Apparatus and method for electrically killing plants
An electrical energy processing unit of an apparatus to kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth is disclosed. The electrical energy processing unit includes a converter and a control circuit. Also disclosed are an apparatus that includes the electrical energy processing unit and a method of utilizing the apparatus. Further disclosed are a computer program for a processor of the control circuit of the electrical energy processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable medium that includes the computer program.
1 . An apparatus to electrically kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth, the apparatus comprising:
an electrical energy processing unit comprising a converter operable to receive unprocessed electrical energy from an electrical energy source, to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to processed electrical energy having an electrical current and to transmit the processed electrical energy between an applicator electrode of an applicator unit and a return electrode of a return unit;
the applicator unit comprising the applicator electrode, wherein the applicator electrode comprises an electrically conductive material, the applicator unit being electrically coupled to the converter of the electrical energy processing unit wherein the applicator unit is operable to receive the processed electrical energy and to apply the processed electrical energy directly to at least a portion of a plant that extends above the ground; and
the return unit comprising the return electrode, wherein the return electrode comprises an electrically conductive material, the return unit being electrically coupled to the converter, wherein the return unit is operable to receive the processed electrical energy transmitted from the applicator unit through a load comprising the plant; and
wherein the applicator electrode is configured for direct transmission of the processed electrical energy to at least part of the plant above ground such that the electrical current travels through the at least part of the plant above ground as part of a circuit and the electrical current returns to the return electrode, wherein the processed electrical energy comprises a voltage of at least 1 kV and with an electrical current of at least 10 mA;
wherein an aspect of the processed electrical energy comprises one or a combination of the voltage, current, and power, and wherein the said aspect is:
maintained substantially at a predetermined value; or
below or above a predetermined value; or
within a particular range, which is determined by a first predetermined value and second different predetermined value.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said aspect of the processed electrical energy is controlled by one or more of an amplitude, duty cycle, period, shape, form, frequency, current, power, and on/off of the processed electrical energy.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processed electrical energy transmitted to the plant comprises a waveform an/or is a direct current.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy processing unit is configured to produce processed electrical energy that comprises a power of at least 5 W.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy processing unit is configured to produce processed electrical energy that is operable to kill a plant or at least partially attenuating plant growth with a treatment time of at least 10 milliseconds.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises at least one sensor, a control circuit being operatively connected to the sensor to receive therefrom a converter feedback signal, the converter feedback signal comprising information to monitor said aspect of the processed electric energy, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide control of the said aspect of the processed electrical energy based on the converter feedback signal.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the return electrode comprises a substantially flat surface configured to receive the processed electrical energy when resting on a surface of the ground.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the applicator unit comprises a plurality of applicator electrodes.
9 . A method of using an apparatus to electrically kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining an apparatus comprising an electrical energy processing unit, an applicator unit comprising an applicator electrode, and a return unit comprising a return electrode, wherein the electrical energy processing unit comprising a converter operable to receive unprocessed electrical energy from an electrical energy source, to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to processed electrical energy having an electrical current and to transmit the processed electrical energy between the applicator electrode of the applicator unit and the return electrode of the return unit, wherein each of the applicator unit and the return unit is electrically coupled to the converter, and wherein each of the applicator electrode and the return electrode comprises an electrically conductive material;
directly contacting a portion of a plant that extends above the ground with the applicator electrode;
disposing the return electrode to receive the processed electrical energy transmitted from the applicator unit through a load comprising the plant;
supplying processed electrical energy directly to the plant with the apparatus, wherein the processed electrical energy comprises a voltage of at least 1 kV and with an electrical current of at least 10 mA, wherein the applicator electrode directly transmits the processed electrical energy to the portion of the plant that extends above the ground such that the electrical current travels through the at least part of the plant above ground as part of a circuit and the electrical current returns to the return electrode; and
controlling an aspect of the processed electrical energy comprising one or a combination of the voltage, current, and power, the said aspect controlled to be:
maintained substantially at a predetermined value; or
below or above a predetermined value; or
within a particular range, which is determined by a first predetermined value and second different predetermined value.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said aspect of the processed electrical energy is controlled by one or more of an amplitude, duty cycle, period, shape, form, frequency, current, power, and on/off of the processed electrical energy.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the processed electrical energy supplied to the plant comprises a waveform an/or is a direct current.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the surface of the return electrode is configured to receive the processed electrical energy when resting on a surface of the ground, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:
moving the return electrode of the return unit along the surface of the ground whilst maintaining electrical continuity between the return unit and the surface of the ground so as to electrically kill or at least attenuate growth of a first plant located at a first location and a second plant located at a second location.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the surface of the return electrode disposed substantially planar to a surface of the ground is not inserted into the ground.
14 . An apparatus to electrically kill a plant or at least attenuate plant growth, the apparatus comprising:
an electrical energy processing unit comprising a converter operable to receive unprocessed electrical energy from an electrical energy source, to convert the unprocessed electrical energy to processed electrical energy having an electrical current and to transmit the processed electrical energy between an applicator electrode of an applicator unit and a return electrode of a return unit,
the applicator unit comprising the applicator electrode, wherein the applicator electrode comprises an electrically conductive material, the applicator unit being electrically coupled to the converter of the electrical energy processing unit wherein the applicator unit is operable to receive the processed electrical energy and to apply the processed electrical energy directly to at least a portion of a plant that extends above the ground; and
the return unit comprising the return electrode, wherein the return electrode comprises an electrically conductive material, the return unit being electrically coupled to the converter, wherein the return unit is operable to receive the processed electrical energy transmitted from the applicator unit through a load comprising the plant; and
wherein the applicator electrode is configured for direct transmission of the processed electrical energy to at least part of the plant above ground such that the electrical current travels through the at least part of the plant above ground as part of a circuit and the electrical current returns to the return electrode, wherein the processed electrical energy comprises a waveform with a frequency of at least 18 kHz and with a peak voltage of at least 1 kV and with an electrical current of at least 10 mA rms.