portion of the air to the aerosol generator is from the ambient air.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

10. The method of claim 6 where the stored crop is potatoes.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of mixing the exhaust of said aerosol generator with a portion of storage facility air.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein all of the air for mixing with the exhaust of the said aerosol generator is supplied from the storage facility.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein a portion of the air for mixing with the exhaust of the said aerosol generator is from the ambient air.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 where the stored crop is potatoes.

16. An apparatus for treating crops contained within a storage facility and treating the crops with an aerosol of a chemical formulation, the apparatus comprising:

an aerosol generator having an inlet for receiving air and a mixing unit for mixing together a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the first fluid is the exhaust of the aerosol generator, and the second fluid is the cooling air, wherein a portion of the second fluid is from the storage facility.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein all of the cooling air is supplied from the storage facility.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a portion of the cooling air is from the ambient air.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 where the stored crop is potatoes.

21. An apparatus for treating crops contained within a storage facility and treating the crops with an aerosol of a chemical formulation, the apparatus comprising:

an aerosol generator having an inlet for receiving air wherein a portion of the aerosol generation air is from the storage facility.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein all of the air to the aerosol generator is supplied from the storage facility.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein a portion of the air to the aerosol generator is from the ambient air.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 where the stored crop is potatoes.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising the apparatus for mixing the exhaust of said aerosol generator with a portion of storage facility air.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein all of the air for mixing with the exhaust of the said aerosol generator is supplied from the storage facility.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein a portion of the air for mixing with the exhaust of the said aerosol generator is from the ambient air.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the chemical formulation comprises CIPC and mixtures thereof.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 where the stored crop is potatoes.