Soil treatment with liquid anhydrous ammonia

Abstract

Abstract A method of subsurface injection of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer wherein liquid is conducted from a source of liquid ammonia traversed over a field to a subsurface injection unit from which the ammonia is discharged, with the ammonia being maintained under a sufficient pressure throughout substantially its entire travel to the injector unit to hold the same substantially entirely in its liquid state during such travel. Such method of injection substantially reduces the eventual evaporation of the ammonia from producing a refrigerating effect upon injection apparatus, and by primarily restricting any refrigerating effect to the subsoil the possibility of loss of ammonia to the atmosphere is further reduced. Apparatus suitable for the practice of the method includes a plurality of spaced injector units connected by individual conduits to a manifold, such manifold having communication with the liquid contents of a supply vessel by way of a single conduit provided with a pressure regulator, filter and shutoff valve. Each of the individual conduits is provided immediately adjacent its respective injector unit with a control valve which is normally closed, the arrangement being such that ammonia is supplied to the individual control valves as a liquid under a regulated pressure that is sufficient to maintain the same in a liquid state. Each of the control valves is provided with fluid pressure actuated means for opening such valves, and all of such means are connected by a common conduit to a master control valve, and the latter is such that the common conduit can be selectively vented and placed in communication with a source of fluid pressure, which can be the vapor space at the top of the ammonia storage vessel.

Inventors

• 👤 William L Ammann

Bibliographic Details