JP7526597B2 - Buildings and methods for cultivating plants - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a building in which plants are grown, and more particularly to a building capable of effectively exchanging heat between the inside and outside of the building.
The present invention also relates to a method for cultivating plants in the above-mentioned building.

In buildings where plants are grown indoors, such as plant factories, the temperature inside the building rises because sunlight is collected or artificial light is irradiated to provide light for photosynthesis for the plants, and the humidity inside the building increases due to factors such as transpiration from the plants. High temperature and humidity environments can have a negative impact on plant cultivation, such as slowing down the growth rate of plants. For this reason, conventional buildings where plants are grown indoors have installed general air conditioners or dehumidifiers inside the building, and these devices are operated to adjust the temperature and humidity inside the building (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In Patent Document 1, in a plant factory where plants are cultivated by irradiating artificial light onto multi-tiered cultivation shelves arranged in an indoor space, the temperature and humidity of the indoor space are regulated by an air conditioner. Specifically, cooled air from the air conditioner is discharged into the cultivation shelves through ventilation holes in a duct, the cooled air discharged into the duct is compressed by a compressor, and the air inside the duct is cooled by flowing a cooling medium through a cooling pipe installed in part of the duct.

JP 2020-18229 A

In buildings where plants are grown indoors, when temperature and humidity control is performed using general air conditioning equipment as in Patent Document 1, electricity is consumed according to the air conditioning load. Furthermore, plants are usually grown in plant factories throughout the year, in which case the temperature and humidity inside the building tend to rise even as the seasons change. For this reason, air conditioning equipment is operated throughout the year in the above-mentioned plant factories, which results in increased costs associated with plant cultivation.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to achieve the following objects.
The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology and to provide a building in which plants can be grown and air conditioning costs can be reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for cultivating plants at lower cost by cultivating plants inside the above-mentioned building.

To achieve the above object, the building of the present invention is a building in which an interior space is partitioned by exterior walls and a ceiling, and plants are grown in the interior space, and is characterized in that it has a first fin group having a plurality of first fins protruding in a first direction toward the interior space from a fin installation portion provided on at least one of the exterior walls and the ceiling in the interior space, and a second fin group having a plurality of second fins protruding in a second direction opposite to the first direction from the fin installation portion in the space outside the building, and the first fin group and the second fin group are connected.

According to the building of the present invention configured as described above, heat is exchanged inside and outside the building via the first fin group and the second fin group that are connected to each other. As a result, during periods such as winter when the outside air temperature is low inside the building, the temperature inside the building can be efficiently lowered and the inside of the building can be efficiently dehumidified by using the outside air (air outside the building). As a result, the amount of power consumed to adjust (strictly speaking, lower) the temperature and humidity inside the building can be reduced, and air conditioning costs can be kept down.

Furthermore, each of the multiple first fins may be paired with one of the multiple second fins, and the pair of first fin and second fin may be connected. With this configuration, heat exchange between the inside and outside of the building can be performed more efficiently.

The fin installation section may be provided so as to penetrate at least one of the exterior wall and the ceiling. In this case, it is preferable that the first fin group and the second fin group are integrated and have shapes symmetrical to each other with respect to the middle position of the fin installation section. With this configuration, the first fin group and the second fin group are integrated, which makes it easier to install these fin groups. Furthermore, since the first fin group and the second fin group are symmetrical in shape, there is no need to distinguish between the orientation of the first fin group and the orientation of the second fin group when installing these fin groups, making installation even easier.

Also, a heat sink having a first fin group and a second fin group may be installed on the fin installation section. With this configuration, the first fin group and the second fin group can be realized in a simpler and more versatile configuration.

In addition, a first fan that blows air toward the first fin group may be provided. With this configuration, the air inside the building can be sent toward the first fin group, and the temperature and humidity of the air inside the building can be more effectively reduced.
Furthermore, in order to more effectively exert the above-mentioned effects, it is more preferable that the first fin group is installed in a fin installation section provided on the outer wall, and that the first fan blows air downward in the vertical direction.

In addition, a second fan may be provided to blow air toward the second fin group. With this configuration, air outside the building (outside air) can be sent toward the second fin group, making it possible to more effectively exchange heat between the inside and outside of the building.
Furthermore, in order to more effectively exert the above-mentioned effect, it is more preferable that the second fin group is installed in a fin installation section provided on the outer wall, and that the second fan blows air vertically upward.

The system may further include a collector that collects condensation water that condenses on the surfaces of each of the first fins. With this configuration, the collected condensation water can be effectively used, for example, for growing plants within the building.

In addition, each of the multiple first fins may be a plate-shaped fin. In this case, it is preferable that the multiple first fins are arranged in a direction intersecting the vertical direction with gaps between the first fins. With this configuration, condensation water that condenses on the surface of the plate-shaped first fin drips downward along the surface of the first fin, making it easy to collect the condensation water.

Furthermore, each of the multiple first fins and the multiple second fins may be a columnar fin. With this configuration, the surface area (i.e., the heat transfer area) of each of the first fins and the second fins is larger, so that heat exchange can be performed more efficiently inside and outside the building.

It is also possible to realize a method for cultivating plants in the interior space of any of the buildings of the present invention described above. With this method, it is possible to appropriately cultivate plants inside the building by adjusting the temperature and humidity inside the building using outside air.

According to the present invention, it is possible to use outside air to adjust the temperature and humidity of a building in which plants are grown, thereby reducing the cost of air conditioning. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by cultivating plants inside a building in which the temperature and humidity are controlled, a lower-cost method of cultivating plants is realized.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a building according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the position of the fin installation portion on a building, and for convenience of illustration, the inside of the building is shown in a see-through state. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a fin installation portion in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a view of the vicinity of the fin installation portion from above. 2 is a perspective view showing a heat sink including a first fin group and a second fin group, a first fan, and a second fan; FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a first fin group and a second fin group according to a first modified example. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how airflow is generated inside a building. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a first fin group and a second fin group according to a second modified example. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a first fin group and a second fin group according to a third modified example.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the attached drawings. Note that for convenience of illustration, some parts are simplified in FIG. 2, and for example, the first blower 41 and the second blower 42, which will be described later, are omitted.

The embodiments described below are examples given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiments described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Naturally, the present invention also includes equivalents.

In addition, in this specification, a numerical range expressed using "~" means a range that includes the numerical values written before and after "~" as the lower and upper limits.

＜＜Building Overview＞＞
The building according to this embodiment (hereinafter, the building 10) is used to cultivate a plant P in an indoor space 16 (corresponding to an internal space). The plant P grows by photosynthesis and transpiration, and is harvested when it has grown to a predetermined state and then shipped as a commercial product.

As shown in FIG. 1, the building 10 has an exterior wall 12 and a roof 14, and an indoor space 16 is an enclosed space formed by the exterior wall 12 and the roof 14. Examples of the building 10 include buildings such as plant factories, container boxes for cultivating plants, and greenhouse buildings such as vinyl greenhouses or glass greenhouses. In the following, a plant factory will be described as an example of the building 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of cultivation shelves 20 are arranged regularly within the plant factory, which is the building 10. Each of the plurality of cultivation shelves 20 is arranged on the floor surface of the plant factory, and in this embodiment, it is a multi-tiered cultivation shelf, which has a plurality of tiers arranged vertically as shown in FIG. 1, and the cultivation cases 22 are placed on the tiers. However, the cultivation shelves 20 are not limited to being multi-tiered, and may be single-tiered cultivation shelves.

The plant P to be cultivated is planted in the cultivation case 22. For example, water or a nutrient solution for plant cultivation is stored in the cultivation case 22, and the plant P planted in the cultivation case 22 is cultivated by a hydroponic method. However, the method of cultivating the plant is not particularly limited, and may be a soil cultivation method.

The cultivation shelves 20 may also be provided with lighting devices 24 that irradiate light (artificial light) to the plants P cultivated on each shelf. The lighting devices 24 irradiate the plants P with light from a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or a fluorescent lamp by turning on the light source. Note that the light irradiated to the plants P is not limited to artificial light, and may be sunlight, or a combination of sunlight and artificial light may be used.

The building 10 is also equipped with an air conditioning device H, such as an air conditioner, for adjusting the temperature and humidity within the building 10. The air conditioning device H has the same specifications as air conditioning devices commonly used in plant factories and the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, thermal conductors 30 are installed at multiple locations on the exterior wall 12 of the building 10. The thermal conductors 30 are heat sinks, and have multiple fins (heat transfer fins) as shown in Figures 3 to 5. The thermal conductors 30 are installed in a state where they penetrate the exterior wall 12, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a portion of the thermal conductor 30 is located in the indoor space 16, and another portion of the thermal conductor 30 is located in the space outside the building 10, i.e., the outdoor space 18.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, heat conductors 30 are installed at multiple locations on the exterior wall 12 of the building 10. Here, the locations on the exterior wall 12 where the heat conductors 30 are installed correspond to fin installation sections FS. More specifically, the fin installation sections FS are provided by penetrating the exterior wall 12, and are, for example, openings (through holes) formed in the exterior wall 12 to install the heat conductors 30.

The multiple fin mounting sections FS provided on the outer wall 12 may be provided at the same vertical position (height) or at different vertical positions (heights). The size of each of the multiple fin mounting sections FS (in other words, the size of the thermal conductor 30) may be the same or different. After the thermal conductor 30 is installed in the opening that constitutes the fin mounting section FS, it is preferable to fill the gap between the opening and the thermal conductor 30 with a filler such as caulking material.

The thermal conductor 30 is used to exchange heat between the indoor space 16 and the outdoor space 18. The configuration of the thermal conductor 30 will be described in detail in the next section.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a first fan 41 and a second fan 42 are arranged around the thermal conductor 30 as a heat sink. The first fan 41 is a fan installed in the indoor space 16, and sends air from the indoor space 16 toward the thermal conductor 30. In other words, the first fan 41 sends air toward a portion of the thermal conductor 30 located in the indoor space 16 (more specifically, the first fin group 31 described below).

The second blower 42 is a fan installed in the outdoor space 18, and sends air (outside air) in the outdoor space 18 toward the thermal conductor 30. In other words, the second blower 42 blows air toward the portion of the thermal conductor 30 located in the outdoor space 18 (more specifically, the second fin group 32 described below).

The type of fan constituting each of the first blower 41 and the second blower 42 is not particularly limited, and for example, an axial flow fan, a centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan, a cross flow fan, or the like can be used. In addition, the number of first blowers 41 and second blowers 42 installed for one thermal conductor 30 is not particularly limited, but in the case shown in Figures 4 and 5, multiple first blowers 41 and second blowers 42 (specifically, two of each) are installed.

<<Detailed configuration of thermal conductor>>
As described above, the thermal conductor 30 is a heat sink used for heat exchange between the indoor space 16 and the outdoor space 18, absorbing heat from the indoor space 16 and dissipating heat to the outdoor space 18. The thermal conductor 30 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, and is preferably, for example, a metal or an alloy, or a material containing a metal or an alloy.

The metal constituting the thermal conductor 30 preferably includes silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, duralumin, beryllium, magnesium, molybdenum, sodium, brass, zinc, calcium, potassium, cadmium, nickel, silicon, bronze, platinum, cobalt, palladium, iron, chromium, tungsten, tin, iridium, niobium, carbon steel, manganese, solder, cast iron, gunmetal, silicon steel, chromium steel, manganese steel, thorium, lead, platinum-iridium, alumel, nickel silver, uranium, Monel metal, carbon, indium, constantan, manganin, antimony, titanium, nickel-chromium alloy, zirconium, chromel, bismuth, plutonium, boron, germanium, manganese, and selenium.
Among the above metals, silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, duralumin, magnesium, molybdenum, brass, zinc, nickel, silicon, bronze, platinum, cobalt, palladium, iron, chromium, tungsten, tin, iridium, niobium, carbon steel, manganese, solder, cast iron, gunmetal, silicon steel, chromium steel, manganese steel, alumel, nickel silver, Monel metal, carbon, constantan, manganin, titanium, nickel-chromium alloy, zirconium, chromel, germanium, and manganese are more preferable.
Furthermore, among the above metals, silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, duralumin, magnesium, molybdenum, brass, bronze, platinum, iron, chromium, tungsten, tin, carbon steel, solder, cast iron, gunmetal, silicon steel, chromium steel, manganese steel, titanium, nickel-chromium alloy, and zirconium are more preferable.
Furthermore, among the above metals, copper, aluminum, duralumin, brass, bronze, iron, chromium, carbon steel, solder, cast iron, gunmetal, silicon steel, chromium steel, manganese steel, and titanium are most preferable.

The thermal conductor 30 may be made of a single type of metal, or may be made of multiple types of metal organized in a laminate or other structure.

The thermal conductor 30 has an appearance as shown in FIG. 5 and includes a first fin group 31, a second fin group 32, and a base portion 35. These are integrated, and by casting, for example, in a mold not shown, the thermal conductor 30 can be obtained as a metal molded product in which the first fin group 31, the second fin group 32, and the base portion 35 are integrated.

The method for manufacturing the thermal conductor 30 as a metal molded product is not limited to casting, and the thermal conductor 30 may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple pieces by welding or the like.

The base portion 35 is made of a rectangular plate, and has a first group of fins 31 on its front surface and a second group of fins 32 on its back surface. The base portion 35 is fitted into the opening that forms the fin installation section FS, and has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the outer wall 12 (the length in the direction penetrating the outer wall 12).

The base portion 35 may be formed from a single plate, or may be formed by stacking multiple plates (e.g., two plates). In the latter configuration, for example, when the base portion 35 is formed by stacking two metal plates, the first fin group 31 may be provided on the surface of one plate, and the second fin group 32 may be provided on the surface of the other plate, and the plates may be joined at the surface on the side where the fin group is not provided to form the thermal conductor 30.

The first fin group 31 is composed of a plurality of first fins 33 as shown in FIG. 4. Each of the plurality of first fins 33 is a plate-shaped fin and protrudes straight from the surface of the base portion 35. The plurality of first fins 33 protrude in a comb-like shape and are arranged at regular intervals along a direction approximately perpendicular to the protruding direction.

The number of first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31 is not particularly limited, but should be at least two.

The configuration of the first fin group 31 when the thermal conductor 30 is installed on the fin installation section FS will be described. In the indoor space 16, the first fins 33 protrude in a first direction (the direction indicated by symbol f1 in FIG. 4) from the fin installation section FS toward the indoor space 16. The first fins 33 are also arranged with gaps between them in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, more specifically, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (in other words, the extension direction of the exterior wall 12).

As shown in FIG. 3, the first fan 41 is disposed directly above the first fin group 31. The first fan 41 blows air downward in the vertical direction, that is, toward the first fin group 31.

The second fin group 32 is composed of a plurality of second fins 34 as shown in FIG. 4. Each of the plurality of second fins 34 is a plate-shaped fin that protrudes straight from the back surface of the base portion 35. The plurality of second fins 34 protrude in a comb-like shape and are arranged at regular intervals along a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the protruding direction.

In this embodiment, the number of second fins 34 constituting the second fin group 32 is the same as the number of first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31. However, this is not limited to this, and the number of first fins 33 and the number of second fins 34 may be different from each other.

In this embodiment, as can be seen from Figures 4 and 5, the second fin group 32 has a shape symmetrical to the first fin group 31 with the base portion 35 as the boundary. In other words, the shape of the second fin group 32 is the inversion of the shape of the first fin group 31 with the base portion 35 as the center.

The second fin group 32 is connected to the first fin group 31, and more precisely, is connected to the first fin group 31 via the base portion 35 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. To explain in more detail, in this embodiment, each of the multiple first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31 is paired with one of the multiple second fins 34 constituting the second fin group 32, and the paired first fin 33 and second fin 34 are connected via the base portion 35. Here, "the paired first fin 33 and second fin 34" means the first fin 33 and second fin 34 that are aligned on the same straight line.

The configuration of the second fin group 32 when the thermal conductor 30 is installed on the fin installation section FS will be described. The second fins 34 protrude from the fin installation section FS in the outdoor space 18 in a second direction (indicated by symbol f2 in FIG. 4) opposite to the first direction f1. The second fins 34 are also arranged in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, more specifically, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (in other words, in the extension direction of the exterior wall 12), with gaps between them.

When the thermal conductor 30 is installed in the fin installation section FS, the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32 are symmetrical with respect to each other at the midpoint of the fin installation section FS (the midpoint in the direction penetrating the outer wall 12), as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second blower 42 is disposed directly below the second fin group 32. The second blower 42 blows air vertically upward, i.e., toward the second fin group 32.

Next, the structure of each of the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32 will be described in detail. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the description will be given assuming that the thermal conductor 30 is installed on the fin installation section FS.

The first fins 33 of the first fin group 31 and the second fins 34 of the second fin group 32 each preferably have a shape that increases the contact area with the air, and preferably has a shape that increases the surface area.

Regarding the fin pitch (spacing between fins) in each of the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32, if the pitch is too narrow, the air flow will be poor, and if the pitch is too wide, the effect of increasing the fin surface area (heat transfer area) will be small, and the dehumidification ability of the thermal conductor 30 will decrease. Taking this into consideration, the fin pitch should be 0.01 mm to 1000 mm, preferably 0.05 mm to 100 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 50 mm, and particularly preferably 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

It is preferable that the thickness (plate thickness) of each of the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 is in the same numerical range as the pitch described above.

If the protrusion length (length in the direction penetrating the outer wall 12) of each of the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 is too long, the dehumidification capacity of the heat conductor 30 will increase, but the strength (strength against buckling) of the fins will decrease and durability will decrease. Conversely, if the protrusion length is too short, the surface area of the fins (contact area with air) will decrease and dehumidification capacity will decrease. Taking this into consideration, the protrusion length of each fin should be 0.1 mm to 10,000 mm, preferably 1 mm to 5,000 mm, more preferably 10 mm to 2,000 mm, and particularly preferably 50 mm to 1,000 mm.

If the height (vertical length) of each of the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 is too short, the dehumidification ability of the thermal conductor 30 decreases, and if it is too long, the strength of the fins decreases, decreasing their durability. Taking this into consideration, the height of each fin should be 0.1 mm to 20,000 mm, preferably 1 mm to 10,000 mm, more preferably 10 mm to 5,000 mm, and particularly preferably 50 mm to 2,000 mm.

The flat surfaces of the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 may be smooth or rough. If the fin surface is rough, the surface roughness should be 0.0001 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.001 mm to 5 mm, more preferably 0.01 mm to 3 mm, and particularly preferably 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

<<How to use the building>>
Next, a method of using the building 10 described above, that is, a cultivation method of cultivating a plant P in the indoor space 16 of the building 10 will be described.

According to the building 10, by installing a thermal conductor 30 on the fin installation section FS provided on the exterior wall 12, heat exchange can be performed between the indoor space 16 and the outdoor space 18. In particular, when the temperature of the outdoor space 18 (i.e., the outside air temperature) is lower than the temperature of the indoor space 16, such as in winter, the temperature of the indoor space 16 can be lowered by heat exchange through the thermal conductor 30, and the humidity in the indoor space 16 can be reduced and dehumidified.

To explain in more detail, in a situation where the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the indoor space 16, the second fin group 32 of the thermal conductor 30 located in the outdoor space 18 is cooled by contact with the outside air. At this time, the second blower 42 located directly below the second fin group 32 blows air vertically upward. Since the colder the air is, the heavier its specific gravity is and the lower it is in the vertical direction, the second blower 42 blows air from below the second fin group 32 toward the second fin group 32, thereby effectively cooling each of the multiple second fins 34 that make up the second fin group 32.

In addition, since the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32 are connected via the base portion 35, when the second fin group 32 is cooled, the first fin group 31 is cooled by thermal conduction. That is, the surface temperature of each of the multiple first fins 33 that make up the first fin group 31 decreases.

When the air in the indoor space 16 comes into contact with the first fin group 31, it is cooled by the cooled first fins 33. At this time, the first fan 41 located directly above the first fin group 31 blows air vertically downward. As the temperature of the air increases, the specific gravity of the air decreases and the air rises. Therefore, by having the first fan 41 blow air from above the first fin group 31 toward the first fin group 31, the air at the top of the indoor space 16, which is at a higher temperature, can be effectively cooled.

In addition, when the air in the indoor space 16 near the surface of the first fin 33 is cooled to below its dew point, condensation occurs on the surface of the first fin 33. This dehumidifies the indoor space 16, decreasing the humidity in the space 16.

As described above, in this embodiment, the outdoor air can be used to cool and dehumidify the indoor space 16. This reduces the power load on the air conditioner H, reducing power consumption and reducing costs (electricity bills, to put it simply). This effect is even more meaningful in large-scale plant factories. In other words, the more plants are cultivated in the indoor space 16, the more light is irradiated, causing the temperature of the indoor space 16 to rise, and the more transpiration from the plants also increases, causing the humidity in the indoor space 16 to increase even further. Under such circumstances, the effect of using outdoor air to cool and dehumidify the indoor space 16 is particularly pronounced.

The amount of dehumidification varies depending on the difference between the temperature of the air (humid air) and the surface temperature of the first fin 33, and increases as the temperature difference increases. Also, the amount of dehumidification increases as the amount of air passing through the first fin group 31 increases. As described above, the temperature of the first fin 33 is preferably at least 1 degree lower than the temperature of the indoor space 16, preferably at least 5 degrees lower, and more preferably at least 10 degrees lower. Regarding the amount of air, from the viewpoint of increasing the dehumidification efficiency, the total amount of air (volume basis) that comes into contact with the first fin group 31 per hour is preferably equal to or greater than the volume of the indoor space 16, preferably at least twice the volume of the indoor space 16, and more preferably at least 5 times the volume of the indoor space 16. If the amount of air is too large, the humidity will drop too much and the electricity bill will increase. Considering this point, the upper limit of the amount of air is preferably 50,000 times or less, preferably 5,000 times or less, and more preferably 500 times or less, the volume of the indoor space 16.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31 are arranged in a direction (for example, horizontally) that intersects with the vertical direction; in other words, the surface of each first fin 33 extends along the vertical direction. Therefore, condensation water generated by condensation on the surface of each first fin 33 drips down the fin surface. In consideration of this situation, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, it is preferable to place a collector 50 for collecting condensation water directly below the first fin group 31. The collector 50 may be a container such as a tray or bucket with an open top. The condensation water collected by the collector 50 can be effectively utilized, for example, by using it for cultivating plants P.

<<Other embodiments>>
Although the building and plant cultivation method of the present invention have been described above using specific examples, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and other embodiments may be considered.

In the above-described embodiment, a fin installation section FS is provided on the exterior wall 12 of the building 10, and a thermal conductor 30 is installed on the exterior wall 12. However, this is not limited to the above, and a fin installation section FS may be provided on the ceiling 14, and a thermal conductor 30 may be installed on the ceiling 14. Also, a fin installation section FS may be provided on both the exterior wall 12 and the ceiling 14, and a thermal conductor 30 may be installed on each of the exterior wall 12 and the ceiling 14.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31 and the second fins 34 constituting the second fin group 32 is a plate-shaped fin. However, the shape of each fin is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, each of the first fins 133 constituting the first fin group 131 and the second fins 134 constituting the second fin group 132 may be a columnar (more specifically, pin-shaped) fin.

When using columnar fins, a fin plate (not shown) may be provided that protrudes outward like a brim from the outer periphery of the fin in order to increase the surface area (heat transfer area) of the fin.

Furthermore, the multiple first fins 33, 133 constituting the first fin group 31, 131 may be a mixture of plate-shaped fins and columnar fins, and similarly, the multiple second fins 34, 134 constituting the second fin group 32, 132 may be a mixture of plate-shaped fins and columnar fins.

In the above embodiment, the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32 are connected via the base portion 35. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the base portion 35 may not be provided and the first fin group 31 and the second fin group 32 may be directly connected, that is, a pair of the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 may be connected to form a single plate-like fin.

In the above embodiment, the first blower 41 is disposed directly above the first fin group 31. Here, the first blower 41 may be a dedicated device installed for the purpose of blowing air toward the first fin group 31, and may be substituted with, for example, a ventilation fan that is originally installed in the building 10. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, an air conditioner H (more specifically, a fan on the indoor unit side of the air conditioner H) installed in the building 10 may generate an airflow (air circulation) that directs warm air in the upper part of the indoor space 16 toward the heat conductor 30 and returns cold air in the lower part.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the multiple first fins 33 constituting the first fin group 31 are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the vertical direction (specifically, the horizontal direction), but this is not limited to this. The multiple first fins 33 may be arranged in a vertical line (i.e., stacked one above the other). Similarly, the multiple second fins 34 constituting the second fin group 32 may also be arranged in a vertical line.

In the above embodiment, the first fin 33 and the second fin 34 are rectangular plates and are rectangular when viewed from the front, but as in the heat conductor 230 shown in FIG. 8, the lower end may be cut at an angle (in other words, the lower end may be inclined in the vertical direction). In particular, the lower end of the first fin 233 may be inclined downward as it approaches the outdoor side. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, a gutter 236 may be provided on the indoor side surface of the base portion 235 slightly below the lower end of the first fin 233, so that condensation water generated on the surface of the first fin 233 can be collected. In this way, the condensation water can be collected in the gutter 236 by utilizing the gravity acting on the condensation water.
It is preferable that the gutter 236 is inclined in one direction so that the water in the gutter 236 flows away. Although not shown in Fig. 8, the gutter 236 may also be provided on the outdoor surface of the base portion 235. In this case, rainwater that runs down the surface of the second fin 234 during rainy weather can be guided to the gutter, improving durability, etc.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of fin mounting sections FS are provided at positions spaced apart from each other on the outer wall 12, and a plurality of heat conductors 30 are installed spaced apart from each other. However, this is not limited to this, and a plurality of heat conductors 330 may be connected as shown in Fig. 9, and the plurality of heat conductors 330 may be collectively installed on a fan mounting section FS provided at a predetermined position on the outer wall 12.
Specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 9, the bases of the plurality of thermal conductors 330 are connected to form one connecting plate 335, and a pair of support parts 336A, 336B protruding in opposite directions are provided on the surface of the connecting plate 335 at regular intervals in the extending direction of the connecting plate 335. One of the support parts 336A protrudes from the indoor surface of the connecting plate 335, and a first fin group 331 is provided on each of both sides. The first fin group 331 includes a plurality of first fins 333 aligned along the protruding direction of the support part 336A as shown in FIG. 9. The other support part 336B protrudes from the outdoor surface of the connecting plate 335, and a second fin group 332 is provided on each of both sides. The second fins 334 of the second fin group 332 are aligned along the protruding direction of the support part 336B as shown in FIG. 9.

10 Building 12 Exterior wall 14 Ceiling 16 Indoor space (internal space)
18 Outdoor space 20 Cultivation shelf 22 Cultivation case 24 Lighting device 30, 130, 230 Thermal conductor (heat sink)
Reference Signs List 31, 131, 231, 331 First fin group 32, 132, 232, 332 Second fin group 33, 133, 233, 333 First fin 34, 134, 234, 334 Second fin 35, 235 Base portion 41 First blower 42 Second blower 50 Collector 236 Gutter 335 Connecting plate 336A, 336B Support portion H Air conditioning device FS Fin installation portion

Claims (12)

A building in which an interior space is divided by an exterior wall and a ceiling, and plants are cultivated in the interior space,
An air conditioner installed in the interior space;
a first fin group including a plurality of first fins protruding in a first direction toward the internal space from a fin installation portion provided on at least one of the outer wall and the ceiling in the internal space;
a second fin group including a plurality of second fins protruding from the fin installation portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction in a space outside the building,
the first fin group and the second fin group are connected to each other,
A fan directs air in an upper portion of the interior space toward the first group of fins and air in a lower portion of the interior space toward the air conditioning device . Each of the first fins is paired with one of the second fins,
2. The building of claim 1, wherein a first fin and a second fin of each pair are connected. The fin installation portion is provided in a state of penetrating at least one of the outer wall and the ceiling,
The building according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first group of fins and the second group of fins are integrated and have shapes symmetrical to each other with respect to a middle position of the fin installation portion. The building according to claim 3, wherein a heat sink including the first fin group and the second fin group is installed on the fin installation section. The building according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a first fan that blows air toward the first group of fins. The first fin group is provided on the fin mounting portion provided on the outer wall,
The building according to claim 5 , wherein the first fan blows air downward in a vertical direction. The building according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second fan that blows air toward the second group of fins. The second fin group is provided on the fin mounting portion provided on the outer wall,
The building according to claim 7 , wherein the second fan blows air vertically upward. The building according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a collector for collecting condensation water generated by condensation on the surface of each of the first fins. Each of the plurality of first fins is a plate-shaped fin,
The architectural structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first fins are arranged in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction with gaps therebetween. The building according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each of the first fins and the second fins is a columnar fin. A method for cultivating plants, comprising cultivating plants in an interior space of the building according to any one of claims 1 to 11 .