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US 11,465,948 B2Granted
Autonomous device for in-field conversion of biomass into biochar
AssigneeClimate Robotics Inc.
InventorsJason Aramburu, Morgan Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods and apparatus for the thermal conversion of biomass into biochar. A mobile platform may be used to maneuver a mobile biochar generation system within a field of biomass. The biomass may be harvested, preprocessed and pyrolyzed. After pyrolyzation, the biochar may be cooled to a predetermined temperature by integrating water and liquid nutrients into the biochar. The system may then control the application of the infused biochar by adjusting a spreading attachment and a plowing attachment.
Claims18
A method for in-field production of biomass into biochar, the method comprising:
- controlling, by a system controller including at least one processor utilizing at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, a mobile biochar generation system, wherein the controlling involves performing multiple steps by the system controller, the multiple steps including:
- determining an optimal path for the mobile biochar generation system to traverse;
- harvesting, by a harvesting unit, biomass feedstock;
- monitoring, using a first sensor array, the harvested biomass feedstock wherein the monitoring tracks and characterizes one or more characteristics or properties of the harvested biomass feedstock;
- loading, by a pyrolyzing auger, the harvested biomass feedstock into a pyrolytic reactor, wherein the pyrolytic reactor comprises:
- a second sensor array;
- a thermally insulated enclosure;
- a heat source;
- a portion of the pyrolytic auger;
- and
- injection ports;
- pyrolyzing, in the pyrolytic reactor, the harvested biomass feedstock;
- generating, from the pyrolytic reactor, biochar and exhaust gas;
- optimizing the pyrolyzing in the pyrolytic reactor by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the pyrolytic reactor, wherein the parameters are determined based on a determined composition of the biochar and the exhaust gas;
- monitoring, using the second sensor array, the biochar and the exhaust gas, wherein the monitoring tracks and characterizes one or more characteristics or properties of the biochar and the exhaust gas;
- postprocessing the biochar based on the monitoring of the feedstock, the biochar, and exhaust gas, wherein the postprocessing comprises:
- determining the composition of the biochar and exhaust gas;
- cooling, in a cooling and quenching auger assembly, the biochar to a predetermined temperature;
- infusing the biochar with nutrients or soil amendments;
- handling, by a biochar handling unit, the infused biochar, wherein the handling comprises application of the infused biochar into a soil region;
- monitoring, by a third sensor array, the infused biochar;
- determining, based on the monitoring, the composition and mass of the infused biochar;
- mapping the amount of the infused biochar being reintegrated into the soil to a corresponding coordinate system of a piece of land;
- and
- storing the mapping of the infused biochar application.
22 more elements
A system comprising one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- controlling, by a system controller, a mobile biochar generation system, wherein the controlling involves performing multiple steps by the system controller, the multiple steps including:
- determining an optimal path for the mobile biochar generation system to traverse;
- harvesting, by a harvesting unit, biomass feedstock;
- monitoring, using a first sensor array, the harvested biomass feedstock wherein the monitoring tracks and characterizes one or more characteristics or properties of the harvested biomass feedstock;
- loading, by a pyrolyzing auger, the harvested biomass feedstock into a pyrolytic reactor, wherein the pyrolytic reactor comprises:
- a second sensor array;
- a thermally insulated enclosure;
- a heat source;
- a portion of the pyrolytic auger;
- and
- injection ports;
- pyrolyzing, in the pyrolytic reactor, the harvested biomass feedstock;
- generating, from the pyrolytic reactor, biochar and exhaust gas;
- optimizing the pyrolyzing in the pyrolytic reactor by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the pyrolytic reactor, wherein the parameters are determined based on a determined composition of the biochar and the exhaust gas;
- monitoring, using the second sensor array, the biochar and the exhaust gas, wherein the monitoring tracks and characterizes one or more characteristics or properties of the biochar and the exhaust gas;
- postprocessing the biochar based on the monitoring of the feedstock, the biochar and exhaust gas, wherein the postprocessing comprises:
- determining the composition of the biochar and exhaust gas;
- cooling, in a cooling and quenching auger assembly, the biochar to a predetermined temperature;
- infusing the biochar with nutrients or soil amendments;
- handling, by a biochar handling unit, the infused biochar, wherein the handling comprises application of the infused biochar into a soil region;
- monitoring, by a third sensor array, the infused biochar;
- determining, based on the monitoring, the composition and mass of the infused biochar;
- mapping the amount of the infused biochar being reintegrated into the soil to a corresponding coordinate system of a piece of land;
- and
- storing the mapping of the infused biochar application.
22 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.