Articles and methods for administering CO2 into plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10015971-B2
Application number	US-201213729095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods and articles are provided for reducing the amount of water consumed by a plant over a period of time, sequestering CO 2 , and producing electricity, where each method includes providing the plant with a composition including at least about 0.1 (wt./wt. or vol./vol.) % CO 2 and/or at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of a composition that generates CO 2 . An apparatus is also disclosed for providing the plant with a composition including CO 2 and/or a composition that generates CO 2 .

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for reducing an amount of water removed from soil by a plant through transpiration over an interval of time, the method comprising providing a composition that generates CO 2 to the xylem of the plant;
wherein the composition that generates CO 2 comprises a reaction product of an amine, or salt thereof, with CO 2 ;
wherein the amine, or a salt thereof, is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, a primary C 6 -C 30 alkyl amine, piperidine, morpholine, monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diisopropylamine (DIPA), aminoethoxyethanol (DGA), and a combination of any two or more thereof;

growing the plant under conditions which allow the plant to produce a carbon-based photosynthate, wherein the carbon-based photosynthate comprises carbon derived in part from the composition provided to the plant; and
extracting the carbon-based photosynthate from the plant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water transpired from the plant.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising correlating the amount of water transpired by the plant with the amount of the composition provided to the plant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water removed from soil by the plant.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising correlating the amount of water removed from soil by the plant with the amount of the composition provided to the plant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting an amount of the composition that is provided to the plant or the amount of carbon-based photosynthate that is extracted from the plant.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the adjustment is based upon the amount of water removed from soil by the plant.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the adjustment is based upon the amount of water transpired by the plant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a rate of transpiration by the plant is reduced over the interval of time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a CO 2 -precursor compound, or salt thereof;
wherein the CO 2 -precursor compound, or salt thereof is citric acid, cis-aconitic acid, isocitric acid, oxalosuccinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, oxaloacetic acid, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a stomata control agent.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a fluid, a gel, an aerosol, a solution, or a suspension.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is provided to the plant by injecting the composition into the plant.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising increasing an amount of the carbon-based photosynthate that is extracted from the plant during the interval of time.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is at least partially automated.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a tree.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
taking a first measurement of the amount of water removed from soil by the plant through transpiration over the interval of time;
providing the plant with the composition and
taking a second measurement of the amount of water removed from soil by the plant over the interval of time, wherein the second measurement is reduced relative to the first measurement.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
taking a first measurement of the amount of water transpired by the plant through transpiration over the interval of time;
providing the plant with the composition; and
taking a second measurement of the amount of water transpired by the plant over the interval of time, wherein the second measurement is reduced relative to the first measurement.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting comprises extracting the carbon-based photosynthate in a fluid form without any external cutting.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracting comprises transportation via a conduit.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the conduit is a flow line, pipe, tube, or hose.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the conduit is attached to an apparatus for extracting or storing the carbon-based photosynthate.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the apparatus includes an extraction pump.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Allen Paul G
• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Ferren Bran
• Gates William
• Hillis W Daniel
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Latham John
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Salter Stephen H
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Weaver Thomas A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• C01B2203/86

  Carbon dioxide sequestration · CPC title

• A01G7/02

  Treatment of plants with carbon dioxide · CPC title

• A01N59/04 Primary

  Carbon disulfide; Carbon monoxide; Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• A01N33/08

  containing oxygen or sulfur · CPC title

• A01N43/16

  with oxygen as the ring hetero atom · CPC title