Patent Grant
11266081
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is the process of growing plants in a controlled environment where various environmental parameters are monitored and adjusted to improve the quality and yield of the plants grown. Compared to conventional approaches of plant cultivation, CEA may enable year-round production of plants, insensitivity to variable weather conditions, reduce pests and diseases, and reduce the amount of resources consumed on a per plant basis. A controlled agricultural environment is typically enclosed, at least in part, by a building structure such as a greenhouse, a grow room, or a covered portion of a field in order to provide some degree of control over environmental conditions. Additional control systems may be deployed to adjust various environmental parameters including lighting, temperature, humidity, nutrient levels, and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. For example, one or more artificial lighting systems are often used in such controlled agricultural environments to supplement and/or replace natural sunlight that may be obstructed by the building structure or insufficient during certain periods of the year (e.g., winter months).
In conventional CEA, multiple sensors are often deployed and utilized to monitor growth conditions in a growing area. The integration of sensors in various agricultural settings is typically based on two general design approaches: (1) a wireless sensor network (WSN) system and (2) an Internet of Things (IoT) system. For both WSN systems and IoT systems, each sensor deployed in the environment typically communicates wirelessly and relies upon a battery for power.
WSN and IoT sensor systems may in some instances provide for ease of installation and flexible deployment, particularly over larger growing environments. The Inventors have recognized and appreciated, however, that wireless sensor systems for agricultural applications may be significantly limited by (1) the reliance on a portable power source (e.g., a battery), which needs to be periodically replenished or replaced and (2) reliability issues that arise due to shadowing effects of plants in the environments (e.g., a sufficient density of leaves may obstruct and, in some instances, block wireless communication).
In view of the foregoing, the Inventors have contemplated sensor configurations for CEA to provide for more robust and reliable operation of sensors. For example, in one aspect, providing wired rather than wireless power and network communication resources to sensors in an agricultural setting arguably would increase their robustness and reliability; at the same time, providing sufficient cabling to power and/or communicate with each sensor in the environment may impose certain burdens to installers in, or operators of, the agricultural environment.
The Inventors have recognized and appreciated, however, that lighting systems employed in CEA may serve as a platform for distributing wired power and providing a wired network communications infrastructure for multiple other devices deployed and utilized in a controlled agricultural environment. By leveraging the lighting system to support the operation of various sensors and other devices, these sensors and devices may be easily positioned to cover regions of the environment relevant to the growth of plants (e.g., since the lighting fixtures are deployed in areas where plants are located).
More specifically, a lighting system for CEA is often deployed in a growing area in a substantially regular arrangement (e.g., of rows and columns of lighting fixtures above shelves of plants) to ensure a substantially even distribution of light in the environment (photosynthetically active radiation, or PAR). The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that the arrangement of lighting fixtures in a given growing area may be employed to divide the space of the growing area into a multidimensional grid of nodes, for which the lighting system may provide one or both of operating power and network communication access points in respective nodes of the grid.
For example, the space of a given growing area may be defined by three orthogonal axes (e.g., an x-axis along the width of the space, a y-axis along the length of the space, and a z-axis along the height of the space). Respective lighting fixtures of a lighting system may be positioned at a certain height (zlights) in the space and at corresponding positions (x1, y1) along the width and length of the space. The respective positions of the lighting fixtures may in turn be used to define a multidimensional grid of nodes in the space for which the lighting system may provide one or both of operating power and network communications connections (e.g., Ethernet transmit/receive access) to one or more devices (e.g., a sensor or actuator) situated at or near one or more of the nodes. In such an exemplary framework, at a given lighting fixture position (x1, y1) along the width and length of the space, multiple sensors may be deployed at different heights along the z-axis (e.g., different vertical levels of the agricultural environment, such as a soil level, a plant level, a light canopy level, and an ambient environment level).
Thus, the Inventors have recognized and appreciated the practical advantages of an industrial horticultural lighting system for CEA that serves as a power and network communications “backbone” in a growing area to provide for significant flexibility, reliability and robustness in the deployment of other apparatus useful for CEA (e.g., sensors and actuators). The Inventors further have recognized and appreciated the practical advantages of designing respective components of such a lighting system to significantly facilitate safe, efficient and relatively inexpensive assembly and installation of the lighting system in a given growing area.
To this end, industrial horticultural lighting systems are described herein in which respective lighting fixtures of the system include industrial-type AC power connectors, and respective cables of the system are industrial type cables (e.g., multi-point interconnection power cable assemblies for industrial machinery according to the Underwriters Laboratory (UL®) product category PVVA and compliant with the UL® standard 2237). The use of industrial type connectors and cables to provide operating power to respective lighting fixtures of the system significantly facilitates an essentially “tool-less” lighting system assembly and installation process in a growing area (e.g., in which no conduit is required for running electrical wires). In one example implementation, multiple lighting fixtures may be daisy-chained together via industrial power cables (e.g., that ultimately connect directly to a breaker panel in the controlled agricultural environment).
In another aspect, respective lighting fixtures of an industrial horticultural lighting system are equipped with one or more network communication ports (e.g., RJ45 ports for Ethernet or Power over Ethernet), and waterproof network communication cables (e.g., Cat-5 or other categories of Ethernet cables) are employed to interconnect the network communication ports of respective lighting fixtures. In this manner, the lighting system may be washed down from time to time once deployed in the controlled agricultural environment. In yet another aspect, integrated sensor assemblies comprising multiple sensors may be readily coupled via a variety of cabling and wired connection assemblies (gooseneck flexible conductors, angled connectors, variable length cables) to one or more power and communication ports of a given lighting fixture (e.g., PoE ports or USB ports on the lighting fixtures) to provide for a multidimensional distributed sensing network in the growing area. In yet another aspect, respective lighting fixtures of the lighting system may be fluid-cooled fixtures, and pipes carrying fluid-coolant through respective lighting fixtures may be coupled together readily using a variety of push-to-connect plumbing fittings, thereby further facilitating system assembly and installation.
Distributed sensing techniques according to the present disclosure may be used to systematically monitor growth conditions for plants across an agricultural environment. Data collected by multiple sensors deployed in the controlled agricultural environment can be analyzed and displayed according to a variety of modalities, for example, via a sophisticated human-machine interface (HMI). Distributed sensors in the controlled agricultural environment may also be coupled to one or more control systems in a feedback loop where data acquired by one or more of the distributed sensors may be used to adjust the one or more control systems (e.g., to improve or maintain growth conditions in the agricultural environment).
In one exemplary implementation, multiple sensors are deployed in a controlled agricultural environment as a distributed sensor grid. The distributed sensor grid includes one or more node arrays, where each node array divides at least a portion of the controlled agricultural environment into nodes, e.g., discrete points in space which have a known location (e.g., absolute or relative) in the environment. In various aspects, a given node array of a distributed sensor grid may be one dimensional, two dimensional, or three dimensional (e.g., based at least in part on the distribution of growing areas and/or crops in the controlled agricultural environment). For example, in some implementations, a given node array may include multiple nodes arranged in a substantially linear or curvilinear fashion spaced along a row of plants to provide a one-dimensional node array. Another type of node array may include multiple nodes arranged in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to a floor or a ceiling in the controlled agricultural environment to provide a two-dimensional node array. Yet another type of node array may include multiple nodes arranged in multiple horizontal planes substantially parallel to the floor or ceiling in the controlled agricultural environment, wherein the respective horizontal planes of nodes constitute multiple vertical levels corresponding to different zones of interest in the controlled growing environment (e.g., the soil, the plant, the lighting canopy, and the ambient environment).
In another aspect of such node arrays, one or more sensors are deployed at a given node to monitor various environmental conditions near the node. Examples of sensors that may be included in the distributed sensor grid at a given node of a node array include, but are not limited to, a visible light sensor, a UV light sensor, an air temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, an airflow sensor, a CO2 sensor, an IR temperature sensor, a chemical sensor, a pH sensor, and cameras configured to capture still images or videos of the agricultural environment with various spectral qualities. Thus, the distributed sensor grid including one or more node arrays in the controlled agricultural environment may be employed to systematically monitor a variety of environmental conditions relevant to the growth of plants as a function of location in the agricultural environment. In another aspect, common power and network connections may also be employed to facilitate connectivity between various nodes in the distributed sensor grid.
In some implementations, the controlled agricultural environment includes multiple fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixtures, as described herein. In these implementations, the distributed sensor grid, at least in part, may be integrated with the LED-based lighting fixtures such that the fixtures provide a platform for the distribution of sensors disposed at one or more nodes of the distributed sensor grid. For example, the LED-based lighting fixtures can include network, electrical power, and plumbing connections to facilitate an assembly of multiple lighting fixtures in the controlled agricultural environment, and the lighting fixtures in turn provide networking and electrical connectivity to and between one or more sensors disposed at respective nodes of the sensor grid. In some implementations, each lighting fixture includes one or more ports (e.g., Power over Ethernet, USB) to which an integrated sensor assembly may be coupled, wherein the integrated sensor assembly includes multiple sensors to monitor growth conditions. Thus, the placement of such lighting fixtures in the controlled agricultural environment may in part define different nodes of the distributed sensor grid at which one or more integrated sensor assemblies may be deployed. By leveraging the power and network connections provided by the lighting fixtures, the integrated sensor assemblies can be connected to one another, thus forming a distributed sensor grid.
In some implementations, the distributed sensor grid can be coupled to a processor, e.g., a computer or a server, which stores and processes various data obtained by respective sensors in the distributed sensor grid. The processor (e.g., computer or server) also may provide for a graphical user interface, referred to herein as a “human machine interface” (HMI), to allow curators/operators of the controlled agricultural environment (“users”) to monitor and control various aspects of the agricultural environment (e.g., access various data obtained by the sensors, view and display various results relating to analysis of data obtained by respective sensors, control one or more of lighting, temperature, humidity, air flow, and air quality in the controlled agricultural environment). In one aspect, the HMI can enable users to display data and analytical results pertaining to one or more nodes of the distributed sensor grid on a node-by-node basis or on the basis of particular groups of nodes. Sensor data may be viewed in real-time, and historical data may be viewed as a function time in a wide variety of manners. Additionally, the HMI provides an interface to permit users to automate, at least in part, various controllable conditions in the agricultural environment based on data obtained by one or more sensors of the distributed sensor grid.
By way of example, the distributed sensor grid can incorporate integrated sensor assemblies and fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixtures described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/660,720 entitled, “Integrated sensor assembly for water-cooled LED-based controlled environment agricultural (CEA) lighting,” filed on Apr. 20, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.
In sum, one implementation is directed to an industrial horticultural lighting system for controlled environment agriculture (CEA), the lighting system comprising: A) a first lighting fixture comprising: a first housing; at least one first light source mechanically supported by the first housing; at least one first pipe thermally coupled to the first housing to carry a fluid coolant, wherein during operation of the first lighting fixture the fluid coolant flowing through the at least one first pipe extracts heat generated by the first lighting fixture; and a first AC power port comprising a first industrial type connector; B) a second lighting fixture comprising: a second housing; at least one second light source mechanically supported by the second housing; at least one second pipe thermally coupled to the second housing to carry the fluid coolant, wherein during operation of the second lighting fixture the fluid coolant flowing through the at least one second pipe extracts heat generated by the second lighting fixture; and a second AC power port comprising a second industrial type connector; C) a first industrial power cable coupled to the first industrial type connector constituting the first AC power port of the first lighting fixture, the first power cable having a first connector (P1) and a second connector (P2); D) an industrial drop tee cable, coupled to the first power cable and the second industrial type connector constituting the second AC power port of the second lighting fixture, the drop tee cable having a first connector (P1), a second connector (P2), and a third connector (P3); and E) a second industrial power cable coupled to the drop tee cable, the second power cable having a first connector (P1) and a second connector (P2).
Another example implementation is directed to a lighting system kit, comprising: A) X lighting fixtures, wherein X is an integer having a value of at least two, each lighting fixture of the X lighting fixtures comprising: a housing; at least one light source mechanically supported by the housing; at least one pipe thermally coupled to the housing to carry a fluid coolant, wherein during operation of the lighting fixture the fluid coolant flowing through the at least one pipe extracts heat generated by the lighting fixture; and an AC power port comprising an industrial type connector; B) X industrial power cables, each industrial power cable having a first connector and a second connector; and C) Y industrial drop tee cables, wherein Y is an integer having a value less than X, each drop tee cable having a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector.
Another example implementation is directed to a method of installing a lighting system comprising at least two lighting fixtures, each lighting fixture of the at least two lighting fixtures comprising a housing, at least one light source mechanically supported by the housing, at least one pipe thermally coupled to the housing to carry a fluid coolant, an AC power port, and at least one network communications port, the method comprising: A) coupling together the AC power port of respective lighting fixtures of the at least two lighting fixtures with a plurality of industrial power cables without using one or more conduits for the plurality of industrial power cables; and B) coupling together the at least one network communications port of the respective lighting fixtures of the at least two lighting fixtures with a plurality of waterproof network communications cables.
Another example implementation is directed to a distributed sensor system comprising: a first plurality of integrated sensor assemblies distributed along (1) a first horizontal axis at approximately or substantially regular intervals defined by a first pitch and (2) a vertical axis at intervals corresponding to a first set of vertical levels of an agricultural environment, wherein: the first horizontal axis is substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis; and the first pitch of the first plurality of integrated sensor assemblies along the first horizontal axis substantially corresponds to respective positions of a first plurality of lighting fixtures disposed in the agricultural environment substantially along the first horizontal axis.
Another example implementation is directed to a distributed sensor system comprising: a first plurality of integrated sensor assemblies distributed along (1) a first horizontal axis at approximately or substantially regular intervals defined by a first pitch and (2) a vertical axis at intervals corresponding to a first set of levels of an agricultural environment, wherein: the first horizontal axis is substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis; and each integrated sensor assembly in the first plurality of integrated sensor assemblies is mechanically coupled to one of a cable or a port that supplies at least one of power or network communication access to the integrated sensor assembly.
Another example implementation is directed to a distributed lighting and sensing system for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in a growing area space defined by three orthogonal axes including a first axis (x) along a width of the growing area space, a second axis (y) along a length of the growing area space, and third axis (z) along a height of the growing area space, the system comprising: a lighting system, comprising: a first lighting fixture at a first position (x1, y1) in a plane defined by the first axis and the second axis of the growing area space and at a first height (zlight) along the third axis of the growing area space and; and a second lighting fixture at a second position (x2, y2) in the plane defined by the first axis and the second axis of the growing area space and at the first height (zlight) along the third axis of the growing area space, wherein the first position (x1, y1) of the first lighting fixture at the first height (zlight) and the second position (x2, y2) of the second lighting fixture at the first height (zlight) define a multidimensional grid of nodes in the growing area space at which the lighting system provides at least one of operating power or network communications access to respective nodes of the multidimensional grid of nodes; and a sensing system, comprising: a first sensor situated at or near a first node (x1, y1, z1) of the multidimensional grid of nodes, the first sensor coupled to the first lighting fixture to receive the at least one of operating power or network communication access from the first lighting fixture; and a second sensor situated at or near a second node (x2, y2, z2) of the multidimensional grid of nodes, the second sensor coupled to the second lighting fixture to receive the at least one of operating power or network communication access from the second lighting fixture, wherein z1 and z2 are different. In one aspect, x1=x2 or y1=y2 such that the multidimensional grid of nodes is a two-dimensional array of nodes. In another aspect, x1 and x2 are different, and y1 and y2 are different, such that the multidimensional grid of nodes is a three-dimensional array of nodes.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and implementations of, methods, apparatus and systems for lighting and distributed sensing in a controlled agricultural environment. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in multiple ways. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations and alternatives apparent to those skilled in the art.
The figures and example implementations described below are not meant to limit the scope of the present implementations to a single embodiment. Other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed example implementations may be partially or fully implemented using known components, in some instances only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present implementations are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the present implementations.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is the process of growing plants in a controlled environment where various environmental parameters, such as lighting, temperature, humidity, nutrient levels, and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are monitored and adjusted to improve the quality and yield of the plants. Compared to conventional approaches of plant cultivation, CEA may enable year-round production of plants, insensitivity to variable weather conditions, reduce pests and diseases, and reduce the amount of resources consumed on a per plant basis. Additionally, CEA may support various types of growing systems including, but not limited to soil-based systems and hydroponics systems.
For an environment utilizing CEA, sensors should preferably be deployed throughout the environment to monitor various environmental parameters pertinent to the growth of different plant species contained within the environment. Various types of sensors may be deployed to monitor various environmental parameters including, but limited to, air temperature, leaf temperature, air flow, relative humidity, lighting conditions (e.g., spectral intensity, radiant intensity such as the photosynthetic flux density), CO2 concentrations, pH levels in the soil, and air pollution. These environmental parameters may also vary as a function of location within the environment. For example, the air flow rate above a lighting fixture may differ substantially from the air flow rate just above the plants.
The data recorded by the sensors may be used to provide insight on various aspects of plant development including, but not limited to the health of the plants, yield rates, and projected harvest dates. The data may also be used to provide feedback to various control systems deployed in the environment in order to adjust the environmental parameters described above. These control systems may include, but are not limited to, lighting systems, heating/cooling systems (e.g., hydronics, air conditioning), air flow systems, and humidity conditioning systems.
Conventional sensors in CEA systems, however, are typically designed and deployed irrespective of other sensors disposed in the environment and the control systems to which they may be coupled to. For example, different types of sensors may each have to be installed separately even if the sensors are monitoring the same region of the environment. In some instances, a separate platform or support structure may be installed (e.g., a frame, a rafter) to enable the sensors to monitor an otherwise inaccessible region of the environment (e.g., right above the plants). In another example, each type of sensor deployed in the environment may be connected to a power source and/or a control system (e.g., a computer) using a proprietary connection mechanism (e.g., different types of cables). In an environment where numerous sensors may be deployed, the integration of the sensors into the CEA system may be hindered by practical limitations related to separately connecting each sensor to the power source/control system. In yet another example, each sensor may be communicatively coupled to a control system using a separate system (e.g. a different interface on a computer, different communication channels), which further increase the difficulty in leveraging multiple sensors to monitor and control the environment.
In order to overcome these challenges, conventional CEA systems and other agricultural applications have relied upon wireless sensors used in a wireless sensor network (WSN) system or an Internet of Things (IoT) system. The WSN and IoT systems have enabled deployment of sensors over large agricultural spaces. However, the sensors are typically powered by a battery, which should be periodically replaced or recharged in the field. For a CEA system comprising hundreds or thousands of sensors, the added cost for batteries and time for labor is undesirable. Additionally, wireless communication may be hindered by obstructions in the environment. For example, sensors deployed to monitor soil conditions may be blocked by plant leaves.
The present disclosure is thus directed to various implementations of a distributed sensor grid for controlled agricultural environments, respective components of such distributed sensor grids, and methods of assembling and using the distributed sensor grid. In one aspect, the sensors deployed in the distributed sensing systems may be wired (as opposed to being wireless) in order to provide a persistent source of power. In order to overcome the challenge of connecting each sensor to a common power source and/or network node for communication, a plurality of lighting fixtures disposed in the environment may be configured to supply power and/or communication to each sensor. The lighting fixture(s), which may be electrically and communicatively coupled to one another, may thus serve as a platform to support the sensors in the distributed sensing systems. Each sensor may be coupled to a lighting fixture rather than having to be routed to a common power source or communication node, thus simplifying installation and integration.
By leveraging the lighting fixtures to support the operation of various sensors, the distributed sensing system naturally covers regions of the environment relevant to the growth of plants (i.e., the lighting fixtures are deployed in areas where plants are located). In another aspect, the sensors used in the distributed sensing system may thus be deployed at locations in the environment where lighting fixtures are located.
The distributed sensor grid may include one or more node arrays that divide an agricultural environment into nodes, e.g., discrete points in space, with known locations in the environment. Each node can include one or more sensors to monitor the environmental conditions proximate to the node. The nodes may be further differentiated according to levels that correspond to various parts of a plant system. The nodes in the node array may also share power and network connections to simplify the integration of various sensor modalities in the distributed sensor grid and to improve ease of use in storing, accessing, and processing data from said sensor modalities. A processor may also be coupled to the distributed sensor grid to facilitate user interaction via a human machine interface.
Exemplary implementations of a distributed sensor grid are based, in part, on concepts related to fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixtures and integrated sensor assemblies deployed in controlled agricultural environments. Accordingly, example implementations of a fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixture and an integrated sensor assembly are described below in the first instance to provide illustrative context for inventive implementations of the distributed sensor grid described in the present disclosure.
An Exemplary Lighting Fixture and Lighting System for CEA
A controlled agricultural environment is typically enclosed, at least in part, by a building structure such as a greenhouse, a grow room, or a covered portion of a field in order to provide some degree of control over environmental conditions. One or more artificial lighting systems are often used in such controlled agricultural environments to supplement and/or replace natural sunlight that may be obstructed by the building structure or insufficient during certain periods of the year (e.g., winter months). The use of an artificial lighting system may also provide yet another measure of control where the intensity and spectral characteristics of the lighting system may be tailored to improve the photosynthetic rates of plants. Various types of artificial lighting systems may be used including, but not limited to, a high intensity discharge lamp, a light emitting diode (LED), and a fluorescent lamp.
Artificial lighting systems, however, generate heat, which when dissipated into the environment may contribute significantly to the cooling load of the controlled agricultural environment. In order to accommodate the higher cooling load and thus maintain the controlled agricultural environment within a desired temperature envelope, the cooling capacity of a cooling system may need to be increased resulting in greater energy consumption. For a controlled agricultural environment on a variable energy budget, greater energy consumption may lead to higher energy costs. Alternatively, for a controlled environment on a fixed energy budget, a larger portion of the energy budget may be consumed by the cooling system, thus reducing the energy and capacity available to support a larger crop size and yield.
To illustrate the impact excess heat generated by an artificial lighting system may have on energy consumption,
As shown in
The amount of heat generated may vary depending on the type of lighting system used. However, artificial lighting systems for controlled agricultural environments generally have large power inputs (e.g., greater than 1000 W) in order to sustain a sufficient level of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Thus, the heat generated by various types of lighting systems may still constitute a large portion of heat produced within the environment. In another example,
A fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixture may provide several benefits to a controlled agricultural environment. As an example,
As shown in
Although a cooling tower 557 is shown in
In another example,
As shown in
In some implementations, the hydronics system 501A may also be used to regulate the temperature of the ambient environment itself. For example, the hydronics system 501A may be used to heat the controlled agricultural environment 2000B convectively and/or radiatively as the fluid coolant 800 flows through the hydronics system 501A. Furthermore, while
An exemplary implementation of a fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixture 1000 is shown in
The frame 1004 may be a mechanically rigid, hollow structure that forms a substantially enclosed housing. The interior cavity of the frame 1004 may be dimensioned to house a plurality of components in the lighting fixture 1000, such as various electronics in the processor 90. The frame 1004 may include one or more mounting features within the interior cavity to securely couple the plurality components to the frame 1004. For example, the frame 1004 may include one or more slots disposed within the interior cavity of the frame 1004 and arranged so as to mechanically support at least two opposing edges of a printed circuit board. Other mounting features may include, but are not limited to mounting posts and mounting stubs.
One or more removable panels may be included in the frame 1004 to provide access to the interior space. The one or more removable panels may be coupled to a portion of the frame 1004 using various types of coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, clips, and clamps. In some implementations, the frame 1004 may form a sufficiently airtight enclosure or cavity to protect components, e.g., electronics, that may be sensitive to the environmental conditions of the controlled agricultural environment. For example, the controlled agricultural environment may operate at a relative humidity that may cause moisture to condense onto various surfaces of the lighting fixture 1000, causing damage to components including exposed electronics. In instances where the frame 1004 is an airtight enclosure, moisture may be substantially restricted from infiltrating the interior space of the frame 1004 to reduce the likelihood of condensation forming onto components disposed within the frame 1004.
The frame 1004 may also include a recessed portion disposed along at least one side of the frame 1004, e.g., the bottom side, with sidewalls that at least partially surround one or more LED modules 400. The recessed portion may be used to direct light emitted by the one or more LED modules 400 along a preferred direction and angular distribution. For example, the recessed portion may be used to substantially illuminate a growing area containing one or more plants located below the frame 1004. In some implementations, the surface quality and orientation of the interior surfaces of the sidewalls forming the recessed portion may form an integrated reflector to reflect light emitted by the one or more LED modules 400. For example, the interior surfaces of the sidewalls may be polished to reflect light in a substantially specular manner and oriented such that light is reflected towards a preferred direction, e.g., the growing area.
The frame 1004 may also include one or more channels formed along one or more sides of the frame 1004 where each channel may be used to secure a corresponding coolant pipe 1006 to the frame 1004. The cross-sectional shape of the channel may be substantially similar to the cross-sectional shape of the coolant pipe 1006 to facilitate insertion of the coolant pipe 1006 into the channel. The coolant pipe 1006 may be secured to the channel of the frame 1004 using several approaches. For example, the cross-section dimensions of the channel may be equal to or smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the coolant pipe 1006 to facilitate a press fit where the coolant pipe 1006 is secured to the channel via friction. In other examples, the coolant pipe 1006 may be clamped to the frame 1004 using one or more clamps, which may include, but are not limited to zip ties and clamps with a worm drive fastener. The clamps may be removable to allow replacement of the coolant pipes 1006. The surface of the one or more channels may also be polished to improve thermal contact with the coolant pipe 1006, thus enabling greater heat dissipation into the fluid coolant 800. In yet other examples, the coolant pipes 1006 may be adhered or bonded to the frame 1004 using various methods including, but not limited to adhesive bonding, welding, and brazing. Thermal interface material may also be disposed between the channel and the coolant pipe to improve thermal contact.
The frame 1004 may also be, at least in part, thermally conducting to transfer heat from the one or more LED modules 400 to the coolant pipe 1006. In particular, a first portion of the frame 1004 disposed between the LED module 400 and the coolant pipe 1006 may be formed from a thermally conducting material with dimensions to (1) reduce the distance between the LED module 400 and the coolant pipe 1006 and (2) increase the lateral cross-sectional area between the LED module 400 and the coolant pipe 1006. In this manner, the thermal resistance between the LED module 400 and the coolant pipe 1006 may be reduced. In some implementations, the frame 1004 may be formed entirely from the thermally conducting material to simplify manufacture and assembly. In some implementations, the first portion of the frame 1004 may be formed from a thermally conducting material while the remainder of the frame 1004 is formed from another material, such as a polymer in order to reduce material costs.
The frame 1004 may be formed from various metals, ceramics, polymers, or composites including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, polyethylene, acrylic, and porcelain. Depending on the materials used to form the frame 1004, various method of manufacture may be utilized including, but not limited to extrusion, sandcasting, milling, injection molding, and manual molding. For instances where the frame 1004 is assembled form multiple parts, various coupling mechanisms may be used for assembly including, but not limited to snap fits, screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, adhesives, brazing, and welding.
The light spine 1002 may be used to secure the lighting fixture 1000 to a support structure in the controlled agricultural environment. The support structure may be various types of structures including, but not limited to a railing, a suspended platform, a ceiling, and a wall. The light spine 1002 may be a protruding fin formed onto the frame 1004 that includes one or more holes of varying size to accommodate different sizes and types of coupling mechanisms used to secure the lighting fixture 1000 to the support structure. The coupling mechanisms may include, but are not limited to bolt fasteners, screw fasteners, hooks, and shackles. The light spine 1002 may be dimensioned to span the length of the frame 1004, thus providing multiple locations along the frame 1004 to couple the lighting fixture 1000 to the support structure in a stable manner. For example, the light spine 1002 may be disposed on the top side of the frame 1004 with a length that spans the length of the frame 1004. The light spine 1002 may include a plurality of holes where the center axis of each hole is parallel to the top side of the frame 1004. Multiple bolt fasteners may be installed at each end and the center of the light spine 1002 to secure the lighting fixture 1000 to a sidewall of a support structure. Multiple light spines 1002 may also be distributed along the length of the frame 1004 or on multiple sides of the frame 1004 to allow the lighting fixture 1000 to be coupled to different support structures.
As described above, the coolant pipe 1006 may be used to flow fluid coolant 800 to capture heat generated by the LED module 400. The coolant pipe 1006 may be dimensioned to have a length longer than the frame 1004 such that a portion of the coolant pipe 1006 may extend beyond the sides of the frame 1004 to facilitate coupling of the coolant pipe 1006 to a pipe from a coolant circuit, a hydronics system, or another lighting fixture 1000. Various types of coupling mechanisms may be used to couple the coolant pipe 1006 to another pipe including, but not limited to threaded fittings, where the ends of the coolant pipe 1006 have corresponding threads, and bolt fasteners, where the end of the coolant pipe 1006 have a flange that mates to a corresponding flange on another pipe. In a preferred implementation, push-to-connect plumbing fittings may be used as a coupling mechanism where the ends of the coolant pipe 1006 are left bare. In this manner, internal seals and O-rings do not need to be used.
Multiple coolant pipes 1006 may be incorporated into the frame 1004 where each coolant pipe 1006 may be used to flow fluid coolant 800 along the same or opposing directions. For example, the lighting fixture 1000 may include two coolant pipes 1006 disposed on opposing sides of the frame 1004. For a lighting fixture 1000 that supports multiple LED modules 400, an opposing flow configuration (e.g., fluid coolant 800 flows in opposing directions between the two coolant pipes 1006) may more uniformly remove heat from the multiple LED modules 400. In comparison, a same flow configuration will result in more heat removed from the LED module 400 closest to the fluid coolant 800 input and less heat removed from the LED module 400 furthest from the fluid coolant 800 input. Additionally, the opposing flow configuration may more readily facilitate implementation of a closed coolant circuit. For example, the two coolant pipes 1006 may be connected at one end by a plumbing fitting such that fluid coolant 800 entering the lighting fixture 1000 flows through a first coolant pipe 1006 and then a second coolant pipe 1006 serially before exiting the lighting fixture 1000 on the same side.
The coolant pipe 1006 may be formed from various materials including copper, aluminum, and stainless steel. In a preferred implementation, the coolant pipes 1006 may be formed from copper to reduce algae growth, fouling, and corrosion. Thus, by coupling copper coolant pipes 1006 using the push-to-connect plumbing fittings described above, the fluid coolant 800 may pass through a coolant circuit made up of only copper without contacting other materials in the lighting fixture (e.g., an aluminum frame 1004).
The cross-sectional dimensions of the coolant pipe 1006 may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to a desired flow rate, fluid coolant properties (e.g., dynamic viscosity, density), and a desired type of flow. For example, it may be desirable for the fluid coolant to be in a turbulent flow regime, which engenders a higher heat transfer coefficient, thus dissipating more heat from the lighting fixture 1000. In some implementations, the cross-sectional dimensions of the coolant pipe 1006 may be chosen such that a particular Reynold's number, Re, is greater than a desired threshold (e.g., Re>4000 for turbulent flow) for a given pump power and coolant circuit geometry. The interior surface of the coolant pipe 1006 may also be roughened to increase the surface area and the convective heat transfer coefficient. The effective depth and pitch of the interior surface roughness may be chosen so as to not substantially increase pumping requirements (e.g., due to a larger pressure drop) and maintains wettability of the interior surface to the fluid coolant 800 (e.g., remains hydrophilic, oleophilic).
The fluid coolant 800 used to capture and carry heat from the lighting fixture 1000 may be chosen based on several factors. First, it is preferable for the fluid coolant 800 to exhibit a high thermal conductivity and a high specific heat in order to increase heat dissipation from the LED module 400 to the fluid coolant 800. Second, the fluid coolant 800 should remain in a liquid phase within the operating temperature and pressure range of the controlled agricultural environment. For example, the fluid coolant 800 should not freeze or boil as it passes through the lighting fixture 1000, the coolant circuit, the hydronics system, or a cooling tower. Third, the fluid coolant 800 should also be chosen so as not to substantially corrode the coolant pipe 1006. For controlled agricultural environments, the fluid coolant 800 may be various fluids including, but not limited to water, mineral oil, glycol, and mixtures.
The lighting fixture 1000 also may include one or more communication and/or auxiliary power ports, for example, to provide auxiliary DC power to one or more auxiliary devices coupled to the port(s), and/or facilitate communications between the lighting fixture and the one or more auxiliary devices. Example of such ports include, but are not limited to, one or more Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports and/or one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports.
For example, the lighting fixture 1000 may include at least one electrical power port 1010 to supply electrical power to various components in the lighting fixture 1000 (e.g., the LED module 400) and/or various components electrically coupled to the lighting fixture 1000 (e.g., other lighting fixtures 1000 or auxiliary sensors). The electrical power port 1010 may receive as input alternating current (AC) power, such as from a building electrical supply system, which may be converted into direct current (DC) power via the processor 90. The processor 90 may include electronics to facilitate conversion between DC and AC power, as will be discussed in greater detail below.
One or more communication ports 1009 may also be used in the lighting fixture 1000 to facilitate data transmission to and from the lighting fixture 1000. For example, the communication port 1009 may be used to remotely control various aspects of the lighting fixture 1000 including, but not limited to adjustments to electrical power (e.g., high voltage and low voltage modes), adjustments to the spectral content of the light emission (e.g., directing more power to blue or red LED elements), and commands to operate auxiliary sensor devices (e.g., frequency of data recording). In another example, the communication port 1009 may be used to send various status and monitoring data to a remote user including, but not limited to electrical power consumption, temperature, and data measured by auxiliary sensor devices. The data received and transmitted by the communication port 1009 may be managed, in part, by the processor 90, as will be discussed in more detail below.
The communication port 1009 may accommodate various types of electrical cabling including, but not limited to universal serial bus (USB) cables and Power over Ethernet (PoE) cables. In some implementations, multiple communication ports 1009 including both USB and PoE ports may be used to enable greater flexibility and compatibility with more types of cabling and auxiliary devices. One or more communication ports 1009 may be disposed on one or more sides of the frame 1004. For example, a set of communication ports 1009 may be disposed on opposite sides of the frame 1004 (e.g., left and right sides or front and rear sides) to facilitate connectivity between a plurality of lighting fixtures 1000 in a daisy-chain configuration. Communication ports 1009 may also be disposed on the frame 1004 where auxiliary sensors are likely to be deployed. For example, communication ports 1009 may be disposed on the bottom side of the frame 1004 to provide electrical connection to auxiliary sensors that are used to monitor ambient conditions near the plants located below the lighting fixture 1000. In some implementations, the communication port 1009 may also supply DC power. For example, the lighting fixture 1000 may include a USB port that may electrically power an auxiliary sensor device and receive data measured by the auxiliary sensor device through the same communication port 1009.
The LED module 400 may include one or more LED elements arranged into an array. The one or more LED elements of the LED module 400 may each emit light at a particular wavelength such that in combination, the LED module 400 irradiates plants with light at multiple wavelengths tailored to improve various aspects related to the growth of plants and operation of the controlled agricultural environment including, but not limited to improving photosynthetic rates of the plants, growth modification, and ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. The one or more LED elements may be assembled onto the frontside of a printed circuit board. An exemplary circuit layout of an LED module 400 according to one inventive implementation is shown in
The printed circuit board may be a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) to facilitate heat dissipation generated by the one or more LED elements. The LED module 400 may be coupled to the frame 1004 such that the backside of the printed circuit board is in contact with the bottom side of the frame 1004 located in the recessed portion as described above. The LED module 400 may be coupled to the frame 1004 using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, clips, and clamps. The coupling mechanism may be adjusted such that a clamping force is applied to the LED module 400, thus improving the thermal contact between the LED module 400 and the frame 1004. Additionally, thermal interface material may also be placed between the LED module 400 and the frame 1004 to improve thermal contact.
In some implementations, the lighting fixture 1000 may also include an optic located on the recessed portion of the frame 1004, which covers the LED module 400. The optic may be used to modify the direction and angular distribution of the light emitted by the LED module 400. For example, a portion of the optic may have a convex surface to focus light emitted from the LED module 400 onto plants located directly below the lighting fixture 1000. The optic may be coupled to the frame 1004 using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, clips, and clamps. In some implementations, the optic may form a substantially airtight enclosure around the LED module 400, thus substantially isolating the LED module 400 from the ambient environment in the controlled agricultural environment. Similar to the airtight enclosure that may be formed by the frame 1004, the optic may reduce moisture infiltration, thus reducing the risk of condensation damaging the LED module 400.
An exemplary lighting fixture 1000 according to one inventive implementation is shown in
As described above, the lighting fixture 1000 may be coupled to other lighting fixtures 1000 in a daisy-chain configuration where electrical and piping connections are shared to facilitate assembly of a continuous electrical circuit and coolant circuit. For the coolant circuit, the daisy-chain configuration may be in series where the fluid coolant 800 exiting from one lighting fixture 1000 flows into a subsequent lighting fixture 1000 within the daisy-chain. The temperature of the fluid coolant 800 may increase further due to heat generated from the LED modules 400 of the subsequent lighting fixture 1000. It should be appreciated that so long as the temperature of the coolant fluid 800 is less than the temperature of the LED modules 400 in the lighting fixture 1000, the fluid coolant 800 may still capture heat from the lighting fixture 1000. Furthermore, in some implementations, heat rejection devices may be interspersed along the coolant circuit to reduce the temperature of the fluid coolant 800 and maintain sufficient heat dissipation as the fluid coolant 800 passes through multiple lighting fixtures 1000. An exemplary implementation detailing the manner in which two lighting fixtures 1000 and 1000-B may be coupled in a daisy-chain configuration is shown in
The coolant pipes 1006A and 1006B of the lighting fixture 1000 may be coupled to a corresponding set of coolant pipes 1006A-B and 1006B-B from the other lighting fixture 1000-B using one or more intermediate pipes. As shown in
Electrical power may be supplied to multiple lighting fixtures 1000 through a single power cable. An exemplary power cable 1030 coupled to the lighting fixture 1000 is shown in
The lighting fixture 1000 may also be communicatively coupled to another lighting fixture 1000 to facilitate transmission of data and control signals to multiple lighting fixtures 1000. As shown in
An exemplary arrangement of lighting fixtures 1000 in a controlled agricultural environment 2000 is shown in
As previously shown in the exemplary controlled agricultural environments 2000A and 2000B in
A piping subsystem may be branched from the coolant circuit 570 such that the flow of fluid coolant 800 may be controllably adjusted (e.g., by a valve and a separate pump) without affecting the flow of fluid coolant 800 through the coolant circuit 570 and hence, without affecting the removal of heat from the lighting fixture 1000. However, in some instances, a piping subsystem may be placed in series with the coolant circuit 570 where the piping subsystem is also used on a continual basis. Some exemplary instances of a piping subsystem being used in series with the coolant circuit 570 includes, but is not limited to a heating system for a hot water system in a residential space, storing heat from the fluid coolant 800 in a thermal energy storage system, and charging a battery by converting heat from the fluid coolant 800 into electricity (e.g., using a thermoelectric device).
In some example implementations, particularly in connection with power cabling code compliance, the lighting fixture 1000 may be considered as an industrial horticultural lamp and a component of an “industrial machine” (rather than a general lighting fixture). For purposes of the present disclosure, an “industrial machine” is a power-driven machine, not portable by hand while working, that is used to process material by cutting; forming; pressure; electrical, thermal, or optical techniques; lamination; or a combination of these processes. The associated electrical equipment, including the logic controller(s) and associated software or logic together with the machine actuators and sensors, are considered as part of the industrial machine (the foregoing definition is consistent with that provided in chapter 3, section 3.3.54 of the U.S. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery). As such, the lighting fixture 1000 may be equipped with and used with industrial type connectors and industrial cable systems.
For example, industrial power cables and connectors may be employed in a lighting system comprising multiple lighting fixtures 1000, wherein the industrial cables and connectors are multipoint interconnection power cable assemblies for industrial machinery according to the Underwriters Laboratory (UL®) product category PVVA and compliant with the UL® standard 2237. According to UL® PVVA, multi-point interconnection power cable assemblies are intended for use in an industrial environment to distribute power to branch circuits, including motor branch circuits, of industrial machinery. The assemblies may consist of power cable assemblies, male and female power cable fittings, panel-mounted power cable/conductor fittings and feeder-tap power cable fittings used with industrial machinery in accordance with ANSI/NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery.
The PVVA UL Product Spec UL 2237 states that devices covered under this standard are only intended for indoor use, unless otherwise identified. Devices covered under this standard are rated 1,000 V or less. Each device is rated in volts and amperes. The electrical ratings are marked, on each device or on a flag label affixed to each individual power cable assembly. The cable assembly fittings are intended to be assembled or molded on flexible cord. The power cable assemblies and mating fittings are not intended to be used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of the building or structure. The power cable assemblies and mating fittings may be connected to the fixed wiring of the building or structure; using a feeder tap fitting or male/female cable fitting. Power cable assemblies and fittings covered under this standard are not intended to make or interrupt current under load conditions. These power cable assemblies and fittings have been investigated to their marked short-circuit current rating. Power cable assemblies and fittings may specify a maximum ampere rating, type of overcurrent protective device, or both. Unless otherwise marked, the power cable assemblies and fittings are intended to be supplied from an overcurrent protective device of the maximum ampere rating permitted by the Relationship Between Conductor Size and Maximum Rating or Setting of Short-Circuit Protective Device for Power Circuits Table, Table 7.2.10.4, of the National Fire Protection Association Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery, NFPA 79, reproduced below:
It is acceptable under UL 2237 and NFPA 79 to specify a 40 A circuit breaker for a continuous 30 A load in mixed 10 AWG and 14 AWG assemblies. For assemblies containing only 14 AWG a 20 A circuit breaker may be used for a continuous 15 A load.
Three submersible pumps 560A, 560B, and 560C may be disposed within the fluid storage tank 500 to pump fluid coolant 800 through three corresponding piping subsystems, namely, the coolant circuit 570 (also referred to in
In some implementations, a secondary heating loop may be incorporated into the lighting loop 570 to more directly and controllably heat a portion of the controlled agricultural environment 2000C that may not be proximate to the lighting loop 570 (e.g., a growing area, as shown in
The heating loop 512 associated with the pump 560B may also be used to heat a portion of the controlled agricultural environment 2000C or another space located separately to the controlled agricultural environment 2000C. For example, the heating loop 512 may be coupled to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a building to regulate the interior climate of the building, a heating system in a manufacturing plant to offset gas or electricity consumption, or a cogeneration plant to produce electricity and high-grade heat. In some implementations, the heating loop 512 may also be coupled to a heat store 530, which may provide additional capacity to store heat for future use by the controlled agricultural environment 2000C or another space.
The cooling loop 514 associated with the pump 560C may be used to cool the fluid coolant 800 stored in the fluid storage tank 500. In this manner, the temperature of the relatively cooler fluid coolant 800 entering the lighting loop 570 may be regulated and maintained, which may reduce the effects of thermal drift over time where the temperature of the relatively cooler fluid coolant 800 increases, thus reducing the amount of heat removed from the one or more lighting fixtures 1000. In some implementations, the cooling loop 514 may be a piping subsystem that captures heat to an exterior environment via natural convection and radiation along the length of the cooling loop 514. In some implementations, a heat rejection device may be incorporated into the cooling loop 514 to facilitate cooling of the fluid coolant 800. Various types of heat rejection devices may be used including, but not limited to cooling towers (e.g., see the cooling tower 557 in
In various implementations described herein, the temperature of the fluid coolant 800 stored in the fluid storage tank 500 and flowing through the lighting loop 570, heating loop 512, cooling loop 514, and one or more secondary loops coupled to any of the lighting loop 570, heating loop 512, cooling loop 514 may vary within an appreciable temperature range. In some implementations, the temperature of the fluid coolant 800 may range from about 20° C. to about 50° C. The flow rate of the fluid coolant 800 may range from about 1 gallon per minute to about 3 gallons per minute through the lighting loop 570. Similar or significantly different (e.g., higher) flow rates may be used by the heating loop 512 and the cooling loop 514. Furthermore, the various piping subsystems (e.g., the lighting loop 570, the heating loop 512, and the coolant loop 514) may be controlled via at least one of a pump, regulator, and/or valves. The at least one of a pump, regulator, and/or valves may be operated on various time cycles (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, other periodicities, or any combination thereof) to regulate and maintain desired thermal conditions, which may be dynamic as a function of time, in the controlled agricultural environment 2000C.
Additionally, while three piping subsystems are shown in
An exemplary implementation of a hydronics system 501B coupled to a lighting fixture 1000 and a coolant circuit (“lighting loop”) 570 in a controlled agricultural environment 2000D is shown in
The hydronics system 501B shown in
Another exemplary implementation of a hydronics system 501C disposed in a controlled agricultural environment 2000E is shown in
In some implementations, the lighting fixture 1000 may also function as a sensor platform supporting one or more sensors used to monitor environmental conditions in the controlled agricultural environment. The processor 90 in the lighting fixture 1000 may supply and regulate electrical power to the sensor through the communication ports 1009 (e.g., a USB port and a PoE port). The processor 90 may also include electronics to convert AC power to DC power, as will be described below, thus obviating the need for a separate AC to DC converter in each sensor deployed in the controlled agricultural environment. The processor 90 may also be used to manage data communications, including sending control signals to the sensor and receiving sensory data measured by the sensor for processing and/or transmission to a remote device (e.g., a remote computer or server). In this manner, the lighting fixture 1000 may provide integration of one or more sensors of various types, supplementing the need for separate power and data communications systems. Furthermore, the data measured by the one or more sensors may be used to adjust and control operation of one or more lighting fixtures 1000 (e.g., adjusting the PAR output from the lighting fixture 1000), one or more coolant circuits or other fluid coolant loops (e.g., adjusting the fluid flow through the coolant circuit/lighting loop, heating loop, and cooling loops shown in
An exemplary implementation of a controlled agricultural environment 2000 detailing the integration of various sensors via multiple lighting fixtures 1000 is shown in
It should be appreciated this approach of assembling multiple lighting fixtures 1000 may be used to build lighting systems that include even more lighting fixtures 1000 (e.g., tens of lighting fixtures 1000, hundreds of lighting fixtures 1000). The extent to which the number of lighting fixtures 1000 may be coupled in this manner may depend on external factors such as the pumps used to drive coolant through the coolant pipes 1006 (e.g., a longer coolant circuit exhibits a greater pressure drop and hence a higher pumping specification to sufficiently flow coolant through the coolant circuit) and/or the power that should be supplied to each lighting fixtures 1000 (e.g., the cabling rating of up to 15 A may limit how many lighting fixtures 1000 are powered simultaneously).
Regarding fluid coolant flowing through the pipes of respective lighting fixtures 1000, as noted above the fluid coolant prevents heat generated by the lighting fixture from entering the controlled agricultural environment and keeps the lighting fixture at reasonable operating temperatures. In some implementations, the temperature of the fluid coolant flowing through the lighting fixtures is above the dew point within the controlled agricultural environment (e.g., to prevent condensation on the lighting fixture), and below 120° F. (or 48° C.) at the last fixture through which the fluid coolant flows in a fluid coolant circuit. In one aspect, the LED light sources of each lighting fixture generally operate about 15° F. (or 7° C.) higher than the temperature of the fluid coolant flowing through the fixture. In some implementations, a recommended temperature for the fluid coolant is approximately 100-110° F.
Regarding the pipes 1006A and 1006B of a given lighting fixture, fluid coolant may flow in either direction through each pipe, and both parallel and U-shaped end return configurations are acceptable. When respective pipes of multiple lighting fixtures are connected in series to form a coolant circuit, in some implementations a fluid flow rate of between 0.33 gallons per minute (GPM) to 0.5 GPM per light is acceptable; in one aspect, at least 0.5 GPM per pipe ensures sufficient turbulence. In one aspect, higher flow rates allow for smaller dry coolers and cooling towers.
The maximum flow rate per pipe is set by the tubing wear limit. The Copper Development Association's Copper Tube Handbook recommends maximum water velocities of between 5 and 8 feet per second for “Hot” and “Cold” water, respectively. For lighting fixtures 1000 in which the pipes 1006A and 1006B are ½ inch copper tubing, the flow velocity is 1.37 ft/s per GPM. Hence the recommended range of maximum flow rates is between 3.6 and 5.8 GPM per tube.
The temperature rise in the fluid coolant circuit can be estimated from the heat produced per lighting fixture (e.g., 600 W), the flow rate, and N the number of lights:
In one aspect, there is virtually no change in the amount of heat captured in the fluid coolant circuit as the temperature of a lighting fixture changes. The internal temperatures of lighting fixtures increase and decrease proportionally to the cooling loop temperature.
When choosing between a U-return configuration and a parallel flow design for the pipes 1006A and 1006B of multiple lighting fixtures of a lighting system, in some implementations the parallel flow setup is required over approximately 4 GPM, since higher flow rates will cause tubing degradation, as all of the flow is confined to the one tube.
In one example lighting system installation, the fluid coolant is water pumped from a small reservoir by a pump to a set of piping connecting the pipes of multiple lighting fixtures 1000 such that the water flows through all of the pipes 1006A and 1006B to a radiator placed outside of the controlled agricultural environment and finally back to the small reservoir. Such a system may be used in applications in which re-use of the heat absorbed by the water is not desired, impractical, etc. The systems design in this case involves selecting the dry cooler, and then choosing a suitable pump to achieve the water flow needed.
For a system of six lighting fixtures and a flow rate of 3 GPM (i.e., 0.5 GPM per light), the temperature rise across the series of lights is approximately 8 degrees. A U-return configuration may be employed for the fluid coolant circuit (as 3 GPM is below the wear limit which begins above 4 GPM). The minimum dry cooler must then be capable of a capacity of 3600 W of rejection at the maximum expected outside temperature, the maximum recommended water inlet temperature (e.g., 120 degrees F.), and 3 GPM. Once a suitable dry cooler is selected, its known water flow characteristics as well as those of the plumbing can be used to properly size the pump to achieve 3 GPM.
Additional components such as air separators, an expansion tank, and provisions for filling and draining the system are also needed, as with any hydronics system. A thermostat on the dry cooler inlet can operate the fan. Setting this at approximately 100 degrees F. to 120 degrees F. will generally achieve good thermal regulation. Multiple dry coolers can be placed in various configurations to expand capacity as is common. As noted above, it is important not to reduce the water temperature below the dewpoint in the room, to prevent condensation. In very cold climates it may be necessary to install a temperature controlled bypass valve to bypass the radiator completely to achieve this. Glycol may also be needed.
Returning now to the functionality of the lighting fixture 1000, the processor 90 may be used to facilitate multiple functionalities pertinent to the operation of the lighting fixture 1000 including, but not limited to power conversion, network connectivity, and data processing in the operation of the lighting fixture 1000. In some implementations, the processor 90 may be comprised of discrete electronics assemblies that are electrically coupled together where each electronics assembly provides one or more distinct functionalities. For example,
The control board 100 may be used to regulate and distribute electrical power to other components of the lighting fixture 1000. As shown in
A more detailed block diagram of the control board 100 in
The network board 200 may be used to manage data communication between the lighting fixture 1000 and various devices coupled to the lighting fixture 1000 including, but not limited to other lighting fixtures 1000 and one or more auxiliary sensors coupled to the lighting fixture 1000. As shown in
A more detailed block diagram of the network board 200 in
The single board computer 300 may provide several functions to the processor 90 including, but not limited to managing the operation of the control board 100 and the network board 200 and data processing. As shown in
The processor 90 may be used to manage the voltage and current supplied to various components of the lighting fixture 1000, e.g., a power cable, the LED modules 400A-400C, in order to reduce the likelihood of damage under different operating conditions. For example, the lighting fixture 1000 may be operated under low voltage conditions where 1200 W may be supplied to the LED modules 400A-400C and 65 W for auxiliary sensors. The power cable used to supply electricity to the lighting fixture 1000 from an external source, e.g., a building electrical supply system, may be rated to sustain a current up to 15 A. The processor 90 may be used to limit the current through the lighting fixture 1000 to 5 A such that three lighting fixtures 400A-400C may be powered by a single power cable 1030. If the current draw of the lighting fixture 1000 approaches 5 A, the processor 90 may reduce the power draw of the lighting fixture. In this manner, the three lighting fixtures 400A-400C may collectively avoid a total current draw that exceeds 15 A, thus reducing the likelihood of damaging the power cable.
In some implementations, the processor 90 may enforce a current draw limit using an active feedback control loop. For instance, the DSP 150 of the control board 100 may be used to actively measure the voltage and current supplied to the lighting fixture 1000 via the AC line sensor 155. Depending on the magnitude and/or rate of change of the measured voltage and current, the DSP 150 may then adjust the voltage and current supplied to each of the LED modules 400A-400C such that the current drawn by the lighting fixture 1000 is maintained below the current draw limit. This process may be conducted in an iterative manner where measurements of the voltage and current supplied to the lighting fixture 1000 and subsequent adjustments to the voltage and current supplied to the LED modules 400A-400C repeatedly occur at a preset timescale. The timescale may vary from about 1 ms to about 60 s. The amount the voltage and current are varied during each increment may also vary according to the rate of change of the voltage and current supplied to the lighting fixture 1000. In some implementations, the stability of the active feedback control loop may be controlled by incorporating a proportional integral differential (PID) controller into the processor 90.
The lighting fixture 1000 disclosed herein may also be utilized in a leased lighting system where a customer pays a recurring fee to rent and operate the lighting fixture 1000 (e.g., provide lighting using the lighting fixture 1000). In this system, the costs typically associated with purchasing the lighting fixture 1000 hardware and installation may be substantially reduced, thus providing substantial savings to the customer. The manufacturer providing the operation of the lighting fixture 1000 may earn a profit over time through continuing payments by the customer. In some implementations, the leased lighting system may be based on payment of a fee to operate the lighting fixture 1000 for a preset period of time. The lighting fixture 1000 may be communicatively coupled to a server via the processor 90. The server may remotely regulate operation of the lighting fixture, enabling the lighting fixture 1000 to provide lighting so long as the customer provides necessary payment to maintain the lease.
An exemplary implementation of a contract enforcement method where the lighting fixture 1000 is communicatively coupled to a license server 600 is shown in
An exemplary implementation of a process to update a license for a leased lighting model with one or more lighting fixtures 1000 is shown in
An Exemplary Integrated Sensor Assembly
Based on the various concepts described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, various inventive implementations of an integrated sensor assembly for CEA systems will now be described. As described in the foregoing, sensors can be deployed in a controlled agricultural environment to monitor environmental conditions and to provide feedback to lighting, heating and/or cooling (e.g., via hydronics and/or other techniques), air flow, and humidity conditioning systems to facilitate control of growth conditions for plants. In some implementations, the sensors can be packaged as a single integrated assembly that utilizes a single port to receive electrical power and communicate data. In this manner, multiple sensing modalities can be added to CEA systems to augment monitoring of environmental conditions to improve the growth conditions of plants while simplifying installation and reducing maintenance. Furthermore, multiple integrated sensor assemblies can be deployed to cover larger areas of the agricultural environment to also monitor variations in growth conditions across the agricultural environment.
An exemplary implementation of an integrated sensor assembly 3100 is shown in
The visible light sensor 3110 can be used to monitor light emitted by natural or artificial light sources, e.g., sunlight or LED lighting, incident on plants in the agricultural environment. In particular, the visible light sensor 3110 can be configured to measure the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), which is a measure of photon flux per unit area integrated over a wavelength spectrum. The visible light sensor 3110 can be various suitable types of light detectors including, but not limited to, photodiodes, thermopiles, and pyroelectric detectors. In some implementations, the visible light sensor 3110 can be configured to be spectrally sensitive to PAR light in the visible spectrum and ultraviolet radiation, e.g., UVA and UVB ranges, using filters, coatings, or different materials for detection. In other implementations, the visible light sensor 3110 can be configured to be a spectrometer to characterize the spectral components of the light source. As shown in
The combined temperature and relative humidity sensor 3120 can be used to monitor the temperature and water vapor concentration in the growing environment. The temperature sensing element in the combined temperature and relative humidity sensor 3120 can be various suitable types of temperature sensors including, but not limited to, a thermocouple, a thermistor, and a resistance temperature detector (RTD). The relative humidity sensing element can be various suitable types of humidity sensor including, but not limited to, capacitive, resistive, or thermal sensors. Examples of a combined temperature and relative humidity sensor 3120 are given by a Texas Instruments HDC1010YPAR and a Sensiron SHT31. As shown in
The air flow sensor 3130 can monitor air circulation, which can provide insight to the directionality of air flow, uniformity of temperature, detection of leaks, and the performance of air flow and ventilation systems deployed in the agricultural environment. The air flow sensor 3130 can be various suitable types of air flow sensors including, but not limited to, air flow meters, hot wire anemometers, and sonic anemometers. One example of an air flow sensor 3130 is given by a TDK Thermistor 470 NTC 0402 with accompanying resistors, capacitors, and operational amplifiers. As shown in
In agricultural environments, the concentration of CO2 is an important parameter governing the growth of plants since plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis. Furthermore, the photosynthetic activity of plants can vary throughout the day; hence, the amount of absorbed CO2 can also vary accordingly. The CO2 sensor 3140 can thus be used to monitor the concentration of CO2 near the plants in the agricultural environment. The CO2 sensor 3140 can be various suitable types of CO2 sensors including, but not limited to, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors and chemical CO2 sensors. One example of a CO2 sensor 3140 is given by a Winsensor MH-Z19. In some implementations, the CO2 sensor 3140 can be an enclosed device electrically coupled to the circuit board 3160 for operation, as shown in
As described above, the combined temperature and relative humidity sensor 3120 can monitor the air temperature near the plants, which is an important parameter governing plant growth. In addition, it is also instructive to monitor the surface temperature of the plants, as the surface temperature of the plants may differ due to irradiation by light and convective heat transfer from the plant to the surrounding air. The IR temperature sensor 3150 can thus be used to remotely monitor the temperature of plants near the integrated sensor assembly 3100 by measuring IR radiation emitted from the plants. In some implementations, the IR temperature sensor 3150 can be a single pixel sensor that measures an average temperature within a particular field of view. In other implementations, the IR temperature sensor 3150 can be a multi-pixel camera capable of recording IR images to discern temperature gradients within a single plant or between neighboring plants. The IR temperature sensor 3150 can be various suitable types of IR sensors including, but not limited to, pyroelectric detectors and bolometers. Furthermore, the IR temperature sensor 3150 can be configured to be spectrally sensitive to long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation, midinfrared (MIR) radiation, or near-infrared (NIR) radiation. In some implementations, the IR temperature sensor 3150 can be configured to be a spectrometer, e.g., a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, to characterize the spectral components of the radiation emitted by the plants. The IR temperature sensor 3150 can be configured to have a wide field of view to cover a larger area of plants. For implementations where the IR temperature sensor 3150 is a multi-pixel camera, the IR temperature sensor 3150 can also be configured to record images at sufficient spatial resolution to discern the temperature of individual leaves on a plant. One example of an IR temperature sensor 3150 is given by Melexis MLX90614.
The circuit board 3160 can include one or more printed circuit boards supporting circuitry and electrical components used in the operation of the respective sensor components discussed above. One inventive implementation of the circuitry supported by the circuit board 3160 is shown in
As described above, the housing 3180 may be used to protect the sensors and circuitry disposed on the circuit board 3160 contained within the cavity defined by the housing 3180. In some implementations, the housing 3180 may be a two piece construction with a housing top 3181 and a housing bottom 3182 that forms an interior cavity where the circuit board 3160 can be positioned. The housing top 3181 and the housing bottom 3182 may be mated together with coupling members 3190, as shown in
The housing 3180 may also include one or more protruding portions in both the housing top 3181 and the housing bottom 3182 to support and/or house the various connectors and sensors in the integrated sensor assembly 3100. As an example,
In some implementations, the housing 3180 can also be configured to be water tight or air tight to reduce potential failures caused by moisture accumulation in electronic components or circuitry. To ensure the cavity of the housing 3180 is tightly sealed, gaskets can be used to seal each opening or aperture in the housing 3180, particularly openings where sensors protrude from the housing 3180 to expose the sensors to air surrounding the integrated assembly 3100. The housing 3180 can be formed from metals, polymers, metal alloys, ceramics, and/or other materials. Depending on the materials used to form the housing 3180, various manufacturing methods can be used to fabricate the housing 3180 including injection molding, blow molding, casting, or milling. In some implementations, the housing can be coated with materials to reduce moisture infiltration, e.g., hydrophobic coatings, to increase the operating lifetime of the integrated sensor assembly 3100.
In some implementations, the integrated sensor assembly 3100 can also include a USB port 3170 to facilitate connection to an external system, such as a LED-based lighting fixture 1000 as described above. The USB port 3170 can both supply electrical power to the integrated sensor assembly 3100 and facilitate data communication between the integrated sensor assembly 3100 and a control system operably coupled to the external system, e.g., the lighting fixture 1000. In some implementations, the integrated sensor assembly 3100 can be configured to be a “plug and play” device for ease of installation. For example, the integrated sensor assembly 3100 can be plugged into a LED-based lighting fixture, wherein the integrated sensor assembly 3100 is automatically recognized by the control system for the LED-based lighting fixture. Once the integrated sensor assembly 3100 is identified, the control system can begin receiving data recorded by the integrated sensor assembly 3100, which can then be processed and used in a feedback loop to adjust one or more of lighting, heating and/or cooling (e.g., via hydronics and/or other techniques), air flow, and humidity conditioning systems in the agricultural environment.
To this end,
In some implementations, once the integrated sensor assembly 3100 interfaces with an external system, the external system can control how frequently measurements are taken by each sensor in the integrated sensor assembly 3100. Sensor measurements can be recorded simultaneously or at different time intervals. For example, the integrated sensor assembly 3100 can be configured to measure the air flow every second, the PPFD every minute, and the CO2 concentration every hour.
In some implementations, multiple integrated sensor assemblies 3100 can be installed as an array to monitor larger areas of the controlled agricultural environment. For example, controlled agricultural environments can include multiple LED-based lighting fixtures where each lighting fixture supports multiple integrated sensor assemblies 3100. Each integrated sensor assembly 3100 in the array can be used to locally monitor growth conditions for a single or small group of plants, as described above in connection with
Distributed Sensor Grid
Based on the various concepts described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, various inventive implementations of a distributed sensor grid for a controlled agriculture environment will now be described. A controlled agricultural environment can include one or more control systems, including, but not limited to, lighting, heating, air flow, hydronics, and humidity conditioning systems, configured to work in concert with one or more sensors, e.g., temperature, relative humidity, air flow, soil quality, the integrated assembly 3100 described above. The sensors can measure various environmental conditions in an agricultural environment, and data from the sensors can then be used to adjust one or more control systems to improve or maintain growth conditions for plants.
The Inventors have recognized and appreciated that conventional controlled agricultural environments may have appreciably large growing areas for multiple plants or crops over which growing conditions may vary as a function of space and/or time. In particular, growing conditions in a given environment (for relatively larger or smaller growing areas alike) may significantly differ in one or more respects in different portions of a given growing area at different times (e.g., amongst different rows or groupings of plants, as well as at different elevations in the environment). Inconsistent growing conditions across a growing area in turn may result in unpredictable and undesirable variations in plant growth that similarly may be difficult to discern as the plants are growing initially, but become evident at later stages of growth when remediation measures may be difficult or impossible to implement.
In general, varying space-dependent and/or time-dependent growing conditions over different portions of a growing area in conventional controlled agricultural environments remain substantially undetected. If a curator of the environment observes variations in plant growth in different portions of a growing area, the curator may attempt to compensate for such variations based on “experience,” e.g., adjusting one or more conditions in the environment using empirically-derived manual techniques (based on working with a given crop in a given environment over several growing cycles) so as to improve growth conditions for sluggish or distressed crops. In some instances, one or more sensors are employed in the environment to measure various conditions relevant to plant growth; however, in those conventional controlled agricultural environments in which one or more sensors may be deployed, such sensors typically do not provide sufficient coverage for all of the plants in the growing area, nor are they deployed with sufficient spatial resolution to adequately observe significant variations in growth conditions throughout a given growing area. Furthermore, different types of sensors (for measuring different types of environmental conditions) are often deployed and/or operated independently of one another, making it challenging to comprehensively monitor multiple conditions in the environment relevant to plant growth.
In view of the foregoing challenges with conventional approaches to controlled agricultural environments, the present disclosure is directed to distributed sensing techniques in which multiple sensors are arranged in the environment to provide sufficient coverage over a given growing area. In one aspect, sensors are disposed in the growing area at an appropriate spatial resolution to effectively monitor growth conditions of plants in the growing area, in some instances on a plant-by-plant basis or for relatively small groups of plants. In another aspect, multiple sensors disposed in a growing area can be configured to utilize common power and network connections, thus simplifying the integration of various sensors in the environment and data collection from the sensors.
In one exemplary implementation, multiple sensors are deployed in a controlled agricultural environment as a distributed sensor grid. The distributed sensor grid includes one or more node arrays, where each node array divides at least a portion of the controlled agricultural environment into nodes, e.g., discrete points in space which have a known location (e.g., absolute or relative) in the environment. In various aspects, a given node array of a distributed sensor grid may be one dimensional, two dimensional, or three dimensional (e.g., based at least in part on the distribution of growing areas and/or crops in the controlled agricultural environment). For example, in some implementations, a given node array may include multiple nodes arranged in a substantially linear or curvilinear fashion spaced along a row of plants to provide a one-dimensional node array. Another type of node array may include multiple nodes arranged in horizontal plane substantially parallel to a floor or a ceiling in the controlled agricultural environment to provide a two-dimensional node array. Yet another type of node array may include multiple nodes arranged in multiple horizontal planes substantially parallel to the floor or ceiling in the controlled agricultural environment, wherein the respective horizontal planes of nodes constitute multiple vertical levels corresponding to different zones of interest in the controlled growing environment (e.g., the soil, the plant, the lighting canopy, and the ambient environment).
An exemplary implementation of a distributed sensor grid 4000 for a controlled agricultural environment is shown in
Node Array
Each node array 4100 covers at least a portion of an agricultural environment. In some controlled agricultural environments, one node array may be sufficient given a particular number and arrangement of plants in a growing area, while in other environments multiple node arrays may be employed to flexibly configure a distributed sensor grid (in some instances over multiple growing areas in the environment with different layouts and/or different crops). For example, in vertical farming (in which different growing areas are stacked one on top of another in a vertical arrangement), one or more node arrays 4100 can be used for each vertically-stacked growing area in the environment. In another example, an agricultural environment can be divided into separate climate-controlled rooms with each room having one or more node arrays 4100. Each node array 4100 divides the covered portion of the agricultural environment into a grid of nodes 4200, where each node 4200 is a discrete point with a known coordinate location within the node array 4100. As noted above, respective nodes 4200 can include one or more sensors 4220 to monitor growth conditions proximate to a given node (e.g., in a volume of space around the node, which may depend in part on the type(s) of sensor(s) deployed at the node). In some implementations, the number of nodes 4200 in a node array 4100 can depend upon the constraints imposed on or by the agricultural environment.
The coordinate location of each node 4200 can include one or more coordinate components to describe the location of a node 4200 in the agricultural environment. In some implementations, the coordinate location of a node 4200 can correspond to a physical location in the agricultural environment with reference to a spatial origin. For example, the corner of a growing area can be set as the origin of the coordinate system and nodes 4200 can be defined at known and/or defined distances from the origin along one or more axes (e.g., respective X, Y, and Z axes). In some implementations, the coordinate location can correspond to an indexed location related to one or more aspects of the physical arrangement of the agricultural environment (e.g., dimensions and/or shape of one or more growing areas, arrangement of plants in a given growing area, arrangement of control systems in a given growing area).
For example,
As discussed in greater detail below, it should be appreciated that the example node array shown in
For example, in some implementations in which the lighting fixtures 1000 serve as a connectivity platform for a distributed sensor grid, the number of nodes 4200 supported in a node array 4100 is based at least in part on the number of power and network ports available for connection with sensors 4220 deployed at respective nodes. For example, in the configuration shown in
In some implementations, the number of nodes 4200 can be determined by a user-defined density and/or coverage area in the agricultural environment. For example, the IR temperature sensor 3150 in the integrated sensor assembly 3100 can have a finite field of view, as described above. An array of integrated sensor assemblies 3100, each corresponding to a node 4200, can thus be installed and spaced apart such that the respective fields of view of the IR temperature sensors 3150 sufficiently overlap to effectively provide sensing coverage for the plants in the environment.
The distribution of nodes 4200 in the node array 4100 can also vary spatially and quantitatively. In some implementations, the nodes 4200 can be uniformly distributed. For example, a uniform array of lighting fixtures 1000 can be deployed with an integrated sensor assembly 3100 connected to USB ports 1012A and 1012B on each lighting fixture 1000, as described above. In some implementations, the nodes 4200 distributed in the node array 4100 can be non-uniform. For example, the number of nodes 4200 may vary according to each level 4300 of a plant system where, for example, more nodes 4200 can be used to monitor soil quality than the ambient environment conditions due to variations in coverage by each type of sensor. In another example, an agricultural environment can include different plant species of varying size. The nodes 4200 can be more closely spaced for smaller-sized plants and sparser for larger-sized plants. Additionally, a node 4200 may not include a sensor 4220. Such empty nodes 4200 can be used to define a non-uniform distribution of sensors 4220 with a uniform distribution of nodes 4200. For example, soil quality sensors can occupy every node 4200 at the bottom level 4300 and ambient environment sensors can occupy every other node 4200 at the top level 4300 with empty nodes 4200 in between.
As described above, the node array 4100 can include multiple levels 4300 (e.g., along a Z-axis) that correspond to various zones of interest in the controlled growing environment. An exemplary set of levels 4300 are shown in
Sensors
One or more sensors 4220 can be deployed at a particular node 4200 to monitor parameters relevant to growth conditions. The sensors 4220 can include, but are not limited to, a visible light sensor, a UV light sensor, an air temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, an airflow sensor, a CO2 sensor, an IR temperature sensor, a chemical sensor, a pH sensor, and cameras configured to capture still images or videos of the agricultural environment with various spectral qualities, as described above. In some implementations, multiple sensors 4220 can be packaged into an integrated sensor assembly 3100, as described above to simplify wiring and ease of installation. Each node 4200 in a node array 4100 can also include different combinations of sensors 4220 pertinent to the region of the environment the node 4200 is located in. For example, different types of sensors 4220 may be deployed according to the levels 4300 used in an environment.
The nodes 4200 in the node array 4100 can also be configured to share power and network connections to simplify the integration of multiple sensors 4220 in the distributed sensor grid 4000. As described above, in some implementations a plurality of lighting fixtures 1000 can be used as a connectivity platform for the distributed sensor grid 4000. Sensors 4220 can couple to the PoE ports 1008A-D or the USB ports 1012A and 1012B for power and networking using cables or dongles, exemplary examples of which are shown in
Control Systems
Distributed sensors in the agricultural environment can also be coupled to one or more control systems such that data acquired by one or more of the distributed sensors may be used to adjust the operating parameters of one or more control systems. The control systems can include, but are not limited to, lighting, heating, air flow, hydronics, and humidity conditioning systems. For many agricultural environments, the control systems may be configured to affect growing conditions from a single or few locations in the environment. For example, HVAC systems affecting air flow may be dispersed intermittently along the wall or ceiling in an environment, thus affecting multiple nodes 4200 when operating parameters are changed. In another example, a lighting fixture 1000 can affect growing conditions at nodes 4200 located directly below and near the lighting fixture 1000. Thus, data acquired by one or more sensors 4220 can be used to adjust the control systems such that growing conditions across multiple nodes 4200 are improved or maintained.
Human Machine Interface
In some implementations, the distributed sensor grid 4000 can be connected to a processor 5000, as shown in
In some implementations, the HMI 5100 may enable users to select one or more nodes 4200 from an array 4100 in the distributed sensor grid 4000 and display the data collected by these nodes 4200. To facilitate selection of nodes 4200, the HMI 5100 may include a representation of the agricultural environment. For example,
The HMI 5100 may allow users to display historical data as a function of time as shown in
The HMI 5100 may also allow users to adjust control systems (e.g., adjusting the output of a lighting fixture 1000 to simulate a sunrise and sunset). In some implementations, the processor 5000 may automate, at least in part, various controllable conditions based on data from one or more sensors 4420 and user-defined criteria (e.g., set temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentrations).
As described above, one or more cameras may be coupled to the distributed sensor grid 4000 to record still images or video of a portion of the agricultural environment as shown in
The HMI 5100 can also be configured to display multiple views, data, and images or video of the environment separated in various panels. For example,
In some implementations, the processor 5000 can also perform additional analysis on data collected by the sensors 4420 in the distributed sensor grid 4000. An exemplary illustration of such analysis is shown in
Root Zone Level Monitoring
Based on the various concepts described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, various inventive implementations involving a sensing system configured to monitor a root zone level of a plant system compatible with the distributed sensing techniques will now be described.
With reference again to
In general, the root system of a plant can provide various functions important to the growth and health of the plant. For example, the root system can absorb water and nutrients from the surrounding environment, providing nourishment to the plant. The root system can also store nutrients for future consumption. The degree to which the root system can provide such functions can be affected by the environmental conditions surrounding the root system. For instance, subpar environmental conditions can reduce the uptake of water or nutrients by the plant. By deploying sensors to monitor environmental conditions specific to the root system of the plant, e.g., in the root zone level of a node array, data from the sensors can be used to adjust various control systems in the agricultural environment to improve or maintain the functionality of the root system.
As an alternative to soil (e.g., dirt), “hydroponics” refers to methods of growing plans without soil, and instead using nutrient solutions (e.g., minerals in a water solvent. Plants may be grown with only their roots exposed to the mineral solution, or the roots may be supported by an inert medium (e.g., gravel or perlite). Examples of hydroponics methods that do not use a solid medium include Nutrient Film Techniques (NFT), Deep Water Culture (DWC), wick hydroponics, ebb and flow systems, drip hydroponics, and aeroponic methods (techniques in which plants are grown in an air or mist environment, e.g., fogponics, mistponics, in which a plant's dangling roots and lower stem are spayed with an atomized nutrient-rich solution). A variety of nutrients can be used in hydroponics methods (sometimes also referred to as “fertigation”); examples of such nutrients include, but are not limited to, natural or synthetic fertilizers, byproduct from fish waste, and duck manure.
The environmental conditions that can affect the functionality of the root system can vary depending on the type of the agricultural environment used. For example, in the soil-based environments discussed earlier, the functionality of the root system can depend on various parameters including, but not limited to, (1) the soil temperature, (2) the electrical conductivity of soil, which is an indicator of soil salinity, soil texture, and moisture content (3) the pH value, (4) the water tension, which relates to the force root systems should overcome to extract water from the soil, (5) the air permeability, (6) the soil compaction, which can be an indicator of water and soil quality, and (7) the water content of the soil. For hydroponic environments, the functionality of the root system can depend on various parameters including, but not limited to, (1) solution temperature, (2) the pH value, (3) the electrical conductivity, which is an indicator of solution salinity, and (4) the oxidation-reduction potential, which provides water oxygenation and bio activity.
Various types of sensors can be employed in the root zone level of a node array according to the concepts disclosed herein to monitor the various parameters described above. Examples of sensors that may be employed in the root zone level include, but not limited to, temperature sensors (e.g., thermocouple, thermistor, resistance temperature detectors), electromagnetic sensors for electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen sensors, nitrogen sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, optical sensors (e.g., photodetectors configured for visible, near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), and polarized light), mechanical sensors for soil compaction, electrochemical sensors (e.g., pH sensors), airflow sensors for soil air permeability, and water content sensors (e.g., coaxial impedance dielectric reflectometry, frequency domain reflectometry, time domain transmissometry, gypsum blocks, neutron probes).
All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented primarily by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.
In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of respective elements of the exemplary implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The use of a numerical range does not preclude equivalents that fall outside the range that fulfill the same function, in the same way, to produce the same result.
The above-described embodiments can be implemented in multiple ways. For example, embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on a suitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers.
Further, it should be appreciated that a computer may be embodied in any of a number of forms, such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer. Additionally, a computer may be embedded in a device not generally regarded as a computer but with suitable processing capabilities, including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device.
Also, a computer may have one or more input and output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, and pointing devices, such as mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receive input information through speech recognition or in other audible format.
Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in a suitable form, including a local area network or a wide area network, such as an enterprise network, an intelligent network (IN) or the Internet. Such networks may be based on a suitable technology, may operate according to a suitable protocol, and may include wireless networks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.
The various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and/or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine. Some implementations may specifically employ one or more of a particular operating system or platform and a particular programming language and/or scripting tool to facilitate execution.
Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may in some instances be ordered in different ways. Accordingly, in some inventive implementations, respective acts of a given method may be performed in an order different than specifically illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously (even if such acts are shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments).
All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of” “only one of” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. application Ser. No. 16/828,521, filed Mar. 24, 2020, entitled “METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR LIGHTING AND DISTRIBUTED SENSING IN CONTROLLED AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS,” which, in turn, is a Bypass Continuation Application of International PCT Application PCT/US2019/030889, filed on May 6, 2019, entitled “METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR LIGHTING AND DISTRIBUTED SENSING IN CONTROLLED AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS,” which, in turn, claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/667,217, filed on May 4, 2018, entitled “METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR DISTRIBUTED SENSING IN CONTROLLED AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/684,641, filed on Jun. 13, 2018, entitled “METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR DISTRIBUTED SENSING IN CONTROLLED AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS.” Each of the above-identified applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210235632 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62684641 | Jun 2018 | US | |
| 62667217 | May 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16828521 | Mar 2020 | US |
| Child | 17216291 | US | |
| Parent | PCT/US2019/030889 | May 2019 | US |
| Child | 16828521 | US |
