WO2022169431A1

WO2022169431A1 - Floatable plant cultivation device

Info

Publication number: WO2022169431A1
Application number: PCT/TR2021/050899
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sinan KARTAL; Ercan Engin; Türkay SICIM
Original assignee: Kartal Sinan; Ercan Engin; Sicim Tuerkay
Priority date: 2021-02-08
Filing date: 2021-09-08
Publication date: 2022-08-11

Abstract

The invention relates to a floatable plant cultivation device which has magnets.

Description

FLOATABLE PLANT CULTIVATION DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a mobile irrigated farming device developed to be used to prevent evaporation of water and engage in farming on stagnant water surfaces such as dams, lakes, hydroelectric power plants.

BACKGROUND ART

Around 1/3 of the total farming area in Turkey has the potential to be irrigated economically. Official records demonstrate that only half of the mentioned area is open to irrigation at the moment and that around 65% of the area open to irrigation is actually being irrigated considering irrigation rates.

The irrigation of all suitable areas and the effective use of water are the primary policies to be implemented to ensure that agriculture productivity is increased. As is known, almost 70% of total water consumption in our country is for agricultural purposes. The importance of water management has increased even more with the consideration to meet the ever increasing need for water in the industry and services sectors in the coming years.

Problems faced in water management can be listed as inadequate physical infrastructure, water quality deterioration, water pollution, inadequate water conveyance and distribution systems, excessive water losses, and organizational and management problems.

Therefore, policies including efforts such as using wastewater in irrigation, channeling surface waters to areas with scarce water, encouraging farmers to implement modern irrigation methods that guarantee saving water, and ensuring the spread of such practices by training farmers must be given importance. The relationship between soil-plant-water in irrigated farming areas and the impact of this relationship on humans and the environment are not quite emphasized. As a result, due to insufficient training of farmers, there arises a tendency to use excessive water, and many problems such as drainage, high groundwater, salinity, and sodicity are experienced.

Among the sectors using water in Turkey, the agriculture sector ranks first with the highest water consumption. Therefore, the use of tools and techniques that enable the effective use of water in agriculture must be among the priority targets of our country. Advanced irrigation technologies make it possible to grow the same amount of produce or more with less water and labor without harming the environment.

There are many methods to prevent the evaporation of water in dams. Some are as follows:

• Covering dams in a way that completely prevents solar energy from entering the aquatic environment. This approach reduces evaporation by 37%.

• Plywood, aluminum, and plastic plates are used to cover dams in the form of a roof.

• Building dams with smaller surface areas. A decrease up to 50% in the surface area provides a decrease up to 50% in evaporation.

• Installing windbreaks around dams. It leads to a reduction in wind speed and therefore a decrease in evaporation. The most suitable method in this respect is planting trees. A 10% reduction in evaporation can be achieved in dams.

• Building underground reservoirs.

• Pumping, instead of sluicing, the excess water in dams and reusing it in the dry period. This method has been successfully applied in various states of the USA, some South American countries, and Israel. Another important advantage of the method is that it prevents salt water from mixing with groundwater in areas near the sea.

• Building the water storage area of dams in a cellular structure. Building steeper dam slopes.

The prior art includes projects to prevent water evaporation by employing black balls. However, these black balls absorbed heat and warmed the dam, and prevented photosynthesis in the dam since they could not reflect sunlight. Thus, fish started dying and contaminating water in the dam. Therefore, this method was not as successful as desired.

There are such floating modules in the prior art. However, most of them are closed constructs unable to receive sunlight to the full extent and causing harm to the water surface they are used on.

Described in application no. TR 2015/00756 titled “Evaporation Preventing Floating Modules” in the prior art, the invention is summarized as follows: “The present invention relates to floating objects/modules preventing evaporation in the surface in water resources (lakes, dams, rainwater collection tanks, etc.) by way of minimizing the contact between the surface and sun’s beams.”

Described in publication no. WO2019185961 A1 titled “Floating Module for the Reduction of Evaporation Losses in Water-based Liquids” in the prior art, another invention is summarized as follows: “The present invention relates to a floating module for the reduction of evaporation losses in water-based liquids, which is characterized in that it comprises two cells that have a hexagonal plan and are leak tight, hollow and configured to be intertwined.”

In conclusion, the abovementioned shortcomings and the inadequacy of the current practice entail an improvement in the respective technical field. Thus, there is a need for an invention to overcome the described problems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Developed for eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages and providing new advantages to the respective technical field, the present invention relates to a mobile irrigated farming device developed to be used to prevent evaporation of water and engage in farming on stagnant water surfaces such as dams, lakes, hydroelectric power plants.

An objective of the present invention is to prevent evaporation of water and enable engaging in irrigated farming activity on the stagnant water surface by remaining on the surface of stagnant water thanks to the air it contains.

Being white in color, the invention allows the sun’s rays to pass through and does not block the light necessary for life at the bottom of dams. Therefore, no fish kills are experienced. Moreover, algae at the bottom of dams do not die and natural life continues.

Another objective of the present invention is to prevent pollution, dust particles, fly larvae on the surface of dams.

Easily portable, the invention just needs to contact water to be installed. Thanks to the magnets, the invention stays together on the dam surface without scattering. Depending upon the number of devices, it is possible to use the invention locally thereby covering only a certain area. Thus, a certain part of dams can be left uncovered if desired. The number of mobile irrigated farming devices can be increased or decreased optionally.

A further objective of the present invention is to contribute to human health by striving to prevent the spread of epidemic diseases.

The invention neither increases water temperature in the dam nor causes any harm to the stagnant water in which it is employed.

The invention is easy to install and uninstall since it remains together thanks to the magnets it has. It automatically covers an area.

The invention minimizes water loss caused by the evaporation effect, thereby turning water surfaces into arable areas. Many vegetables may therefore be grown. Another objective of the present invention is to present a natural farming environment and provide added value to the economy by way of natural produces. Ponds can generate income through the growing of vegetables thanks to the invention.

The invention allows sunlight to pass through and does not interfere with photosynthesis thanks to the holes employed in the invention.

The maintenance cost for the invention is quite low. Since it can generate its own energy by using solar power, its maintenance costs are quite low, and it does not experience any malfunction. These costs are minimal. Mobile irrigated farming devices are collected and cleaned once a year.

The invention does not deteriorate natural life in the pond. It prevents the dam to the maximum from being filled with external waste.

Since evaporation will be significantly avoided by the use of the invention on the stagnant water surface, water costs are reduced, and water shortages are not experienced. Current waters are protected.

Mobile irrigated farming devices are preferably white in color like water angels and protect water for the above-mentioned reasons.

The mobile irrigated farming device of the present disclosure can be manufactured bigger, smaller, in different shapes, with a different number of pots, with a different number of holes, and in different sizes and dimensions.

Drawings

The embodiments of the present invention, briefly summarized above and discussed in more detail below, can be understood by referring to the exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only the typical embodiments of the present invention and therefore are not deemed to limit its scope as it may allow other equally effective applications.

Figure-1 : It is the perspective and general view of the invention.

Figure-2: It is the top view of the invention.

For the sake of clarity, identical reference numbers are used wherever possible, to indicate identical elements common to the figures. The figures are not drawn to scale and can be simplified for clarity. It is contemplated that the elements and features of an application can be usefully incorporated into other applications without the need for further explanation.

Explanation of Details in the Drawings

Explanations of reference numbers shown in the drawings are given below.

1 . Upper cap

2. Leg space

3. Pot space

4. Magnet

5. Bottom cap

6. Legs

7. Bar

8. Hole

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred alternatives in this detailed description of the embodiment of the mobile irrigated farming device of the present disclosure are only intended for providing a better understanding of the subject matter and should not be construed in any restrictive sense. Being a mobile irrigated farming device, the invention, as seen in Figure 1 , consists of an upper cap (1 ), leg spaces (2), pot spaces (3), magnets (4), a bottom cap (5), legs (6), bars (7), and holes (8).

As seen in Figure 1 , the invention consists of an upper cap (1 ) that accommodates leg spaces (2) and space for pots (3), receives light thanks to those spaces and is located on the upper part of the body, leg spaces (2) that make it easy to carry the mobile irrigated farming device by intertwining, at least one pot space (3) in which the plant to be cultivated will be placed, magnets (4) that are located on the bottom cap (5), enable multiple mobile irrigated farming devices to cling to each other thanks to the magnetic field they create, and therefore ensure that multiple mobile irrigated farming devices stay together on the water surface, a bottom cap (5) that is located on the bottom part of the body and is in contact with the water surface, legs (6) that are located below the bottom cap (5) and provide comfort by entering into the leg space (2) while carrying multiple devices, a young plant support bar (7) that the plant can climb when it grows and that supports the plant to grow upwards, and at least one hole (8) that is located below the bottom cap (5) and thereby allows a certain amount of water to enter thereinto.

The mobile irrigated farming device is left to stagnant water from the edge. While the number of devices is up to the user to decide, it should be noted that they will stay together since they will cling to each other with the help of magnets (4). Filled with air, the invention remains on the water surface. Vegetables together with seeds and a certain amount of humic soil (or additional plantation raw materials) to be put inside the invention are placed into pot spaces (3). Thanks to the bottom cap (5), which has at least one hole (8), the plant root continues to grow into the water. Some water entering through this hole nourishes the plant. Since the hole (8) is small in size, the incoming water does not sink the invention. The plant can absorb the needed water and minerals from dam or lake waters since they are rich in minerals. With the holes located on the upper cap (1 ), it is also able to receive the sun’s rays. Organic vegetable and plant cultivation are therefore easily performed thanks to the invention. The invention can stand on the water surface in a balanced manner with the help of its legs (6). Since the material structure is preferably plastic, it does not sink into the water; it does not turn upside down in bad weather conditions since each module clings to each other via magnets (4) and is subject to the buoyancy of water. The plastic material can be hard or soft.

The invention will contain at least one pot space (3) but the preferred number is three. While the pot space (3) will preferably be cylindrical in form, a pot space (3) with a different geometrical form is also included within the scope of protection of the invention.

Alternative embodiments of the invention will employ a thermometer, anemometer, Wi-Fi, and solar panel. The thermometer will allow instantly measuring the temperature of the dam. The anemometer (wind gauge) enables easily measuring wind power in the dam. Also, the solar panel will help the invention generate its own energy. It is possible to instantly monitor data such as the temperature of the stagnant water and wind power while remaining at the edges, thanks to the Wi-Fi connection. The solar panel meets the energy needs of this system. The thermometer, anemometer, Wi-Fi, and solar panel will preferably be utilized in one mobile irrigated farming device but can also be used in multiple devices. The objective behind the use of these tools is to enable instant monitoring of the temperature of stagnant water and wind power. As there will be multiple mobile irrigated farming devices in the stagnant water, each one of the devices does not have to employ these sensors separately. Installing these sensors in one or a few of those will be enough for measurement purposes. Sensors such as the thermometer and anemometer are located on top of the upper cap (1 ).

The invention will be produced in hexagonal, triangular, circular, square, rectangular forms. However, changing the geometrical form and shape of the invention is within the scope of the invention and cannot be restricted.

In an alternative embodiment, the invention can be produced from materials such as polycarbonate, carbon fiber, fiberglass, polystyrene polyurethane foam, wood, and its derivatives. The invention can easily stay in balance on the water surface thanks to the air contained in the invention and the use of these materials.

Claims

9

CLAIMS - A mobile irrigated farming device developed to be used to prevent evaporation of water and engage in farm ing on stagnant water surfaces such as dams, lakes, hydroelectric power plants, and its feature is that it is characterized in that it consists of:

- an upper cap (1 ) that accommodates leg spaces (2) and space for pots (3), receives light thanks to those spaces and is located on the upper part of the body,

- leg spaces (2) that make it easy to carry the mobile irrigated farming device by intertwining,

- at least one pot space (3) in which the plant to be cultivated will be placed,

- magnets (4) that are located on the bottom cap (5), enable multiple mobile irrigated farming devices to cling to each other thanks to the magnetic field they create, and therefore ensure that multiple mobile irrigated farming devices stay together on the water surface,

- a bottom cap (5) that is located on the bottom part of the body and is in contact with the water surface,

- legs (6) that are located below the bottom cap (5) and provide comfort by entering into the leg space (2) while carrying multiple devices,

- a young plant support bar (7) that the plant can climb when it grows and that supports the plant to grow upwards, and

- at least one hole (8) that is located below the bottom cap (5) and thereby allows a certain amount of water to enter thereinto. - The mobile irrigated farming device mentioned in Claim 1 , and its feature is that it consists of the product being a plastic material and its derivatives.- The mobile irrigated farming device with alternative embodiment independent of the above-mentioned claims, and its feature is that it is characterized in that it consists of a thermometer that allows measuring the temperature of the stagnant water on which it stands, an anemometer that allows measuring the wind power in the stagnant water on which it stands, a solar panel that generates its own energy by turning sun’s rays into energy, and Wi-Fi that allows instant remote monitoring of these data. - The mobile irrigated farming device mentioned in Claim 1 or Claim 3, and its feature is that it consists of the material being any one or some of derivatives of polycarbonate, carbon fiber, fiberglass, polystyrene polyurethane foam, wood.