Agricultural sampling system and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021285869-A1
Application number	US-201917258723-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 10, 2019
Priority date	Jul 10, 2018
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis subsystems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples.

First claim

1 . An agricultural sample analysis system comprising in communication:
an inlet; a mixing device connected to the inlet to receive a quantity of a sample from the inlet; a measurement device to determine the quantity of the sample;
the mixing device fluidly coupled to a solvent source and operable to mix and prepare a sample slurry;
a separation device fluidly coupled to the mixing device to receive the slurry mixture, the separation device operable to separate a test material from the slurry mixture;
an analysis cell fluidly coupled to the separation device for receiving the test material; and
an analysis system operable to measure an analyte in the test material in the analysis cell.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid conveyor connected to the mixing device for extracting the slurry; and an injector to inject an extractant into the slurry mixture.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sample collector configured to collect the sample from an agricultural field and fluidly convey the sample to the inlet.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the fluid conveyor is one of a pump, a pressure difference generated by the mixing device, or both the pump and the pressure difference.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a chemical pump operable to inject a chemical into the test material in a flow path between the separation device and the analysis cell.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a test material pump operable to transfer the test material from the separation device to analysis cell.

7 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the test material and chemical are mixed in a mixing coil arranged in a flow path between the test material pump and the analysis cell.

8 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the chemical and slurry are circulated and mixed in a selectively closed flow loop controlled by the fluid conveyor to create the extractant-slurry mixture.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the closed flow loop includes a mixing coil for mixing the slurry and extractant.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis system analyzes the test material via a colorimetric detection process.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the analysis system analyzes the test material via a turbidimetric detection process.

12 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a gas source and a gas valve fluidly coupled to the sample collector, the gas source operable via operation of the valve to blow the sample from the sample collector into the mixing device.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the fluid conveyor is selectively fluidly coupled to the gas source and the solvent source, the fluid conveyor operable to pump a mixture of solvent and gas through the separation device for cleaning.

14 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation device is a centrifuge.

15 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the centrifuge comprises a stationary fluid exchange dock and a rotatable test material separation element detachably coupled thereto and configured to separate the test material from the extractant-slurry mixture, the test material separation element is movable between a docked position coupled to the fluid exchange dock and an undocked position uncoupled from the fluid exchange dock for centrifugating the extractant-slurry mixture.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the test material separation element comprises a plurality of pivotably movable centrifuge tubes coupled to a rotary tube hub, each centrifuge tube movable between a vertical position when the test material separation element is in the docked position and a horizontal position when the test material separation element is in the undocked position and rotated by the centrifuge.

17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein test material separation element comprises a disk shaped apparatus comprising a plurality of circuitous fluid passageways and chambers arranged to separate the test material form the extractant-slurry mixture when the apparatus is rotated by the centrifuge.

18 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a sample collection and volumizing station fluidly coupled to and upstream of the mixing device, wherein the sample is transferred from the sample collector to the collection and volumizing station before being received by the mixing device.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the sample collection and volumizing station is configured to receive samples from a plurality of different sample collectors, the sample collection and volumizing station configured and operable to measure a mass of the sample.

20 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the sample is a soil plug extracted from the field by the sample collector.

21 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the test material flows through the analysis cell and is dynamically analyzed by the analysis system in real time.

22 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation device is configured to separate the test material from the slurry mixture without use of filter media.

23 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a network of flow conduits which fluidly couples the enumerated components together in a manner which provides inline processing and analysis of the sample within the network from collection through analysis.

24 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a movable vehicle configured and operable to traverse an agricultural field, wherein the soil analysis system is mounted to the vehicle for performing real-time analysis of collected samples in the field.

25 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a programmable controller operable to automatically control operation of the system, the programmable controller configured to:
transfer the sample from the sample collector to the mixing device; operate the mixing device to prepare the slurry; operate the fluid conveyor and extractant pump to create the extractant-slurry mixture; operate the separation device to separate the test material from the extractant-slurry mixture; transfer the test material to the analysis cell; and measure the analyte in the test material.

26 .- 126 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Prec Planting Llc

Inventors

• Swanson Todd
• Koch Dale
• Levy Kent
• O'Neall Matthew
• Splechter Hayden
• Harman Reid
• Schaefer Timothy
• Vaccari Adam

Classifications

• G01N35/1072

  with provision for selective pipetting of individual channels · CPC title

• G01N35/08

  using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis · CPC title

• G01N2001/4061

  Solvent extraction · CPC title

• G01N1/4055

  by solubility techniques · CPC title

• G01N1/04

  in the solid state, e.g. by cutting · CPC title