Patent Application
20210172623
Growing plants can be difficult task and requires significant expertise and attention. Some plants require a very specific environment in order to thrive. Prior systems for creating an appropriate environment require a large amount of energy as well as significant time and manual effort to ensure the conditions in the environment are satisfactory. What is needed is an improved system for monitoring and controlling a plant growing and processing environment.
The present system, roughly described, provides an intelligent environment control system that provides energy efficient dehumidification and automatically controls and maintains environment parameters within a horticulture environment. The intelligent dehumidifier utilizes a dual coil energy exchanger to efficiently transfer energy before and after a dehumidification mechanism within the dehumidifier system. In some instances, the dehumidification system includes a first coil placed before a dehumidification coil and a second coil placed after a dehumidification coil. The first coil, or upstream coil, receives environment air and cools the air using cool liquid, such as for example water. The water is heated by the cooling process and is pumped to a second energy exchange coil. The air, already cooled, is dehumidified by the dehumidifier coil, bringing the air to and below its dew point in order to remove water from the air. The air is then pushed through the second energy exchange coil, having the warmed liquid, and the air temperature is raised. The warm liquid is cooled, and pumped back to the first coil as cooled liquid. The warmed and dehumidified air is then released out to the environment. The dehumidification of the air is energy efficient by recycling liquid to drop the temperature of incoming air before being dehumidified, thereby reducing the energy required dehumidify the air by the dehumidifier. The dehumidification system is further energy efficient because warmed liquid is used to re-heat the dehumidified air before it is provided back to the environment, thereby reducing the energy required to get the air back to the temperature required to maintain the room at a specific temperature.
The dehumidification system is intelligent in that automatically controls and maintains several environmental factors. The dehumidification system can be programmed with thresholds at which to maintain humidity levels, temperature, and CO2 levels. In some instances, the thresholds may be maintained as a range, such as a particular value plus or minus two percent. The dehumidification system can also be programmed with a schedule to apply certain environmental conditions. For example, the dehumidification system can implement a lighting schedule for plants within the horticulture environment and a watering schedule for plants within the horticulture environment. The schedules can be implemented for different life cycles of the plant. For example, a watering schedule may differ for particular plant seedling, growing, and flowering stage.
In addition to implementing a schedule statically, according to a set period of times, the dehumidification system can implement a schedule dynamically based on a feedback system. For example, a horticulture environment may include sensors throughout the environment, including in the path airflow within the environment. Sensors may be placed along the path of air flow upstream, downstream, and within an area having plants, near the input and output of a dehumidification system within the horticulture environment, and in other areas of the environment. The group of sensors may include different types of sensors, including but not limited to light sensors, CO2 level sensors, temperature sensors, and humidify level sensors. In some instances, the humidify level sensors may detect the water consumed by the plants by measuring an increase in the air flow humidity at the input and output of the dehumidification system. Based on the difference in humidity, a plant watering can be initiated for the amount of water that the plants are releasing, detected as a change in humidity.
In some instances, a system controller can communicate with the dehumidification system to control the dehumidification based on data received from the one or more sensors, and may communicate with one or more other controllers to control and manage the horticulture environment temperature, CO2, and lighting. The system controller can also communicate with a remote server application to receive control data for managing the horticulture environment, report environmental data retrieved from the sensors within the environment, and perform other functions.
In some instances, a system for automatically dehumidifying a horticulture environment includes a dehumidifier, a plurality of sensors, and a system controller, and optionally a temperature controlling device such as a package air conditioning system. The dehumidifier dehumidifies air that flows from a dehumidifier input towards a dehumidifier output within the dehumidifier, wherein the air flow traveling through plants within a horticulture environment while outside the dehumidifier. The dehumidifier includes a dehumidification mechanism, a first energy exchange coil, and a second energy exchange coil. The first energy exchange coil is positioned upstream in the air flow within the dehumidifier. The second energy exchange coil is positioned downstream in the air flow within the dehumidifier, wherein an energy exchanging liquid moves from the second energy exchange coil to the first energy exchange coil along a first path, and the energy exchange liquid moving from the first energy exchange coil to the second energy exchange liquid along a second path. The energy exchange liquid being warmed when traveling through the first energy exchange coil and traveling to the second energy exchange coil as a cool energy exchange liquid. The energy exchange liquid being cooled when traveling through the second energy exchange coil and traveling to the first energy exchange coil as a warm energy exchange liquid. The plurality of sensors detects humidity in a plurality of positions within the horticulture environment and outside the dehumidifier. The system controller receives data from the plurality of sensors and sends control signals to the dehumidifier based on the data received from the plurality of sensors. The dehumidifier performs dehumidification of the horticulture environment air in response to control signals received from the system controller.
In embodiments, a method is disclosed for automatically dehumidifying a horticulture environment. The method includes receiving air from a horticulture environment by a dehumidifier and displacing the received air through a first energy exchange coil. The first energy exchange coil receives energy exchange liquid that is colder than the received air, the temperature of the air being lowered as a result of being passed through the first energy exchange coil. The temperature of the energy exchange liquid is increased as a result of passing warm air through the first energy exchange coil.
The method further includes dehumidifying the cooled air by a dehumidifier, displacing the warmed energy exchange liquid to a second energy exchange coil, and displacing the dehumidified air through a second energy exchange coil. The second energy exchange coil receives the energy exchange liquid from the first energy exchange coil. The energy exchange liquid received by the second energy exchange coil is warmer than the dehumidified air. The temperature of the air is increased as a result of being passed through the second energy exchange coil and the temperature of the energy exchange liquid is decreased as a result of passing the dehumidified air through the second energy exchange coil. The dehumidified air is provided into the horticulture environment after the air is displaced through the second energy exchange coil.
The method also includes receiving data from a plurality of sensors and repeating the steps of receiving air, displacing the received air through a first energy exchange coil, dehumidifying the cooled air, displacing the dehumidified air through a second energy exchange coil, and outputting the dehumidified air in response to the data received from the plurality of sensors.
The present system, roughly described, provides an intelligent humidification system that is energy efficient and automatically maintains environment parameters within a horticulture environment. The intelligent humidifier utilizes a dual coil energy exchanger to efficiently transfer energy before and after a dehumidification mechanism within the dehumidifier system. In some instances, the dehumidification system includes a first coil place before a dehumidification coil and a second coil placed after a dehumidification coil. The first coil, or upstream coil, receives environment air and cools the air using cool liquid. The water is heated by the cooling process and is pumped to a second energy exchange coil. The air, already cooled, is dehumidified by the dehumidifier coil, bringing the air to below dew point in order to remove water from the air. The air is then pushed through the second energy exchange coil, having the warmed water, and the air temperature is raised. The warm water is cooled, and pumped back to the first coil as cooled water. The warmed and dehumidified air is then released out to the environment. The dehumidification of the air is energy efficient by recycling water to drop the temperature of incoming air before being dehumidified, thereby reducing the energy required to dehumidify the air by the dehumidifier. The dehumidification system is further energy efficient because warmed water is used to re-heat the dehumidified air before it is provided back to the environment, thereby reducing the energy required to get the air back to room temperature.
The dehumidification system is intelligent in that automatically controls and maintains several environmental factors. The dehumidification system can be programmed with thresholds at which to maintain humidify levels, temperature, and CO2 levels. In some instances, the thresholds may be maintained as a range, such as a particular value plus or minus two percent. The dehumidification system can also be programmed with a schedule to apply certain environmental conditions. For example, the dehumidification system can implement a lighting schedule for plants within the horticulture environment and a watering schedule for plants within the horticulture environment. The schedules can be implemented for different life cycles of the plant. For example, a watering schedule may differ for a particular plant seedling, growing, and flowering stage.
In addition to implementing a schedule statically, according to a set period of times, the dehumidification system can implement a schedule of temperatures, humidity, watering, CO2 level, lighting, and so forth dynamically based on a feedback system. For example, a horticulture environment may include sensors throughout the environment, including in the path airflow within the environment. Sensors may be placed along the path of air flow upstream, downstream, and within an area having plants, near the input and output of a dehumidification system within the horticulture environment, and in other areas of the environment. The group of sensors may include different types of sensors, including but not limited to light sensors, CO2 level sensors, temperature sensors, and humidify level sensors. In some instances, the humidity level sensors may detect the water consumed or released by (as in drying) or transpired by the plants by measuring an increase in the air flow humidity at the input and output of the dehumidification system. Based on the difference in humidity, a plant watering can be initiated for the amount of water that the plants are releasing, detected as a change in humidity.
In other instances, this measurement may be done through a weighing of the plant at different times of the day and before and after watering of the plants as when they are in the growing process, or throughout the drying process to monitor product quality. In some instances, a system controller can communicate with the dehumidification system to control the dehumidification based on data received from the one or more sensors, and may communicate with one or more other controllers to control and manage the horticulture environment temperature, CO2, and lighting. The system controller can also communicate with a remote server application to receive control data for managing the horticulture environment, report environmental data retrieved from the sensors within the environment, and perform other functions.
The dehumidifier 110 may include system controller 180. The system controller 180 may, in some instances, be implemented within dehumidifier 110. System controller 180 may communicate with temperature control system 120, light control system 130, watering control system 140, and CO2 control system 150 in the environment of
System controller 180 may be programmed with data locally via an input/output interface. The input/output interface may allow a user to provide control data and schedule data for controlling the horticulture environment. The input/output interface may also be used to specify reporting information, networking information, account information, identify different horticulture environments and their respective control data for management by the system controller, and other configurations. System controller 180 is discussed in more detail with respect to
Temperature control system 120 may detect a temperature of horticulture environment 100 and adjust the temperature as needed. In some instances, there may be a desired temperature or a desired schedule of temperatures for which the environment 100 should be maintained at. The temperature control system may detect the current temperature of the environment and adjust the temperature accordingly. In some instances, a temperature control system may include internal sensors to detect a temperature. In some instances, one or more sensors, such as sensors 175 or 176, or other sensors within environment 100, can be used to detect the temperature of the environment. In some instances, a heating element external to dehumidifier 110 may be controlled by temperature control system 120 to increase or decrease the horticulture environment temperature. In some instances, temperature control system 120 may be implemented at least in part within dehumidifier 110. For example, an air heater system may be implemented within dehumidifier 110, for example towards the end of the air path within the dehumidifier, and can be used to increase the temperature of the air output by the dehumidifier as needed.
Light control system 130 may control lighting throughout one or more portions of the horticulture environment 100. In some instances, light control system 130 may receive commands from system controller 190 to provide lighting to plants 160 according to a particular schedule. The lighting may include different types of lights, such as sunlight, ultraviolet light, or other light applied to plants 160 within horticulture environment 100.
Watering control system 140 may include a watering system 142 that provides water to plants 160. Watering control system may receive control signals from system controller 180 to provide water to plants 160. In some instances, system controller 180 may include a schedule of watering and may implement the schedule by control signals/commands transmitted to watering control system 140 by system controller 180. In response to receiving control signals, watering control system 140 may water the plants 160 within culture environment 100.
CO2 control system 150 may control or maintain a level of CO2 in the environment 100. The CO2 control system may receive CO2 commands from system controller 180. In some instances, one or more sensors 171-176 may be used to detect the level of CO2 in the horticulture environment 100. The sensors may provide the detected CO2 level data to system controller 180. In response to receiving the CO2 level data, system controller 180 may generate CO2 commands and transmit them to CO2 control system 150, causing the CO2 control system to release additional CO2 into horticulture environment 100. The amount of CO2 released into environment 100 may be tracked, for example as a function of the time that a CO2 solenoid is opened in order to release CO2 into the environment 100. This is discussed in more detail with respect to
Humidity controller 155 may control and maintain the humidity in horticulture environment 100. Humidity controller 155 may receive data related to, for example, environment humidity levels from sensors 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, and 176, and may control the operation of dehumidifier 110 at least in part in response to the received data. In some instances, humidity controller 155 of
Plants 160 may include any type of flower, fruit, vegetable, tree, or other plant capable of growing within a horticulture environment. In some instances, plants 160 may include cannabis. The horticulture environment may include any environment, including for example a green house, room, or other enclosed space, is that physically closed off such that environmental parameters such as humidity, temperature, CO2, and watering levels can be controlled.
System controller 180 may also receive data from sensors 171-176. The sensors may include a plurality of types of sensors, including temperature sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, and CO2. In some instances, sensors 173 and 174 may be placed along the airflow path extending over plans 160. Sensors 173 may detect features within the airflow such as humidity and CO2 level, while sensors 174 may detect features in the airflow after air pass through plants 160. As such, a difference in humidity, temperature, and other factors may be determined as the difference in values detected by sensors 173 and 174.
First energy exchange coil 215 receives an energy exchange liquid having a cooler temperature than the filtered air. In some instances, the energy exchange liquid temperature may be between 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. The energy exchange liquid (sometimes referred to as “liquid” herein) can include water or some other liquid capable changing temperature when passed through coils 215 and 235. Though the liquid passing through coils 215 and 235, traveling through the liquid ducts or passageways, may be referred to as water herein for purposes of discuss, such references to the liquid as water are not intended to limit the energy exchange liquid to water.
In some instances, cold water is pumped by variable speed pumping system 245 through liquid throughways 261 and 262. The cold water cools the air that is displaced through filter 210 and provides the cooled air to dehumidification coil 220. As a result of the warmer air passing by the coil of cold water (i.e., the air is warmer than the liquid passing through energy exchange coil 215), the water exiting coil 215 is warmer than the water that entered the coil 215.
Dehumidification coil 220 receives the cool air and dehumidifies the air. Dehumidification coil 220 spends less energy dehumidifying the air because the air has already been cooled towards the dew point from room temperature by first energy exchange coil 215.
Put another way, the passing of horticulture environment air through first energy exchange coil within the dehumidifier reduces the air temperature and changes the temperature of the horticulture environment air closer to, to and maybe even below the air dew point. The reduction of the air temperature (and in some cases humidity) reduces the energy required for the dehumidification coil to bring the temperature of the air completely to the air dew point as compared to the energy that would be required to change the temperature of the horticulture environment air from room temperature to the horticulture environment air dew point, without first reducing the air temperature by the first energy exchange coil.
Dehumidification coil 220 brings the air down to a dew point, whereby water can be withdrawn from the air. The humidified air then goes through air cleaner 225 and is directed by fans 230 to the second energy exchange coil 235.
Second energy exchange coil 235 receives the warm water provided by first energy exchange coil 215. The warm water is pumped or displaced through liquid throughways 263 and 264 from coil 215 to the second coil 235 by variable speed pumping system 250. The warm water received by second coil 235 serves to warm the dehumidified air displaced through coil 235. The cool and dehumidified air passes through the second coil 235, which has warm water running through the coils. The process results in the cooling of the water passing inside coil and exiting coil 235 and a warming of the air passing through the coil. The cool water is then driven by variable speed pumping system 245 back to the first energy exchange coil 215.
The warmed air is provided to energy injection/reheat coil 240. Coil 240 may warm the air to a desired temperature as determined by a system controller 180 and/or temperature controller. The output of the reheat coil is then provided back into the horticulture environment 100.
Humidity controller 255 may receive control commands from system controller 180 to control aspects of the dehumidifier, including but not limited to variable speed pumping systems 245 and 250, air fans 230, dehumidification coil 220, and energy injection/reheat coil 240. Humidity controller 255 may receive control signals from system controller 180 to engage pumping systems 245 and/or 250, turn air fans 230 on or off, and inject energy into the outgoing air by energy injection coil 240.
Though
By using a dual coil energy exchanger system, the first energy exchange coil 215 and the second energy exchange coil 235 exchange energy to make dehumidification more energy-efficient. The energy efficiency results from a cooling of air received by the dehumidifier when pass through the first energy exchange coil 215. After passing through the first coil and being the humidified, the air is pushed through the second energy exchange coil 235, where the cooled and the humidified air is heated before being output by the dehumidifier. Water is pumped between the first energy exchange coil and the second energy exchange coil so that it can be reuse and the energy within the water is exchanged with the air passing through the dehumidifier.
System controller may communicate with computing device 360 via network 330.
Network 330 may include one or more devices that enable machines to communicate with each other. There were 330 may include one or more of the public networks, private networks, intranets, the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or any other network over which data may be communicated.
Computing device 360 may access and communicate with server 350 and system controller 180 through network 330. An administrator 362, through computing device 360, may access control data, environment data, and plant data from application 358 on server 350. The administrator may also program system controller 180 over network 330. The programming of system controller 180 may include temperature, lighting, watering, CO2, and humidification to implement within an environment 100.
Server 350 may include control data 352, environment data 354, plant data 356, and application 358. The control data may include threshold data and scheduling data used to implement horticulture environment parameters. Examples of control data may include a schedule of temperatures to maintain, a schedule of lighting to implement, plant watering schedules, a level of CO2 to maintain, and a level of humidity to maintain within the horticulture environment 100. Environment data 354 may include data collected from sensors 340 and other data regarding environment 100, such as for example historic temperature, lighting, humidity and CO2 data. In some instances, sensors 340 of
Dehumidification control logic 410 controls the operation of dehumidifier 110. In some instances, the dehumidification control logic determines when the air should be dehumidified, for example based on sensors within a horticulture environment and a threshold humidity level, and directs humidifier controller 225 to activate a dehumidification process of dehumidifier 110. In some instances, the dehumidification control logic may include thresholds for dehumidification levels that are to be maintained within the horticulture environment.
CO2 control logic 420 includes logic for controlling a CO2 control system 150. In some instances, system controller 180 may include CO2 control logic that maintains a threshold level of CO2 within the air of a horticulture environment.
Temperature control logic 430 can include logic for maintaining a temperature within a horticulture environment. In some instances, the logic can generate control signals intended to engage a temperature control system 120. In some instances, the control signals may be used to engage an energy injection/reheat coil 240 to heat the air output by the dehumidifier. The control signals for the temperature control system 120 and/or reheat coil 240 may initiate heating of the environment using one or more heating elements suitable for heating air.
Light control logic 440 may include logic for implementing a lighting schedule within the horticulture environment 100. In some instances, light control logic for 40 may control light control system 130 to provide different levels of lighting at different times for plants 160 within the horticulture environment.
Control data 450 may include data such as thresholds for dehumidification, CO2 level, and temperature. Control data may also include schedules for lighting and watering. The control data may be used by the logic of system controller 182 to control aspects of the horticulture environment.
Network communication module 460 of system controller 180 may be used to communicate with server 350 and/or computing device 360 over network 330.
I/O 470 may be used to receive and process input and generate and process output by system controller 180. For example, I/O 470 may generate a control signal to turn on a light based on a signal, message, or communication received from light control logic for 40.
Water control logic 480 may control watering of plants 160 within horticulture environment 100. The watering may be based on a schedule, detected water use by the plants, and other information.
First, a dehumidifier system is initialized at step 510. Initialization may include establishing connections between a controller and sensors, the system controller and other controllers, powering up fans within a dehumidifier, and other operations. An environment control update may be received at step 515. The environment control update may include updated thresholds or schedules, such as a lighting schedule or temperature threshold, to implement within the environment. In some instances, the update may be received by system controller 180 from server 350 in response to updated threshold data, schedule data, or other changes to data received by server 350 from computing device 360. Sensor data may be received at step 520. In some instances, sensors 171-176 may all provide data to system controller 180 at step 520. In some instances, one or more sensors may provide data to system controller 180 at different times than other sensors. The sensors may push data to system controller periodically, provide the data in response to request, or provide the data based on some other event.
A determination is made as to whether the horticulture environment air should be dehumidified, for example based on sensor data, at step 525. If the detected humidity of the air is greater than a threshold humidity that should be maintained within the horticulture environment, then the environment air is automatically dehumidified at step 530. Dehumidification includes processing air by a dehumidifier with dual coil energy exchangers. More details for automatically dehumidifying horticulture environment air is discussed with respect to the method of
A determination is made as to whether water should be replenished to plants, for example based on sensor data at step 535. In some instances, sensors may detect the water level or humidity level difference between the air leaving the dehumidifier and entering the dehumidifier. Based on this difference in water content within the horticulture environment air, an amount of water being consumed by the plants can be determined. If no water is to be replenished at step 535, the method of
Other environment control operations are performed at step 545. The additional environment control operations may include maintaining the temperature of the environment, the lighting of the environment, and the CO2 level the environment. More details for performing environment control operations are discussed with respect to the method of
One or more air fans may then pull environment air through a first energy exchange coil at step 620. The pulled air is then cooled by cold liquid (such as water, traveling inside the coils, that has a temperature that is cooler than the air traveling through the coils) within the first energy exchange coil at step 625. Once the liquid has traveled through the first coil, the liquid temperature is increased and is pumped to the second energy exchange coil at step 630. The cold air is dehumidified at a dehumidification coil at step 635. The cooled air may be dehumidified by bringing the air temperature below a dewpoint for the air. The cooled and the dehumidified air is warmed by warmed liquid traveling inside a second energy exchange coil at step 640. The warm liquid at the second energy exchange coil is cooled by cool air traveling through the second energy exchange coil and is pumped back to the first energy exchange coil at step 645. The warmed and dehumidified air may optionally be warmed by an energy insertion coil within the dehumidifier. The dehumidified air is then output into the environment at step 650.
A CO2 schedule is implemented for plants based on CO2 control data at step 840. In some instances, after implementing the CO2 schedule, a plant vitality metric based on the CO2 solenoid operation may be determined at step 850. The plant vitality metric may be based at least in part on the amount of CO2 released into the environment. The amount of CO2 released into the environment may be determined at least in part, for example, by an amount of time that a solenoid is kept open while CO2 is released from the solenoid. Lighting temperature and CO2 data are then detected by sensors 171-176 within environment 100 and transmitted to server 350 for storage and reporting to user.
The components shown in
Mass storage device 930, which may be implemented with a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a flash drive, or other device, is a non-volatile storage device for storing data and instructions for use by processor unit 910. Mass storage device 930 can store the system software for implementing embodiments of the present invention for purposes of loading that software into main memory 920.
Portable storage device 940 operates in conjunction with a portable non-volatile storage medium, such as a floppy disk, compact disk or Digital video disc, USB drive, memory card or stick, or other portable or removable memory, to input and output data and code to and from the computer system 900 of
Input devices 960 provide a portion of a user interface. Input devices 960 may include an alpha-numeric keypad, such as a keyboard, for inputting alpha-numeric and other information, a pointing device such as a mouse, a trackball, stylus, cursor direction keys, microphone, touch-screen, accelerometer, and other input devices. Additionally, the system 900 as shown in
Display system 970 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other suitable display device. Display system 970 receives textual and graphical information and processes the information for output to the display device. Display system 970 may also receive input as a touch-screen.
Peripherals 980 may include any type of computer support device to add additional functionality to the computer system. For example, peripheral device(s) 980 may include a modem or a router, printer, and other device.
The system of 900 may also include, in some implementations, antennas, radio transmitters and radio receivers 990. The antennas and radios may be implemented in devices such as smart phones, tablets, and other devices that may communicate wirelessly. The one or more antennas may operate at one or more radio frequencies suitable to send and receive data over cellular networks, Wi-Fi networks, commercial device networks such as a Bluetooth device, and other radio frequency networks. The devices may include one or more radio transmitters and receivers for processing signals sent and received using the antennas.
The components contained in the computer system 900 of
The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claims appended hereto.
