PROFILE ELEMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR SUPPLY AND/OR REMOVAL OF SUBSTANCES FROM ENVIRONMENTAL AND/OR FLOW MATERIAL

Abstract: For the purpose of enrichment and/or purification substances having different mutually-co-ordinated properties and as a rule a diferent state, for example on the one hand an environmental material and on the other hand a flow material, are caused to penetrate one another and in so doing to act on one another. With the aid of profile elements (15.2, 15.3) the enrichment or purification of gases, liquids and more or less granulated and/or fibrous and/or crumbly solid substances such as, for example, soil 15.9 in open and closed spaces and in the open air, in households, in horticulture, in industry and in protection of the environmental can be optimised.

Description: PROFILE ELEMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR SUPPLY AND/OR REMOVAL OF SUBSTANCES FROM ENVIRONMENTAL AND/OR FLOW MATERIAL TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the construction and geometry of profile elements and to their applications. The profile elements in accordance with the invention are particularly useful for the purpose of supply to or removal of substances from gases, liquids and more or less granulated and/or fibrous and/or crumbly solid material, such as for example soil, in open and closed spaces and in the open air, in households, in horticulture, in agriculture, in industry and in protection of the environment. BACKGROUND ART For the purpose of enrichment and/or purification and/02 dressing or refining, it is known to cause substances having different properties which are harmonized with one another and, as a rule, a different state to penetrate one another and in so doing to act, on one another. In order to ensure controlled reproducible penetration and effect conditions, stratification methods and procedures possibly along with the use of separating and enrichment and/or purification elements are known. For the supplying of cultures with water and oxygen, besides the customary surface sprinkling or aeration, supply from an underlying store along with the use of double-bottom containers is known. The construction of such containers with an upper bottom as separating element between the soil culture that is to be supplied and the storage space and an actual container lower bottom tightly sealing the same off downwardly has in the past been achieved in any of the following ways: a) The upper bottom is, like the lower bottom, an integral constituent part of the container walling. b) The upper bottom is an integral constituent and the w 14|ng.,Qf an internal container and the lower bottom is an integral constituent part of an external container. c) The upper bottom is supported on supporting noses which are an integral constituent part of the contianer walling. d) The upper bottom is supported on supporting uprights or supporting pillars, which are either an integral constituent part of the upper bottom or of the lower bottom. e) The upper bottom is supported on supporting uprights or supporting pillars which are detachable structural elements * The upper bottoms in accordance with a) and b) are given their bearing capacity chiefly through their connection to the container walling and possibly additionally through an arched shaping (bottle bottom). The upper bottoms in accordance with c) to e) are as a rule flat and, depending on the frequency and spacing of the supporting elements, more or less stiff or flexible; the force transmission to the container wall or the lower bottom takes place primarily punctiformly or linearly. The upper bottoms in accordance with a) to e) are in themselves single-walled in design and possibly ribbed and they can be perforated in a sieve¬ like or lattice-like manner. They are, as a rule, produced from metal or plastics material. Transportation of the medium present in the store onto and into the soil culture takes place in the case of gases in a natural way by convection and pressure or partial pressure gradients. Where the gas is disposed as an intervening layer above a stored liquid, transportation of evaporated liquid takes place at the same time as transport of the gas. This liquid transportation can additionally be considerably enhanced by absorbent (hygroscopic) wick cords, ribbons or webs, which lead from the liquid store into or onto the soil culture. DISCLOSURE QF INVENTION The invention proposes profile elements for the supply of and/or removal of substances from environmental and/or flow material, which, as compared with the known constructions - have a boundary wall or respectively boundary walls which are profiled in a special, surface-enlarging manner which promotes the supply and/or removal function, " - are constructed in themselves in a sandwich-like or multi-tubular manner and have boundary walls which are arranged at a spacing from one another and are possibly integrally connected and which enclose a storage and/or flow space, - in the case of sandwich-like or multi-tubular construction have, between the boundary walls and possibly connected integrally thereto, webs which promote the profiling of the boundary walls and/or subdivide the enclosed: storage space into storage units and/or medium guidance channels, - in the case of sandwich-like or multi-tubular construction have a storage space or storage units between the boundary walls which are filled wholly or partly with effective substances, for example filter packings or active carbon, - consist of wall structures and possibly additional dividing structures which are, all over or only in partial regions promoting the supply and/or removal function, either perforated or pierced in a lattice¬ like manner, or liquid-tight but permeable to gas, or vice versa, or liquid-tight and gas-tight, - consist of wall structures and possibly additional dividing structures which consist, throughout or only partial regions promoting the supply and/or removal function, of materials which are liquid-repelling (for example hydrophobic) or liquid-transporting (for example wick-like). With the profile elements in accordance with the invention as compared with the prior art concerning supply of and/or removal of substances from environmental and/or flow material. - 6 - more especially soil cultures, the result is achieved that - an enhanced transportation flow, promoting the supply and/or removal procedure, of the substance to or removed from the environmental material, for example to the soil culture, occurs, and in the case of supply or removal of a liquid substance, a temporally and quantitatively controlled rapid supply phase can be inserted prior to the basic supply phase, - in the case of use of profile elements which are constructed in a sandwich-like or multi-tubular manner, the loads introduced into the profile elements from the supply substance and the environmental material and forces possibly acting thereon, such as for example traffic loads, can be transmitted to their support over the entire surface - upon use of profile elements in accordance with the invention which are constructed in a sandwich-like or multi-tubular manner, by virtue of their high stiffness and strength shape-stable containers and/or base supports covering the entire surface area can be dispensed with. by subdivision of one or more profile elements in accordance with the invention into storage units and/or medium guidance channels which are mutually separated from one another, the supply of and/or removal of substances frommixed cultures, in which different environmental zones have, in each case, also a different need for supply or removal of gaseous and/or liquid substances, is possible. - by a combination of several profile elements in accordance with the invention with or without inter¬ mediate layers made from buffer material promoting the supply and/or removal function, the supply and/or removal procedure can be temporally and quantitatively controlled, possibly even interrupted, - by use of profile elements in accordance with the invention which are filled wholly or partly with effective substances which promote the supply and/or removal function, such as filter packings or active carbon, and/or by a combination of such profile elemets with other ones without a filling, the substances being supplied or. removed can itself be sugdLied or removed prior to entry into and/or upon exit from the environ¬ mental material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figs. 1 to 11 are fragmentary perspective views of various exemplary embodiments of profile elements in accordance with the invention; and. Figs. 12 to 19 show the exemplary profile elements of Figs. 1 to 11 in exemplary applications for the supply and removal of environmental and possibly flow material. In the case of Figs. 12 to 17 it is a matter of the environmental material around soil cultures. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Fig. 1 shows a profile elements with a basal surface area b x 1 and with- one embodiment of boundary wall 1.1. profiled in accordance with the invention. The projected width b of the boundary wall 1.1. when measured " in a straight line is equal to 8 . r * .. However, the developed width of Trt the material of the boundary wall 1.1. amounts, to __ . 8 . . r.. and the developed surface area thus amounts to " H • 8 . 1 X r. . £. - The developed surface area of the boundary wall 1.1 is thus greater by the factor than the projected or based surface area. The boundary wall 1.1. is supported by means of supporting web ' s 1.2 which are spaced a distance 1 = 2 . r- from one another. The boundary wall 1.1. and the supporting webs 1.2 are perforated or pierced in a lattice¬ like manner. The profile element in accordance with the invention can be, for example, a moulded or cast part, for example made from metal or plastics material, or it can be produced from a mesh-like fabric or gauze, for example of glass or of other suitable materials, which is stabilised and sealed with a plastics bedding composition. The profile element shown in Fig. 2 differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in that the spacing a- of the supporting webs 2.2 is greater than 2. _ and thus the developed surface of the boundary wall 2.1 is greater than the "IT projected or basal area by a factor of less than » • The profile element shown in Fig. 3 also differs from that shown in Fig. 1 in the manner of the profiling of the boundary wall 3.1. The spacing of the supporting webs 3.2 is certainly the same as in Fig. 1, i.e. 3 = 2 . r 3 , but by virtue of a three-dimensional ddbrmation of the boundary wall 3.1 the developed surface area is now greater than the projected or basal surface area of the profile element by a factor which is greater than XiT' . Fig. 4 shows a sandwich-like or multi-tubular profile element in which the supporting of the boundary wall 4.1 is undertaken by an integral opposing boundary wall 4.2. Both boundary walls 4.1, 4.2 are constructionally identical in design and correspond ±n each case to the boundary wall 1.1. in Fig. 1. The profile element shown in Fig. 5 corresponds in geometrical stricture to that shown in Fig. 4, but the boundary walls 5.1 and 5.2 are not perforated or pierced in a grid-like manner. The boundary wall 5.2 is liquid-tight and gas-tight, whilst the boundary wall 5.1 is liquid-tight in design, but permeable to gas. The profile element shown in Fig. 6 is, like that shown in Fig. 4, is constructed in a sandwich-like or multi-tubular manner with integral boundary walls 6.1 and 6.2. However, these boundary walls 6.1 , 6.2 correspond in shape to the boundary wall 2.1 in Fig. 2 and the walls 6.1, 6.2 are connected together by means of supporting webs 6.3. Furthermore, the profile element shown in Fig. 6 is at its longitudinal sides not closed by supporting webs, but is open; the longitudinal side boundaries are formed by protruding parts of the boundary walls 6.1 , 6.2. Fig. 7 shows a profile element with a geometrical structure substantially the same as in Fig. 6, but which _is closed at its longitudinal sides by terminal supporting webs 7.3. These terminal supporting webs 7.3 as well as the boundary wall 7.2 are, unlike the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, not pierced in a lattice-like or grid-like manner, but instead are closed in a liquid-tight and, possibly, gas- tight manner. In contrast, the supporting webs 7.4 arranged inside the profile element and the boundary wall 7.1 remain open in a grating-like manner. The profile element shown in Fig. 8 again corresponds generally to that shown in Fig. 6 . but it is closed at its longitudinal sides by terminal webs 8.3. Moreover, the space between the boundary walls 8.1 and 8.2 of this sandwich-like or multi-tubular profile element is completely filled with an effective substance, for example with filter material or with active carbon. The profile element shown in Fig. 9 corresponds in structure to that shown in Fig. 7, although it is shown standing perpendicularly instead of lying horizontally. The space between the boundary walls 9.1 and 9.2 is partially filled by a layer which covers or masks the entire surface of the perforated boundary wall 9.1 and which is intersected only by supporting webs 9.3. The layer comprises an effective substance such as a bound fibre substance acting as a filter or bound active carbon. Fig. 10 shows a profile element which in some ways imitates those shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 7. In the boundary wall 10.1 and the supporting webs 10.3 only relatively narrow longitudinal strips A are perforated or pierced in a grating¬ like manner. The space between the boundary walls 10.1 and 10.2 is subdivided by the supporting webs 10.3 into alternate storage units I and medium guidance channels II, in which respect the storage units I are completely filled with an effective substance 10.4. Fig. 11 shows a profile element which is similar in constructional design to that shown in Fig. 6, but which has, instead of a rectangular basal surface area, a round basal surface area, and is provided in its boundary wall 11.1 with aperture 11.3 for a filling tube or pipe. Furthermore, this profile element is equipped with a wick cord 11.4 to enhance transportation of liquid out of the storage space between the boundary walls 11.1 and 11.2 onto the surfaces of the boundary walls 11.1, 11.2. Fig. 12 shows a shape stable plant container 12.1, into which a profile element 12.2 (based on that shown in Fig. 2) with a wick cord 12.3 and a filling and filling-level measuring tube 12.4 has been inserted. A plant 12.6 has been planted in the soil 12.5 covering the element 12.2. Liquid feeding material 12.7 and, thereabove, gaseous feeding material 12.8 are disposed in the subsoil or underlying- store formed by the profile element .12..2. Upon complete filling of the store with liquid up to the level H 12 , the soil covering 12.5 projects, by reason of the profiling, of the boundary wall of the profile element 12.2 in accordance with the invention, in a preset raster or grating, in an arrow-like manner into the feeding liquid. The soil 12.5 itself thus forms suction webs which extend parallel to one another and which, with a liquid level H 12 , cause maximum liquid transportation by virtue of greatest mass immersion which then gradually decreases as the lower the liquid level h..- is approached. When the liquid level . in the store is less than h.. 2 liquid transportation takes place naturally in a considerably slowed-down manner by means of convection and pressure and/or partial pressure gradients as well as by way of the wick cord 12.3. In this respect, liquid transportation by convection is speeded up by the fact that the developed surface of the boundary wall of the profile element 12.2, which is pierced in a grating¬ like manner, and thus the exposed surface portion, aligned relative to the store, of the moisture-removing soil 12.5 is great, possibly even greater than the projected basal surface area of the profile element 12.2. (Example: If, in the construction of the boundary wall 1.1 of a profile element in accordance with Fig. 1 , the ratio of grating surface to clear mesh aperture surface is 25 : 75, then the sum of all the developed mesh aperture surfaces in the boundary wall is greater by the factor I= x 0.75, in other words approximately by the factor 1.2, than the projected or basal area of the profile element). Fig. 13 corresponds to Fig. 12, but a first profile element 13.1 based, on that shown in Fig. 6 and a second profile element 13.2 based on that shown in Fig. 1 have been inserted one above the other into the container; in this way an enlarged subsoil or underlying store has been created. Fig. 14 shows all the essential features of Fig. 12, but here a profile element 14.1 based on that shown in Fig. 7 has been laid, for example outdoors, directly onto undisturbed soil 14.2. Since transportation of the liquid storage material 14.3 is to be effected exclusively towards the soil covering 14.4 in which plants are located, the suction wick 14.5 has been arranged around the profile element 14.1 such that it has no contact with the underlying soil 14.2. The end closure of the profile element 14.1 can either be an integral constituent part of the same or be effected by a special terminal element 14.6. Charging of the store with feeding material is effected by way of a connection 14.7, which may possibly also be used for emptying the store by means of suction if feeding of and/or waste removal from the soil 14.4 takes place by surface irrigation and a drainage function is associated with the store. In the application of profile elements shown in Fig. 15, a first profile element 15.2 similar to that shown in Fig. 6, and for example, consisting in itself of a material which transports moisture in a wick-like manner. has been inserted into the bottom of a flexible liquid tight sheath 15.1, for example a plastic bag to form a subsoil store and underlying supporting structure for all the layers lying thereabove. The first element 15.2 is covered with an absorbent or hygroscopic bufferlayer 1.53 and a second profile element 15.4 similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is positioned thereabove. The soil culture thereabove corresponds to that shown in Fig. 12. Liquid feeding material 15.5 has been filled, by way of a filling pipe 15.6, into the first profile element 15.2 lying at the bottom. The second profile element 15.4 arranged thereabove contains gaseous supply material 15.7 and is accessible by way of a pipe connection 15.8. In the plane A, the topsoil 15.9 and the buffer layer 15.3 have linear contact with one another, whereby transportation of liquid out of the store 15.2 by way of the buffer zone 15.3 and into the topsoil 15.9 is ensured. Through forced ventilation of the upper profile element 15.4 and the moisture extraction necessarily associated therewith out of the adjoining topsoil 15.9 and the buffer layer 15.3, liquid flow from the bottom store to the topsoil 15.9 can be temporarily and quantitatively controlled and possibly even interrupted. Fig. 16 shows various soil cultures 16.1, 16.2 and 16.3 similar to those shown in Figs. 13 to Fig. 15 and using profile elements, constructed in a sandwich-like or multi-tubular manner as shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 7. As a result of the bearing capacity of the sandwich-like or multi-tubular profile elements which have been used, cultures need neither an entire-area support nor a shape-stable container. In the illustration shown arranged one above the other in a stand and they are, in each case, supported only linearly by way of ledges or strips. Liquid-tight sealing of the subsoil stores is accomplished in each case by three-sided wrapping with foil 16.4. Fig. 17 shows an application of profile elements which is a development of that shown in Fig. 14 using profile elements as shown in Fig. 6. For the optimum supply or feeding of a mixed plant arrangement consisting of plants 17.3 on the one hand and plants 17.4 on the other hand, which in each case may have different requirements for liquid and/or nutrient solution, independent separatley sealed off profile elements 17.1 or planting zones I and II have been prepared and planted alternately side-by-side. The feeding of the plants 17.3 and 17.4 in the zones I and II respectively takes place in a differently dosed manner so as to match their respective requirements by way of separate connections 17.5 and 17.6. The sealing of each - subsoil store against the adjacent one and against the environment is effected, as described with regard to Fig. 16, by three-sided wrapping with foil 17.2. Fig. 18 shows a form-stable container 18.1, into which a profile element 18.2 having light-tight but gas- permeable boundary walls similar to that shown in Fig. 5 has been inserted. The ambient material 18,3 is liquid and it is supplied and/or purified by flow material 18.5, which is introduced by way of the connection 18.4 into the profile element 18.2. Fig. 19 shows how, in a manner which promotes the supply and waste removal function, several profile elements in accordance with the invention can be combined. In a container 19.1 which is closed on all sides, ' environmental material 19.2 is bounded on one side by a profile element 19.3 (similar to that shown in Fig. 9) and on the opposite side by profile elements 19.4 (similar to that shown in Fig. 8) and 19.5 (similar to that shown in Fig. 6). Gaseous or liquid flow material 1 .6 is intorduced by way of pipe connection 19.7 into the profile element 19.3 and flows through the effective substance 19.3.1 present in this. In so doing it is enriched and/or purified and it subsequently brings about enrighment and/or purification of the environ- mental material 19.2 before it is, upon the subsequently flowing-through the effective substance 19.4.1 in the profile element 19.4, enriched and/or purified afresh. The profile element 19.5 serves as collecting unit for the flow material 19.6, which is then carried off by way of another connection pipe 19.8.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Profile elements, particularly for supply to or removal of substances from surounding and/or flow material in the form of gases, liquids and more or less granulated and/or fibrous and/or crumbly solid material, such as for example 5 soil, in open and closed spaces and in the open air, in households, in horticulture, in agriculture, in industry and in environmental protection, characterised in that they have a boundary wall (1.1,2.1,3.1) (Fig. 1 to Fig. 3) or respectively boundary walls (4.1,4.2 etc) (Fig. 4 to Fig 11) • 10 which are profiled in a special su ace-enlarging way which promotes the supply and/or removal function. 2. Profile elements as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that they are in themselves constructed in a sandwich-like to multi-tubular manner (Fig. 4 to Fig. 11) and have boundary 15 walls which are arranged at a spacing from one another and which are possibly integrally connected and which enclose a storage and/or flow space. 3. Profile elements as claimed in 2, characterised in that they have, between the boundary walls and possibly connected 20 integrally thereto, webs (6.3) which promote the profiling of the boundary walls and/or subdivide the enclosed storage space into storage units and/or medium guidance channels. 4. Profile elements as claimed in claims 2 or 3, characterised in that they have a storage space- or storage untis between the boundary walls which are wholly or partially filled with effective substances such as, for example, filter packings or active carbon. 5. Profile elements as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that they consist of wall structures and possibly additional dividing structures which are, all over or only in partial regions promoting the supply and/or removal function, either perforated or pierced in a latticed manner, or liquid-tight but permeable to gas, or vice versa, or liquid-tight and gas-tight. 6. Profile elements as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that they consist of wall structures and possibly additional dividing structures which consist, throughout or only in partial regions promoting the supply and/or removal function, of materials which are liquid- repelling (for example hydrophobic) or liquid conveying (for example wick-like). 7. Supply of and/or removal of substances from environ¬ mental and/or flow material by use of plrofile elements (Fig. 1 to Fig. 11) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that enhanced transportation flow. promoting the supply and/or removal procedure, of the substance being supplied to or removed from the environ¬ mental material occurs (Fig. 12 to Fig. 19), and, in the case of supply or removal of a liquid substance, a temporarily and quantitatively controlled rapid supply phase can be introduced prior to the basic supply phase (Fig. 12 to Fig. 17). 8. Supply of and/or removal of substances from environ¬ mental and/or flow material as claimed in claim 7 by use of sandwich-like or multi-tubular profile elements in accordance with any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the loads introduced from the supply substance and the environmental material and forces possibly acting thereon, such as for example traffic loads, can be transmitted over the entire surface area to their support. 9. Supply of and/or removal of substances from environ¬ mental and/or flow material as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 by use of sandwich-like or multi-tubular profile elements (Fig. 4 to Fig. 11) in accordance with claims 1 to 6, charact- erised in that, by reason of the high stiffness and strength" of the profile elements,- shape-stable containers and/or base supports covering the entire surface area can be dispensed with (Fig. 15 or Fig. 16). 10. Supply of and/or removal of substances from environmental material as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9 by use of profile elements (Fig. 1 to Fig. 11) in accordance with claims 1 to 6, characterised in that, by subdivision of one or more profile elements into storage units and/or medium guidance channels which are mutually separated from one another the supply of or removal of substances from mixed cultures in which different environmental zones have, in each case, also a different need for supply or removal of gaseous and/or liquid substance, is possible (Fig. 17). 11. Supply of and/or removal of substances from environmental material as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10 by use of profile elements (Fig. 1 to Fig. 11) in arordance with claims 1 to 6, characterised in that by a combination of several profile elements in accordance with the invention with or without intermediate layers of buffer material promoting the supply and/or removal function, the supply and/or removal procedure can be temporarily and quantitatively controlled, and possibly even interrupted (Fig. 15). 12. Sugdy of and/or removal of substances from environmental material as claimed in any of claims 7 to 11 by use of profile elements (Fig. 1 to Fig. 11) in accordance with claims 1 to 6, characterised in that by use of profile elements which are wholly or partly filled with effective substances promoting the supply and/or removal function, such as filter packings or active carbon, and/or by a combination of such profile elements with other ones without a filling, the substances being supply and/or removed can itself be supplied and/or removed prior to entry into and/or emergence from the environmental material (Fig. 19). AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 17 My 1986 (17.07.86); original claims 1 and 2 amended; claim 3 cancelled; other claims unchanged (1 page )] 1. Profile elements, particularly for supply to or removal of substances from surrounding and/or flow material in the form of gases, liquids and more or less granulated and/or fibrous and/or crumbly solid material, such as for example soil, in open and closed spaces and in the open air, in households, in horticulture, in agriculture, in industry and in environmental protection, characterised dLn that said elements comprise a plurality of spaced apart webs (1.2, 2.2, 3 * 2, 6.3 etc.) which are connected, in each case, by a respective boundary wall or respective boundary walls (l.l, 2.1, 3«1» 6.1, 6.2 etc.) so as to define storage spaces or medium guidance channels between the webs and at the same time present an enlarged, specifically profiled surface area to the surrounding environment. 2. Profile elements as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that they are constructed in multi-tubular manner (Fig. to Fig. 11). STATEMENTUNDERARTICLE 19 The amended claim 1 incorporates features of original claims 1, 2 and 3 and serves to emphasise the structural features of the proposed profile element which clearly distinguish it from the elements disclosed in the cited specifications. Claim 2 is restricted for consistency with the amended claim 1•

Inventors: LANDWEHR OSWALD, WINTERMANTEL ERICH, LANDWEHR, OSWALD, WINTERMANTEL, ERICH
Applicants: WINTERMANTEL ERICH, WINTERMANTEL, ERICH
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A01G25
IPC codes: A01G25, A01G27