WO2014148655A1

WO2014148655A1 - Seedling growing method for crop in plant factory and seedling growing apparatus therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2014148655A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/002255
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김상옥; 김병오; 김동식; 강구연
Original assignee: (주)유양디앤유
Priority date: 2013-03-19
Filing date: 2013-03-19
Publication date: 2014-09-25
Also published as: KR101332542B1

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a seedling growing apparatus comprising: a controller unit for collecting information on some or all of the temperature, the humidity and the illuminace of a greenhouse and controlling a seedling growth environment of crops on the basis of the collected information; a power supply unit for controlling electric power supplied from the outside to provide the electric power for the purpose of growing seedlings of the crops; a water tank unit including a plurality of water tanks which float and receive a plurality of seedling plates in which seedlings of the crops are planted, on a culture solution disposed therein, are vertically spaced apart from each other, and are slantingly arranged to cross each other, so as to allow the culture solution to flow to the outside; a water supply unit for providing, to the water tank unit, the culture solution obtained by mixing supplied water and a nutrient solution at a predetermined ratio; and an illumination unit including one or more artificial light sources and controlling some or all of the wavelength, the intensity, and the irradiation period of the artificial light sources to irradiate light necessary for growing the seedling of the crops, wherein the seedling growing apparatus further comprises a cover mounted to a frame for supporting the water tank unit to prevent the light provided through the illumination unit from being diffused to the outside.

Description

Seedling method of cultivated plant plants and seedling cultivation apparatus for the same

This embodiment relates to a method for raising seedlings of plant plantation crops and a seedling cultivation apparatus therefor. More specifically, the seedling cultivation apparatus for raising the seed germinated crops provided by the germination cultivation device to a certain size, located in a greenhouse installed separately in the plant cultivation system, while raising the seedlings of crops such as temperature, humidity and light Realizing an optimal environment for growing the crops by controlling the elements associated with the seedlings, and seedling cultivation apparatus characterized in that the culture medium is continuously circulated through a plurality of tanks and circulation pipes inclined at a predetermined angle to provide the crops It is about.

The contents described in this section merely provide background information on the present embodiment and do not constitute a prior art.

In general, plant cultivation is achieved by feeding fertilizers and water to seeds planted in the soil and taking advantage of photosynthesis in the plants by sunlight. However, this method of cultivation not only affects the production of climate change, but also creates cost and environmental problems due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, because it takes a long time to grow plants, the production cannot keep up with the demand of consumers.

In recent years, it is noted that the growth of plants is caused by photosynthesis. By using a light emitting diode (LED), which is an artificial light source, by supplying the wavelength required for photosynthesis, not only does the plant grow but also is not affected by the climate, Eco-friendly plant cultivation methods that can grow plants are in the spotlight. However, this method of plant cultivation has a problem in that a lot of lighting is located in a narrow space and an enclosed space, which causes a change in the temperature or humidity of the inside, thereby causing an excessive disturbance and energy costs in plant growth. In addition, there is a problem in that time and manpower consumption occurs because it is necessary to constantly check the supply of water and the culture solution provided to the plant and resupply it.

The present embodiment, while raising the seedling cultivation device for raising the seed germination to a certain size located in the greenhouse installed separately in the plant cultivation system to a certain size, while raising the seedling of the crop such as temperature, humidity and light The optimum environment for growing crops is controlled by controlling the factors related to the production of the crops, and the culture medium is continuously circulated through a plurality of tanks and circulation pipes inclined at a predetermined angle to provide the crops. The main purpose is to reduce time and manpower consumption. In addition, the main purpose is to reduce the energy cost by adding a cover coated with a reflective material in order to prevent the light generated through the artificial light is diffused to the outside.

The present embodiment, in the seedling cultivation device for raising the seed germination is implemented in a greenhouse installed separately in the plant cultivation system, collecting the information of some or all of the temperature, humidity and illumination of the greenhouse, collected information A controller unit for controlling the seedling environment of the crop based on the; A power supply unit controlling the power provided from the outside to provide power for raising the crops; A tank unit including a plurality of tanks for supporting and receiving a plurality of seedling plate seeded with the crop on the culture medium therein, and arranged in a slanted form spaced apart from each other up and down; A water supply unit providing the culture solution in which water and nutrient solutions are mixed at a predetermined ratio to the tank; And one or more artificial light sources, including an illumination unit for controlling some or all of wavelengths, intensities, and irradiation periods of the artificial light sources to irradiate light necessary for the seedling of the crop, wherein the lighting unit is mounted on a frame for supporting the water tank unit. It provides a seedling cultivation device further comprises a cover for preventing the light provided through the lighting unit from being diffused to the outside.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a seedling cultivation apparatus for raising a seed germinated crop provided by the germination cultivation device to a predetermined size is placed in a greenhouse separately installed in the plant cultivation system, while temperature, humidity and By controlling the elements related to the growth of crops such as light, etc., the optimum environment for growing the crops is realized, and the crops are continuously supplied to the crops through a plurality of tanks and circulation pipes inclined at predetermined angles. There is an effect to reduce the time and manpower consumption in the process of raising seedlings. In addition, it is possible to reduce the energy cost by adding a cover coated with a reflective material in order to prevent the light generated through the artificial light is diffused to the outside.

1 is a view showing the structure of the seedling cultivation apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Figure 2 is a view showing the structure of the water supply unit for providing water to the tank and the crop unit is being grown in the seedling cultivation apparatus according to this embodiment.

3 is a diagram illustrating a network relationship between a controller unit and a sensor unit in the seedling cultivation apparatus according to the present embodiment.

4 is a view showing the structure of the lighting unit attached to the seedling cultivation apparatus according to the present embodiment and using the LED as an artificial light source for raising the crops.

5 is a view showing the configuration and circuit diagram of the LED module of the lighting unit in the case of using the LED as an artificial light source according to this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as much as possible even though they are shown in different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related well-known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the component of this invention, terms, such as 1st, 2nd, A, B, (a), (b), can be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order or order of the components are not limited by the terms. If a component is described as being "connected", "coupled" or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected to or connected to that other component, but there may be another configuration between each component. It is to be understood that the elements may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

A plant cultivation system (plant plant) refers to a system that produces agricultural products throughout the year, such as industrial products, using advanced technologies such as environmental control and automation. It is divided into fully control type for cultivation and photovoltaic combination type for growing crops using sunlight and artificial lighting in indoors such as greenhouses. In other words, the plant cultivation system is a technology that can produce crops regardless of weather conditions in the facility by controlling the environmental conditions such as temperature, light, CO2, and culture medium that affect the growth of crops to the optimal state and automating the work process. Means.

The seedling growing apparatus according to the present invention is implemented in a greenhouse separately installed in the plant cultivation system, receiving a crop that has completed germination from the germination cultivation apparatus that operates to germinate seeds of the plant cultivation system, the seedling environment of the crop provided It is a device for raising crops to a certain range of sizes by controlling.

1 is a view showing the structure of the seedling growing device 100 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seedling growing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air conditioning unit 102, a water supply unit 104, a data analysis unit 108, and a control command generation unit 110. The controller unit 106, the sensor unit 112, the power supply unit 114, the water tank unit 116, the lighting unit 118, and the cover 120 are included. In the present embodiment, the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 includes a controller unit 106 and a sensor unit 112 including an air conditioning unit 102, a water supply unit 104, a data analysis unit 108, and a control command generation unit 110. ), But described as including only the power supply unit 114, the water tank unit 116, the lighting unit 118 and the cover 120, which is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present embodiment, the technology to which this embodiment belongs Those skilled in the art will be able to apply various modifications and variations to the components included in the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. On the other hand, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the seedling growing device 100.

Seedling cultivation apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented in a greenhouse separately installed in the plant cultivation system, temperature, humidity, etc. of the greenhouse where the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 is located by using an external power provided from the outside It is controlled to, and the culture medium mixed with a certain ratio of water supply and nutrient solution is circulated in a plurality of tanks arranged in a multi-stage form to provide an optimal seedling environment for the seedling of the crop. In addition, by controlling the light provided to the crop through the artificial light source to provide the optimum light required for the seedling of the crop. On the other hand, the seedling growing device 100 shown in Figure 1 is not shown in the form that is implemented in the greenhouse, this is only an example shown to clearly explain the structure of the seedling growing device 100, in practice Are located in separate greenhouses and separate spaces within the plant cultivation system.

On the other hand, the seedling growing device 100 is provided in the plant cultivation system is provided with a germination complete crop from the germination growing device for germinating the seeds of the crop, and seeding the provided crop to a predetermined predetermined size primarily. At this time, the germinated crops means that two cotyledon leaves emerge from the seeds of the crops, and the first seeded crops have a size that exceeds the threshold for the size at which the germinated crops can be transplanted or set up. Means a state raised to but not necessarily limited thereto.

In addition, the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 may be manufactured in various sizes according to the production volume of the crop and the size of the tank, and additionally includes a cover to which the reflective material is applied to prevent the light generated from artificial lighting from being diffused to the outside. have.

The air conditioning unit 102 adjusts air conditioning and humidity conditions inside the greenhouse in which the seedling growing device 100 is located in order to provide a temperature and humidity suitable for seedlings to the crop being grown in the seedling growing device 100. That is, the air conditioning unit 102 includes one or more air conditioners, heaters, and humidifiers, and when receiving a control command from the controller unit 106, operates the air conditioner, heaters, and humidifiers to operate the greenhouse where the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 is located. Adjust the temperature and humidity inside. At this time, the control command received by the air conditioning unit 102 from the controller unit 106 is the optimum temperature for the data analysis unit 108 to seed the crops of which the present temperature and humidity of the greenhouse are preset in the controller unit 106. And generated when it is determined to be different from the set range for humidity. Through this, the greenhouse where the seedling growing device 100 is located is always controlled to a constant temperature and humidity.

In addition, the air conditioning unit 102 circulates air existing in the greenhouse in which the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 is located in a predetermined direction by using an air conditioner and a heater, and discharges harmful gases, dust, etc. to the outside of the greenhouse through the seedlings. The fresh air in the greenhouse where the cultivation apparatus 100 is located operates to be maintained.

On the other hand, the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 further includes a humidification water supply unit (not shown) for supplying water to the humidifier in the air conditioning unit 102, when the water supply for the humidifier is insufficient for use in humidification, stored water supply Provide with a humidifier.

The water supply unit 104 receives and stores water supply and nutrient solution from the outside, and produces a culture solution in which the stored water supply and nutrient solution are mixed at a predetermined ratio. Thereafter, the produced culture solution is circulated in a plurality of tanks arranged in a multi-stage form in the water tank unit 116, and provided to a plurality of seedling plates positioned in a buoyant form on the culture medium in the plurality of tanks. On the other hand, there are seedlings of crops germinated through the germination cultivation device in many seedling plates.

In addition, the water supply unit 104 further includes a storage unit for storing the water supply and the nutrient solution and a storage unit for storing the culture solution, and a circulation pipe and the storage unit for supplying the culture solution to the plurality of tanks in the water tank unit 116. It further includes a pressurized pump for applying pressure to the stored culture solution and moving it to the circulation pipe. Meanwhile, a detailed description of each device additionally included in the water supply unit 104 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

The controller 106 receives information of some or all of the temperature, humidity, and illuminance of the greenhouse in which the seedling growing device 100 is located, and controls the seedling environment of the crop based on the collected information. That is, the controller 106 is a control command for controlling the air conditioning unit 102, the water supply unit 104 and the lighting unit 118, etc. based on the sensing information collected through a plurality of sensors in the seedling growing device 100. Create and pass the generated command to each device.

On the other hand, the controller 106 receives the data collected from the sensor unit 112 and compares the data with the preset data analysis unit 108 and a control command for controlling the seedling environment of the crop based on the analysis results It includes a control command generation unit 110 to generate.

The data analysis unit 108 receives information collected from the sensor unit 112 including a plurality of sensors, and optimally grows the crops set in the database of the received information and the data analysis unit 108. Compare and analyze the set data for the temperature, CO2 and pH of the culture medium.

The control command generation unit 110 generates a control command for controlling the temperature, humidity, CO2, PH value of the culture medium, etc. in the greenhouse based on the comparison result analyzed by the data analysis unit 108, and generated command To each device.

That is, when the data analysis unit 108 of the controller unit 106 receives the information on the current temperature and humidity of the greenhouse where the seedling growing device 100 is located from the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor in the sensor unit 112, The comparative analysis with the setting information on the optimum temperature and humidity for raising the preset crops, and transmits the result of the comparison analysis to the control command generation unit 110. Thereafter, the control command generation unit 110 transmits a control command for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the greenhouse to the air conditioning unit 102 and the water supply unit 104 based on the comparative analysis result. At this time, the control command transmitted to the water supply unit 104 means a command for controlling the amount of the culture solution provided to the water tank unit 116, and controls the humidity in the seedling growing device 100 by adjusting the amount of the culture solution. .

In addition, the controller 106 controls to adjust the amount of the culture solution provided to the crop automatically or manually according to the seedling stage of the crop, generates a control command for this and transmits to the valve of the discharge pipe.

On the other hand, the controller 106 is mounted on the outside of the seedling growing device 100 in the form of a touch panel, and further includes a user UI (User Interface) for receiving the user input information. That is, when the user wants to control the seedling growing device 100, the user can easily control the seedling growing device 100 by inputting input information through the user UI.

In addition, the controller unit 106 is based on the information continuously collected through the sensor unit 112 to the state of the crop being grown in the seedling growing device 100 and a plurality of devices included in the seedling growing device 100. Keep track of your condition. In this case, when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the state of the crop and the device, an SMS (Short Message Service) text service is provided to monitor the image of the seedling cultivation device 100 photographed through the notification of abnormality and the image photographing apparatus (not shown). And deliver it to the user in real time.

The sensor unit 112 includes a plurality of sensors for collecting information on temperature, humidity, CO 2, and pH of the culture medium in the greenhouse where the seedling growing device 100 is located. That is, the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, the CO2 sensor, and the PH sensor included in the sensor 112 collect sensing information corresponding to each sensor, and the collected sensing information is analyzed by the data analyzing unit ( 108).

The power supply unit 114 controls the external power provided from the outside to provide the necessary power for driving each device included in the seedling growing device 100. On the other hand, when the power source 114 can not receive external power from the outside, it is possible to transfer the pre-stored preliminary power to the seedling growing device 100. In this case, the pre-stored reserve power means power generated from a reserve power generator (not shown) through solar and wind power sources of renewable energy, and the reserve power generator is a plant cultivation system located therein. Depending on the characteristics of the region may be additionally installed in the seedling growing device 100.

The water tank unit 116 is spaced apart from each other up and down, and arranged in an inclined staggered form includes a plurality of tanks configured to flow the culture solution provided in the tank to the tank located below. At this time, each tank is provided with a culture solution so that a constant amount of the culture solution is always maintained therein, except for the amount of the culture solution to be moved to the tank located under the tank. In addition, a large number of seedlings on which the germinated seedlings are seeded are supported on the culture medium in each tank. That is, the water tank unit 116 is composed of a plurality of tanks in a zigzag form from above, in which case the plurality of tanks may be inclined in a predetermined range to naturally flow the provided culture solution to the tank located at the bottom of the tank. .

On the other hand, the plurality of seedling plate located in the form that is supported on the culture medium is a seedling plate provided from the germination cultivation device of the plant cultivation system, the seedling plate is a seedling complete seed germination through the germination cultivation device. That is, by not using the seedling seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings seedlings It has the effect of reducing the time and human consumption. In addition, the culture solution is evenly supplied to the entire number of seedling plate has the effect that a number of crops planted in the seedling plate can be grown uniformly.

In addition, one or more circulation pipes are connected to downstream portions of the plurality of tanks in the tank unit 116 to move the culture solution inside the tank to another tank located at the bottom, thereby circulating the culture solution naturally.

On the other hand, in Figure 1 is not shown a plurality of seedling plate positioned in the form of the culture medium and the support in the plurality of tanks in the tank unit 116, this is only an example for clearly explaining the structure of the tank unit 116. In addition, there are a plurality of seedling plates located in a plurality of tanks in the form of a culture medium and the support on the culture medium.

On the other hand, the water tank unit 116 is provided in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of tanks in the longitudinal direction 122, a plurality of height longitudinal rods 124 installed in the height direction of the plurality of tanks and the width direction of the plurality of tanks Supported by a frame including a plurality of transverse crosspieces 126. At this time, the frame supporting the plurality of tanks may have various heights, lengths and widths according to the size of the tank.

The lighting unit 118 includes one or more artificial light sources, and controls the wavelength, intensity, irradiation period, and the like of the artificial light sources to irradiate light necessary for raising the crops. That is, the lighting unit 118 is attached to the lower end of the plurality of tanks in the tank unit 116 and the frame supporting the tank unit 116 to control the wavelength, intensity and irradiation period of the artificial light source from the controller unit 106. Receives control commands for this, and irradiates the optimal light preset to the crop. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the lighting unit 118 is specified to be attached to the lower end of the plurality of tanks and the frame supporting the tank unit 116 in the tank unit 116, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and the light necessary for seedling to the crop is shown. If it can provide it can be installed anywhere.

In addition, the lighting unit 118 is composed of an LED module made of a printed circuit board (PCB) of a structure that is separated or combined in consideration of the expandability according to the overall length of the seedling growing device 100, a plurality of LED modules Provides light to crops through LEDs. On the other hand, the LED module is composed of three PCB, each PCB is arranged in parallel with a driver device and six RGB (Red-Green-Blue) LED for controlling the LED. The lighting unit 118 has been described as using an LED as an artificial light source, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and various artificial light sources may be used as long as the illumination unit 118 may provide an illuminance necessary for raising a crop.

The cover 120 is mounted on an upper end of the frame for supporting the water tank 116 to prevent the light provided to the crop through the lighting unit 118 from being diffused to the outside. In general, the seedling growing device 100 provides the light necessary for seedling to the crop through an artificial light source, when the sun does not exist at night or when the cloud is not provided a lot of light required for the crop. In this case, the light may diffuse out for reasons such as reflection and refraction. When the cover 120 receives a control command for the operation of the cover 120 through the controller unit 110, the upper part of the cover 120 refers to the center of the uppermost tank of the plurality of tanks of the tank unit 116. It is operated to form a spherical surface having a predetermined size. That is, the cover 120 prevents light from being diffused to the outside by forming a spherical surface having a predetermined size at the top of the cover, thereby increasing growth of crops. On the other hand, the spherical surface having a predetermined size formed by the upper portion of the cover 120 is determined according to the angle and the diffusion range of the light diffused to the outside.

In addition, a reflective material with high reflectivity is coated on the inner side of the cover 120, through which light diffused to the outside may be reflected back to the crop. Furthermore, the reflector may be operable to reflect light at a particular angle to provide the reflected light evenly to the crop.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 1, the cover 120 is illustrated to be mounted on the upper end of the frame for supporting the water tank 116, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and the outer surface or the seedling cultivation apparatus of the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 ( Attached to the ceiling of the greenhouse where the 100 is located can be reflected back to the crop light that is diffused to the outside.

2 is a view showing the structure of the water tank unit 116 in which the crops are grown in the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and the water supply unit 104 for supplying water to the crops. On the other hand, Figure 2 shows a front view of the seedling cultivation device 100 viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 2, the water supply unit 104 providing a culture solution in the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water supply storage unit 202, a nutrient solution storage unit 204, and a culture solution storage unit 206. ), A ceramic heater 207, a

circulation pipe

208, 212, 213, a discharge pipe 210, and a pressure pump 214, and the water tank unit 116 includes a plurality of

water tanks

216, 218, and 220. Include.

The water supply storage unit 202 and the nutrient solution storage unit 204 receive and store the water supply and the nutrient solution from the outside, and transfer a predetermined amount of water and nutrient solution to the culture solution storage unit 206 to mix the culture solution at a predetermined ratio. Create On the other hand, the water supply stored in the water supply storage unit 202 is maintained at a constant temperature, for this purpose separately includes a ceramic heater 207 for adjusting the temperature of the water supply.

In the present embodiment, two or more nutrient solutions are used for the nutrient solution stored in the nutrient solution storage unit 204, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The culture medium storage unit 206 moves the mixed culture solution at a predetermined ratio to the

circulation pipes

208, 212, and 213 through the pressure pump 214, and thus, the plurality of

tanks

216 and 218 in the tank unit 116. , And provide a culture solution to the crops grown at 220). At this time, the pressure pump 214 is controlled by the controller unit 106, when the pressure pump 214 receives a control command from the controller unit 106, the pressure is applied to the water supply stored in the culture medium storage unit 206 The culture liquid is transferred to the

circulation pipes

208, 212, 213.

Meanwhile, the culture medium circulated through the

circulation pipes

208, 212, and 213 is re-stored in the culture medium storage unit 206, and the controller unit 106 is different from the preset concentration in the process of circulating. If it is determined, a control command for delivering a predetermined amount of water supply and nutrient solution to the culture solution storage unit 206 is transmitted to the water supply storage unit 202 and the nutrient solution storage unit 204 to maintain the concentration of the culture solution at a predetermined concentration.

Meanwhile, the

circulation pipes

208, 212, and 213 for supplying and circulating the culture medium to the water tank unit 116 are connected to one side of the culture medium storage unit 206 so that the uppermost tank 216 of the plurality of tanks in the water tank unit 116 is provided. A first circulation pipe 208 for moving the culture solution to the bottom of the tank, a second circulation pipe 212 for moving the culture solution to the tank located at the lower portion of the plurality of tanks respectively located at a lower portion of the tank, and a lowermost of the plurality of tanks. A third circulation pipe 212 installed downstream of the water tank 220 and a third circulation pipe connected to the other side of the culture medium storage unit 206 to move the culture medium circulated from the uppermost tank 216 to the culture medium storage unit 206. (213). That is, the culture solution stored in the culture medium storage unit 206 is transmitted to the uppermost tank 216 of the tank unit 116 through the first circulation pipe 208, and each of the culture medium located at the bottom through the second circulation pipe 212. Sent to the tank. Thereafter, it is finally transmitted to the culture medium storage unit 206 through the third circulation pipe 213 and continuously circulated.

Meanwhile, the culture solution transmitted to the uppermost tank 216 through the first circulation pipe 208 is discharged to the uppermost tank 216 through the discharge pipe 210 connected to the first circulation pipe 208 in the width direction of the tank. . At this time, the discharge pipe 210 is provided with a plurality of holes (Hole) disposed at a predetermined distance, through which the culture liquid is discharged to the top tank 216.

On the other hand, the amount of culture medium discharged through the discharge pipe 210 from the controller unit 106 based on the information such as the pH information of the culture solution collected through the sensor unit 112 and the amount of the culture solution in the plurality of tanks, etc. It is controlled by the generated control command. That is, the controller 106 controls to control the water supply 104, the

circulation pipes

208, 212, 213, and the discharge pipe 210 based on the information about the culture solution collected through the sensor 112. The amount of culture solution provided to the water tank unit 116 is controlled by generating a command and delivering it to each device.

Meanwhile, when the plurality of seedling growing devices 100 exist in the greenhouse, the first circulation pipe 208 may be a first circulation pipe of the neighboring seedling growing device through a pipe connected to one end of the first circulation pipe 208. And the culture medium transmitted from the culture medium storage unit 206 to the first circulation pipe of the neighboring seedling cultivation apparatus, and thus, the top tank of the neighboring seedling cultivation apparatus through the discharge pipe connected to the first circulation pipe. Can be discharged.

The tank unit 116 is spaced vertically spaced apart from each other, and includes a plurality of tanks (216, 218, 220) that can be disposed in an inclined staggered form to flow the culture solution provided therein into the tank located below. In addition, a large number of seedlings on which the germinated seedlings are seeded are supported on the culture medium in each tank. That is, the tank unit 116 has a plurality of tanks (216, 218, 220) is configured in a zigzag form from above, in which case the plurality of tanks (216, 218, 220) has a form inclined to a predetermined range provided Cultures can naturally flow into the tank located at the bottom of the tank.

In addition, one or more second circulation pipes 212 are connected to downstream portions of the plurality of

tanks

216, 218, and 220 for moving the culture solution in the tank to another tank located below.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, the water tank unit 116 is configured to include three

water tanks

216, 218, and 220 so as to accommodate a plurality of seedling plates on the culture medium in each water tank, but is not necessarily limited thereto. Depending on the size of the greenhouse where the cultivation device 100 is located and the amount of crops to be grown, it may include a tank configured in the form of multi-stage and multi-row.

In addition, in FIG. 2, a plurality of seedling plates are supported only in the uppermost tank 216 of the plurality of

tanks

216, 218, and 220, but this is merely an example for explaining the position of the seedling plates in the tank. 116) There are a number of seedlings supported in every bath contained within.

3 is a diagram illustrating a network relationship between the controller unit 106 and the sensor unit 112 in the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in Figure 3, the sensor unit 112 is a temperature sensor 300 for collecting the sensing information for the temperature inside the greenhouse where the seedling growing device 100 is located, collecting the sensing information for the humidity in the greenhouse Inside the greenhouse through the humidity sensor 302, the CO2 sensor 304 to collect the sensing information on the concentration of CO2 in the greenhouse and the PH sensor 306 to collect the sensing information on the pH of the culture solution provided for the seedling of the crop Collect information on temperature, humidity, CO2 and pH of the culture. Meanwhile, in FIG. 3, the sensor unit 112 includes only the temperature sensor 300, the humidity sensor 302, the CO 2 sensor 304, and the PH sensor 306, but is not necessarily limited thereto. Various sensors can be included that can collect information about a number of factors associated with seedlings.

Information collected from the sensor unit 112 is transmitted to the data analysis unit 108 of the controller unit 106. At this time, the data analysis unit 108 compares the collected information with the setting data for the optimal temperature, CO2 and PH of the culture medium for raising the crops set in the database.

The control command generation unit 110 generates a control command for controlling the temperature, humidity, CO2, PH value of the culture medium, etc. in the greenhouse based on the comparison result analyzed by the data analysis unit 108, and the generated control The command is transmitted to the air conditioning unit 102, the water supply unit 104, and the lighting unit 118 through the user interface 310.

Meanwhile, the result of comparing and analyzing the information collected through the controller unit 106 and the collected information is delivered to the control device 308 located in the plant cultivation system to be integrated and managed, and externally monitored using wireless or wired communication. Sent to device 312. In addition, the user can monitor this in real time through SMS text service, video, etc., by remotely by sending a control command for the control of the seedling growing device 100 to the controller unit 106 using the terminal. Each device included in 100 may be controlled.

4 is a view showing the structure of the lighting unit 110 is attached to the seedling cultivation apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment and using the LED as an artificial light source for raising the crops.

As shown in Figure 4 attached to the seedling growing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the lighting unit 118 in the case of using the LED as an artificial light source for cultivating the crop is the voltage providing device 400 The first LED control module unit to the N-th LED

control module unit

410 and 420, the metering module unit 430, the sensor module unit 440 and the LED module 450.

The voltage providing device 400 converts AC power into a DC voltage to provide the first LED control module unit to the Nth LED

control module units

410 and 420, and the first LED control module unit to the Nth LED

control module unit

410 and 420 control the LED module 450 according to the state information received from the metering module unit 430 and the sensor module unit 440.

The voltage providing device 400 may be divided into a plurality of first and second voltage providing devices 400_1 and 400_2. The first voltage providing device 400_1 converts AC power into a DC voltage and provides the first LED control module unit to the Nth LED

control module units

410 and 420, and the second voltage providing device 400_2 is converted. The DC voltage is provided to the sensor module unit 440 and the LED module 450. Each voltage providing device 400 receives a commercial power of 110 or 220 V and converts it into a DC voltage of about 24 V, and includes the first LED control module unit to the Nth LED

control module unit

410 and 420 or the LED module. The output voltage is converted back to a 3.3V DC voltage for driving the integrated circuit IC in 450. To this end, the voltage providing device 400 may include an inverter and a DC-DC converter.

The first LED control module unit to the N-th LED

control module unit

410, 420 communicate with the LED module 450 controlled by each control module unit by short-range wireless communication, and provide the first voltage providing device 400_1. It is driven by receiving DC voltage.

On the other hand, the first LED control module unit to the N-th LED control module unit (410, 420) is a plurality of LED module 450 in a one-to-one to each control module to manage each of the plurality of LED module 450 It is configured to correspond. Thus, under the control of the controller unit 106, the LED module 450 of the Nth column may be driven to have the same light emission condition in the first row, but when different crops are grown, Can be driven.

That is, while dimming the LED module 450 through PWM, the LED elements of red, green, and blue are grouped by color to control full color light.

The metering module unit 430 may include the first LED control module unit to the Nth LED

control module unit

410 and 420, the sensor module unit 440, and the LED module 450 in the voltage providing device 400 through short range wireless communication. Obtain information related to voltage, power, and the like. Thereafter, the acquired information is transferred to the controller unit 106.

That is, the metering module unit 430 measures AC input power and total system AC input power of each of the voltage providing devices 400 using a metering sensor, and then digitally converts measured values to generate voltage related information and generate voltage related information. Information is provided to the controller unit 106. Thereafter, the metering module unit 430 may reset the power state of the voltage providing device 400 according to the analysis result of the controller unit 106.

The sensor module unit 440 includes an illuminance sensor, a wavelength sensor, and the like, and transmits sensing data acquired through each sensor to the sensor unit 112. The sensor unit 112 then provides the corresponding data to the controller unit 106. On the other hand, the controller 106, the LED module 450, based on the information obtained from the sensor module unit 440 to irradiate the optimal light for raising a predetermined crop, the wavelength, intensity and irradiation period of the LED, etc. It generates a control command for controlling the and transmits to the LED module 450.

The LED module 450 includes first to N-th rows, and a plurality of PCB modules are separated and coupled to freely expand and install as the area of the plurality of tanks in the seedling growing device 100 increases. Made of structure. In addition, each LED module 450 stores ID (Identifier) information including information such as wavelength, intensity, and irradiation period for the LED light provided to the crops to be grown. Through this, even if the LED module 450 is configured to be extended, the same information as the existing LED module 450 may be emitted through a method of transmitting ID information previously stored in the extended LED module.

5 is a view showing the configuration and circuit diagram of the LED module of the lighting unit 118 in the case of using the LED as an artificial light source according to this embodiment.

5 (a) according to an embodiment of the present invention shows the configuration of the LED module 450 of the lighting unit 118 in the case of using the LED as an artificial light source, and Figure 5 (b) is the LED module 450 ) Is a circuit diagram.

LED module 450 is composed of the first to the N-th row and was manufactured to separate and combine into three PCBs in consideration of the expandability of the entire length of the seedling cultivation device 100. Each PCB has six driver devices 500 and six red-green-blue LEDs 510 arranged in parallel to control the LEDs. can do.

The circuit of the LED module 450 includes an input filter that blocks DC flowing from a source and a diode that allows current to flow in a forward direction only. In this case, the voltage providing device 400 for supplying power to the LED module 450 converts 110 or 220 V of commercial power into a 24V DC voltage through an inverter and provides the LED module 450 to the DC module, and provides a DC-DC converter. The DC voltage level of 24 V converted by the inverter is converted into a DC voltage of 3.3 V and output to the driver device 500 of the LED module 450.

The driver device 500 may include a full-bridge driving circuit, and includes a reference (REF) resistor between the ground and the ground. The reference resistor adjusts the R, G and B individual output currents, or constant current, according to the resistance value. In other words, the driver device 500 receives the DC voltage of 3.3 V provided from the DC-DC converter so that the constant current can be provided in the individual LED device according to the resistance value of the reference resistor.

The RGB LED 510 is dimmed under the control of the controller unit 106. Here, the dimming is controlled by adjusting the duty ratio of turning on and off of the light emitting elements to drive the PWM to adjust the amount of light emitted from the unit module. It means to be. For example, if the turn-on time is small, the amount of light emitted is so low that the brightness may be somewhat dark. In addition, the LED module 450 may emit light of various colors and various brightness depending on how the LED is driven. For example, when driving the RGB LEDs 510, respectively, a single color of light can be obtained, but when driving the RGB LEDs 510 simultaneously, white light can be obtained. According to the driving scheme as described above, the LED module 450 implements full color. Substantially, the LED module 450 adjusts the wavelength and the amount of light according to the type of crop to be grown as well as the growth state of the crop.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present embodiment, and those skilled in the art to which the present embodiment belongs may make various modifications and changes without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment but to describe the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present embodiment should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present embodiment.

(Explanation of the sign)

100: seedling cultivation device 102: air conditioning

104: water supply unit 106: controller unit

108: data analysis unit 110: control command generation unit

112: sensor portion 114: power supply portion

116: water tank 118: lighting unit

120: cover 208: first circulation pipe

210: discharge pipe 212: second circulation pipe

213: third circulation pipe 214: pressure pump

216: top tank 220: bottom tank

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority under No. 119 (a) (35 USC § 119 (a)) of the US Patent Act No. 10-2013-0029180, filed March 19, 2013 with Korea. All content is incorporated by reference in this patent application. In addition, if this patent application claims priority for the same reason for countries other than the United States, all its contents are incorporated into this patent application by reference.

Claims

In the seedling cultivation device for raising the seed germination is implemented in a greenhouse installed separately in the plant cultivation system,

A controller unit for collecting information on some or all of the temperature, humidity, and illuminance of the greenhouse, and controlling a seedling environment of the crop based on the collected information;

A power supply unit controlling the power provided from the outside to provide power for raising the crops;

A tank unit including a plurality of tanks for supporting and receiving a plurality of seedling plates seeded with the crop on the culture medium therein, and being disposed in an inclined form to be spaced apart from each other up and down;

A water supply unit providing the culture solution in which water and nutrient solutions are mixed at a predetermined ratio to the tank; And

Including at least one artificial light source, including a lighting unit for irradiating light required for the seedling of the crop by controlling some or all of the wavelength, intensity and irradiation period of the artificial light source,

The seedling cultivation apparatus further comprises a cover mounted on a frame for supporting the tank to prevent the light provided through the lighting unit from being diffused to the outside.
The method of claim 1,

The seedling growing device,

Air conditioning unit for controlling the heating and cooling and humidity for raising the crop; And

Sensor unit including a plurality of sensors for collecting information on some or all of the information on the temperature, humidity, CO2 and PH of the culture solution in the greenhouse

Seedling cultivation device further comprising a.
The method of claim 2,

The controller unit,

A data analyzing unit which receives the information collected from the sensor unit and compares the received information with setting data for optimal temperature, humidity, CO 2 and PH of the culture medium for raising the predetermined crop; And

Control command generation unit for controlling the seedling environment of the crop by generating a control command for controlling some or all of the temperature, humidity, CO2 and the pH value of the culture medium in the greenhouse based on the comparison result

Seedling cultivation device comprising a.
The method of claim 1,

The tank includes a plurality of longitudinal rungs installed in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of tanks, a plurality of width rungs installed in the width direction of the plurality of tanks, and a plurality of height direction rungs installed in the height direction of the plurality of tanks. Seedling cultivation apparatus, characterized in that supported by the frame.
The method of claim 1,

Downstream of the plurality of tanks seedling cultivation device, characterized in that one or more circulation pipes for moving the culture in the tank to another tank located in the lower portion is connected.
The method of claim 1,

The water supply unit,

A water storage unit for storing the water supply;

A nutrient solution storage unit for storing the nutrient solution;

A culture medium storage unit receiving the water supply and the nutrient solution at a predetermined ratio from the water storage unit and the nutrient storage unit to generate the culture solution, and store the generated culture solution;

A circulation pipe for supplying and circulating the culture solution to the water tank; And

Pressurized pump for moving the culture liquid to the circulation pipe

Seedling cultivation device further comprising a.
The method of claim 6,

The circulation pipe,

A first circulation pipe for moving the culture solution to the uppermost tank of the plurality of tanks;

Second circulation pipes respectively installed at downstream portions of the plurality of tanks and configured to move the culture solution to a tank located below the corresponding tank; And

A third circulation pipe connected to a second circulation pipe provided downstream of the lowermost tank of the plurality of tanks to move the culture solution to the culture solution storage part;

Seedling cultivation device comprising a.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The seedling cultivation apparatus further comprises a discharge pipe having a plurality of holes (Hole) connected to the first circulation pipe and disposed at a predetermined distance to discharge the culture solution to the uppermost tank.
The method of claim 1,

The lighting unit is seedling cultivation apparatus, characterized in that attached to the lower end of the frame and the plurality of tanks.
The method of claim 9,

The lighting unit uses an LED module made of a printed circuit board (PCB) that is separated or coupled in consideration of the expandability of the plurality of tanks, and the wavelength, intensity and intensity of the LED used as the artificial light source in the LED module. A seedling cultivation device, characterized in that for irradiating light necessary for the seedling of the crop by controlling part or all of the irradiation cycle.
The method of claim 1,

When the cover receives a control command for the operation of the cover through the controller unit, the upper portion of the cover forms a spherical surface having a predetermined size relative to the center of the top tank of the plurality of tanks, the inside of the cover Seedling cultivation device, characterized in that the side is coated with a reflective material for reflecting back to the crop light diffused to the outside.