Patent classifications
A01G9/241
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AIR FLOW IN A GROW POD
A controller for an air supplier of an assembly line grow pod is provided. The controller identifies a plant on one or more carts; determines an airflow rate based on an airflow recipe for the identified plant; controls an air supplier to output air through one or more outlet vents at the airflow rate; obtains an image of the plant; identifies a type of contaminants deposited directly on the plant based on the obtained image; and adjusts a power of the air output from the air supplier to remove the contaminants from the plant by the air based on the identified type of contaminants deposited directly on the plant.
Trolley conveyor
A trolley conveyor. The trolley conveyor includes: a tubular rail track having a slotted opening at the top. A trolley chain installed to move in the rail track. A hanger is provided for suspending therebelow objects to be transported. The hanger includes a connector at the upper end thereof which extends downward to toward the center of the trolley chain. The trolley chain includes vertical and horizontal rollers in chain units, with vertical rollers in one chain unit and horizontal rollers in an adjacent chain unit. The chain units are pivotally connected for up and down and side to side motion within the track. While the trolley chain moves, the connector avoids contact with the ends of the slot in the track. Thus, the trolley conveyor prevents the generation of noise and foreign substances. Also, the trolley conveyor prevents transfer of dirt, oil, and debris to an object being transported.
GREENHOUSE
The present disclosure provides using stratification of air to reduce the amount of air in a greenhouse to manage and a conditioning chamber to precondition air prior to the air having contact with plants. A light deprivation chamber is provided with a centerline vent and operable louvres to recycle warm air and to be able to reduce the area of the building to heat by closing the light deprivation cover to create a smaller chamber to heat and recycle to conserve heat and take advantage of the heat from grow lights. The present disclosure further provides being able to cycle warm air from an upper air sink chamber back into the an air intake/conditioning chamber to conserve energy and using air tube fans to deliver quality conditioned air from a conditioning chamber to all the plants.
OPENABLE VINYL FIXING DEVICE AND VINYL GREENHOUSE INCLUDING SAME
The present invention relates to an openable vinyl fixing device and a vinyl greenhouse. The openable vinyl fixing device enables easy opening and closing of an openable window formed on a roof. In contrast with the conventional fixed idea that when a vinyl opening operator (opener) is positioned at the lowermost end of vinyl, a vinyl supporting pipe does not completely unwind vinyl of a vinyl window, but slightly winds the vinyl, and the vinyl supporting pipe is positioned at the outer portion of the vinyl window, the present invention enables the vinyl to be completely unwound by rotating the vinyl supporting pipe a little bit more when closing the vinyl window, wherein the vinyl supporting pipe is positioned between an arc frame and the vinyl of the vinyl window to thereby form a space, and the vinyl supporting pipe is fixed in the space by means of the openable vinyl fixing device.
CENTRALIZED PREDICTIVE CONTROLLER FOR MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMAL OPERATION OF MICROGRID POWERED GREENHOUSES
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for a greenhouse indoor environment controller based on model predictive control (MPC), which can be integrated into existing greenhouse regulatory systems to optimally maintain critical climatic variables, including artificial lighting levels, CO.sub.2, indoor temperature, and humidity levels within acceptable limits. The objectives of the MPC may be to maximize the rate of crop photosynthesis while optimizing the use of the available water and energy resources, taking into account the unpredictability and intermittent nature of renewable energies and external atmospheric conditions. Accordingly, certain embodiments may facilitate the management of greenhouses by anticipating control actions for a better quality of production. For that, mathematical formulations of the optimal control problem may be described, and the numerical results related to the application of the MPC to case studies are described integrating the effects of greenhouse structural considerations and the influence of climate data on its operation.
Systems and methods for providing air flow in a grow pod
An air flow control system for an assembly line grow pod is provided. The air flow control system includes a shell including an enclosed area, one or more carts moving on a track within the enclosed area, an air supplier within the enclosed area, one or more outlet vents coupled to the air supplier, and a controller. The controller includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to identify a plant on the one or more carts, determine an airflow rate based on an airflow recipe for the identified plant, and control the air supplier to output air through the one or more outlet vents at the airflow rate.
Thermally controlled greenhouse system
Greenhouses designed for optimized thermal control are provided, incorporating various elements for controlling the temperature and air quality in the greenhouse. The greenhouses are configured with structural insulation in the roof, walls, and floor of the greenhouse which use particular materials, such as concrete, glass or polycarbonate, and design implementations for thermal control of the greenhouse. The airflow and environment in the greenhouse is also managed by providing air circulation systems controlling the fresh air flow and temperature and humidity of the air in the greenhouse.
Greenhouse
A greenhouse having a roof, a floor, two end walls, and two side wall. Along one of the end or side walls an elongated mixing space is present next to an elongated space for conditioned air. The mixing space is fluidly connected to the exterior of the greenhouse and fluidly connected to a growing space by means of one or more openings. The mixing space and the space for conditioned air are fluidly connected via one or more water pads and via a parallel bypass flow path. The growing space comprises a multitude of parallel ventilation conduits, wherein each conduit has an air inlet that is fluidly connected to the space for conditioned air.
INDOOR GARDEN CENTER WITH A RIPENING CONTROL SYSTEM
An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module rotatably mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A ripening control system includes a recirculation duct and a fan assembly that recirculates air within the grow chamber. A reactive assembly, such as a titanium dioxide (TiO2) porous structure and an ultraviolet light, is positioned within the recirculation duct to regulate the concentration of one or more gases within the flow of air.
AGRICULTURAL GREENHOUSE, PLANT CULTIVATION METHOD USING THE SAME, AND HEAT-RAY REFLECTING FILM STRUCTURE
The agricultural greenhouse of the invention and the plant cultivation method using the same can cultivate plants economically and efficiently with less energy per crop yield, as it is provided with a CO.sub.2 supply means, a heat-ray shielding means, and a dehumidification and cooling means, the heat-ray shielding means is formed of using a heat-ray reflecting film, and plural through holes are formed in the heat-ray shielding means. The heat-ray reflecting film structure can cultivate plants by the agricultural greenhouse utilizing sunlight economically and efficiently as it has a structure that narrow band-shaped tapes obtained by cutting a multi-layer laminated film made by laminating at least two kinds of resin layers with different refractive indices alternately and having an average transmittance at 80% or more for visible light and an average reflectance at 70% or more for heat-ray is woven or knitted as a warp or a weft.