JP2016202125A - Lighting system for plant cultivation and plant cultivation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting system for plant cultivation which can efficiently perform a lighting cultivation of a plant with the necessary minimum amount of light while suppressing the influence of electromagnetic noise.SOLUTION: A lighting system 9 for plant cultivation comprises a plurality of light sources 3 that irradiate with a lighting cycle whose one cycle consists of a light period range where a light is blinking for a given time and a dark period range where a light is turned off for a given time to a cultivation area comprising a plurality of cultivation blocks 301, 302, 303, and 304; and a control means 4 which controls the plurality of light sources 3. The plurality of light sources 3 are divided into a plurality of groups for each cultivation block to which light is irradiated, the control means 4 synchronizes the lighting cycle of the light sources within the same group in the plurality of groups, and controls the plurality of light sources 3 such that the lighting cycle of the light source is not synchronized between the two groups irradiating light to the adjacent cultivation blocks in the plurality of groups.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation lighting system and a plant cultivation method, and more particularly to a plant cultivation lighting system and a plant cultivation method using an artificial light source.

  As shown in Patent Document 1, plant photosynthesis is performed according to a cycle of a light reaction that requires light energy and a dark reaction that does not require light energy. According to previous studies, The cycle of light reaction and dark reaction is said to be about 200 to 400 μsec (see Non-Patent Document 1). Therefore, it is possible to greatly save power consumption by controlling the light irradiation to the plants according to the above-mentioned cycle so that light is applied only during the light reaction and not during the dark reaction. Become. For example, if the duty ratio of light irradiation is 50%, the power consumption can be halved compared to the case of continuous irradiation.

  By the way, in recent years, a plant cultivation method for cultivating plants such as leafy vegetables in a building using artificial illumination light and nutrient solution has become widespread. In such a plant cultivation method, a plurality of artificial light sources are used. Use to cultivate plants by irradiating the cultivation area with light. When these multiple light sources are controlled to emit light with a light / dark cycle that matches the photosynthesis cycle of the plant as described above, it is inefficient if the multiple light sources irradiate light in a disjointed cycle. Therefore, it is necessary to control the on / off of light irradiation at the same time. Since plants can absorb light only during the light reaction period, as shown in FIG. 7, the difference in the amount of light absorption is significant depending on whether the on / off of light irradiation is synchronized. That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), the light reaction of the plant starts when the LED light source (1) is turned on, but the timing of turning on the LED light source (2) is different from that of the LED light source (1). The amount of light from the LED light source (2) is hardly absorbed by the plant. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the on / off state of the LED light source (1) and the LED light source (2) is synchronized, light can be efficiently irradiated in accordance with the light reaction timing of the plant. The amount of light absorption increases. For example, in the lighting cultivation method which exhibits the insect repellent effect of Patent Document 2, it is disclosed that a plurality of light sources are irradiated with light by pulsing light in synchronization with a light / dark cycle.

JP-A-64-020034 JP 2011-211201 A

“Effects of pulsed light on plant photosynthesis rate”, Plant Factory Research Institute [online, searched on March 20, 2015], Internet <URL: http://www.sasrc.jp/pulse.htm>

  Electromagnetic noise is generated when the power source for driving the light source is switched. When trying to turn on multiple light sources in synchronization, the multiple power sources that drive the multiple light sources operate in the same rectangular pattern at the same time. There is a risk of affecting the operation of the electronic device and the human body of the worker.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a plant cultivation lighting system capable of efficiently cultivating a plant with a minimum amount of light while suppressing the influence of electromagnetic noise, and It aims at providing a plant cultivation method.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, first, the present invention has, as a cycle, a light period width that is turned on for a predetermined time and a dark period width that is turned off for a predetermined time with respect to a cultivation area composed of a plurality of cultivation blocks. A plurality of light sources that irradiate light in an illumination cycle, and a control unit that controls the plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being divided into a plurality of groups for each cultivation block that irradiates light, The control means synchronizes the illumination cycle of the light source in the same group of the plurality of groups, and does not synchronize the illumination cycle of the light source between two groups that irradiate light to adjacent cultivation blocks in the plurality of groups. The lighting system for plant cultivation characterized by controlling the plurality of light sources is provided (Invention 1).

  According to the said invention (invention 1), in each cultivation block, a light source is driven between adjacent cultivation blocks, saving power consumption efficiently by synchronizing the illumination cycle of a light source. Because the illumination cycle of the light source can be shifted and the phase of the illumination cycle can be shifted so that electromagnetic noise generated during power supply switching is not superimposed, the influence of electromagnetic noise on the operation of other surrounding electronic devices and the human body of the worker It is possible to efficiently cultivate plants with the minimum amount of light while suppressing the above.

  In the said invention (invention 1), it is preferable that the said control means is provided with the several light source drive circuit which drives each of these light sources, and the pulse generation circuit which sends a pulse signal to these light source drive circuits ( Invention 2).

  According to the above invention (invention 2), the pulse signals generated by the pulse generation circuit are sent to the plurality of light source driving circuits, and the plurality of light sources are driven by following the same pulse signal as it is. The timing will not be shifted.

  2ndly, this invention is the cultivation comprised from a some cultivation block by the several light source which irradiates light by the illumination cycle which makes the light period width | variety lighted for a predetermined time and the dark period width | variety light extinguished for a predetermined time one period A plant cultivation method for cultivating a plant by irradiating light to a region, wherein the plurality of light sources are divided into a plurality of groups for each cultivation block that irradiates light, and within the same group in the plurality of groups Then, the light cycle of the light source is synchronized, and the plurality of light sources are controlled so as not to synchronize the light cycle of the light source between two groups that irradiate light to adjacent cultivation blocks in the plurality of groups. A cultivation method is provided (Invention 3).

  According to the said invention (invention 3), in each cultivation block, a light source is driven between adjacent cultivation blocks, saving power consumption efficiently by synchronizing the illumination cycle of a light source. Because the illumination cycle of the light source can be shifted and the phase of the illumination cycle can be shifted so that electromagnetic noise generated during power supply switching is not superimposed, the influence of electromagnetic noise on the operation of other surrounding electronic devices and the human body of the worker It is possible to efficiently cultivate plants with the minimum amount of light while suppressing the above.

  The lighting system for plant cultivation and the plant cultivation method of the present invention can efficiently illuminate a plant with a minimum amount of light while suppressing the influence of electromagnetic noise.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of the plant factory which employ | adopts the lighting system for plant cultivation which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the lighting system for plant cultivation which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the lighting system unit for plant cultivation which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the control controller which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the LED driver which concerns on the same embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the waveform of the pulse signal which controls irradiation of the light in each cultivation block which comprises the cultivation area which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the light / dark reaction cycle of a plant, and the light absorption amount of a plant at the time of irradiating light from a light source with a predetermined light-dark cycle.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a plant factory 100 that employs a plant cultivation lighting system 9 according to this embodiment. Twelve cultivation devices 200 are installed in the plant factory 100 in total, and the three cultivation devices 200 serve as one cultivation block, and all four first cultivation blocks 301, second cultivation blocks 302, and third cultivation blocks are arranged. 303 and the 4th cultivation block 304 are comprised.

  Each cultivation apparatus 200 includes a cultivation bed 210 that is a medium in which plants are planted, and an LED light source 220 that is provided on the cultivation bed 210 and irradiates light to the plant. Two are arranged in parallel with respect to one cultivation bed 210. In one cultivation block, the three cultivation apparatuses 200 are arranged side by side in the same direction as the direction in which the LED light sources 220 are arranged. As a result, six LED light sources 220 are parallel in one cultivation block. It will be arranged side by side.

  The cultivation bed 210 is, for example, a plant cultivation space made of styrene foam in which a plurality of insertion holes that can be inserted and fixed from the root of a plant to be planted are arranged, and is generally used in a plant factory. Can be used.

  The LED light source 220 contains, for example, the LED array 3 and has a housing structure in which a light irradiation surface from the LED array 3 is provided on one surface on the cultivation bed 210 side, and is generally used in a plant factory. The well-known thing can be utilized.

  The cultivation apparatus 200 can include a nutrient solution culm, a nutrient solution circulation device, a nutrient solution filtration device (not shown), etc. (not shown) in addition to the cultivation bed 210 and the LED light source 220. Also, publicly known ones generally used in plant factories can be used.

  In each of the first cultivation block 301, the second cultivation block 302, the third cultivation block 303, and the fourth cultivation block 304, the three cultivation devices 200 and the six LED light sources 220 are arranged in parallel as described above. . On the other hand, these four cultivation blocks themselves are arranged in order in a direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) orthogonal to the arrangement direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) of the cultivation apparatus 200 and the LED light source 220.

  In the present embodiment, four cultivation blocks 301, 302, 303, and 304 are provided in the plant factory 100, and three cultivation devices 200 are arranged in each cultivation block. However, it can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the plant factory, the size of the cultivation apparatus 200 to be employed, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the like.

  Next, the plant cultivation lighting system 9 employed in the plant factory 100 will be described. In the present embodiment, one plant cultivation lighting system unit 91, 92, 93, 94 is provided for each of the first cultivation block 301, the second cultivation block 302, the third cultivation block 303, and the fourth cultivation block 304. In the entire plant factory 100, as shown in FIG. 2, four plant cultivation lighting system units 91, 92, 93, and 94 are connected to one computer 4 to constitute a plant cultivation lighting system 9. Has been.

  Since all the plant cultivation lighting system units 91, 92, 93, and 94 have the same configuration, the configuration of the plant cultivation lighting system unit 91 will be described as a representative. As shown in FIG. 3, the plant cultivation lighting system unit 91 includes a controller 1, six LED drivers 2 connected to the controller 1, and six LED arrays 3 connected to each of the six LED drivers 2. It consists of and. The six LED arrays 3 are accommodated in the six LED light sources 220 installed in each cultivation block. In the present embodiment, all six LED drivers 2 have the same configuration, and all six LED arrays 3 also have the same configuration.

  The controller 1 generates pulse signals necessary for each of the six LED drivers 2 to drive each of the six LED arrays 3, and transmits the pulse signals to the LED driver 2. As shown in FIG. The pulse generation circuit 11 generates a pulse signal and the control circuit 12 controls the pulse signal generation circuit 11.

  The pulse generation circuit 11 is a circuit that generates a pulse signal S having a frequency of 2.5 KHz, and the duty ratio of the pulse signal S is fixed to any value in the range of 30% to 50% depending on the type of plant. ing. The generated pulse signal S is transmitted to the six LED drivers 2 through the transmission path. In the present embodiment, the pulse signal S is transmitted to each of the six LED drivers 2 via a transmission path branched into six. As the pulse generation circuit 11, a known pulse generation circuit can be employed.

  The frequency of the pulse signal S is not limited to 2.5 KHz, and other frequencies can be employed. The frequency of the pulse signal S is preferably set within a range of 2 to 5 KHz, for example, because the cycle of light and dark reactions of plants is said to be about 200 to 400 μsec. The LED light source 220 can be appropriately driven.

  In response to an instruction from the computer 4, the control circuit 12 causes the pulse generation circuit 11 to generate a pulse signal having a pulse rectangle according to the type of plant to be cultivated, and at what timing the pulse signal. It controls whether to generate. As the control circuit 12, a known control circuit using a CPU or the like can be employed.

  The LED driver 2 outputs a current for driving the LED array 3 to the LED array 3 based on the pulse signal S transmitted from the controller 1. As shown in FIG. The pulse signal amplification driver 21 outputs S to the LED array 3 with the pulse waveform as it is, and the level comparator 22 adjusts the height of the pulse signal in the pulse signal amplification driver 21. Based on the pulse signal S transmitted from the controller 1, the pulse signal amplification driver 21 and the level comparator 22 of the LED driver 2, the light period width for turning on the LED array 3 for a predetermined time and the dark period width for turning off the predetermined time. Are driven in an intermittent illumination mode in which the light source emits light in an illumination cycle.

  The pulse signal amplification driver 21 outputs the pulse signal S transmitted from the controller 1 to the LED array 3 with the pulse waveform as it is. When the pulse signal S is pulse-outputted with the pulse waveform as it is, the LED array 3 can be driven in an intermittent illumination mode in which light is emitted so as to be repeatedly turned on and off at the cycle of the pulse waveform. When the pulse signal S is output in a pulse waveform as it is, the output current increases or decreases according to the height of the pulse waveform (pulse wave height). For example, when it is desired to drive the LED array 3 in the intermittent illumination mode with a light amount twice that when the pulse signal S having a pulse waveform having a pulse height h is transmitted to the pulse signal amplification driver 21, the pulse wave height is doubled. The height of the pulse waveform is adjusted by using the level comparator 22 so as to be 2h.

  As the pulse signal amplifier driver 21, for example, a circuit having a configuration such as a current amplifier circuit using an amplification transistor is adopted. As the level comparator 22, for example, a threshold determination circuit using an analog comparator or an AD converter is used. A circuit having such a configuration can be employed, but the circuit is not limited to this, and the pulse signal S transmitted from the controller 1 can be pulse-outputted to the LED array 3 with the pulse waveform as it is. Any device may be used as long as the pulse wave height of the pulse signal S can be adjusted.

  By adopting the control controller 1 and the LED driver 2 as described above, the pulse signal S generated by the pulse generation circuit 11 is transmitted from one control controller 1 to six LED drivers 2, and each LED driver is transmitted. Since the pulse signal S can be output in a pulse waveform as it is from two to six LED arrays 3, light is irradiated so that the six LED arrays 3 are repeatedly turned on and off in the cycle of the pulse waveform. It can be driven synchronously in the intermittent illumination mode. Further, the pulse signal S generated by the pulse generation circuit 11 is sent to the six LED drivers 2, and the six LED arrays 3 are driven by following the same one pulse signal as it is, so that these six light sources are turned on and off. There is no timing shift.

  The LED array 3 is a light source formed by arranging a plurality of LEDs on a substrate, and the plurality of LEDs are connected in series or in parallel. The number and arrangement method of the LEDs can be arbitrarily determined depending on the location of the plant factory 100, the size of the cultivation bed 210, the required amount of light, and the like.

  The computer 4 is connected to each control controller 1 of the lighting system units 91, 92, 93, 94 for plant cultivation, and includes four cultivation blocks, a first cultivation block 301, a second cultivation block 302, and a third cultivation block. The lighting conditions of the plant cultivation lighting system units 91, 92, 93, 94 in the 303 and the fourth cultivation block 304 are controlled.

  Specifically, what kind of pulse rectangle the computer 4 generates in the pulse generation circuit 11 for each control controller 1 of the plant cultivation lighting system units 91, 92, 93, 94. In addition, the timing at which the pulse signal is generated is instructed. In this embodiment, in each of the 1st cultivation block 301, the 2nd cultivation block 302, the 3rd cultivation block 303, and the 4th cultivation block 304, all LED arrays 3 repeat lighting / extinction with the period of a pulse waveform. Although it drives by the intermittent illumination mode which irradiates light, the computer 4 is intermittent illumination mode at least between the cultivation units adjacent with respect to each control controller 1 of the illumination system units 91, 92, 93, 94 for plant cultivation. Is instructed not to synchronize.

  For example, as shown to Fig.6 (a), you may make it the light-dark cycle of all the cultivation blocks of the 1st cultivation block 301, the 2nd cultivation block 302, the 3rd cultivation block 303, and the 4th cultivation block 304 not synchronize. . In FIG. 6A, a pulse signal S having a frequency of 2.5 KHz and a duty ratio of 30% is generated for each of the plant cultivation lighting system units 91, 92, 93, and 94, but the generation timings are all shifted. Thereby, the light-dark cycle of all the cultivation blocks of the 1st cultivation block 301, the 2nd cultivation block 302, the 3rd cultivation block 303, and the 4th cultivation block 304 does not synchronize.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the light and dark cycles are synchronized in the first cultivation block 301 and the third cultivation block 303, or in the second cultivation block 302 and the fourth cultivation block 304. Between the adjacent first cultivation block 301 and the second cultivation block 302, between the second cultivation block 302 and the third cultivation block 303, and between the third cultivation block 303 and the fourth cultivation block 304, May not be synchronized. In FIG. 6B, a pulse signal S having a frequency of 2.5 KHz and a duty ratio of 30% is generated at the same timing for each of the plant cultivation lighting system units 91 and 93, and the plant cultivation lighting system unit 92, By generating the pulse signal S with a frequency of 2.5 KHz and a duty ratio of 30% for each of 94 at the same timing (timing different from the plant cultivation lighting system units 91 and 93), the first cultivation block 301 and In the third cultivation block 303, or in the second cultivation block 302 and the fourth cultivation block 304, the light and dark cycles are synchronized, but the light and dark cycles of adjacent cultivation blocks are not synchronized.

  According to the plant cultivation lighting system 9 as described above, in each cultivation block, the neighboring cultivation blocks are efficiently saved by synchronizing the illumination cycle of the LED array 3 while efficiently saving power consumption. The phase of the illumination cycle can be shifted without synchronizing the illumination cycle of the LED array 3 so that electromagnetic noise generated during switching of the power source that drives the LED array 3 is not superimposed. While suppressing the influence of electromagnetic noise on the operation and the human body of the worker, it is possible to efficiently illuminate plants with the minimum amount of light.

  As mentioned above, although the lighting system for plant cultivation based on this invention has been demonstrated based on drawing, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change implementation is possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Plant factory 200 Cultivation apparatus 210 Cultivation bed 220 LED light source 301 1st cultivation block 302 2nd cultivation block 303 3rd cultivation block 304 4th cultivation block 9 Plant cultivation lighting system 91,92,93,94 Plant cultivation lighting system Unit 1 Control controller 11 Pulse generation circuit 12 Control circuit 2 LED driver 21 Pulse signal amplification driver 22 Level comparator 3 LED array 4 Computer

Claims (3)

A plurality of light sources that irradiate light with an illumination cycle that has a light period width that is turned on for a predetermined time and a dark period width that is turned off for a predetermined time, for a cultivation region composed of a plurality of cultivation blocks,
Control means for controlling the plurality of light sources,
The plurality of light sources are divided into a plurality of groups for each cultivation block that emits light,
The control means synchronizes the illumination cycle of the light source in the same group of the plurality of groups, and does not synchronize the illumination cycle of the light source between two groups that irradiate light to adjacent cultivation blocks in the plurality of groups. The lighting system for plant cultivation characterized by controlling the plurality of light sources.   2. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a plurality of light source driving circuits that respectively drive the plurality of light sources, and a pulse generation circuit that sends a pulse signal to the plurality of light source driving circuits. Lighting system for cultivation. By irradiating light to a cultivation area composed of a plurality of cultivation blocks with a plurality of light sources that irradiate light in a lighting cycle with a light period width that is turned on for a predetermined time and a dark period width that is turned off for a predetermined time as one cycle A plant cultivation method for cultivating a plant,
The plurality of light sources are divided into a plurality of groups for each cultivation block that emits light,
The plurality of light sources so that the illumination cycle of the light source is synchronized within the same group of the plurality of groups, and the illumination cycle of the light source is not synchronized between two groups that irradiate light to adjacent cultivation blocks in the plurality of groups. The plant cultivation method characterized by controlling.

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