ENVIRONMENT-CONTROLLED MULTI-SPAN STRUCTURED GREENHOUSES

Abstract

An environment-controlled multi span structured greenhouse comprising a roof, four sides, a release blower equipped with a heating module in relatively cold weather geographical locations, and equipped with a cooling module in relatively hot weather geographical locations, a capture blower, a release blower, a release manifold, and a capture manifold for low cost of supplementary heating and cooling of the greenhouse air, obviating burning fossil fuels thereby reducing global warming, wherein the external surfaces of the roof and the external surface of at least one side of the greenhouse comprise a light diffusing film on predetermined areas and locations thereof together with a thermal shading film affixed to the surface areas not comprising the light diffusing film, and wherein the greenhouse further comprises a mechanized module for adjusting the height of artificial light source and a module for melting snow

Claims

1. An environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, comprising: a roof; four sides; a capture manifold together with a capture blower for capturing carbon dioxide rich air from above one or more plants growing in the greenhouse during dark hours and for capturing oxygen rich air from the greenhouse during light hours and blowing captured air into an earth tube heat exchanger for storing and conditioning the captured air, wherein a temperature of the captured air is equal to an average thermal constant temperature of the earth tube heat exchanger of the geographical location; a magnifying camera for capturing images of parts of suspected diseased plants growing in the greenhouse or for capturing images of pests on plants growing in the greenhouse, wherein the captured images are uploaded onto a computer and compared and matches with reference images of diseased parts of plants and pests stored on the computer, wherein a positive match between the uploaded image and the stores image dictates a treatment regimen; wherein the earth tube heat exchanger comprises: a first compartment comprising a first reinforced and fully insulated concrete pipe for storing and conditioning captured carbon dioxide rich air to a relatively cooler temperature, the first compartment having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe; and a second compartment comprising a second reinforced and fully insulated concrete pipe for storing and conditioning captured oxygen rich air to a relatively cooler temperature, the second compartment having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe; and wherein a release manifold together with a release blower equipped with a cooling module is for releasing the stored and conditioned carbon dioxide rich air during light hours and the stored and conditioned oxygen rich air during dark hours into the greenhouse through a plurality of individual release pipes.

2. The environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein in relatively cold weather geographical locations, hot air is released into the greenhouse at a cultivation level, wherein, after heating the plants, a temperature of the hot air is reduced and collects above the plants in an upper portion of the greenhouse, wherein the reduced temperature hot air is captured by the capture blower together with capture manifold, wherein relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air is stored in the first compartment whereas relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air is stored in the second compartment.

3. The environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein in relatively hot weather geographical locations, external surfaces of the greenhouse roof together with an external surface of at least one side of the greenhouse comprise a light diffusing film affixed to predetermined areas and locations thereof based upon a climate pattern of the geographical location and wherein the predetermined areas that do not comprise the light diffusing film, comprise a thermal shading film of a predetermined thickness for admitting into the greenhouse only a predetermined deficient solar radiation for minimizing needless heat gain, reducing greenhouse air temperature and minimizing supplementary cooling cost while availing the benefits of natural light.

4. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein in relatively cold weather geographical locations, the greenhouse further comprises a heating module which functions with the release blower for heating greenhouse air and for maintaining a temperature of the greenhouse air at a predetermined set point.

5. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the cooling module functions with the release blower for cooling greenhouse air and for maintaining a temperature of the greenhouse air at a predetermined set point.

6. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, further comprising an artificial light source and a mechanized module for adjusting the height of the artificial light source and for maintaining a predetermined distance between the artificial light source and a top of a growing plant in the greenhouse throughout all growth stages of the growing plant.

7. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the greenhouse further comprises an automated water pump and a fogger for injecting fine droplets of water into an outlet pipe of the release blower and for maintaining a relative humidity of a greenhouse air at a predetermined set point.

8. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, a greenhouse air relative humidity is maintained at a point wherein the moisture content of a greenhouse air during heating is squeezed out thus automatically maintaining the relative humidity of the greenhouse air at a point corresponding to a greenhouse air temperature predetermined set point.

9. (canceled)

10. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein the treatment regimen comprises dose, frequency mode foliar or drench and the matched uploaded and stored images are displayed on the computer screen for printing a prescribed treatment for execution which is automatically stored in a file to trace treatment history of a crop during its life time.

11. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein the first and second compartments comprise reinforced concrete pipes having inlet and outlet pipes that are fully insulated from the atmosphere such that a temperature of the stored and captured carbon dioxide rich air and a temperature of the stored and captured oxygen rich air remains substantially the same temperature as when it was captured without conditioning or cooling, and wherein the first and second compartments are installed outside of, and adjoining, the greenhouse.

12. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 4, wherein the release blower together with the heating module clears fog created during cold early morning hours from interior surfaces of the roof and the sides by releasing hot air into the greenhouse.

13. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe of the first compartment and the second compartment are polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

14. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 1, wherein the first concrete pipe and the second concrete pipe each include opposing air-tight blocked ends, and the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are located near the blocked ends.

15. The environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse of claim 14, wherein the inlet pipes are located near a first blocked end and the outlet pipes are located near an opposing second blocked end of the first concrete pipe and the second concrete pipe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] In order that the present invention can be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0051] FIG. 1 illustrates an inverse square relationship between the intensity of the light source and the distance from the light source.

[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates a mechanized module of the present invention for adjusting the height of the artificial light source to maintain a predetermined distance from the growing plant in various growing stages. Reference Numerals in FIG. 2: [0053] 100Mild steel pipe; [0054] 110Upper surface of the mild steel pipe; [0055] 120Bottom surface of the mild steel pipe; [0056] 130Bottom of adjoining truss for welding ball bearing with mild steel pipe; [0057] 140Ball bearing with mounting end plugged; [0058] 150Ball bearing with small hole in the plugged end for running electric main wire; [0059] 160Mild steel strip on ball bearing for welding with the bottom end of the adjoining truss of the greenhouse; [0060] 170Connections to the artificial lighting source; [0061] 180Electric wire running full lengths of growing media beds; and [0062] 190Handle. [0063] FIG. 3 illustrates the components of an environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Reference Numerals in FIG. 3: [0064] 300Capture manifold; [0065] 310From capture blower; [0066] 380From BT hot air tank; [0067] 390From BT CO.sub.2 tank; [0068] 400Release manifold; [0069] 410Release blower; [0070] 420Heating module for relatively cold geographical location; [0071] 430Cooling module for relatively hot geographical location; [0072] 440Individual release pipes; [0073] 500Earth tube heat exchanger; [0074] 520Compartment storing oxygen rich greenhouse air; and [0075] 530Compartment storing carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air.

[0076] FIG. 4 illustrates the components of the storage facility for storing captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air and captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air. Reference Numerals in FIG. 4: [0077] 600First compartment of the storage facility comprising a reinforced concrete pipe fully insulated from the atmosphere for storing captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air captured by capture blower 310 together with capture manifold 300; [0078] 610Right-hand end blocked and maintained air tight; [0079] 620Left-hand end blocked and maintained air tight; [0080] 630Inlet comprising a PVC pipe of a predetermined diameter for introducing captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air captured by capture blower 310 together with capture manifold 300 into first compartment 600; [0081] 640Outlet comprising a PVC pipe of a predetermined diameter for releasing stored relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air from the first compartment 600 back into the greenhouse via the release blower together with the release manifold; [0082] 700Second compartment of the storage facility comprising a reinforced concrete pipe fully insulated from the atmosphere for storing captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air captured by capture blower 310 together with capture manifold 300; [0083] 710Right-hand end blocked and maintained air tight; [0084] 720Left-hand end blocked and maintained air tight; [0085] 730Inlet comprising a PVC pipe of a predetermined diameter for introducing captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air captured by capture blower 310 together with capture manifold 300 into second compartment 700; and [0086] 740Outlet comprising a PVC pipe of a predetermined diameter for releasing stored relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air from the second compartment 700 back into the greenhouse via the release blower together with the release manifold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0087] The intensity or brightness of light as a function of the distance from the light source follows an inverse square relationship. This relationship is illustrated by FIG. 1, which shows the apparent brightness of a source with luminosity Lo at distances r, 2r, 3r, etc. As the distance increases, the light spreads out over a larger surface and the surface brightness decreases in accordance with a one over r squared relationship. The decrease goes as r squared because the area over which the light is spread is proportional to the distance squared.

[0088] Turning to FIG. 2, the mechanized module for adjusting the height of the artificial light source comprises a mild steel pipe 100 having an upper surface 110 and a bottom surface 120 and ball bearings 150 mounted on the mild steel pipe 100 between the upper surface 110 and the bottom surface 120. The mild steel pipe 100 with ball bearings 140 is welded to the bottom 130 of the adjoining truss of the greenhouse. The mounting end of the ball bearings 140 are plugged and the plugged mounting end has a small hole 150 for running the main electrical wire. Ball bearings 140 have a mild steel strip 160 for welding with the bottom end of the adjoining truss of the greenhouse. The mechanized module further comprises connections 170 to electrical wires 180 comprising the artificial lighting sources located at the free ends thereof and running the full lengths of the growing media beds. In operation, when the artificial lighting sources are to be raised up and away from the tops of the plants growing in the media beds of the greenhouse, the mild steel pipe 100 is rotated in one direction, for example, in the clockwise direction, using, for example, the handle 190, and the electrical wires 180 are spooled onto, and wrap around, the mild steel pipe 100, drawing the artificial lighting sources located at the free ends of the electrical wires 180, upwards and away from the tops of the plants growing in the media beds. When the artificial lighting sources are to be lowered down and towards the tops of the plants growing in the media beds of the greenhouse, the mild steel pipe 100 is rotated in the opposite direction, for example, in the counter clockwise direction, using, for example, the handle 190, and the electrical wires 180 are unspooled from, and unwrapped from around, the mild steel pipe 100, lowering the artificial lighting sources located at the free ends of the electrical wires 180, downwards and towards the tops of the plants growing in the media beds. In operation, the handle 190 can be manually operated via by a human operator, to rotate the mild steel pipe 100 or the handle 190 can be automatically operated, via an automated mechanism, to rotate the mild steel pipe 100.

[0089] Turning to FIG. 3, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, during dark hours, relatively hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air, and during light hours, relatively hot oxygen rich greenhouse air, is captured by the capture manifold 300 together with the capture blower 310 and is blown through inlets into the earth tube heat exchanger 500, in this embodiment, located approximately 2.5 meters below ground level, where the captured relatively hot carbon dioxide rich air is stored in compartment 520 of the earth tube heat exchanger 500 and the captured relatively hot oxygen rich air is stored in compartment 530 of the earth tube heat exchanger 500. While being stored in compartments 520 and 530, the temperature of the stored relatively hot carbon dioxide rich air and the stored relatively hot oxygen rich air, respectively, is lowered (cooled) or conditioned to be substantially equal to the temperature of the earth tube heat exchanger 500. The stored carbon dioxide rich conditioned air from compartment 520 and the stored oxygen rich conditioned air from compartment 530 exits the earth tube heat exchanger 500 and is captured by the release manifold 400 together with the release blower 410 and if required, the temperature thereof is further lowered (cooled) to a predetermined temperature set point by the cooling module 430 and is released back into the greenhouse via individual release pipes 440.

[0090] In relatively cold weather geographical locations, during dark hours, relatively cool carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air, and during light hours, relatively cool oxygen rich greenhouse air, is captured by the capture manifold 300 together with the capture blower 310 and is blown through inlets into the earth tube heat exchanger 500, in this embodiment, located approximately 2.5 meters below ground level, where the captured relatively cool carbon dioxide rich air is stored in compartment 520 and the captured relatively cool oxygen rich air is stored in compartment 530. While being stored in compartments 520 and 530, the temperature of the stored relatively cool carbon dioxide rich air and the stored relatively cool oxygen rich air, respectively, is raised (heated) or conditioned to be substantially equal to the temperature of the earth tube heat exchanger 500. The stored carbon dioxide rich conditioned air from compartment 520 and the stored oxygen rich conditioned air from compartment 530 exits the earth tube heat exchanger 500 and is captured by the release manifold 400 together with the release blower 410 and if required, the temperature thereof is further raised (heated) to a predetermined temperature set point by the heating module 420 and is released back into the greenhouse via individual release pipes 440.

[0091] Turning to FIG. 4, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, during dark hours, captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air is stored in the first compartment 600 of the storage facility and during light hours, captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air is stored into the second compartment 700 of the storage facility. First and second air storage compartments 600 and 700 comprise reinforced concrete pipes having inlets 630/730 and outlets 640/740, wherein the pipes are fully insulated from the atmosphere. The release blower 410 together with release manifold 400 releases into the greenhouse at the level of cultivation of the plants growing in the greenhouse, the stored relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air from the first compartment 600 during light hours and the stored relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air from the second compartment 700 during dark hours.

[0092] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse comprising: a capture manifold and a capture blower for capturing, from the greenhouse, carbon dioxide rich air during dark hours and oxygen rich air during light hours, and for blowing the captured air into an earth tube heat exchanger, the earth tube heat exchanger comprising a first compartment/chamber for storing the captured carbon dioxide rich air and a second compartment/chamber for storing the captured oxygen rich air, the earth tube heat exchanger for conditioning the stored air by increasing or decreasing the temperature of the stored air to substantially equal to the average thermal constant temperature of the earth tube heat exchanger, a release manifold and a release blower for releasing the stored carbon dioxide rich conditioned air into the greenhouse at the level of cultivation of the plants growing in the greenhouse during light hours and the oxygen rich conditioned air from the earth tube heat exchanger during dark hours.

[0093] The earth tube heat exchanger is an underground heat exchanger that can capture heat from and/or dissipate heat to the ground and uses the earth's near constant subterranean temperature to warm or cool the air captured from the greenhouse for heat recovery ventilation. The earth tube heat exchanger is known by several other names, including, but not limited to: ground-coupled heat exchangers, earth cooling tubes, earth warming tubes, earth-air heat exchangers, air-to-soil heat exchangers, earth channels, earth canals, earth-air tunnel systems, ground tube heat exchangers, hypocausts, subsoil heat exchangers, thermal labyrinths, underground air pipes, and others.

[0094] In an embodiment of the present invention, the greenhouse, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, comprises a light diffusing film, in one embodiment a light diffusing white film, of a predetermined thickness affixed to the external surface of the greenhouse roof and the external surface of at least one side of the greenhouse at predetermined areas and at predetermined locations based upon the climate pattern of the geographical location. The areas not comprising the light diffusing film comprise a thermal shading film of a predetermined thickness such that only a predetermined deficient solar radiation is admitted into the greenhouse for reducing needless heat gain, reducing the greenhouse air temperature and minimizing the greenhouse supplementary cooling cost while availing the benefits of natural light.

[0095] In an another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an environment-controlled, multi-span structured greenhouse comprising: a capture manifold, a capture blower, a release manifold, a release blower, a heating module in relatively cold weather geographical locations and a cooling module in relatively hot weather geographical locations, wherein heating module and cooling module functions with the release blower, an artificial light source, a mechanized module for adjusting the height of the artificial light source and a module for maintaining the greenhouse crop free from diseases, from organisms such as fungi, bacteria, pathogens, viruses and from harmful pests such as insects.

[0096] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, the greenhouse comprises a release blower equipped with a heating module for heating the greenhouse air for maintaining the greenhouse air temperature at a predetermined temperature set point. In this embodiment, the release blower together with the release manifold and the heating module releases hot air into the greenhouse at the level of cultivation for greenhouse supplementary heating. During supplementary heating of the greenhouse, the hot air released into the greenhouse at the level of cultivation rises and begins to cool somewhat thus becoming lower temperature hot greenhouse air relative to the temperature of the hot air released at the level of cultivation. This relatively lower temperature hot greenhouse air collects above the plants growing in the greenhouse in the upper portion of the greenhouse, including the upper portion of the roof. The relatively lower temperature hot greenhouse air is then captured by the capture blower together with the capture manifold and the captured relatively lower temperature hot air is stored into the earth tube heat exchanger where it is conditioned to cooler temperature air relative to the captured relatively lower temperature hot air.

[0097] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, hot air is released into the greenhouse at the cultivation level of the plants growing in the greenhouse, which released hot air, after heating the plants, cools and becomes a relatively lower temperature than the hot air that was released into the greenhouse, which relatively lower temperature hot air collects above the plants in the upper portion of the greenhouse and is captured by the capture blower together with capture manifold. Captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air is stored in the first compartment 600 of the storage facility whereas captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air is stored in the second compartment 700 of the storage facility.

[0098] Both first 600 and second 700 compartment of the storage facility are located just outside and adjoining the greenhouse and together with all inlets 630/730 and outlets 640 and 740, are fully insulated from the atmosphere so that the temperature of the stored air does not decrease. The release blower inlet captures stored relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air during light hours from the first compartment 600 and stored relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air during dark hours from the second compartment 700, which air is heated to the predetermined temperature by the heating module in the inlet of the release blower. The release blower together with release manifold releases into the greenhouse at cultivation level, carbon dioxide rich hot air during light hours and oxygen rich hot air during dark hours.

[0099] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the greenhouse comprises a release blower equipped with a cooling module for cooling the greenhouse air for maintaining the greenhouse air temperature at a predetermined temperature set point.

[0100] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the relative humidity of the greenhouse air is maintained at a predetermined set point by injecting fine droplets of water from a fogger manifold into the outlet pipe of the release blower using an automated small water pump.

[0101] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, the relative humidity of the greenhouse air is automatically adjusted during heating the greenhouse air to a predetermined temperature point which removes the moisture from the cold air, which removed moisture settles at the bottom of the outlet pipe of the release blower which outlet pipe is provided with a predetermined slope to drain off the moisture at a predetermined location.

[0102] In another embodiment of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises an artificial light source and a mechanized module for adjusting the height of the artificial light source to maintain a predetermined distance between the artificial light source and the top of the growing plants, wherein the module comprises a steel pipe comprising ball bearings, for example, set at 5 meters centers, with the mounting end of the ball bearings plugged and with a small hole contained therein for running an electric main wire together with about two thirds of the circumference of the ball bearing comprising a mild steel strip for welding onto the bottom of an adjoining truss of the greenhouse wherein main electric wires run on the upper surface of the pipe comprising connections for all of the artificial lighting in respective rows of growing media bags or beds.

[0103] In another embodiment of the present invention, the greenhouse is further equipped with at least one camera, in one embodiment, a magnifying camera, for capturing images of abnormal roots, stems, leaves, buds and fruits of suspected diseased plants and of pests such as insects, on, in or around the plants. The images are uploaded onto a computer wherein reference images of all kinds of abnormalities of diseased plants' roots, stems leaves, buds, fruits etc. and all kinds of pests, such as insects, are already stored for matching the uploaded images with the stored images wherein the type of treatment and treatment regime, including the remedy, dose and frequency of dose, including fertilizer and water, together with the uploaded image and the matching stored image are displayed. The treatment and treatment regimen is automatically stored into a file and may be printed to trace the treatment history of the greenhouse crop over its lifetime. In another embodiment of the present invention, a greenhouse crop patrolling officer may be equipped with the camera for capturing the images during patrolling the greenhouse.

[0104] In another embodiment of the present invention, a system and/or method is disclosed for melting snow on a surface, including airport runways, railway tracks, roadways, and the like, wherein the system and/or method comprises using two blowers each with a heating module each mounted on a motorized trolley, each one on staggered locations on the two sides of the surface for producing hot air of a predetermined temperature for melting snow on the surface.

[0105] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electric heating module of a predetermined temperature range installed in the blower for all heating needs including heating of small furnaces in medium and small scale industries thereby saving substantial fossil fuel.

[0106] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively cold weather geographical locations, a blower together with a heating module is provided for heating the local environment of a location occupied by people for maintaining that location at a predetermined temperature set point.

[0107] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, a blower together with a cooling module is provided for cooling the local environment of a location occupied by people for maintaining that location at a predetermined temperature set point.

[0108] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the capture blower together with capture manifold captures relatively warmer carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air during dark hours and relatively warmer oxygen rich greenhouse air during light hours from above the plants in the greenhouse, which captured air is stored into the respective first and second compartments of the earth tube heat exchanger which conditions the relatively warmer stored air to relatively cooler air.

[0109] In another embodiment of the present invention, in relatively hot weather geographical locations, the release blower, equipped with a cooling module, releases relatively cooler carbon dioxide rich air during light hours and relatively cooler oxygen rich air during dark hours into the greenhouse at cultivation level.

[0110] Conditioning of the captured relatively lower temperature hot air to cooler temperature air (relative to the captured relatively lower temperature hot air) by the earth tube heat exchanger may, in some cases, lead to additional heating costs when this cooler temperature air must be re-heated by the heating module to provide greenhouse supplementary heating. As such, it is another object of the present invention to overcome the afore-mentioned potential problem. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage facility comprising a first compartment for storing the captured relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air and a second compartment for storing the captured relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich greenhouse air, wherein each of the first and second compartments are insulated from the exterior temperature of the facility such that the stored relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air and the stored relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air remains substantially the same temperature as when it was captured without conditioning or cooling. Maintaining the relatively lower temperature hot carbon dioxide rich air and the relatively lower temperature hot oxygen rich air in the storage facility at substantially the same temperature as when it was captured without conditioning or cooling results in a minimal differential heating of the stored air before being released back in the greenhouse leading to considerable savings in heating cost and reducing the burning of fossil fuels. In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and second compartments are concrete pipes. In another embodiment of the present invention, the concrete pipes are large diameter, reinforced concrete pipes. In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage facility can be installed in a space outside of the greenhouse, preferably adjoining greenhouse. In another embodiment of the present invention, is independent of the earth tube heat exchanger.

[0111] As discussed above, there is the problem of fog developing in the greenhouse environment during cold early morning hours when temperature decreases and relative humidity saturates dense fog on the interior surfaces of the greenhouse which reduces light transmission into greenhouse. In an embodiment of the present invention, the release blower, together with the heating module, clears the fog from the interior surfaces of the greenhouse sides and roof by releasing hot air into the greenhouse which increases the relative temperature of the greenhouse air and reduces the relative humidity of the greenhouse air and, in turn, reduces the fog that has accumulated on the interior surfaces of the greenhouse sides and roof.

[0112] As also discussed above, there is the problem of fog developing on roadways, railway tracks and in the proximity of airport runways. In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a compressor or release blower together with a heating module to heat the released air to a predetermined temperature to evaporate the fog from roadways, railway tracks and in the proximity of airport runways.

[0113] In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided two compressors or two release blowers, each equipped with a heating module installed on the exterior of an airplane (that may already have the facility of ILS) at suitable locations wherein the heated air released from the compressor or blowers evaporates and reduces or eliminates fog that develops around the airplane during its flight and/or reduces or eliminates the fog around the airplane during its flight through fog or clouds. This embodiment assists pilots during the airplane's downward journey in approaching the runway of an airport wherein the airplane mostly has to pass through cloud cover and during this period, the pilot may not be able to see the runway and the landing lights clearly. This embodiment can also be employed to clear fog from airport runways.

[0114] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a compressor or a release blower of a predetermined pressure, together with a heating module of a predetermined temperature, installed on both exterior sides of a railway engine at a predetermined location. In this embodiment, as the train moves along the track, hot air generated by the heating module with compressor or a blower clears any fog from railway track so that the train can move as fast through the fog as during clear day light hours with a clear view of the upcoming track. Similar embodiments are contemplated for road vehicles including cars, trucks, including heavy trucks, busses and the like which embodiments will allow these vehicles to move through fog as fast as during the clear day light hours reducing or eliminating accidents due to fog.

[0115] 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.

[0116] The above description is to be to in no way limit the scope of the present invention which is amendable to various modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention which will be evident to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the present invention is not restricted to greenhouse applications only. Although certain embodiments have been described those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.