JPWO2018051651A1 - Agricultural house - Google Patents

Abstract

In the case of arranging a plurality of nozzles, the arrangement density of the nozzles can be reduced, and the equipment cost required for the nozzles can be reduced. The agricultural house (30) comprises an outer shell (20), a plurality of nozzles (11) and an air flow forming device (15). The plurality of nozzles (11) generate a plurality of first areas (A1) having a density equal to or more than a first reference value and a first reference value having a density based on the density of mist reaching the ground after being generated from each of the plurality of nozzles. The ground is arranged so as to be divided into a plurality of second areas (A2) that are equal to or less than a smaller second reference value. Furthermore, the nozzles (11) are arranged such that at least one first area (A1) of the plurality of first areas (A1) is adjacent to each of the plurality of second areas (A2). The air flow forming device (15) is configured to create, in the upper space of each of the plurality of second regions (A2), an air flow for moving cold air generated by vaporization of the mist reaching the first region (A1).

Description

  The present invention relates to an agricultural house, and more particularly to an agricultural house equipped with a nozzle for generating mist.

  Conventionally, a configuration has been proposed in which a nozzle capable of spraying a mist having a particle size of several [μm] to about several ten [μm] is disposed at a suitable place inside a greenhouse (agricultural house) (Patent Document 1). In this technique, when mist is supplied, the heat of vaporization lowers the room temperature.

  On the other hand, there has been proposed a technique for reducing the leaf temperature of a plant by discharging micro water droplets directly to the plant (see Patent Document 2). In Patent Document 2, spray nozzles are placed at intervals of 2 [m], spray nozzles are provided such that the spray ports are directed 15 ° upward from the horizontal plane, and micro water droplets of about 30 [μm] It is described that it is sprayed near the growth point.

  The technology described in Patent Document 1 cools the entire interior of a greenhouse (agricultural house), so a large amount of water is required, and the plant can not be cooled with a small amount of water.

  On the other hand, since the technology described in Patent Document 2 is configured to discharge minute water droplets (mist) from the spray nozzle to the locality of the cultivated plant, it is not necessary to cool the entire room. However, it is necessary to arrange a spray nozzle so that a micro water droplet can be discharged to all of a plurality of cultivation plants. That is, there is a problem that the arrangement density of the spray nozzles is high, and as a result, the facility cost tends to increase.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-157068 JP 2011-36199 A

  An object of this invention is to enable reduction of the arrangement | positioning density at the time of arrange | positioning a some nozzle, and to provide the agricultural house which restrained the installation expense which a nozzle requires.

  An agricultural house according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outer shell, a plurality of nozzles, and an air flow forming device. The outer shell is disposed to surround a space in which a plurality of plants are grown. The plurality of nozzles are disposed above the ground on which the plant is grown in the inside of the outer shell, and generate mist in which liquid is micronized. The air flow creation device creates an air flow inside the shell. The plurality of nozzles are arranged such that the ground is divided into a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions based on the density of the mist reaching the ground after being respectively generated from the plurality of nozzles. There is. The first area has the density equal to or higher than a first reference value, and the second area has a density equal to or lower than a second reference value smaller than the first reference value. Further, the nozzle is disposed such that at least one first region of the plurality of first regions is adjacent to each of the plurality of second regions. The air flow forming device is a cold air generated in the upper space of each of the plurality of second regions by vaporization of mist reaching the first region adjacent to each of the plurality of second regions among the plurality of first regions. It is configured to create an air flow that moves the

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an agricultural house of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line XX in FIG. 1 showing the agricultural house of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y of FIG. 1 showing the agricultural house of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the adjustment device in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the change device in the first embodiment. 6A is a front view showing a relationship between a plant with a short height and a nozzle in Embodiment 1, and FIG. 6B is a front view showing a relationship between a plant with a high height and a nozzle in Embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a block diagram related to control of equipment in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the control device in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a time chart showing control timing in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section along line XX in FIG. 1 showing another example of the agricultural house of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram relating to control of equipment in another example of the agricultural house of the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the control device in another example of the agricultural house of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the relationship between a photographing device and a simulation member in another example of the agricultural house of the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the agricultural house 30 described below includes an outer shell 20 disposed so as to surround a space in which the plant 40 is grown. If the plant body 40 is grown in the open field, the season in which the plant body 40 can be grown is generally determined according to the type of the plant body 40 and the area where the plant body 40 is grown. In contrast, when the environment for cultivating the plant 40 in the agricultural house 30 is adjusted, it is possible to grow the plant 40 in a period different from the open field. In addition, when the environment in which the plant 40 is grown is adjusted in the agricultural house 30, the same type of plant 40 or a different type of plant 40 may be able to be grown several times a year.

  The plants 40 grown in the agricultural house 30 can be selected from leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, beans, fruits, flowers, and the like. Leaf vegetables are spinach, Komatsuna, lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage etc., and fruits and vegetables are tomato, cucumber, eggplant etc. Below, it is assumed that the plant 40 to be grown is a fruit vegetable such as tomato, cucumber, eggplant or the like. However, the technology described below is applicable regardless of the type of plant 40 to be grown. Moreover, the soil culture cultivation which plants the plant body 40 in soil is assumed. However, even in the case where the plant body 40 is grown on a separation floor in which a root protection water permeable sheet or the like is spread on the soil, it is possible to adopt the technology described below.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer shell 20 includes a frame 21 erected on the ground and a covering 22 supported by the frame 21. With the outer shell 20 installed on the ground, the shape of the outer shell 20 occupied on the ground is a rectangular shape with a large aspect ratio (see FIG. 3). For example, the size of the outer shell 20 in the longitudinal direction is about several tens of meters, and the size of the outer shell 20 in the lateral direction is about several meters.

  The frame 21 includes a plurality of arched main frames 21A and a plurality of connecting frames 21B that connect the plurality of main frames 21A to each other (see FIG. 2). Each of the main frames 21A is formed in an arch shape by a pair of linear supports 211 erected on the ground and an arc-shaped bridge 212 connecting the upper ends of the pair of supports 211 integrally. The main frame 21A and the connecting frame 21B are formed of metal pipes. The metal is selected from surface-treated aluminum, zinc-coated iron, and the like. The plurality of main frames 21A are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20 (direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 2). Therefore, the pair of supports 211 of one main frame 21A stand apart in the lateral direction of the outer shell 20 (the left and right direction in FIG. 2). The connection frame 21B is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20, and is coupled to the plurality of main frames 21A.

  On the other hand, the cover 22 is a translucent synthetic resin film and is disposed so as to cover the frame 21. In a part of the cover 22, an opening used as a window for ventilation, an opening serving as an entrance and the like, and the like are provided. Inside the shell 20, in order to control the environment in which the plant 40 is grown, various facilities such as a watering apparatus for watering the plant 40 and a curtain for controlling the solar radiation incident on the shell 20 are provided. In the following, among various facilities for controlling the environment in which the plant body 40 is grown, a facility for generating a mist generated by atomizing a liquid and a facility for generating an air flow inside the outer shell 20 will be described. .

  The mist mainly controls the temperature in the environment in which the plant 40 is grown. That is, it contributes to cooling of the plant 40 by at least one of the action of mist contacting the plant 40 to cool the plant 40 and / or the action of the mist being vaporized to deprive the surrounding air of heat of vaporization to produce cold air. Do. Further, by creating an air flow inside the outer shell 20, cold air generated by vaporization of the mist moves inside the outer shell 20. Therefore, when cold air generated by vaporization of the mist is moved to the periphery of the plant 40, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the environment in which the plant 40 is grown. The specific configuration of the device for generating the mist and the device for generating the air flow will be described later.

  The outer shell 20 has a pair of side walls 23 corresponding to the support 211 of the main frame 21A, a roof 24 corresponding to the bridge 212 of the main frame 21A, and a pair of end walls 25 which are both end surfaces of the outer shell 20 in the longitudinal direction. have. An opening used as a window is provided in the side wall 23, and an opening used as an entrance is provided in the end wall 25. Depending on the specification of the agricultural house 30, not only the side wall 23 but also the roof 24 may be provided with an opening used as a window. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer shell 20 is formed in a shape that is convex upward in a cross section that intersects the longitudinal direction as a whole.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 2, the main frame 21A is arched, but the bridge 212 of the main frame 21A may be inverted V-shaped, and the apex of the bridge 212 is not one but plural. May be For example, the bridge 212 of the main frame 21A may be reverse W-shaped. The cover 22 may be glass as long as it is transparent. In addition, since the procedure which assembles the outer shell 20 is general, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  On the ground surrounded by the outer shell 20, a plurality of (for example, three) ridges 31 are formed in which the soil is raised relative to the surroundings in order to grow the plant body 40. The size of one ridge 31 is approximately equal to the size of the outer shell 20 in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20 (e.g., about 80%), and several minutes of the size of the outer shell 20 in the lateral direction of the outer shell 20 It is about one. A working passage 32 is formed between the weirs 31 adjacent in the lateral direction of the shell 20.

  A plurality of plants 40 are planted at roughly equal intervals on each of the plurality of mosses 31. As arrangement | positioning to the ridge 31 of the plant body 40, single row planting and two row planting are widely employ | adopted. Single row planting means planting a plurality of plants 40 in a row along the longitudinal direction of one weir 31. Double-row planting means planting a plurality of plant bodies 40 in two rows along the longitudinal direction of one weir 31 as shown in FIG. In both single row planting and double row planting, a plurality of plant bodies 40 arranged in a row are planted at substantially equal intervals. Moreover, in the double row planting, the plants 40 in the other row may be arranged between two plant bodies 40 adjacent in one row in the longitudinal direction of the weir 31. In this case, assuming that the distance between two plant bodies 40 adjacent to each other in one row is 2d, in double-row planting, the plant bodies 40 are arranged in different rows at intervals d.

  By the way, the house 30 for agriculture aims at adjusting the environment which grows the plant body 40. As shown in FIG. In order to control the temperature in the environment in which the plant 40 is grown, it is considered to ventilate the air inside the shell 20 with the outside air, to control the incidence of sunlight on the inside of the shell 20, etc. Be However, in ventilation, the temperature inside the shell 20 can not be lower than the temperature outside the shell 20. Also, adjusting the incidence of sunlight to the inside of the shell 20 can suppress the rise in air temperature inside the shell 20, but the temperature inside the shell 20 is still maintained outside the shell 20. It can not be lowered below the temperature.

  Inside the outer shell 20, a plurality of nozzles 11 for generating mist are disposed. As shown in FIG. 4, the water supply pipe 12 is connected to each of the plurality of nozzles 11, and a liquid such as water is supplied through the water supply pipe 12. Each of the plurality of nozzles 11 is provided with a blowout port that generates a mist obtained by atomizing the liquid supplied through the water supply pipe 12.

  The nozzle 11 may be located above the passage 32 but is preferably located above the weir 31. That is, the nozzle 11 is disposed above and away from the upper surface of the weir 31 as the ground on which the plant body 40 is grown. The height from the ground (the upper surface of the weir 31) on which the plant body 40 is grown to the nozzle 11 is determined according to the height of the plant body 40, and is determined to be approximately 50 cm or more and 300 cm or less. The liquid supplied to the nozzle 11 may be water that uses rain water, river water, well water or the like as raw water, or water that contains a drug useful for plants in addition to tap water. Hereinafter, the liquid supplied to the nozzle 11 is referred to as water regardless of whether or not it contains a drug. When the plant body 40 is planted in the weir 31 and the nozzle 11 is disposed above the weir 31, the nozzle 11 is not directly above the plant body 40, but the outer shell 20 with respect to the plant body 40. It is desirable to be disposed at a position displaced in the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction.

  Preferably, one nozzle 11 has a plurality of (for example, two or four) outlets. However, one nozzle 11 may have only one air outlet. The nozzles 11 are arranged such that the direction in which the mist is blown out is in a relatively small angle range (about ± 15 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane) with respect to the horizontal plane (the plane along the ground). Here, the direction in which the nozzle 11 blows the mist is the direction in which the mist flies along the center line of the area where the mist immediately after the blowout from the nozzle 11 is present. That is, since the mist blows out so as to spread from the blowout port, the direction in which the mist blows out from the nozzle 11 is determined by the center line of the area where the mist immediately after the blowout exists. The area where the mist immediately after the blowout is present has a circular, elliptical, or square shape in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzle 11 blows the mist. In addition, when the nozzle 11 is equipped with only one blower outlet, the nozzle 11 may be arrange | positioned so that the direction which blows off mist may become downward.

  As for the mist which the nozzle 11 generates, it is desirable for the mode of the particle diameter to be 10 [μm or more and 100 [μm] or less. Although it is not essential that the mode of the particle size of the mist generated by the nozzle 11 is in the above-mentioned range, if the mode of the particle size is in this range, the mist does not float much and is relatively short. Fall in time. Therefore, the mist does not entirely evaporate in the air, and if the plant body 40 is not planted in the weir 31, a part of the mist generated by the nozzle 11 reaches the upper surface of the weir 31. That is, a part of the mist generated by the nozzle 11 falls on the upper surface of the crucible 31 as the ground for cultivating the plant body 40.

  In the case where the mist is blown out from the nozzle 11 having the two outlets, the nozzle 11 is arranged above the plants 40 arranged in a line so that the mist is blown out in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20. When the mist is blown out from the nozzle 11 having four outlets, if the plant 40 is single-row planted, the nozzle 11 is disposed above the passage 32, and if the plant 40 is double-row planted, the lines are arranged in two rows. Preferably, the nozzles 11 are arranged between the rows of plant bodies 40. In addition, when blowing out mist from the nozzle 11 which has one blowing outlet downward, the plant body 40 is planted so that at least one plant body 40 may be located directly under the nozzle 11.

  In the configuration example described above, it is assumed that the nozzle 11 is disposed above the weir 31 and one nozzle 11 blows mist corresponding to one weir 31. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the nozzle 11 having two or four outlets is disposed above the passage 32 and the mist is blown out from one nozzle 11 to the two weirs 31.

  The plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged in a row along the crucible 31 regardless of the number of outlets in the individual nozzles 11 and the positional relationship between the plurality of nozzles 11 and the crucible 31. As shown in FIG. 3, since the plurality of weirs 31 are formed inside the outer shell 20, the nozzles 11 are also arranged in a plurality of rows. Water is supplied from a common header 13 to a plurality of water supply pipes 12 (see FIG. 4) respectively connected to the plurality of nozzles 11 arranged in one row. That is, the plurality of headers 13 along the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20 is disposed in the outer shell 20, and one end of the plurality of water supply pipes 12 is coupled to each header 13. Although the material of the header 13 may be hard or soft, it is desirable that the material of the water supply pipe 12 be flexible. The header 13 is formed of a material selected from synthetic resin, metal, rubber and the like, and the water supply pipe 12 is formed of a material selected from rubber, synthetic resin and the like. Needless to say, the water supply pipe 12 and the header 13 may be formed of a composite material in which a plurality of materials are combined instead of a single material.

  The water supply pipe 12 connected to the nozzle 11 is coupled to the header 13 fixed to the frame 21, whereby the nozzle 11 is disposed above the ground in a state of being suspended from the header 13. Here, if the length of the water supply pipe 12 is large, it is possible to adjust the height of the nozzle 11 with respect to the ground by adjusting the distance of the water supply pipe 12 from the frame 21 to the nozzle 11.

  For example, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the loop 121 is formed in a part of the water supply pipe 12 between the header 13 and the nozzle 11, and the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground is higher than in the case where the loop 121 is not formed. It is getting bigger. The height of the nozzle 11 relative to the ground is adjusted according to the diameter of the loop 121 and is the lowest if the loop 121 is not formed. When the loop 121 is formed in one water supply pipe 12, an overlapping portion occurs in the one water supply pipe 12. That is, when the loop 121 is formed in the water supply pipe 12, the end of the loop 121 near the header 13 and the end near the nozzle 11 overlap. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the fixing member 122 is attached to the water supply pipe 12 so that the position of the overlapping portion does not shift.

  The fixing member 122 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin in a shape in which two C-shaped holding portions are integrally coupled. Each of the two holding parts is in close contact with the outer surface of the water supply pipe 12 by the elasticity of the holding part in a state where the water supply pipe 12 is fitted. When a part of the water supply pipe 12 is fitted to each of the two holding portions in the overlapping part of the water supply pipe 12 generated by the formation of the loop 121, the position of the overlapping part in the water supply pipe 12 is fixed by friction with the fixing member 122. In this configuration, the diameter of the loop 121 formed in the water supply pipe 12 is maintained by the fixing member 122.

  The fixing member 122 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be a member that can be attached to the water supply pipe 12 so that the position of the overlapping portion of the water supply pipe 12 does not shift. For example, a member such as a binding wire using a metal wire, a binding band formed of a synthetic resin, an adhesive tape or the like can be adopted as the fixing member 122. The fixing member 122 may be a clamp configured to sandwich the overlapping portion of the water supply pipe 12.

  In order to adjust the height of the nozzle 11 with respect to the ground, in the above-described configuration example, the water supply pipe 12 which is flexible enough to form the loop 121 and the fixing member 122 which maintains the diameter of the loop 121 are used. That is, the adjusting device 14 capable of adjusting the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground includes the water supply pipe 12 and the fixing member 122. The adjustment device 14 may be configured to meander the feed pipe 12 in addition to the configuration in which the feed pipe 12 is formed with the loop 121.

  The adjusting device 14 described above is an example, and the adjusting device 14 having another configuration can be adopted if the nozzle 11 is suspended inside the outer shell 20 and the height of the nozzle 11 with respect to the ground can be adjusted. That is, the configuration for adjusting the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground is a configuration in which a part of the water supply pipe 12 is hooked on a hook attached to the frame 21 and a configuration for adjusting the height for attaching the header 13 to the frame 21 It may be. In the former configuration, the adjusting device 14 comprises a water supply pipe 12 and a hook, and in the latter configuration, the adjusting device 14 comprises a member for attaching the header 13 to the frame 21.

  The adjusting device 14 may be realized by a water supply pipe 12 which expands and contracts. For example, the adjustment device 14 may be configured of a water supply pipe 12 whose pipe wall is bellows-like or a spirally wound water supply pipe 12. If this configuration is adopted, the water supply pipe 12 can be deformed so that the distance between the nozzle 11 and the header 13 changes, so the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground can be adjusted. When adopting this configuration, the material of the water supply pipe 12 needs to have a hardness enough to hold the nozzle 11 at an arbitrary height.

  Furthermore, the adjusting device 14 may be a member for suspending the nozzle 11 or the water supply pipe 12 and a configuration for adjusting the amount of extension of the member. For example, the adjusting device 14 may be composed of a string-like member that suspends the nozzle 11 or the water supply pipe 12 and a member such as a reel that enables winding and rewinding of the string-like member. The adjusting device 14 may be configured by a vertical guide fixed to the frame 21 and a slider sliding up and down along the guide. In this configuration, the nozzle 11 is attached to the slider.

  By the way, the mist which blew off from the nozzle 11 falls, and a part of mist reaches the ground, without disappearing. The plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged relatively far apart from one another. That is, the nozzle 11 is arrange | positioned so that the area | region which mist reaches, and the area | region which mist does not reach are formed in the ground on which the plant body 40 is grown.

  Actually, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of first regions A1 and a plurality of second regions A2 having different mist densities are formed on the ground (upper surface of the weir 31) on which the plant body 40 is grown Ru. In the first area A1, the density of mist that has reached the ground is equal to or higher than the first reference value, and in the second area A2, the density of mist that has reached the ground is equal to or lower than the second reference value. The plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged such that a second area A2 is formed between two adjacent first areas A1 of the plurality of first areas A1. Here, if an air flow is generated inside the outer shell 20, the mist is carried by the air flow, and the first area A1 and the second area A2 can not be determined. Therefore, the first area A1 and the second area A2 The velocity of the air flow inside the shell 20 is determined in a state where it is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

  The first reference value and the second reference value described above are set to values at which the second reference value is smaller than the first reference value. For example, the first reference value is set to 50 [%], the second reference value is set to 20 [%], and the like. Moreover, 1st area | region A1 and 2nd area | region A2 are defined supposing the state which the air flow has not produced. That is, assuming that the velocity of the air flow inside the outer shell 20 is 0 [m / s], the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground (upper surface of the weir 31) is determined. Here, the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground (the upper surface of the weir 31) is the specification of the nozzle 11, the pressure of water supplied from the water supply pipe 12 to the nozzle 11, the height from the ground to the nozzle 11, It is affected by factors such as the temperature and humidity inside the shell 20 and the temperature of the water supplied to the nozzle 11. Therefore, the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground is empirically estimated taking into consideration the influence of these factors.

  The rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground may be determined by simulation or measurement. In the case of actual measurement, it is desirable that the speed of the air flow be such that a person can not substantially perceive the air flow and the mist can not flow. Therefore, the velocity of the air flow when measuring the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground is, for example, 0.3 [m / s] or less, desirably 0.1 [m / s] or less. The amount of mist blown out from the nozzle 11 is calculated by the specifications of the nozzle 11 and the pressure of water supplied from the water supply pipe 12 to the nozzle 11. In addition, the speed at which the mist evaporates changes due to the temperature and humidity inside the outer shell 20, the temperature of water supplied to the nozzle 11, etc., and the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the ground changes. The influence of these factors is corrected by the correction operation. The above-described numerical values (the first reference value, the second reference value, and the velocity of the air flow) only indicate a standard, and the present invention is not limited to these numerical values. Further, the relationship between the first reference value or more and the second reference value or less may be a relationship between a predetermined value or more and a predetermined value or less. For example, in the first area A1, the density of mist reaching the ground is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (for example, 50 [%]), and in the second area A2, the density of mist reaching the ground is less than the predetermined value May be

  As described above, the plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged so that the distance is relatively large, and the mist is on the ground between the first regions A1 where the mist reaches the ground (the upper surface of the weir 31) by free fall. A second region A2 which does not reach is formed. Therefore, most of the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 is in contact with the plant 40 planted in the first area A1, but the mist is hardly in contact with the plant 40 planted in the second area A2.

  Although a part of the mist evaporates without contacting the plant 40, a relatively large amount of mist reaches the plant 40 and vaporizes after contacting the plant 40 because the particle diameter of the mist is relatively large. . Therefore, the plant body 40 planted in the first area A1 is cooled relatively well. On the other hand, the mist hardly contacts the plant 40 planted in the second region A2, and the plant 40 planted in the second region A2 can not be expected to be cooled by vaporization of the mist. Therefore, the outer shell 20 is provided with an air flow forming device 15 configured to generate an air flow from at least the first area A1 to the second area A2 inside the outer shell 20.

  The air flow created by the air flow forming device 15 moves cold air generated by vaporization of mist in the vicinity of the first region A1 to the vicinity of the second region A2. By this, if the plant body 40 is planted in the second region A2, it is possible to lower the ambient temperature of the plant body 40 by cold air. That is, even if the plant 40 is planted in either the first area A1 or the second area A2, it is possible to lower the temperature at which the plant 40 is grown. Here, it is desirable that the nozzle 11 be disposed such that the size of the first area A1 in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20 is larger than the size of the second area A2. In fact, when the air flow is generated, a part of the mist flows from the first area A1 to the second area A2. Also in this case, the plant body 40 is cooled by either vaporization of the mist or cold air generated by the vaporization of the mist.

  In the configuration example shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, as the air flow forming device 15, an intake fan 151 for taking outside air into the inside of the outer shell 20 and an exhaust fan 152 for discharging air from the inside to the outside of the outer shell 20 , And a blower fan 153 that forms an air flow inside the outer shell 20. The intake fan 151 is disposed at the top of one of the end walls 25 of the outer shell 20, and the exhaust fan 152 is disposed at the top of the other end wall 25 of the outer shell 20. That is, an air flow from one end in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20 to the other end is formed by the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152 at an upper portion inside the outer shell 20.

  By the way, since the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152 are disposed at the upper portion of the end wall 25, if the opening of the outer shell 20 is closed, the air flow in the lower portion of the outer shell 20 is in the upper portion. It is slower than the air flow. Further, since the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152 are disposed at the central portion in the lateral direction, the air flow on both sides in the lateral direction of the outer shell 20 is slower than the air flow at the central portion inside the outer shell 20 It is. Here, since the cold air due to the vaporization of the mist is generated at the lower part inside the shell 20, the air flow forming device 15 needs to create an air flow for carrying the cold at the lower part inside the shell 20.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of (three in this case) blower fans 153 are disposed inside the outer shell 20. The plurality of blower fans 153 are disposed at one end side where the intake fan 151 is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20, and are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the lateral direction of the outer shell 20. The plurality of blower fans 153 create an air flow along the weir 31 formed inside the outer shell 20. The individual blower fans 153 are suspended from the top of the shell 20 or placed on the ground.

  When the blower fan 153 is suspended from the top of the shell 20, the blower fan 153 is attached to the shell 20 via a plurality of chains or a plurality of pipes. In this configuration, the arrangement of the blower fan 153 in the shell 20 is adjusted by adjusting the length of the chain or adjusting the position at which the blower fan 153 is coupled to the pipe. That is, by adjusting the arrangement of the blower fan 153, the velocity distribution of the air flow formed by the intake fan 151, the exhaust fan 152, and the blower fan 153 is changed.

  In FIG. 5, as an example, a blower fan 153 is disposed between two pipes 161 fixed to the outer shell 20, and the blower fan 153 is coupled to the pipe 161 via a grip 162 attached to the blower fan 153. Is shown. The position at which the grip 162 is coupled to the pipe 161 is adjustable. For example, when the bolt provided to the grip 162 is loosened, the grip 162 can slide relative to the pipe 161, and when the bolt is tightened, the grip 162 is fixed to the pipe 161. Thus, the pipe 161 and the grip 162 constitute the change device 16 that adjusts the height of the blower fan 153 from the ground.

  The air flow produced by the blower fan 153 with respect to the plant 40 planted in the weir 31 has a speed range of, for example, 0.3 [m / s] or more and 2.0 so that the growth of the plant 40 is not impaired. [M / s] is set below. Therefore, when the particle diameter of the mist is relatively large as in the above-described range, the influence of the air flow generated by the blower fan 153 on the mist is limited.

  When the blower fan 153 is placed on the ground, a leg is attached to the blower fan 153. The legs stand on the ground and support the blower fan 153. Also, the blower fan 153 is supported by the legs so that the upper and lower angles can be adjusted. For example, if the legs have bearings and the blower fan 153 has a shaft supported by the bearings, the blower fan 153 can adjust its angle up and down around the shaft. By adjusting the upper and lower angles of the blower fan 153 with respect to the legs, it is possible to change the direction of the airflow generated by the blower fan 153 and adjust the velocity distribution of the airflow generated by the airflow forming device 15 inside the outer shell 20. .

  The chain or pipe for attaching the blower fan 153 to the shell, the shaft for supporting the blower fan 153 with the legs and the bearing are all for changing the velocity distribution of the air flow generated by the air flow forming device 15 inside the shell 20 To contribute. That is, these members function as the change device 16 that changes the velocity distribution of the air flow. The air flow forming device 15 is an air flow of such a speed that cold air generated by vaporization of mist moves from the first area A1 to the second area A2, and the temperature of the plant 40 planted in the second area A2 decreases with cold air. Configured to produce

  By the way, when the mist is generated inside the outer shell 20, the surface of the plant 40 gets wet and the humidity inside the outer shell 20 rises, which may suppress the transpiration action of the plant 40. When the amount of mist in contact with the plant 40 is excessive, or when the humidity of the environment in which the plant 40 is grown is excessive, the plant 40 tends to have a disease. Therefore, after the temperature of the plant 40 or the ambient temperature of the plant 40 is lowered by the mist, the mist adhering to the surface of the plant 40 is quickly vaporized, and the moisture in the air exceeding the appropriate amount is inside the shell 20 It is desirable to be discharged quickly from

  Since the air flow forming device 15 forms an air flow around the plant 40, an effect of promoting the vaporization of the mist attached to the plant 40 can be expected. Further, the water vapor generated by the vaporization of the mist has a smaller density than that of the surrounding air, and thus functions as a heat medium for conveying the heat taken from the surroundings by the vaporization of the mist to the upper portion of the shell 20. And since the air flow forming device 15 is provided with the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152 at the upper part of the outer shell 20, the water vapor carried to the upper part of the outer shell 20 is removed by the air flow created by the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152. It is quickly discharged to the outside of the shell 20.

  That is, the water vapor generated by the vaporization of mist carries the heat of the lower part of outer shell 20 upward, and the water vapor carried to the upper part of outer shell 20 is discharged to the outside of outer shell 20 by intake fan 151 and exhaust fan 152. As a result, heat is discharged from the outer shell 20 to the outside. As a result, the heat in the lower part of the shell 20 is discharged to the outside of the shell 20. In addition, since the water vapor generated by the vaporization of the mist is discharged to the outside of the shell 20, an increase in humidity inside the shell 20 is suppressed despite the generation of the mist.

  As described above, the adjusting device 14 adjusts the height of the nozzle 11 with respect to the ground, and the changing device 16 adjusts the velocity distribution of the air flow generated by the blower fan 153. Fruit vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and eggplant assumed in this configuration example generally become taller in the process of cultivation. On the other hand, as described above, the mode value of the particle diameter of the mist is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The lower limit of the particle diameter is set to such an extent that the mist ejected from the nozzle 11 does not disappear before reaching the plant body 40. On the other hand, the upper limit of the particle diameter is set so as to reduce the possibility of physiological disorders caused by excessive wetting of fruits and vegetables. Physiological disorders here mean torn fruit, cork formation and the like.

  By the way, since the mist evaporates in the process of reaching the plant 40 after blowing out from the nozzle 11, the amount of the mist contacting the plant 40 depends on the distance between the nozzle 11 and the plant 40 . Further, the rate at which the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 reaches the plant 40 also changes depending on the temperature inside the outer shell 20, radiant heat, the speed of the air flow, and the like. Furthermore, the amount of mist to be brought into contact with the plant 40 needs to be adjusted according to the size of the plant 40.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the distance from the ground to the nozzle 11 is reduced for a small tall plant 40, and for the large tall plant 40 as shown in FIG. 6B, the nozzle from the ground It is desirable to increase the distance up to 11. That is, regardless of the height of the plant 40, the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground is adjusted in accordance with the height of the plant 40 so that the distance between the nozzle 11 and the upper end of the plant 40 does not change significantly. Is desirable. For example, when the distance from the ground of the nozzle 11 to the plant body 40 having a small height is reduced, the amount of evaporation of mist in the air is reduced as compared to the case where the distance from the ground of the nozzle 11 is large. Enables the plant 40 to be cooled.

  The operation described above is described in the state where the opening such as the window or entrance of the shell 20 is closed, but the season when the mist is blown out from the nozzle 11 is mainly in summer, and the shell 20 in the summer is open air. The opening is often open to introduce When the opening is open, an air flow is generated inside the outer shell 20 by the wind blown into the outer shell 20 separately from the air flow generated by the air flow forming device 15. That is, in the state where the opening is open, the air flow inside the outer shell 20 is changed by the influence of the wind blown into the outer shell 20. As described above, when the air flow inside the outer shell 20 changes due to the wind blown into the outer shell 20, there is a possibility that the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 may be scattered to an unexpected place. In particular, when the height of the nozzle 11 is fixedly set on the assumption that the plant body 40 having a large height is used, the mist flows up until the mist reaches the plant body 40 with respect to the plant body 40 having a small height. The mist may not fall to the target location.

  On the other hand, in the configuration example described above, since the adjusting device 14 (see FIG. 4) for adjusting the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground is provided, if the height of the plant 40 is small, the nozzle 11 By bringing it close to 40, the influence of the wind on the mist can be suppressed. That is, even when the height of the plant body 40 is small, as in the case where the height of the plant body 40 is large, it is possible to cause the mist to drop to a target location. As a result, regardless of the height of the plant 40, it becomes possible to cool the plant 40 with mist as intended. Furthermore, by adjusting the nozzle 11 to a lower position with respect to the plant 40 having a small height, the possibility of the mist scattering to unnecessary places is reduced, so the possibility of the worker getting wet with the mist is also reduced. Ru.

  In addition, although the house 30 for agriculture of the structural example mentioned above is equipped with the adjustment apparatus 14 for adjusting the height from the ground of the nozzle 11, the adjustment apparatus 14 is not essential and can be abbreviate | omitted. That is, it is also possible to set the height of the nozzle 11 from the ground constant regardless of the height of the plant body 40.

  By the way, if the height of the plant 40 is small, the mist in contact with the plant 40 vaporizes relatively near the ground, and if the height of the plant 40 is large, the mist in contact with the plant 40 is relatively far from the ground Vaporize. Therefore, for the plant 40 having a small height, the velocity distribution of the air flow generated by the blower fan 153 is adjusted such that the air flow generated by the air flow forming device 15 has an appropriate speed at a portion close to the ground. On the other hand, for the tall plant body 40, the velocity distribution of the air flow generated by the blower fan 153 is adjusted so that the air flow generated by the air flow forming device 15 has an appropriate speed at a part away from the ground. In other words, as the height of the plant body 40 is larger, the change device 16 is adjusted such that the blower fan 153 is positioned above.

  The blower fan 153 described above assumes a configuration in which the direction of the air flow to be generated is a direction along the ground. Since the size in the longitudinal direction of the shell 20 is about several tens of meters, there is a possibility that the influence of the gas flow on the plants 40 aligned in the longitudinal direction of the shell 20 may vary if the air flow is inclined to the ground. is there. Therefore, the blower fan 153 is disposed to form an air flow along the ground, and the change device 16 is configured to set the height of the blower fan 153 from the ground to a height according to the height of the plant 40. It is desirable that the configuration be adjusted.

  On the other hand, the blower fan 153 may be configured such that the direction of the air flow to be produced can be changed up and down. For example, if it is the ventilation fan 153 installed in the ground, the structure which can adjust direction of an air flow up and down is known. In the blower fan 153 of this configuration, when the direction of the air flow is fixed, the air flow may not reach all the plant bodies 40. Therefore, when using this type of blower fan 153, it is desirable to adopt a configuration in which the direction of the blower fan 153 is changed with the passage of time (that is, a configuration in which the swing automatically occurs).

  In the configuration example described above, the upper surface of the weir 31 is divided into a first area A1 to which the mist blown by the nozzle 11 reaches and a second area A2 to which the mist blown by the nozzle 11 does not reach. That is, when the plant body 40 is planted in both the first area A1 and the second area A2 of the weir 31, the mist contacts only a part of the plant body 40 among the plurality of plant bodies 40, The mist does not contact the remaining plants 40 among the plurality of plants 40. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the remaining plant bodies 40 is lowered by moving the cold air generated by the vaporization of the mist in contact with some of the plant bodies 40 with the air flow created by the air flow forming device 15.

  In contrast to the above-described configuration, a configuration is known in which mist generated by the nozzle 11 is vaporized without reaching the plant body 40 using mist having a particle diameter smaller than the above-described range. However, since this configuration is cooling air other than the surroundings of the plant 40, more mist is required to cool the plant 40 to the same extent as the configuration in which the plant 40 is in contact with the mist. Do. In addition, the expensive nozzle 11 is necessary to generate finer mist. That is, when the mist having a smaller particle size is used, both the facility cost and the operation cost may increase as compared with the case where the particle size of the mist having the above-described range is used.

  Further, in the configuration in which the nozzle 11 is disposed so that the mist is in contact with only a part of the plurality of plant bodies 40 planted in the weir 31, the mist is in contact with all the plural plant bodies 40 planted in the weir 31 The number of nozzles 11 is reduced as compared to the case where the number of nozzles 11 is reduced. As a result, compared to the configuration in which the mist is brought into contact with all of the plurality of plant bodies 40, the configuration required to form the first region A1 to which the mist reaches and the second region A2 to which the mist does not reach This will reduce the cost of equipment.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 7, the control apparatus 50 instruct | indicates the timing which generates mist. The pump 17 is connected to the header 13 that supplies water to the nozzle 11 that blows off the mist, and the water pressurized by the pump 17 is supplied to the nozzle 11. Therefore, when the control device 50 instructs the operation of the pump 17, the timing at which the mist is generated and the generation amount of the mist per unit time are determined.

  The control device 50 may be configured to control not only mist control but also air flow control. Usually, the air flow forming device 15 is operated continuously, the intake fan 151 and the exhaust fan 152 contribute to the ventilation of the shell 20, and the blower fan 153 contributes to the stirring of air inside the shell 20. There is. However, since the air flow forming device 15 has a function of moving not only the air but also the cold air generated by the vaporization of the mist, the control device 50 controls the mist as shown by a broken line in FIG. In conjunction with each other to control the operation of the air flow forming device 15. For example, the control device 50 may control the operation of the blower fan 153 so that the air flow generated by the blower fan 153 has an appropriate speed for sending cold air during the period when the mist is blown out from the nozzle 11.

  The control device 50 includes information of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 disposed in the vicinity of the plant 40 planted in the weir 31 and information of the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52 disposed in the vicinity of the plant 40 get. Inside the outer shell 20, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 7, a solar radiation sensor 53 may be disposed to monitor the intensity of sunlight incident on the outer shell 20. Although the solar radiation sensor 53 is not essential, when the solar radiation sensor 53 is provided, the control device 50 also acquires information on the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation sensor 53.

  The temperature sensor 51 measures the air temperature in the vicinity of the plant 40, and the humidity sensor 52 measures the relative humidity. In addition, the solar radiation sensor 53 measures the intensity of the radiation energy incident on the outer shell 20. When the shell 20 is provided with a curtain that limits solar radiation, the space between the covering 22 forming the shell 20 and the curtain so that the solar radiation sensor 53 can measure the intensity of solar radiation regardless of the opening and closing of the curtain. Will be placed.

  The control device 50 is configured by a computer provided with a processor that operates according to a program. The control device 50 can select the automatic mode or the manual mode, and limits the period during which the pump 17 can be operated according to the schedule defined by the timer in either the automatic mode or the manual mode. . The timer may be a 24-hour timer in which a daily schedule is set, or an annual timer in which an annual schedule is set. In addition, since the control device 50 is a computer provided with a processor, when the hardware resources of the control device 50 have a margin, the control device 50 is configured to also function as a timer without separately providing a timer. It may be

  In the timer, a time zone in which mist may be blown out from the nozzle 11 in one day is set as a schedule. This time zone is represented by a pair of start time and end time. Below, this time zone is called "permission time zone". It is desirable that default values are determined according to the area where the shell 20 is installed, the season in which the plant 40 is grown, the type of the plant 40, and the like for the permission time zone. If a default value is determined, the user can use it immediately after the introduction of the agricultural house 30. Also, it is desirable that the permission time zone be adjustable by the user. If the user can adjust the permission time zone, the schedule can be changed if the user can not satisfy the permission time zone set as the default value.

  In the automatic mode, the control device 50 determines the operation of the pump 17 using the information of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 and the information of the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52, and gives an instruction to the pump 17. The control device 50 may use the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation sensor 53 in addition to the temperature and humidity information to determine the operation of the pump 17.

  The control device 50 includes an interface unit 501 that acquires temperature information from the temperature sensor 51 and acquires humidity information from the humidity sensor 52. In addition, when the solar radiation sensor 53 is disposed on the outer shell 20, the interface unit 501 acquires the information of the solar radiation intensity from the solar radiation sensor 53. The processing unit 502 receives the information acquired by the interface unit 501. The processing unit 502 creates an instruction based on the information acquired by the interface unit 501, and gives an instruction to the pump 17 through the drive circuit 503. The drive circuit 503 is a circuit for raising the output of the processing unit 502 to the power necessary for the operation of the pump 17.

  The control device 50 shown in FIG. 7 is configured to control only the operation and stop of the pump 17. That is, the processing unit 502 giving an instruction to the pump 17 instructs to stop the pump 17 if the temperature and the humidity are within the target range, and instructs the operation of the pump 17 when one of the temperature and the humidity is not within the target range. Do. When the solar radiation sensor 53 is disposed in the shell 20, the processing unit 502 also compares the solar radiation intensity monitored by the solar radiation sensor 53 with the target range.

  Now, it is assumed that a solar radiation sensor 53 is provided in addition to the temperature sensor 51 and the humidity sensor 52. Target ranges for temperature, humidity, and solar radiation intensity are defined in the target setting unit 504. The target range set in the target setting unit 504 is determined by the user according to the type of the plant 40, the growth degree of the plant 40, the season, the area, and the like. The target setting unit 504 preferably has a configuration in which the target range is automatically set by receiving information from the user such as the type of the plant 40, the growth degree of the plant 40, the season, and the area. An upper limit value is set for the temperature target range, and an upper limit value is set for the humidity target range. Moreover, the lower limit is set as the target range of the solar radiation intensity. Usually, the influence of solar radiation on the plant body 40 is adjusted by a curtain for light reduction, but in the configuration example described here, the curtain is omitted. That is, solar radiation is treated as an energy source that raises the internal temperature of the shell 20.

  In the processing unit 502, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 exceeds the upper limit of the target range, and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52 is less than the upper limit of the target range, and the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation sensor 53 is the target. If the lower limit value of the range is exceeded, the pump 17 is instructed to operate. That is, when the thermal energy of the environment in which the plant 40 is grown is large and the humidity of the environment in which the plant 40 is grown is not too high, the pump 17 is instructed to operate, and mist is generated from the nozzle 11. The processing unit 502 instructs the pump 17 to operate only in the permitted time zone set in the timer, and the pump 17 is not operated unless in the permitted time zone. Normally, the permission time zone is set during the summer daytime.

  When the operation of the pump 17 is instructed, the control device 50 regulates the amount of water supplied per unit time by controlling the timing of the operation and the stop of the pump 17. The amount of water supplied per unit time can be adjusted by changing the number of revolutions of the pump 17, but here it is adjusted by intermittently repeating the blowout of the mist. That is, the blowout period in which the mist is blown out from the nozzle 11 and the pause period in which the mist is not blown out from the nozzle 11 are repeated, and the length of the blowout period and the pause period is adjusted to supply water per unit time. The amount is adjusted. The blowing period is longer than the time until the mist is stably blown out from all the nozzles 11 after the pump 17 is started, and it is preferable that the mist attached to the plant 40 is not collected and dropped. For example, it is set to several seconds or more and several tens seconds or less.

  By adjusting at least one of the blowing period and the resting period, the amount of water adhering to the plant 40 and the amount of water evaporating from the plant 40 can be optimized. That is, the amount of water adhering to the plant 40 is reduced by shortening the one blowing period, and the remaining of the water adhering to the plant 40 is suppressed by extending the one rest period. In other words, when the blowing period and the resting period are repeated and when the mist is continuously blown out during the operation period, when the water supply amount per unit time is equal, the former is a plant body 40. The time that water is attached to can be shortened.

  Also, in the former operation, by defining the blowing period so that the water attached to the plant 40 does not drop as water droplets and falls to the ground, the water vaporized from the plant 40 among the water blown out from the nozzle 11 The proportion is higher than the latter. That is, there is a possibility that the proportion of the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 contributing to the cooling of the plant 40 may be increased. In other words, the former can cool the plant body 40 with a smaller amount of water than the latter.

  The target setting unit 504 automatically determines the blowing period and the idle period according to the target range set by the user. For example, the target setting unit 504 sets the blowing period to a constant value according to the type of the plant 40, the growth degree of the plant 40, the season, the area, etc., and the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature sensor 51 It is desirable to adjust based on the humidity measured by the sensor 52. In order to adjust the supply amount of mist per unit time, it is desirable to set the blowing period to a constant value and change only the idle period. That is, if the blowing period is a constant value, it is possible to keep the amount of mist adhering to the plant 40 in a substantially constant range, and if the pause period is variable, the mist adhering to the plant 40 is sufficiently vaporized It is possible.

  The operation of the control device 50 is summarized in FIG. If the processing unit 502 of the control device 50 determines that it is the permitted time zone set in the timer (S1: Yes), it determines whether the automatic mode is selected or the manual mode is selected (S2). When the automatic mode is selected in step S2 (S2: automatic), the processing unit 502 compares the information acquired from the temperature sensor 51, the humidity sensor 52, and the solar radiation sensor 53 through the interface unit 501 with the target range (S3) ).

  When the temperature is equal to or lower than the upper limit of the target range, or the humidity is equal to or higher than the upper limit of the target range, or the solar radiation intensity is equal to or lower than the lower limit of the target range (S3: No) If 17 is the operation period (S4: Yes), the pump 17 is instructed to stop (S5), and then the process returns to the process of step S1. Further, when the pump 17 is in the stop period in step S4 (S4: No), the processing unit 502 returns to the process of step S1 without giving an instruction to the pump 17.

  On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds the upper limit of the target range, the humidity does not reach the upper limit of the target range, and the solar radiation intensity exceeds the lower limit of the target range (S3: Yes) If the pump 17 is in the stop period (S6: Yes), the operation instruction is given to the pump 17 (S7), and then the process returns to the process of step S1. If the pump 17 is in the operation period at step S6 (S6: No), the processing unit 502 returns to the process at step S1 without giving an instruction to the pump 17.

  When the manual mode is selected in step S2 (S2: manual), the user instructs the operation and stop of the pump 17 (S8). If it is determined in step S1 that the time zone is not the permission time zone (S1: No), the pump 17 is instructed to stop (S9).

  Here, the operation period of the pump 17 is a period in which the above-described blowout period and the pause period are repeated, and the operation period is the pause period even if the pump 17 is stopped. Moreover, the stop period of the pump 17 is a period which is neither a blowing period nor a rest period. FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the permission time zone TZ1, the operation period ST1, the stop period ST2, the blowout period T1, and the rest period T2. That is, the permission time zone TZ1 in which mist can be blown out during one day is stopped to keep the operation period ST1 during which the pump 17 can be operated and the pump 17 stopped based on the information acquired by the interface unit 501. It is divided into a period ST2. Further, the operation period ST1 is divided into a blowing period T1 and a rest period T2 according to the supply amount of mist. As apparent from FIG. 9, the operating period ST1 is a period longer than the blowing period T1 and the idle period T2, and is set to several minutes or more and several tens minutes or less. Further, the time interval at which the interface unit 501 acquires information is determined, for example, in the range of 1 second to 5 minutes.

  By the way, water is supplied to the plurality of nozzles 11 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the shell 20 through the header 13 along the longitudinal direction of the shell 20, and the header 13 is pressurized water at one end in the longitudinal direction Is introduced. That is, the plurality of nozzles 11 differ in the distance of the water supply path from the pump 17 depending on their positions. Therefore, depending on the distance from the pump 17 to the nozzle 11, a difference occurs in the time from the start of the pump 17 to the generation of the mist, and a difference in the time from the stop of the pump 17 to the stop of the mist. From this, in the plant body 40 of the one end side of the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20, and the plant body 40 of the other end side, a difference may arise in the contact amount of mist.

  Therefore, in order to suppress the variation in the amount of mist blown out by each of the plurality of nozzles 11, a configuration may be adopted in which a pressure tank and a valve are provided in the water supply path between the pump 17 and the header 13. That is, water pressurized by the pump 17 may be stored in a pressure tank, and the valve may be opened when generating the mist and the valve may be closed when stopping the mist. This configuration increases the equipment cost compared to the configuration in which only the pump 17 is provided, but reduces the frequency of repair or replacement of the pump 17 because the number of repetitions of operation and stop of the pump 17 per unit period is reduced. There is a possibility.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the control device 50 sets the blowing period T1 for blowing out the mist to a constant value, and based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52, the stopping period T2 for not blowing the mist. Is adjusting. Moreover, the case where the solar radiation sensor 53 is provided is assumed, and the control apparatus 50 adjusts the idle period T2 in consideration of the solar radiation intensity. That is, it can be said that the control device 50 estimates the speed at which the mist attached to the plant 40 vaporizes from the temperature, humidity, and the solar radiation intensity, and adjusts the supply amount of mist according to the speed at which the mist vaporizes.

  Below, as shown in FIG. 10, the agricultural house 30A provided with the imaging device 54 which includes in a field of view at least one part of 1st area | region A1 is demonstrated. The configuration similar to that of the agricultural house 30 of the first embodiment among the agricultural house 30A of the present embodiment is denoted by the same reference numeral, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the agricultural house 30A of the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the control device 50 obtains an evaluation value of the wet state of the plant 40 based on the image of the plant 40 captured by the imaging device 54 It is configured to adjust the environment in which the plant 40 is grown based on the evaluation value. Hereinafter, the evaluation value of the wet state is referred to as "water content". The moisture value is not used alone, but at least in combination with the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52. Furthermore, it is desirable that the moisture value be combined with the solar radiation intensity measured by the solar radiation sensor 53.

  The imaging device 54 and the control device 50 transmit information through either a wired communication path or a wireless communication path. Since the imaging device 54 needs to supply power, and a cable is usually used to supply power, a transmission line to be a wired communication path is laid along with the cable for supplying power to the imaging device 54. . However, when transmitting information between the imaging device 54 and the control device 50 through a wireless communication channel, a wireless station of a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) is configured. Or a specific low power radio station may be configured.

  The control device 50 controls equipment selected from a water sprinkler, a curtain, equipment for generating mist, equipment for generating air flow, and the like in order to adjust the environment in which the plant 40 is grown. In the following, focusing on the wet state of the plant 40 by the mist, the controller 50 obtains the water value of the plant 40 based on the image of the plant 40 captured by the imaging device 54, and the pump 17 according to the water value. The control of the operation and stop of the vehicle will be described.

  The reason for focusing on the wet condition of the plant body 40 is that when the plant body 40 is excessively wet, the possibility that the plant body 40 may be damaged is high. That is, when the plant body 40 is excessively wet, the morbidity of diseases caused by filamentous fungi and the like increases, and physiological disorders such as clefts and cork formation easily occur on fruits, or stains adhere to the plant body 40 It becomes easy to do. Here, it is desirable that the control device 50 not only controls the pump 17 according to the wet state of the plant 40 but also controls other facilities.

  The imaging device 54 includes a camera and a lighting device. In addition, the imaging device 54 is configured to be dustproof and drip-proof for use inside the outer shell 20. The camera includes an imaging element, a circuit for driving an element and signal processing, a lens, and the like. The illumination device comprises a light source and a lighting device, and illuminates the object in the field of view of the camera.

  The imaging device of the camera is selected from a CCD image sensor (CCD: Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS image sensor (CMOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and the like. The circuit for signal processing is assumed to be a circuit that converts the output of the imaging device into a digital signal, and the digital signal has gray scale image information. In order to obtain the moisture value of the plant 40 from the image captured by the camera, the field of view of the camera is defined to include the plant 40.

  The light source of the lighting device is selected from a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, a xenon lamp, and the like. These light sources can be controlled to emit light for a short time, and can emit a relatively large luminous flux during the light emission period. The lighting device is configured to cause the light source to emit light for a short time with an emission time that is greater than several hundredths of a second and less than one second. That is, the lighting device is an electronic flash and emits relatively strong light for a short time. Here, the reason why the light emission period of the lighting device is shortened is that when the plant body 40 is irradiated with light for a long time, the growth of the plant body 40 may be affected.

  By the way, it is thought that the adhesion amount of the water | moisture content to the plant body 40 by mist becomes larger than the site | part of the plant body 40 near the nozzle 11 from the far part. That is, the mist sprayed from the nozzle 11 is diffused, and the density of the mist decreases as the distance from the nozzle 11 increases. Moreover, since the obstacle (for example, a leaf etc.) between the nozzles 11 increases as the distance from the nozzles 11 increases, the amount of the attached mist to the plant 40 decreases as the distance from the nozzles 11 increases.

  Therefore, it is desirable that the image for obtaining the water value of the plant 40 be an image of a portion of the plant 40 near the nozzle 11. The mist blown out from the nozzle 11 adheres to various parts in the shoot of the plant 40. The shoot is a part of the plant 40 exposed to the ground, and mainly includes a stem and a leaf. That is, the mist adheres to the stems and leaves of the plant 40, the mist adheres to the flower if the plant 40 has a flower, and the mist adheres to the fruit if the plant 40 has a fruit.

  The mist attached to a portion of the plant body 40 having a large inclination with respect to the ground aggregates and drops as a water droplet when the density of the attached mist increases. On the other hand, the mist adhering to the site | part with a small inclination with respect to the ground among the plant bodies 40 tends to remain at the adhering place. Therefore, it is preferable that the site | part which evaluates the wet condition by mist among plant bodies 40 is a site | part close | similar to the nozzle 11, and a site | part with a small inclination with respect to the ground. Therefore, it is desirable for the imaging device 54 to capture a leaf (for example, an inclination angle of 15 degrees or less) having a small inclination with respect to the ground at the top of the plant 40.

  Moreover, the nozzle 11 is normally arrange | positioned in the position higher than the height of the plant body 40, and the mist which blew off from the nozzle 11 falls with respect to the plant body 40 from upper direction. Therefore, in order to image the mist attached to the leaves of the plant 40, the imaging device 54 is preferably arranged to image the leaves of the plant 40 downward from above. By the way, the plant body 40 is deformed as it grows, and when the photographing device 54 is fixed at a fixed position, the site to which the mist adheres in the field of view of the camera moves. As described above, if the photographing device 54 is arranged to shoot the plant 40 downward from above the plant 40, even if the plant 40 grows, the plant 40 included in the field of view of the camera. The site does not move much. Therefore, it is possible to image the plant 40 without adjusting the position of the imaging device 54 for a relatively long period of time.

  In the agricultural house 30A shown in FIG. 10, the imaging device 54 is coupled to the nozzle 11. The imaging device 54 is fixed at a fixed position relative to the nozzle 11 by coupling the imaging device 54 to the nozzle 11. In other words, the mist adhering to the plant 40 is photographed from the fixed point on the generation side of the mist. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the imaging condition at the time of imaging the mist adhering to the plant body 40 is suppressed. Further, since the height of the imaging device 54 is adjusted by adjusting the height of the nozzle 11, a configuration for adjusting the height of the imaging device 54 is unnecessary.

  By the way, since there are fine irregularities on the surface of the plant body 40, the surface of the plant body 40 is diffusely reflective. Therefore, if the mist does not adhere to the plant body 40, the reflected light that enters the camera during the light emission period of the lighting device is diffuse reflected light, and the intensity of the reflected light that enters the camera is relatively small. In addition, since fruits such as tomatoes have gloss on the surface, if fruits such as tomatoes are present in the field of view of the camera, specular reflected light may be incident on the camera, but in the field of view of the camera Reflected light from fruits is negligible because the effect of specular light from fruits is limited.

  On the other hand, in a state where the mist adheres to the surface of the plant body 40, when light is irradiated from the lighting device to the plant body 40, specular reflection light from the mist enters the camera. That is, since regularly reflected light enters the camera from each of the water particles attached to the plant 40, the intensity of the regularly reflected light incident on the camera reflects the amount of mist attached to the plant 40. Generally, as the amount of mist adhering to the plant body 40 increases, the intensity of the specularly reflected light incident on the camera increases. That is, as the amount of mist adhering to the plant body 40 increases, the intensity of light incident on the camera increases.

  Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the wet condition of the plant 40 by defining the range to monitor the wet condition by the mist in the image of the plant 40 photographed by the camera and measuring the light intensity in the fixed range. . That is, the control device 50 obtains the intensity of the reflected light incident on the camera during a period in which light is emitted from the lighting device to the plant body 40, and obtains the moisture value corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light. The moisture value corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light is associated in advance as a data table. The moisture value of the plant 40 is represented, for example, by an integer value.

  Specifically, the intensity of light incident on the camera from a specific part of the plant 40 photographed by the camera at the time of lighting the illumination device is determined, and the intensity of the incident light is predetermined for each pixel of the image photographed by the camera. Evaluate whether it exceeds the standard value. Since the intensity of the diffuse reflection light and the intensity of the regular reflection light have a great difference, the pixel corresponding to the diffuse reflection light can be determined by appropriately setting the reference value with respect to the gray value of the pixel of the image photographed by the camera. And pixels corresponding to the specularly reflected light are separated. That is, the camera outputs a gray-scale image, and the control device 50 regards a pixel whose gray-scale value exceeds the reference value as a pixel on which the specular reflection light is incident. Here, the gray values of the pixels are associated so as to increase monotonically with respect to the intensity of the incident light. That is, when the intensity of light incident on the camera is small, small gray values are associated, and when the intensity of light incident on the camera is large, large gray values are associated.

  There is a possibility that the position of the pixel on which the specular reflection light is incident may fluctuate with the passage of time, but since the lighting period of the lighting device is a short time as described above, the gray value is the reference value in the lighting period The total number of pixels beyond the above may be considered to correspond to the amount of mist adhering to the plant 40. That is, in the image captured by the imaging device 54, the control device 50 uses, as the moisture value of the plant 40, the number of pixels whose density value exceeds the reference value.

  However, since it is thought that the variation in the number of pixels corresponding to one particle of mist increases as the lighting period of the lighting device becomes longer, it is preferable that the lighting period of the lighting device be shorter within the range of camera sensitivity. Further, it is desirable to associate the time of one frame of the camera with the lighting period of the lighting device. For example, when a camera capable of outputting 60 frames per second is used for the photographing device 54, it is desirable that the lighting period of the lighting device is set to about 1/60 second.

  The control device 50 permits the operation of the pump 17 when the moisture value is smaller than the predetermined threshold value (S3A: Yes) as shown in FIG. That is, if the water value is smaller than the threshold value, the control device 50 considers that excessive wetting will not occur even if the plant body 40 generates a suitable amount of mist, and permits the operation of the pump 17. In short, the control device 50 permits the generation of the mist by using the water value when it can be considered that the plant 40 is not so wet. Here, in the control device 50, the condition that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 exceeds the upper limit value of the target range and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 52 is less than the upper limit value of the target range If the condition of being small is satisfied (S3B: Yes), the pump 17 is instructed to operate. Either of the determination of success or failure for the two conditions may be performed first. That is, step 3A and step 3B can be interchanged. Other operations of control device 50 are similar to the operations shown in FIG.

  As described above, the plant 40 changes its height, leaf size, leaf position and orientation, etc. as it grows. Therefore, even if the photographing device 54 photographs a specific leaf of the plant 40, the distance from the photographing device 54 to the leaf changes with the growth of the plant 40, and the position of the leaf in the image, the leaf Changes occur in the direction of When a change occurs in the plant body 40, a large fluctuation may occur in the number of pixels corresponding to specularly reflected light in the field of view of the camera despite the fact that the actual wet state of the plant body 40 is similar. That is, there is a possibility that variation may occur in the determination result of the control device 50 for the same wet state.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, it is desirable to use a simulation member 41 that simulates the plant 40, not the actual plant 40. That is, it is desirable to evaluate the wet state of the plant body 40 from the wet state of the simulation member 41. The simulation member 41 is mechanically coupled to the imaging device 54 so that the orientation with respect to the imaging device 54 does not change. The photographing device 54 and the simulation member 41 are connected via the mounting member 42. The mounting member 42 is fixed to the nozzle 11 or the imaging device 54 to which the imaging device 54 is coupled, and holds the simulation member 41. The mounting member 42 is assumed to be a metal wire in FIG. 13, but may be a processed product of a metal plate, a synthetic resin molded product, or the like.

  The simulation member 41 is disposed within a field of view of the imaging device 54 at a distance of several tens of cm from the imaging device 54. Types of plants 40 grown in the agricultural house 30A include fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, leaf vegetables such as shung chrysanthemum, and flowering plants such as roses, lilies and chrysanthemums is assumed. Therefore, the simulation member 41 is selected in size and material so as to simulate the leaves of these plant bodies 40.

  The shape of the simulation member 41 is not particularly limited, and is selected from a polygonal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and the like. Further, the shape of the simulation member 41 may be similar to the shape of the leaves of the plant body 40. The simulated member 41 may have any other shape, but it is desirable to avoid an extremely elongated shape with respect to the aspect ratio of the imaging device used for the camera. Regarding the size of the simulation member 41, for example, when the simulation member 41 is rectangular, it is desirable that the dimensions of the long side and the short side are both greater than 1 cm and smaller than 30 cm. Even if the simulation member 41 has another shape, the size of the simulation member 41 conforms to the rectangular simulation member 41.

  As for the surface of the simulation member 41, it is desirable that the rate of evaporation of water and the contact angle of water droplets be similar to the leaves of the plant 40 to be simulated. In addition, the surface of the simulation member 41 has smoothness to such an extent that there is no depression where water droplets accumulate, and the simulation member 41 has rigidity to such an extent that deformation due to adhesion of its own weight or water droplets does not occur. Is desirable.

  In order to satisfy the conditions as described above, the material of the simulation member 41 is selected from synthetic resin, ceramics, metal, wood material, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, paper and the like. When the simulation member 41 is a synthetic resin film, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, paper or the like, it is desirable to combine with a bone for giving rigidity. When the simulation member 41 is a wood material, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, paper or the like, it is desirable to process or treat the surface or increase the surface area per volume so that moisture does not infiltrate.

  The method of processing the surface includes a method of forming a large number of minute irregularities on the surface of the simulation member 41, and the method of processing the surface includes a substance that suppresses the permeation of water to the surface of the simulation member 41. There is a method of applying Further, the method of increasing the surface area per volume of the simulation member 41 includes a method of reducing the thickness dimension of the simulation member 41, a method of using a coarse woven fabric for the simulation member 41, and a plurality of holes in the simulation member 41. There is a method of using paper or non-woven fabric. The larger the surface area per volume is, the higher the evaporation rate of water is. Therefore, even if the material of the simulation member 41 is easily infiltrated with water, the evaporation rate of water is adjusted to be similar to the leaves of the plant 40 It is possible.

  When using the simulation member 41, the moisture value of the plant body 40 is calculated | required based on the image of the simulation member 41 which the imaging device 54 image | photographed. That is, as in the case of obtaining the moisture value from the image of the plant body 40, the control device 50 also uses the number of pixels whose gray value exceeds the reference value in the image captured by the imaging device 54 when using the simulation member 41. Calculated as the moisture value of the body 40. Once the moisture value of the plant 40 is determined, as described above, the moisture value is compared to a predetermined threshold, and when the moisture value is less than the threshold, the operation of the pump 17 is permitted.

  As described above, the controller 50 compares the moisture value with the threshold value in order to evaluate the wet condition of the plant 40. The moisture value of the plant body 40 is based on the number of pixels whose gray level exceeds the reference value in the image captured by the imaging device 54. That is, the control apparatus 50 mentioned above calculates | requires the water value of the plant body 40 as an absolute value. Here, the absolute value means a value that is not influenced by conditions such as the type of plant 40 and the environment in which plant 40 is grown.

  Here, when the type of the plant 40 is different, the reflectance of the leaves of the plant 40 is different, so that the density value of the pixel corresponding to the particle of the mist adhering to the plant 40 varies, and the density value The number of pixels exceeding the reference value may vary. When the moisture value of the plant body 40 is determined by the simulation member 41, the type of the plant body 40 is not affected, but the environment in which the plant body 40 is grown may be affected. For example, when the solar radiation intensity changes in the environment in which the plant 40 is grown, the intensity of light incident on the camera changes. Therefore, when the solar radiation intensity changes, the gray value of the pixel corresponding to the mist particle may change, and the number of pixels whose gray value exceeds the reference value may change. Therefore, in order to evaluate the wet state by comparing the moisture value of the plant 40 with the threshold value which is a constant value, the threshold value may be adjusted according to the type of the plant 40, the environment in which the plant 40 is grown, etc. is necessary.

  The control device 50 described below is configured to compare the relative value of the water value of the plant 40 with the threshold value, instead of comparing the absolute value of the water value of the plant body 40 with the threshold value. The relative value of the moisture value of the plant body 40 means the moisture value obtained based on the comparison result of the basic image serving as the reference of the wet state of the plant body 40 and the target image photographed by the photographing device 54.

  The basic image is preferably an image taken in a time zone in which the simulation member 41 is expected to be dry. The time zone in which the simulation member 41 is expected to be dry is, for example, a time zone in which mist is not generated, and is preferably within a predetermined time before the time zone in which mist is generated is started. This time zone corresponds to one hour before the start time of the permit time zone TZ1 or the like among the periods which are not the permit time zone TZ1 (see FIG. 9). Alternatively, in a time zone in which the simulation member 41 is expected to be dry, the state in which the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51 exceeds the predetermined drying temperature and the solar radiation intensity exceeds the predetermined drying intensity continues the predetermined It is desirable that it is a time zone after reaching time. In this condition, temperature, solar radiation intensity and duration are determined experimentally. It is also desirable to change the duration according to the combination of temperature and solar radiation intensity.

  Here, a time zone in which the simulation member 41 is expected to be dry means a time zone in which it is estimated that the simulation member 41 is dry even if the simulation member 41 does not exist. It is. In short, the basic image is an image captured when the above-described condition is satisfied. When the condition for photographing the basic image is satisfied, the control device 50 instructs the photographing device 54 to photograph and receives the basic image from the photographing device 54.

  The control device 50 updates the basic image daily. However, in the state where photographing of the simulation member 41 by the photographing device 54 is possible, the basic image may not be updated every day. For example, if the state where the photographing device 54 can photograph the simulation member 41 continues, the basic image may be updated every several days. For example, the basic image may be updated once a week. On the other hand, if the position of the simulation member 41 is displaced or the simulation member 41 is hidden by the plant 40 or the like, the basic image needs to be updated if the imaging device 54 can not photograph the simulation member 41.

  When the basic image is obtained, the control device 50 causes the imaging device 54 to capture a target image before generating the mist. The control device 50 obtains the difference between the captured target image and the held basic image, and sets the number of pixels whose difference exceeds a predetermined value as the moisture value. That is, for the target image and the basic image, a difference value between gray values of pixels at the same position is obtained, and a difference image having this difference value as a pixel value is obtained. Here, the difference value is obtained by subtracting the gray value of the basic image from the gray value of the target image. The difference value of each pixel of the difference image is compared with a predetermined value, the number of pixels whose difference value exceeds the predetermined value is counted, and the counted number is used as the moisture value. Here, the control device 50 may generate a binary image in which each pixel of the difference image is binarized with a predetermined value, and count the number of pixels in the binary image in which the difference exceeds the predetermined value.

  As described above, since the control device 50 obtains the moisture value based on the difference image obtained from the target image and the basic image, the obtained moisture value becomes a relative value. The water value of the plant 40 determined in this manner is less variable due to the environment in which the plant 40 is grown, as compared to the absolute value. That is, an index having high objectivity about the wet state of the plant 40 can be obtained.

  It is desirable that the timing for capturing the target image be the timing for determining whether or not to generate mist. Therefore, when the temperature exceeds the upper limit value of the target range, the humidity does not reach the upper limit value of the target range, and the solar radiation intensity exceeds the lower limit value of the target range in the permission time zone TZ1. The photographing device 54 may indicate the photographing of the target image. Further, the control device 50 may periodically shoot the target image in order to easily determine the timing of shooting the target image.

  The control device 50 operates the pump 17 when the conditions of temperature, humidity, and solar radiation intensity are satisfied in the permission time zone TZ1 regardless of the timing of capturing the target image and the water value is smaller than the predetermined threshold. Instruct the nozzle 11 to generate a mist. As described above, since the mist is generated in a state in which the plant body 40 is not very wet, occurrence of a failure due to excessive adhesion of water to the plant body 40 is suppressed.

  By the way, when the control apparatus 50 produces a difference image, it is necessary to exclude the image around the simulation member 41. In other words, it is desirable that the difference image be created within the range of the simulation member 41, and the basic image and the target image be images of the same range in the simulation member 41. Therefore, the control device 50 has a function of extracting a region corresponding to the simulation member 41 in the grayscale image captured by the imaging device 54.

  When it may be considered that the relative position between the imaging device 54 and the simulation member 41 does not change, the control device 50 treats a specific region of the gray image as a region within the range of the simulation member 41, and this specific region Create a difference image for. In addition, if the relative position between the imaging device 54 and the simulation member 41 is determined such that the imaging device 54 captures only the simulation member 41, the control device 50 creates a difference image for the entire region of the gray scale image. One of the two methods described above may be employed to easily create a difference image.

  When the control device 50 is capable of extracting the existence area of the simulation member 41 from the gray image, the existence area of the simulation member 41 is extracted, and the difference image is created based on the extracted existence area. Good. For example, the control device 50 performs a binarization process on the grayscale image or performs a differential process on the grayscale image to extract an outline (edge) of an object included in the grayscale image, Template matching may be performed using the contour of as a template. In template matching, a region with the highest degree of coincidence with the template is extracted by performing translational movement and rotational movement of the template in the edge image from which the outline has been extracted. The control device 50 regards the extracted area as the area of the simulation member 41, and creates a difference image in the range of the extracted area.

  When template matching is performed, the direction of the simulation member 41 with respect to the imaging device 54 does not change, and if the simulation member 41 is within the field of view of the imaging device 54, movement of the simulation member 41 with respect to the imaging device 54 is permitted. That is, when performing template matching, even if the position of the simulation member 41 changes in the range of the visual field of the imaging device 54, it is possible to obtain the moisture value of the plant 40.

  Even when the template matching process is performed, the processing capability of the processor of the control device 50 may be equivalent to that of a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like. However, the control device 50 may be provided with a dedicated processor in order to perform binarization processing, differentiation processing, processing of template matching, and the like on a grayscale image. The processor that performs image processing may be a general-purpose processor, but may be a processor dedicated to image processing using an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or the like.

  In the above-described agricultural house 30A, the solar radiation sensor 53 is used, but the solar radiation sensor 53 can be omitted. That is, even if the agricultural house 30A includes the temperature sensor 51 and the humidity sensor 52 and does not include the solar radiation sensor 53, the control device 50 generates the mist based on the moisture value of the plant 40. You may decide In addition, the imaging device 54 may be coupled to the frame 21 instead of the nozzle 11. Although the simulation member 41 is coupled to the imaging device 54 via the attachment member 42, the simulation member 41 may be mounted on a post erected on the ground to attach to the plant body 40. Further, in some cases, the simulation member 41 may be attached to the plant body 40. When the simulation member 41 is attached to the plant body 40, since the simulation member 41 may move due to the growth of the plant body 40, it is desirable that the control device 50 update the basic image at an appropriate timing.

  The agricultural house 30, 30A according to the first aspect described above includes the outer shell 20, the plurality of nozzles 11, and the air flow forming device 15. The outer shell 20 is disposed to surround a space in which a plurality of plants 40 are grown. The plurality of nozzles 11 are disposed above the ground (the upper surface of the weir 31) on which the plant body 40 is grown inside the shell 20, and generate a mist in which the liquid is micronized. The air flow forming device 15 generates an air flow inside the outer shell 20. The plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged such that the ground is divided into a plurality of first areas A1 and a plurality of second areas A2 based on the density of mist reaching the ground after being generated from the plurality of nozzles 11 respectively. There is. The first area A1 has a density equal to or higher than a first reference value, and the second area A2 has a density equal to or lower than a second reference value smaller than the first reference value. Furthermore, the nozzles 11 are arranged such that at least one first area A1 of the plurality of first areas A1 is adjacent to each of the plurality of second areas A2. The airflow forming device 15 is generated in the upper space of each of the plurality of second regions A2 by vaporization of mist reaching the first region A1 adjacent to each of the plurality of second regions A2 of the plurality of first regions A1. It is configured to create an air flow that moves cold air.

  According to this configuration, in the plant 40 planted in the first region A1, the plant 40 is cooled mainly by the contact of the mist. Further, the plant body 40 planted in the second region A2 is cooled mainly by the cold air generated by vaporization of the mist being carried by the air flow forming device 15. That is, among the plurality of plants 40 planted inside the outer shell 20, even the plants 40 not in contact with the mist can be cooled by being brought into contact with cold air. Therefore, in the structure which cools the plant body 40 using mist, it is not necessary to cool the whole outer shell 20 by mist, and it is not necessary to make mist contact each of several plant body 40 further. From this, the increase in the number of nozzles 11 generating mist is suppressed, and the arrangement density of the nozzles 11 can be reduced, which leads to suppression of the facility cost and the operation cost. In addition, even if it is the plant body 40 which does not contact mist, it has been confirmed that cultivation of the plant body 40 is possible also in a high temperature period like summer by contacting cold air which arose by vaporization of mist.

  That is, according to this configuration, in the case of arranging the plurality of nozzles 11, the arrangement density of the nozzles 11 can be reduced more than the configuration in which the mist is brought into contact with each of the plurality of plant bodies 40. As a result, an increase in the number of the nozzles 11 installed inside the outer shell 20 is suppressed, and there is an advantage that the equipment cost required for the relatively expensive nozzles 11 can be reduced.

  In the agricultural house 30, 30A according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged in a row, and the plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged in a row in one direction. It is desirable that the first area A1 and the plurality of second areas A2 be alternately formed.

  According to this configuration, since the plurality of nozzles 11 are arranged in a line, the arrangement of the nozzles 11 is easy. In addition, since the first regions A1 and the second regions A2 are alternately arranged in one direction, it is easy to create an air flow that moves the cool air mainly due to the vaporization in the first regions A1 to the second region A2.

  In the agricultural house 30, 30A according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the plurality of nozzles 11 generate mist whose mode value of particle diameter is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less It is desirable to be configured to

  According to this configuration, since mist having a relatively large particle diameter is generated, the time for which the mist floats in the air is short, and the mist falls to a position close to the nozzle 11. That is, it is easy to determine the position at which the plant 40 is planted with respect to the position of the nozzle 11. In addition, since the particle diameter of the mist is relatively large, it is possible to adopt an inexpensive nozzle 11 as compared to the nozzle 11 having a small particle diameter of mist, which also makes it possible to suppress equipment cost. Furthermore, since the particle size of the mist is relatively large, solids (such as sand) contained in water are less likely to clog the nozzles, and clogging of the nozzles due to the adhesion of scales is suppressed.

  In the agricultural house 30, 30A according to the fourth aspect, in any of the first to third aspects, the shell 20 has a rectangular cross section along the ground, and the plurality of nozzles 11 extend along the ground. It is desirable that the plurality of first regions A1 and the plurality of second regions A2 be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20.

  In this configuration, the air flow forming device 15 may be configured to form an air flow in the longitudinal direction of the outer shell 20. That is, since the air flow forming device 15 mainly forms the air flow for moving the cold air generated in the first area A1 mainly to the second area A2, the air flow is more than when the air flow is formed in the short direction of the outer shell 20. The forming device 15 is arranged in a narrow range. In other words, the air flow forming device 15 can be miniaturized.

  The agricultural house 30, 30A according to the fifth aspect may include the adjustment device 14 for adjusting the height of the plurality of nozzles 11 with respect to the ground in any of the first to fourth aspects.

  According to this configuration, by adjusting the height of the nozzle 11 with respect to the ground according to the height of the plant 40, the distance between the nozzle 11 and the plant 40 is made approximately the same regardless of the height of the plant 40. It is possible. As a result, it is possible to make the proportion of the mist blown out from the nozzle 11 to reach the plant 40 the same regardless of the height of the plant 40. In addition, if the distance between the nozzle 11 and the plant 40 is made substantially constant regardless of the height of the plant 40, the case where external air is taken into the outer shell 20, the mist blows by the wind into the outer shell 20 The spray range of the mist is kept almost constant even if the

  The agricultural house 30, 30A according to the sixth aspect may include the change device 16 that changes the velocity distribution of the air flow created by the air flow forming device 15 in any of the first to fifth aspects.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to send the cold air generated by the vaporization of the mist to a required place, and in particular, it is generated by the vaporization of the mist by changing the velocity distribution of the air flow according to the height of the plant 40. Cold air can be brought into contact with the plant 40. That is, since the velocity distribution of the air flow can be changed, it is possible to carry cold air toward the plant 40 that requires contact with cold air, and as a result, cold heat can be efficiently cooled for cooling the plant 40. It becomes possible to use.

  The agricultural house 30A according to the seventh aspect preferably includes the imaging device 54 and the control device 50 in any of the first to sixth aspects. The photographing device 54 photographs at least a part of the first area A1 as a visual field. The control device 50 obtains an evaluation value of the wet state of the plant 40 from the image captured by the imaging device 54, and adjusts the environment for cultivating the plant 40 based on the evaluation value of the wet state (water sprinkler, Control curtains, devices that generate mist, devices that generate airflow, etc.

  That is, it is possible to adjust the environment in which the plant 40 is grown according to the evaluation value of the wet state of the plant 40 obtained from the image captured by the imaging device 54. Therefore, there is a high possibility that damage to the plant 40 caused by excessive wetting of the plant 40 can be avoided. For example, when it is possible to optimize the wet condition of the plant 40 and when it is not necessary to wet the plant 40 or when the plant 40 should not be wet, the controller 50 does not generate mist. Control is possible. Therefore, since the facility which generates mist does not operate wastefully, it is energy saving, and the consumption of the liquid used for generation of mist is reduced.

  In the agricultural house 30A according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, it is desirable that the imaging device 54 be coupled to at least one nozzle 11 of the plurality of nozzles 11.

  That is, since the imaging device 54 is coupled to the nozzle 11, the wetting state of the plant 40 by the mist is monitored under substantially constant imaging conditions. As a result, the reliability of the evaluation value of the wet state of the plant 40 based on the image captured by the imaging device 54 is enhanced.

  The agricultural house 30A according to the ninth aspect desirably includes a simulation member 41 configured to simulate the wet state of the plant body 40 in the seventh or eighth aspect. Desirably, the simulation member 41 is coupled to the imaging device 54 so as to be located within the field of view of the imaging device 54.

  That is, since the relationship between the simulation member 41 and the imaging device 54 is constant, the variation in the evaluation value of the wet state of the plant 40 is reduced as compared to the case where the mist attached to the actual plant 40 is imaged. .

  The above-described configuration example is an example of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration example, and various other configuration examples can be used according to design etc. as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention. Of course, it is possible to change it.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 nozzle 14 adjustment apparatus 15 air flow formation apparatus 16 change apparatus 20 outer shell 30 agricultural house 30A agricultural house 40 plant body 41 simulating member 54 imaging device A1 first region A2 second region

Claims (9)

An outer shell arranged to surround a space in which a plurality of plants are grown;
A plurality of nozzles disposed above the ground on which the plant is grown inside the shell and generating a mist in which liquid is micronized;
And an air flow generating device for generating an air flow inside the outer shell,
The plurality of nozzles are
A plurality of first regions having the density equal to or greater than a first reference value and the density smaller than the first reference value based on the density of the mist reaching the ground after being generated from the plurality of nozzles; The ground is divided into a plurality of second regions that are equal to or less than a reference value of 2, and at least one first region of the plurality of first regions is adjacent to each of the plurality of second regions. Are located in
The air flow forming device is
In the upper space of each of the plurality of second regions, an air flow for moving cold air generated by vaporization of mist reaching the first region adjacent to each of the plurality of second regions of the plurality of first regions is generated A house for agriculture characterized in that. The plurality of nozzles are arranged in a row,
The agricultural house according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first regions and the plurality of second regions are alternately formed in one direction in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged in a row.   The agricultural house according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of nozzles are configured to generate mist having a particle diameter mode of 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The shell has a rectangular cross section along the ground,
The plurality of nozzles are arranged such that the plurality of first regions and the plurality of second regions are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the shell along the ground. Agricultural house described in Section. The agricultural house according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an adjusting device that adjusts the height of the plurality of nozzles with respect to the ground. The agricultural house according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a changing device that changes a velocity distribution of the air flow generated by the air flow forming device. An imaging device for imaging at least a part of the first area as a field of view;
An evaluation value of the wetness state of the plant is obtained from an image photographed by the photographing device, and a control device for controlling a facility for adjusting an environment for cultivating the plant based on the evaluation value of the wetness state further The agricultural house according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The agricultural house according to claim 7, wherein the imaging device is coupled to at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles. And a simulation member configured to simulate the wet state of the plant body,
The agricultural house according to claim 7, wherein the simulation member is coupled to the imaging device so as to be located within the field of view of the imaging device.

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