WO2013141824A1

WO2013141824A1 - A plant illumination armature

Info

Publication number: WO2013141824A1
Application number: PCT/TR2012/000228
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serhat ÖZENÇ
Original assignee: Vendeka Bilgi Teknolojileri Limited Şirketi
Priority date: 2012-03-20
Filing date: 2012-12-25
Publication date: 2013-09-26

Abstract

The present invention is related to an illumination armature (1) whose spectral structure can be controlled according to the needs of the plant and which can be used as lighting for growing plants in forced agricultural applications. The present invention describes a design of a plant growth armature (1) whose spectral structure and intensity can be controlled and which is strengthened at the wavelengths wherein the chlorophyll absorbance is high. The hardware, has been produced from a plurality of LED light sources (3) that have been combined to emit high radiance in wavelengths at which especially chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b show high absorbance. Energy efficiency is obtained by emitting the light in wavelengths that the plant can use instead of wavelengths that the plant cannot use directly to carry out photosynthesis.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A PLANT ILLUMINATION ARMATURE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to an illumination armature whose spectral structure can be controlled according to the needs of the plant and which can be used as lighting for growing plants in forced agricultural applications.

PRIOR ART

Plants that are grown in closed environments or in greenhouses that have insufficient lighting, are tried to be grown in similar environments to their normal natural environments by being illuminated with additional illumination armatures that provide light for growth. Armatures that provide radiation in the wavelengths (PAR - Photosynthetically Active Radiation) that only the plant needs, by taking into consideration energy efficiency, are used in order to reach this aim. The Taiwan patent application numbered TW201112442 can be shown as an example to these. The armature described in this patent application has the characteristics to be able to continuously provide radiation in the wavelengths that the plant needs and to evenly illuminate a wide area.

THE AIM OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a design of a plant growth armature whose spectral structure and intensity can be controlled and which is strengthened at the wavelengths wherein the chlorophyll absorbance is high. The hardware, has been produced from a plurality of LED light sources that have been combined to emit high radiance in wavelengths at which especially chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b show high absorbance. Energy efficiency is obtained by emitting the light in wavelengths that the plant can use instead of wavelengths that the plant cannot use directly to carry out photosynthesis.

The LED light sources that emit radiation within a narrow band within a system structure, are controlled at different stages and the light requirement with different intensity and spectral structure dependent on the plant type and its growth phase is formed under control. The armature allows control of the short and long wavelengths over different channels. Different types of spectral outputs can be applied in different growth phases such as vegetative growth, flowering, producing fruit and germination. By this means the invention also aims to benefit from effect of the spectral structure of the armature regarding plant growth.

As the armature, can be controlled via the control interfaces (DALI, DMX, 1-lOV vb) used globally, the spectral output, can be controlled by automation or over different interface according to the preference of the user. System can also be integrated to the advanced greenhouses uses above said infrastructures and could be programmed by the needs.

Besides this, the armature comprises within itself different growth programs that are needed for plant growth. Thus, armatures can automatically adjust the necessary spectral output that is needed in different phases of growth that different plant types need, independent from any kind of control system. For a single operation (without connecting to any kind of control system), armatures have records regarding previously recorded scenarios of growth profiles or scenarios belonging to growth profiles that can be added later on. The growth scenario can either be chosen over the armature according to user requirements or the growth program that is desired to be applied can also be uploaded into the armatures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The illumination armature developed in order to reach the aims of the invention has been shown in the attached figures wherein said figures illustrate the following;

Figure 1 - Is the schematic view of the illumination armature, subject to the invention. The parts in the figures have each been numbered and the references of each numbering have been given below.

1. Armature

2. Body

3. Light source

4. Driver circuit

5. Control module

6. Management module

7. Feedback module

The armature (1) basically comprises, LED light sources (3), a driver circuit (4) that provides light sources for LED light sources (3), a control module (5) that enables a single operation or integration to a control system, and a body (2) which has a cooling function and houses all of the above mentioned hardware.

In order to reach the aims mentioned above, the armature (1) subject to the invention primarily shall emit radiation with PPF (photosynthetic photon flux), and spectral (At SPD values- Spectral Power Distribution) characteristics that is required in order to provide the light output that the plants need. The amount distributed within time and the characteristics of said radiation, differs according to the plant itself and the development phase that the plant is in.

Likewise, in nature plants carry the growth profiles suitable to the environmental conditions of the geography they are grown in. Nowadays said information can be reached at variations such as changes observed in the spectral structure of natural light dependent on seasons and the daylight time, light profiles etc, at a detail that has been reduced to days or even hours for a certain location or period of time. Controlled growth of plants shall be obtained by providing light to them at certain lighting profiles. The reason for this is that, the plant not only needs a certain period of time, climate condition and nutrition during its phases of germination, growth, ramification, flower development, fertilization, fruit production, and fruit development in accordance with the plant's development phase but also needs more light at certain wavelengths during some phases.

Besides this, plants can show different development characteristics whose effects have been scientifically proven when the plant is exposed to more or less light at certai wavelengths during the completio of said development phases. These growth differences can be differences such as flowering, ramification, production of leaves or vice-versa and these effects may be desired due to different reasons by the producer. The armature (1) shall be able to establish and emit the artificial light with a different spectral structure that the plant needs in different periods of time by means of the control module (5) it comprises. The control module (5) shall apply the suitable one of the many alternative illumination scenarios relating to the type of plant and its development, under the control of the breeder. These scenarios can vary according to the special development needs, by concentrating on certain wavelengths or the missing amount of light in the case that the lighting of the environment is not sufficient enough. The spectral structure of the light emanating out of the light source (3) can either cover the top values of both the short and long wavelengths of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b or the structure could be such that it is strengthened at only the short or long wavelengths. The combination of the light source (3) is constituted of a plurality of LED light sources that carries out radiation in different wavelengths and narrow wavelengths in order to emit light in one or more wavelengths. By this means it is possible to apply to the plant the below mentioned different illumination scenarios in accordance with different breeding requirements;

High energy efficiency and plant growth; In the case that high efficiency and growth is continuously needed an illumination scenario is carried out with radiation at 430, 452 and 642, 662 nm wavelengths wherein chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b are most intensely active,

- Insemination and flowering; In the case that the aim is to support the insemination and flowering of the plant, suitably a radiation with a characteristic where short wavelengths are weakened and long wavelengths are strengthened is especially applied.

- Vegetative growth; If vegetative growth is desired, an illumination scenario where the radiation of short wavelengths is strengthened and the long wavelengths are set to average is used.

- Growth of seedling; In the case that the plant wants to be grown as a seedling a scenario is used where dominantly the radiation of short waves are strengthened and the long waves are weakened.

The above listed illumination scenarios that the breeder can apply can be chosen by the breeder via the management module or the control module (5). The breeder can apply these illumination scenarios in accordance with the growth phases of the plant according to the type of plant he/she desires to grow.

Aside from these it is possible to record specifically for a plant certain growth scenarios inside the control module (5) without having the need for the breeder to intervene to said process. These growth scenarios comprise the information which conveys what the most suitable illumination scenario is for said phases during the phases that the plants go through during their development. In addition to this a sample table has been given which shows the suitable growth scenario that shall be applied for tomatoes.

Seedling growth illumination

Seedling growth phase first 10 days

scenario

Vegetative growth phase 10-40 days Vegetative lighting scenario

Tomatoes Flowering and fruit setting phase 40- Insemination and flowering

60 day range illumination scenario

Fruit development phase 60-250 day Plant growth illumination range scenario The table above, shall be prepared for many different plants such as green leaved plants, strawberries etc and shall be recorded into the control module (5). When the dates regarding the growth scenario of the breeder are reached, the illumination scenarios are changed and the highest efficiency with the lowest energy consumption will be tried to be obtained during the growth phases of the plant.

Establishing new growth scenarios, and changing the periods of the phases, according to the preferences of the breeder or the requirements of the plant is possible by using the control module (5).

It is not possible for armatures (1) that are more than one in number and/or that do not have direct access means, to be controlled via the control module (5). For this reason, a management module (6) that can communicate with control modules can enable the remote controlling of a plurality of armatures (1). The management module (6) that communicates with the armatures (1) via Wi-Fi, RF, IR, Bluetooth or similar communication protocols, enable the choosing of an illumination scenario or a growth scenario, program selection and entries. The management module (6) shall enable the downloading of different growth scenarios from an online data source into itself and following this shall enable the operation of the armature (1) according to the suitable models for new plants by transferring said scenarios to the control modules (5). Said management module (6) for this reason can be a device that enables access to online data sources.

In the cases where differences may occur due to the positions of the armature and the plant in time and due to the presence of natural lighting, the light amount that reaches the plant via a feedback module (7) positioned at the growth plane is measured by a quantum detector and the information is relayed to the control module (5) so that it can determine if the values are sufficient, insufficient or in excess and so that it can evaluate the output of light from the armatures.

As a result of the communication between the control module (5) and the feedback module (7), the sufficiencies of the present lighting values according to the type of plant and their development phase are evaluated and the light source (3) is adjusted to be suitable to the light output scenario that needs to be used.

Claims

1. An illumination armature (1) that can be used for illumination during forced agricultural applications, comprising;

LED light sources (3) and a driver circuit (4) in order to necessary for them , a control module (5) that enables the operation of said sources singularly or by being integrated to a control system and a body (2) which also has a cooling function and which houses all of the above mentioned hardware; characterized by a control module (5) that manages the light source (3) combination and intensifies the spectral structure of the light formed in both the highest values at both short and long wavelengths of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b.

2. An illumination armature (1) according to claim 1, characterized by a control module (4) which enables the changing of PPF value and spectral structure according to different types of plants and their growth phases.

3. An illumination armature (1) according to claim 2, characterized by a control module (5) which can carry out any of the below mentioned scenarios according to different breeding requirements by controlling the spectral structure of light;

In the case that high efficiency and growth is continuously needed an illumination scenario is carried out with radiation at 430, 452 and 642, 662 nm wavelengths wherein chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b are most intensely active called High energy efficiency and plant growth illumination scenario;

In the case that the aim is to support the insemination and flowering of the plant, suitably a radiation with a characteristic where short wavelengths are weakened and long wavelengths are strengthened is especially applied called Insemination and flowering illumination scenario;

If vegetative growth is desired, an illumination scenario where the radiation of short wavelengths is strengthened and the long wavelengths are set to average is used called Vegetative growth illumination scenario; In the case that the plant wants to be grown as a seedling a scenario is used where dominantly the radiation of short waves are strengthened and the long waves are weakened called the Growth of seedling illumination scenario;

4. An illumination armature (1) according to claim 3, characterized by a control module (5), which manages growth scenarios where the most suitable illumination scenarios are applied during all phases that the plants go through without the need for an intervention from the breeder continuously and which controls the PPF value and the spectral structure of light suitable to the ideal scenario in each phase ensuring the highest possible efficiency with low energy consumption.

5. An illumination armature (1) according to any of the preceding claims characterized by a feedback module (7) positioned at the growth plane which measures, in the cases where differences may occur due to the positions of the armature and the plant in time and due to the presence of natural lighting, the amount of light reaching the plant and submits said information to the control module (5).

6. An illumination armature (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by a management module (6) that manages the control modules (5) such that the armatures (1) which do not have the means to access communication as they are more than one in number and/or they are at a high level, can communicate via Wi-Fi, RF, IR, Bluetooth or similar communication tools.