System and method for dispensing particulate material into a fluid medium

1. A device for dispensing particulate matter into a fluid stream, comprising:

a supply of dry particulate matter;

a transport member adapted to receive the particulate matter and a fluid stream;

a sensor to detect a weight of at least a portion of the particulate matter; and

a controller to monitor the weight of particulate matter dispensed into the fluid stream.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the weight of particulate matter dispensed into the fluid stream.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising means to start or stop the dispensation of the particulate matter into the fluid stream.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a valve connected to the transport member for controllably releasing a quantity of the particulate matter from a container into the transport member.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the valve includes a rotor assembly comprising an auger.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a transducer selected from the group consisting of a load cell and a scale.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the controller is housed in the scale and the container comprises a flexible bin.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor detects a weight of a portion of the particulate matter before it is dispensed into the fluid stream.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is operative to measure a weight that includes the weight of the particulate matter and the weight of a bin containing the particulate matter.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is operative to measure a weight that includes the weight of the particulate matter and the weight of the dispensing device.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to the sensor.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic controller that receives a signal associated with the weight of a quantity of a particular matter held in a container and wherein the programmable logic controller calculates the weight of particulate matter dispensed during an interval.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transport member comprises an eductor and the particulate matter is selected from the group consisting of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and adjuvants.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller generates a signal in response to which the flow of particulate matter into the conduit is initiated, stopped, or throttled.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transport member is a generally cylindrical conduit.

16. The device of claim 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 or 15 , wherein the device further comprises a vibrator to facilitate the dispensation.

17. A device for dispensing particulate matter, comprising:

a container for holding particulate matter;

a conduit for transporting a stream of liquid carrier, the conduit being operative to receive particulate matter from the container;

a means for detecting a weight of at least a portion of the particulate matter; and

means for determining a weight of material dispensed into the liquid carrier.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the determining means comprises a means for receiving an input from the detecting means and for generating a signal in response to which a flow of particulate matter into the conduit is modified.

19. The device of claim 17 , further comprising a means connected to the container for controllably releasing a quantity of the particulate matter from the container into the conduit.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the receiving and generating means determines the weight or mass of particulate matter that is released from the container into the conduit.

21. The device of claim 18 , wherein the detecting means comprises at least one load cell or an electronic scale.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein the receiving and generating means is housed in the electronic scale.

23. The device of claim 17 , wherein detecting means is operative to measure a gravimetric amount that includes the weight of the particulate matter, the container, and a frame.

24. The device of claim 18 , wherein the receiving and generating means is wirelessly coupled to the detecting means.

25. The device of claim 18 , wherein the receiving and generating means generates a signal in response to which the flow of particulate matter into the conduit is initiated, stopped, or throttled.

26. A system for controlling a networked array of dispensing devices, comprising:

a first dispensing device;

a second dispensing device for dispensing particulate matter, the second dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding particulate matter;

a conduit for transporting a stream of liquid carrier, the conduit being operative to receive particulate matter from the container;

a sensor to detect a weight of at least a portion of the particulate matter; and

a local controller coupled to the sensor to generate a signal when a predetermined quantity of particulate matter is dispensed in response to which the flow of particulate matter into the conduit is modified;

a parent controller coupled to the first and second dispensing devices, wherein the parent controller is operative to transmit a first set of instructions to the second dispensing device and the local controller is operative to generate a second set of instructions.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the local controller is operative to transmit status information to the parent controller.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein the second dispensing device further comprises a valve connected to the bin for controllably releasing a quantity of the particulate matter from the container into the conduit.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the sensor of the second dispensing device is operative to detect the weight of particulate matter held in the container.

30. The system of claim 26 , wherein the sensor comprises an electronic scale.

31. The system of claim 26 , wherein the first set of instructions comprises instructions selected from the group consisting of start, stop, and chemical select commands.

32. A device for dispensing particulate matter into a fluid stream, comprising:

a supply of dry particulate matter selected from the group consisting of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and adjuvants;

a transport member adapted to receive the particulate matter and a fluid stream;

a sensor to detect a weight of at least a portion of the particulate matter; and

a controller to monitor the weight of particulate matter dispensed into the fluid stream.

33. The device of claim 32 , wherein the controller determines the weight of particulate matter dispensed into the fluid stream.

34. The device of claim 32 , further comprising means to start or stop the dispensation of the particulate matter into the fluid stream.

35. The device of claim 32 , further comprising a valve connected to the transport member for controllably releasing a quantity of the particulate matter from a container into the transport member.

36. The device of claim 35 , wherein the valve includes a rotor assembly comprising an auger.

37. The device of claim 32 , wherein the sensor comprises a transducer selected from the group consisting of a load cell and a scale.

38. The device of claim 37 , wherein the controller is housed in the scale and the container comprises a flexible bin.

39. The device of claim 32 , the sensor detects a weight of a portion of the particulate matter before it is dispensed into the fluid stream.

40. The device of claim 32 , wherein the sensor is operative to measure a weight that includes the weight of the particulate matter, a bin, a frame.

41. The device of claim 32 , wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to the sensor.

42. The device of claim 32 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic controller that receives a signal associated with the weight of a quantity of a particular matter held in a container and wherein the programmable logic controller calculates the weight of particulate matter dispensed during an interval.

43. The device of claim 32 , wherein the transport member comprises an eductor.

44. The device of claim 32 , wherein the controller generates a signal in response to which the flow of particulate matter into the conduit is initiated, stopped, or throttled.

45. The device of claim 32 , wherein the transport member is a generally cylindrical conduit.

46. The device of claim 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 or 45 , wherein the device further comprises a vibrator to facilitate the dispensation.

47. A device for dispensing dry material into a fluid stream, comprising:

a conduit for transporting a stream of fluid carrier, the conduit being adapted to receive a supply of dry material;

a sensor to measure a weight or mass that includes the weight or mass of at least a portion of the dry material; and

a controller coupled to the sensor to generate a signal in response to which a flow of dry material into the conduit is modified.

48. The device of claim 47 , wherein sensor is operative to measure a weight that includes the weight of the dry material and the weight of a bin that contains the particulate matter.

49. The device of claim 47 , wherein the dry material is a particulate matter comprising a fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, or adjuvant.

50. The device of claim 49 , wherein the controller comprises a programmable logic controller that receives a signal associated with the weight of a quantity of a particular matter held in a container and wherein the programmable logic controller calculates the weight of particulate matter dispensed during an interval.

51. A method for dispensing particulate matter into a fluid stream, comprising:

providing a fluid stream;

providing a supply of particulate matter to be dispensed into the fluid stream;

sensing a weight of at least a portion of the particulate matter;

monitoring the weight of the particular matter dispensed into the fluid stream; and

modifying the rate at which the particulate matter is dispensed based on the monitored weight.

52. The method of claim 51 , wherein modifying comprises starting, stopping, or throttling.

53. The method of claim 51 , wherein the monitoring comprises detecting a weight with a transducer.

54. The method of claim 51 , further comprising determining when the weight of particulate matter dispensed meets a predetermined threshold.

55. The method of claim 51 , wherein the supply of particulate matter is provided in a closed flexible container.

56. The method of claim 55 , further comprising determining the change in weight of particulate matter in said container.

57. The method of claim 52 , wherein said particulate matter is selected from the group consisting of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and adjuvants.

58. The method of claim 55 , further comprising determining the change in weight of particulate matter in said container.

59. A method for dispensing particulate matter into a fluid stream using a device for dispensing particulate matter, comprising:

providing a fluid stream;

measuring a first weight associated with the dispensing device;

providing a quantity of particulate matter to be dispensed into the fluid stream;

measuring a second weight associated with the dispensing device after the initiation of the dispensing of said particulate matter;

ceasing the dispensing of said particulate matter based on the first and second measured weights.

60. The method of claim 59 , wherein the first measured weight includes the weight of an amount of the particulate matter and a bin coupled to the dispensing device.

61. The method of claim 59 , wherein the second measured weight differs from said first measured weight by substantially the weight of particulate matter dispensed into said fluid stream during an interval.