A CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A control system for growing plant matter such as algae, the control system having a controller for controlling a plurality of LED lights, wherein the controller is adapted to control the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights. Preferably the controller is also adapted to control a flickering frequency of the LED lights.

Claims

1. A control system for growing plant matter, comprising: a controller for controlling a plurality of LED lights, wherein the controller is adapted to control the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights, and wherein the controller is adapted to control a flickering frequency of the LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to control the flickering frequency in a range of 10 ms to 100 ms.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller includes a communication module adapted to communicate with a remote device.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remote device is adapted to set a spectrum and an intensity of the LED lights.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising one or more sensors to provide data on the growth of the plant matter, wherein the controller is adapted to receive data from the one or more sensors and send the data from the one or more sensors to the remote device, and the remote device is adapted to optimise the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights based on the data from the one or more sensors.

6. A control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to send data on the flickering frequency of the LED lights to the remote device, and the remote device determines the flickering frequency of the LED lights that corresponds to desirable data from the one or more sensors, and the remote device will set the flickering frequency of the LED lights to the determined flickering frequency of the LED lights.

7. A control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant matter is algae.

8. An algae cultivation control system, the control system comprising a controller for controlling a plurality of LED lights to provide the algae with light, wherein the controller is adapted to control a spectrum and an intensity of the LED lights, and wherein the controller is adapted to control a flickering frequency of the LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms.

9. A control system for growing algae having a controller for controlling a plurality of LED lights, wherein the controller is adapted to control the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights, and wherein the controller is adapted to control a flickering frequency of the LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms.

10. A control system for growing algae comprising: a plurality of LED lights to provide the algae with light; and a controller for controlling the plurality of LED lights, wherein the controller is adapted to control the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights, and wherein the controller is adapted to control a flickering frequency of the LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms.

11. A control system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising one or more sensors to provide data on the growth of the algae; and a communication module adapted to communicate sensor data and spectrum and intensity settings of the LED lights to a remote device.

12. A control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote device is adapted to communicate the settings for the spectrum and intensity of the LED lights which have resulted in desirable traits in the algae to one or more further control systems.

13. A control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the remote device is adapted to communicate additional settings including one or more of flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO2 added, amount of O2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added, to the control system and or the one or more further control systems, and wherein the corresponding controller is adapted to control one or more pumps, valves, solenoids, heaters, or the like, to control the flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO2 added, amount of O2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added.

14. A method of controlling the growing of algae, the method comprising the steps of: controlling with a first control system a spectrum and an intensity of a plurality of LED lights for growing algae; controlling with the first control system a flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms, monitoring with one or more sensors traits of the algae; changing the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights while continuing to monitor with the one or more sensors traits of the algae; correlating traits of the algae with the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights; and transmitting with a remote device the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency settings of the plurality of LED lights for a desired trait of the algae to a second control system to grow algae with the desired traits using the second control system.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of transmitting from the first control system to the remote device the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency settings of the plurality of LED lights and the correlating sensor data for the traits of the algae, and wherein the step of correlating traits of the algae with the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights is performed on the remote device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of correlating traits of the algae with a flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO2 added, amount of O2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of transmitting with the remote device settings related to one or more of the flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO2 added, amount of O2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added to the second control system to grow algae with the desired traits using the second control system.

18. A method of controlling the growing of algae, the method comprising the steps of: controlling with a control system a spectrum and an intensity of a plurality of LED lights for growing algae; controlling with the control system a flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights in a range of 2 ms to 5,000 ms, monitoring with one or more sensors traits of the algae; changing the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights while continuing to monitor with the one or more sensors traits of the algae; correlating traits of the algae with the spectrum. intensity and flickering frequency of the plurality of LED lights; and controlling the spectrum, intensity and flickering frequency settings of the plurality of LED lights to correspond to a desired trait of the algae.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

[0067] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a portion of a control system according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0069] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a portion of a control system according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0070] With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention in the form of an algae cultivation control system 10. The control system 10 includes a controller 12.

[0071] The controller 12 controls a plurality of LED lights 14,16,18,20,22. The controller 12 is adapted to control the spectrum of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22. The controller 12 is adapted to control the intensity of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22.

[0072] The controller 12 is adapted to control the flickering frequency of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22.

[0073] The LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 provide light to plant matter in the form of algae 24 being grown/cultivated, in a growing medium in the form of water, in a container 26.

[0074] One or more sensors 28 monitor the growth of the algae and communicate the data to the controller 12.

[0075] The controller 12 communicates with remote devices in the form of a mobile device 30, a computer 32 and a server 34. The controller 12 communicates with the server 34 via the internet 36.

[0076] The controller 12 is able to communicate the settings of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 and the data from the one or more sensors 28 to the mobile device 30, computer 32 and server 34. The settings of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 in the controller 12 can be set by the mobile device 30, the computer 32 and/or the server 34.

[0077] The server 34 can correlate data from the one or more sensors 28 with settings of the spectrum, the intensity and/or the flickering frequency of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22. The server 34 can determine the spectrum, the intensity and/or the flickering frequency of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 that correspond to desirable data from the one or more sensors 28. The server 34 can set the spectrum, intensity and/or the flickering frequency values in the controller 12 to the determined values. The mobile device 30, the computer 32 and/or the server 34 can set which data from the one or more sensors 28 is desirable.

[0078] The server 34 can correlate data for different types of algae being grown and/or different traits of the algae 24 being grown. The mobile device 30, the computer 32 and/or the server 34 can set the different types of algae being grown, or the traits of the algae being grown.

[0079] The controller 12 can control the spectrum, the intensity and/or the flickering frequency of the LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 individually. In this manner, LED lights 14,16,18,20,22 can define different zones, in which different algae is being grown and/or in which different traits of algae are being cultivated.

[0080] With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown an algae cultivation control system 100. The algae cultivation control system 100 includes a first control system in the form of a pilot control system 102, and a second control system in the form of a user control system 104.

[0081] The pilot control system 102 includes a controller 106 for controlling the spectrum, intensity and flickering rate settings of the plurality of LED lights, flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO.sub.2 added, amount of O.sub.2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added in the cultivation of algae at 108 and 110. The controller 106 also monitors sensors (not shown) which provide data on the growth of the algae at 108 and 110. The controller 106 also monitors the waste products created at 112. At 114 the grown algae is processed and at 116 the end product is dispatched. The pilot plant is used to test the effects of different settings of the spectrum, intensity and flickering rate settings of the plurality of LED lights, flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO.sub.2 added, amount of O.sub.2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added in the cultivation of algae at 108 and 110.

[0082] The data from the sensors and the settings of the spectrum, intensity and flickering rate settings of the plurality of LED lights, flow rate of growing medium, temperature of growing medium, amount of CO.sub.2 added, amount of O.sub.2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added is sent via the internet 136 to a remote device in the form of a server 134.

[0083] The server 134 processes the data and settings in an optimisation module 140. The optimisation module 140 uses artificial intelligence 142 to optimise the settings to achieve desired traits of the algae. The server 134 maintains a database of optimised settings for different algae strains and different desired traits. On request through a pilot user console 138, the server 134 can communicate the updated settings to the pilot control system 102.

[0084] If a user is growing a known strain of algae using the user control system 104, they can via a user console 144, download optimised settings from the server 134 to the user control system 104, to control the cultivation of algae at 146 and 148. The user control system also monitors the waste production at 150. At 152 the grown algae is processed and at 154 the end product is dispatched.

[0085] Data and settings from the user control system 104 is uploaded via the internet 136 to the server 134. The data and settings are fed into the optimisation module 140 so that the artificial intelligence 142 can use the data and settings to further optimise the settings to achieve desired traits of the algae.

[0086] The server 134 includes a notification module 160 which can notify users and pilot users (not shown) via sms 162, email 164 or AV 166 to new algae recipes or optimisations, or alert users if settings or data are outside of a predetermined range for the pilot control system 102 or user control system 104 respectively.

[0087] With reference to FIG. 3, there is shown a control system 200. The control system 200 has a controller 202 which controls multiple sections of an algae cultivation system in the form of an inoculation section 204, a grow section 206 and an inoculation section 208.

[0088] Each of the sections 204, 206, 208 has a localised controller 210,212,214. The localised controllers 210,212,214 each control LED lights 220,222,224 respectively. The localised controllers 210,212,214 each control solenoids and pumps 230,232,234 respectively to control the flow rate of growing medium, amount of CO.sub.2 added, amount of O.sub.2 added, and or the type and or amount of nutrients added. The localised controllers 210,212,214 also monitor sensors 240,242,244. The controller 202 can send setting and sensor data to a remote server (not shown) via the internet 236 via Internet of Things (IoT) messaging system. The controller can also receive IoT messages to control the LED lights 220,222,224 and the solenoids and pumps 230,232,234 via the respective localised controllers 210,212,214

ADVANTAGES

[0089] An advantage of the preferred embodiment of the control system includes the ability to control the growth of different types of plant matter. Another advantage of the preferred embodiment of the control system includes the ability to control different traits of plant matter being grown. A further advantage of the preferred embodiment of the control system includes that the controller can set the spectrum, intensity and/or the flickering frequency values of the LED lights in response to desired data values from the one or more sensors.

VARIATIONS

[0090] While the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

[0091] Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word “comprise” and variations of that word such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.