A darkroom growing system for planting plants

Abstract

This invention discloses a darkroom planting system for growing plants, comprising: a planting chamber, including a top plate and side plates, which serve as the walls of the planting chamber; a cultivation system disposed within the planting chamber; a lighting system disposed within the planting chamber; and an aerogel thermal insulation coating layer disposed on the inner side of the top plate and / or the inner side of the side plates, the surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer near the lighting system being an uneven surface; the coating of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer comprises silica aerogel and titanium dioxide. By adding titanium dioxide as a diffuse reflection enhancer to the aerogel coating and combining it with a surface texture treatment process to create an uneven surface, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer can simultaneously possess the dual functions of thermal insulation and high diffuse reflection, achieving a dual improvement in fruit yield and quality, while reducing the overall energy consumption of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of indoor planting technology, and more specifically, relates to a darkroom planting system for planting plants. Background Technology

[0002] Plant factories, as an advanced form of modern agricultural development, achieve year-round continuous crop production through precise and computerized management of environmental factors such as light, temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, and nutrient solution within fully or semi-enclosed facilities. Plant factories fundamentally break the traditional dependence of agricultural production on arable land, climate, and seasonality, and are considered the highest stage of development in facility agriculture.

[0003] However, plant factories face a significant challenge in large-scale construction and commercial application – their enormous energy consumption. Unlike traditional agriculture that relies on natural weather conditions, plant factories artificially create suitable growing environments for crops. Therefore, artificial lighting, temperature and humidity control, and intelligent monitoring and management of the entire facility all require substantial electricity. Studies show that electricity costs for lighting and cooling can account for 25% to 30% of the operating expenses of a plant factory. Furthermore, high construction and operating costs are the primary bottleneck restricting the commercial application of plant factories. Therefore, effectively reducing energy consumption in plant factories while ensuring crop yield and quality is a crucial technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field.

[0004] For multi-layered cultivation racks, each cultivation layer requires an independent LED light source due to physical partitions. However, the LED strips within a single layer are typically arranged linearly, resulting in significantly higher light intensity directly beneath the strips compared to the edge areas, leading to uneven light distribution within the same cultivation layer. For strawberries, a high-value fruit crop, traditional open-field cultivation usually only yields one to two harvests per year and is easily affected by seasonal and climatic conditions. While existing plant factories can achieve year-round strawberry production, they generally use a combination of red and blue LED light sources. Although these can drive photosynthesis, the spectral composition is relatively simple, lacking the complete spectrum of natural sunlight. This results in strawberry fruit quality indicators such as color, flavor, and nutritional value failing to reach the levels found under natural outdoor lighting conditions.

[0005] The existing building envelope of plant factories generally uses conventional insulation materials, which have limited thermal insulation performance. This results in a large amount of cold / heat being lost through the walls and roof, further exacerbating the energy consumption problem.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a darkroom cultivation system that can balance high-quality strawberry production with low-energy operation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention proposes a darkroom planting system for growing plants, comprising: A planting room, the planting room including a top plate and side plates, the top plate and side plates serving as the walls of the planting room; A cultivation system, wherein the cultivation system is installed in the planting room; A lighting system, wherein the lighting system is installed in the planting room; An aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is disposed on the inner side of the top plate and / or the inner side of the side plate, and the surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer near the lighting system is uneven. The coating of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer includes silica aerogel and titanium dioxide.

[0008] By adding titanium dioxide as a diffuse reflection enhancer to the aerogel coating and combining it with surface texture processing to create an uneven surface, the aerogel heat insulation coating layer can simultaneously possess the dual functions of heat insulation and high diffuse reflection. The light emitted by the lighting system can be diffusely reflected by the coating on the inner wall of the planting room and can be evenly scattered to the edge area of ​​the cultivation layer, significantly reducing the light intensity difference between the area directly below the light strip and the edge area within the same cultivation layer. This effectively improves the light uniformity within each cultivation layer, ultimately achieving a dual improvement in fruit yield and quality, while reducing the overall energy consumption of the system.

[0009] In some embodiments, the uneven surface includes a plurality of protrusions that project toward the lighting system, and the protrusions are hemispherical, conical, or wavy. By setting the uneven surface, the diffuse reflection effect of the coating is improved, and the difference in light intensity between the area directly below the light strip and the edge area within the same cultivation layer is further reduced.

[0010] Furthermore, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer covers the inner surfaces of the top plate and the side plate, and encapsulates the inner surfaces of the top plate and the side plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer fully covers the inner wall of the planting room.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is 2-5 mm.

[0013] For example, the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is a range of 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, or any two of these.

[0014] Furthermore, the titanium dioxide is rutile titanium dioxide, and the amount of rutile titanium dioxide added accounts for 8% to 15% of the total solid content of the coating.

[0015] For example, the amount of rutile titanium dioxide added is 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15% of the total solid content of the coating, or any combination thereof.

[0016] Furthermore, the particle size of rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) is 200–400 nm.

[0017] Furthermore, the surface roughness Ra of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer near the surface of the lighting system is 8–15 μm.

[0018] Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is ≤0.04W / (m·K).

[0019] Furthermore, the lighting system includes full-spectrum white LED lights, and the cultivation system includes a multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation rack, which includes multiple cultivation layers with partitions between each cultivation layer; cultivation troughs are placed on the upper side of the partitions, and full-spectrum white LED lights for illuminating the next layer of plants are installed on the lower side.

[0020] Furthermore, the spectrum emitted by the full-spectrum white LED lamp is a continuous spectrum covering the 400–700 nm wavelength range.

[0021] Furthermore, the color temperature of the full-spectrum white LED lamp is 5000–6500K, and the color rendering index Ra≥90.

[0022] Furthermore, the cultivation system also includes a cultivation trough and a cultivation substrate, wherein the cultivation substrate is filled in the cultivation trough and is composed of peat, coconut coir, perlite and attapulgite mixed in a volume ratio of 3:2:1:1.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention innovatively applies aerogel thermal insulation coating to the inner wall surface of a darkroom planting space, giving the inner wall of the planting space dual functions of thermal insulation and light diffuse reflection. The aerogel coating, with its ultra-low thermal conductivity and high porosity nanoporous structure, can significantly reduce heat transfer between the planting space and the external environment, effectively reducing cooling or heating energy consumption. Combined with the high photoelectric conversion efficiency of a full-spectrum white LED lighting system, the overall energy consumption of the system is reduced by 30% to 50% compared to traditional plant factories.

[0024] By adding rutile titanium dioxide and combining it with surface texturing to create an uneven surface, the diffuse reflectance of the aerogel coating was significantly increased from 55%–65% of traditional aerogel coatings to 75%–85%. The synergistic effect of the volume scattering of titanium dioxide particles and the interface scattering of the surface texture reduced the PPFD difference between the area directly below the light strip and the edge area within the same cultivation layer from 30%–50% in traditional darkroom cultivation to 10%–15%, and improved the uniformity of strawberry fruit size (measured by the coefficient of variation of single fruit weight) from 10%–20% to 8%–11%.

[0025] This invention uses full-spectrum white LEDs instead of traditional red-blue LEDs as the sole light source. Full-spectrum white light covers a continuous spectrum in the 400–700 nm wavelength range, better mimicking the spectral composition of natural sunlight. This provides strawberry plants with more comprehensive light nutrition, significantly improving the color, sugar content, and nutritional value of the strawberry fruit. Studies have shown that using full-spectrum supplemental lighting can significantly improve the quality and yield of strawberries, and has a more comprehensive promoting effect on strawberry growth and development. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a darkroom planting system for planting plants, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a darkroom planting system for planting plants, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0030] The components include: 1. Side panels; 2. Top panels; 3. Aerogel thermal insulation coating layer; 31. Concave-convex surface; 4. Multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation rack; 41. Partitions; 42. Cultivation troughs; 5. Lighting system; 6. Cultivation system. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] Unless otherwise shown or indicated in the operational embodiments, all figures used to represent the amounts, physicochemical properties, etc., of ingredients in the specification and claims are to be understood to be adjusted by the term "about" in all cases. Therefore, unless stated to the contrary, the numerical parameters listed in the foregoing specification and appended claims are approximations, and those skilled in the art can appropriately modify these approximations to obtain the desired characteristics by utilizing the teachings disclosed herein. The use of numerical ranges indicated by endpoints includes all numbers within that range and any range within that range; for example, 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5, etc.

[0033] See appendix Figure 1-3 As shown, a darkroom planting system for planting plants includes a top panel 2 and side panels 1, which are connected to form a completely enclosed container-style darkroom as a planting chamber for plants. This embodiment uses strawberries as an example of the plant to be planted.

[0034] In some embodiments, a cultivation system and a lighting system 5 are provided in the planting room. The lighting system 5 includes full-spectrum white LED light strips. The cultivation system includes a multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation rack 4, which includes multiple cultivation layers, with partitions 41 between each cultivation layer. Cultivation troughs 42 for planting strawberries are placed on the upper side of the partition 41, and full-spectrum white LED light strips for illuminating the next layer of plants are installed on the lower side. The LED light strips emit a continuous spectrum covering the 400–700 nm wavelength range to simulate the solar spectrum. The partition 41 is made of a highly moisture-resistant and highly reflective diffuse reflection material. The upper partition 41 can block water droplets and residual liquid dripping from the upper cultivation layer from eroding the lower LED light strips and cultivated plants. Simultaneously, it can reflect the upward-scattered light from the LED light strips back to the lower strawberry plant canopy, improving light energy utilization and alleviating uneven lighting caused by light shading between layers.

[0035] In some embodiments, the color temperature of the full-spectrum white LED lighting system is 5000–6500K, and the color rendering index Ra≥90.

[0036] In some embodiments, the full-spectrum white LED lighting system is equipped with a light intensity adjustment module and a photoperiod control module, which can dynamically adjust the light intensity and duration according to different growth stages of strawberries (vegetative growth period, flowering period, fruit enlargement period, and ripening and harvesting period).

[0037] In some embodiments, an aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is provided on the inner surfaces of both the top plate 2 and the side plate 1 to improve the thermal insulation performance of the planting system.

[0038] In some embodiments, the inner surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is processed into a textured surface 31. With this textured surface 31, light illuminating the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is diffusely reflected onto the plants, improving lighting utilization. To meet the light requirements of different crop varieties and the spatial dimensions of planting facilities, the diffusion angle and uniformity of light distribution can be controlled by adjusting the size, depth, and density of the bump units on the textured surface 31. This satisfies the supplemental lighting needs of the lower leaves of the crop canopy, preventing excessive local light from scorching the plants or insufficient local light from inhibiting photosynthesis.

[0039] In some embodiments, the material of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is a silica aerogel composite thermal insulation coating, including silica aerogel and rutile titanium dioxide. Rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used as a diffuse reflection enhancer. By adding rutile titanium dioxide as a diffuse reflection enhancer to the aerogel coating and combining it with surface texture processing, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 has both thermal insulation and high diffuse reflection functions. While ensuring a stable output of strawberries for three seasons a year, it reduces system energy consumption and construction costs, and improves the uniformity of light and the consistency of fruit quality in each cultivation layer.

[0040] In other words, through the synergistic effect of silica aerogel and rutile titanium dioxide, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 possesses the following dual functions: Thermal insulation function: The nanoporous structure of silica aerogel is used to achieve an ultra-low thermal conductivity, which effectively blocks the heat exchange between the dark room and the external environment, and significantly reduces the energy consumption for cooling / heating.

[0041] Diffuse Reflection Function: By adding rutile titanium dioxide as a diffuse reflection enhancer and combining it with a textured surface 31, the diffuse reflectance of the coating surface is controlled between 75% and 85%. Rutile titanium dioxide has a high refractive index (approximately 2.7), producing a strong Mie scattering effect on visible light, forming a volume scattering mechanism within the coating; the surface texture treatment forms an interface scattering mechanism. These two mechanisms work synergistically to ensure that the light emitted by the LED light source is uniformly scattered to the edge area of ​​the cultivation layer after diffuse reflection by the sidewall coating, significantly improving the difference in light intensity between the area directly below the LED strip and the edge area within the same cultivation layer.

[0042] In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is ≤0.04W / (m·K).

[0043] In some embodiments, the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is applied to the inner surface of the ceiling plate 2 and all the inner surfaces of the side walls of the darkroom planting space, with a coating thickness of 2-5 mm. Studies have shown that in the technical solution of this invention, when the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is less than 2 mm, the thermal resistance is insufficient, and the ideal thermal insulation effect cannot be achieved; when the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 is greater than 5 mm, the diffuse reflection effect is not significantly improved, and the application cost is increased.

[0044] In some embodiments, rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used as a diffuse reflection enhancer. The particle size of the rutile titanium dioxide particles is preferably 200-400 nm. This particle size range matches the half-wavelength range of visible light wavelength (400-700 nm), which can produce the strongest Mie scattering, so that the light is deflected multiple times inside the coating and then emitted uniformly.

[0045] In some embodiments, the amount of titanium dioxide added accounts for 8% to 15% of the total solid content of the coating, preferably 10% to 13%. Studies have found that in the technical solution of this invention, when the addition amount is less than 8%, the diffuse reflection enhancement effect is not significant, and the diffuse reflectance of the coating is less than 70%; when the addition amount is greater than 15%, because the thermal conductivity of titanium dioxide itself is much higher than that of aerogel, excessive addition will lead to an increase in the overall thermal conductivity of the coating and a decrease in thermal insulation performance. When the amount of titanium dioxide added accounts for 8% to 15% of the total solid content of the coating, both the thermal insulation and diffuse reflectance of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer 3 are balanced.

[0046] In some embodiments, the material of the aerogel coating layer further includes an aqueous film-forming resin, which is an aqueous acrylic resin. The aqueous film-forming resin accounts for 40% to 45% of the total content of the coating. Excessive resin content will impair the thermal insulation performance, while insufficient resin content will result in insufficient adhesion and mechanical strength.

[0047] In some embodiments, the preparation steps of the aerogel composite thermal insulation coating are as follows: 33 parts of deionized water, 45 parts of aqueous acrylic emulsion, 0.1 parts of dispersant and 0.1 parts of defoamer are added to a dispersion vessel and stirred until uniform; 15-18 parts of silica aerogel are slowly added while maintaining a speed of 500 rpm and stirred for 15 min until uniform; 4-7 parts of rutile titanium dioxide are slowly added, and after the addition is complete, the speed is increased to 1500 rpm and dispersed at high speed for 30 min; 0.1 parts of thickener are added and stirring is continued for 10 min; the mixture is allowed to stand for 30 min to defoam, and the aerogel composite thermal insulation coating is obtained.

[0048] The dispersant is an anionic dispersant, the defoamer is an organosilicon defoamer, and the thickener is hydroxyethyl cellulose.

[0049] In some embodiments, a surface textured process is used to prepare an uneven surface 31 to enhance the interfacial scattering effect of the aerogel thermal insulation coating. The specific steps of the surface textured process are as follows: after the aerogel coating is applied by scraping / spraying, during the surface drying stage of the coating (i.e., not sticky to the touch but not completely hardened), a 40-mesh texture roller is used to perform surface embossing to form a micro-uneven surface 31 on the coating surface, and the surface roughness Ra is controlled at 8 to 15 μm, preferably 10 μm.

[0050] In some embodiments, the cultivation system further includes a cultivation trough 42 and a cultivation substrate, wherein the cultivation substrate is filled in the cultivation trough 42 to fix the strawberry plant roots and provide them with basic nutritional support, and the cultivation substrate is a mixture of peat, coconut coir, perlite and attapulgite in a volume ratio of 3:2:1:1.

[0051] In some embodiments, the cultivation system further includes an intelligent fertigation system, which includes a water and fertilizer ratio unit, a drip irrigation pipeline unit, and a sensor monitoring unit. The sensor monitoring unit is used to detect the moisture content and electrical conductivity value in the cultivation substrate in real time. The water and fertilizer ratio unit automatically adjusts the nutrient concentration and supply of the irrigation solution based on the water and fertilizer requirements of strawberries at different growth stages and the detection data from the sensor monitoring unit.

[0052] In some embodiments, the sensor monitoring unit includes at least one soil moisture sensor and at least one electrical conductivity sensor, with the two types of sensors respectively deployed in the cultivation substrate within different cultivation troughs 42.

[0053] In some embodiments, the water and fertilizer ratio unit contains preset water and fertilizer formula parameters for each growth stage of strawberry, specifically: the EC value of the nutrient solution during the vegetative growth stage is set to 1.2-1.5 mS / cm, the EC value of the nutrient solution during the flowering and fruit setting stage is set to 0.8-1.2 mS / cm, and the EC value of the nutrient solution during the fruit enlargement stage is set to 1.5-2.0 mS / cm.

[0054] In some embodiments, the cultivation system further includes an environmental control system, which includes a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a CO2 sensor, a ventilation device, and a cooling / heating device, for maintaining the temperature in the darkroom cultivation space at 18–25°C, the relative humidity at 60%–80%, and the CO2 concentration at 400–800 ppm.

[0055] In some embodiments, the environmental control system is linked with the full-spectrum white LED lighting system to synchronously activate the CO2 replenishment device during the lighting period, thereby increasing the CO2 concentration to 600-800 ppm.

[0056] In some embodiments, the full-spectrum white LED lighting system is equipped with an automatically adjustable lifting bracket. The distance between the lamp panel and the strawberry canopy growth point is kept stable at 30-40cm. The height of the bracket can be dynamically adjusted according to the growth of the strawberry plant to avoid insufficient light for the lower leaves of the canopy and improve the overall light energy utilization rate.

[0057] In some embodiments, the intelligent water and fertilizer integration system, environmental control system, and full-spectrum white LED lighting system are all connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) management platform. Managers can remotely view various cultivation parameters and equipment operating status in real time via PC or mobile terminal, supporting remote parameter adjustment and automatic alarm for abnormal faults, effectively reducing the intensity of manual management and operating costs.

[0058] Example The following examples describe the disclosure of this invention in more detail. These examples are merely illustrative, as various modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of this disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, all parts, percentages, and ratios reported in the following examples are based on weight, and all reagents used in the examples are commercially available or synthesized by conventional methods and can be used directly without further processing. The instruments used in the examples are also commercially available.

[0059] Example 1 This embodiment provides a darkroom cultivation system for growing strawberries. The system includes: a darkroom cultivation space, which is a completely enclosed container-type cultivation room, with its inner surface of the top plate and all inner surfaces of the side walls coated with an aerogel heat-insulating coating layer; a full-spectrum white LED lighting system installed above the cultivation racks in the darkroom cultivation space; an intelligent water and fertilizer integration system, including a water and fertilizer ratio unit, a drip irrigation pipeline unit, and a sensor monitoring unit; and a simple substrate cultivation system, including cultivation racks, cultivation troughs, and cultivation substrate.

[0060] Cultivation System: Two multi-layered vertical cultivation racks are installed, placed close to the wall. The spacing between layers is 40cm, and partitions are installed between each layer. The volume ratio of the cultivation substrate is peat moss:coconut coir:perlite:attapulgite = 3:2:1:1. This ratio balances water retention, nutrient retention, aeration, and drainage, providing a suitable physical environment for healthy strawberry root growth. Virus-free "Zhangji" variety strawberry seedlings are planted in the substrate.

[0061] Lighting System: A full-spectrum white LED light strip (color temperature 5700K, Ra=95) is independently installed 30cm above each cultivation layer. Each light strip consists of two rows of LED modules, arranged along the length of the cultivation trough (42mm), with a 20cm spacing between the two rows. The light cycle is set to 14–16 hours per day (fine-tuned according to the growth stage), and the light intensity is 200–300 μmol·m⁻². - ²·s - ¹.

[0062] Environmental control system: including air conditioning unit, ventilation fan and CO2 replenishment device. Temperature control targets are daytime temperature 22-25℃, nighttime temperature 18-20℃; relative humidity 60%-80%; CO2 concentration 400-800ppm.

[0063] Water and fertilizer system: The water and fertilizer ratio unit sets the EC value (1.0-2.0 mS / cm) and pH value (5.5-6.5) of the nutrient solution according to the strawberry growth stage. The drip irrigation pipeline unit irrigates 2-3 times a day, each time lasting 5-10 minutes.

[0064] Construction and parameters of aerogel thermal insulation coating: In this embodiment, the titanium dioxide content of the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 12%. During construction, a scraping process is used to evenly coat the aerogel thermal insulation coating onto the inner surface of the ceiling and all inner surfaces of the side walls of the darkened planting space. After drying, the coating thickness is 4 mm. When the coating is semi-dry (not tacky to the touch, surface dry for approximately 30 minutes), a 40-mesh texture roller is used to evenly emboss it, resulting in a surface roughness Ra≈10μm. The measured diffuse reflectance of the coating is 81%, and the thermal conductivity is 0.039 W / (m·K).

[0065] Example 2: Example 2 is basically the same as Example 1, the main difference being that the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating after drying is 2mm.

[0066] Example 3: Example 3 is basically the same as Example 1, the main difference being that the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating after drying is 5mm.

[0067] Example 4: Example 4 is basically the same as Example 1, the main difference being that the amount of titanium dioxide added in the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 8%.

[0068] Example 5: Example 5 is basically the same as Example 1, the main difference being that the amount of titanium dioxide added in the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 15%.

[0069] Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 1 is basically the same as Example 1, except that: the inner wall of the planting room has no insulation measures, that is, no aerogel heat insulation coating layer is installed, and the inner wall of the planting room is not treated with diffuse reflection.

[0070] Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 2 is basically the same as Example 1, except that: a polyurethane insulation board (40mm thick) is installed on the inner wall of the planting room to replace the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer in Example 1, and the inner wall of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is not treated with diffuse reflection.

[0071] Comparative Example 3 Comparative Example 3 is essentially the same as Example 1, using the same aerogel base material and coating thickness. The main difference is that titanium dioxide was not added to the aerogel coating, and the inner wall was not textured. The measured diffuse reflectance is approximately 55%, and the thermal conductivity is 0.039 W / (m·K).

[0072] Comparative Example 4 Comparative Example 4 is basically the same as Example 1, using the same aerogel base material and coating thickness as Example 1. The main difference is that titanium dioxide was not added to the coating.

[0073] Comparative Example 5 Comparative Example 5 is basically the same as Example 1, using the same aerogel base material and coating thickness as Example 1. The main difference is that the surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer was not treated with diffuse reflection.

[0074] Comparative Example 6 Comparative Example 6 is basically the same as Example 1, except that the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating after drying is 1 mm.

[0075] Comparative Example 7 Comparative Example 7 is basically the same as Example 1, except that the thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating after drying is 6 mm.

[0076] Comparative Example 8 Comparative Example 8 is basically the same as Example 1, except that the amount of titanium dioxide added in the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 5%.

[0077] Comparative Example 9 Comparative Example 9 is basically the same as Example 1, except that the amount of titanium dioxide added in the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 20%.

[0078] Experimental Examples Strawberry (variety: "Akihime") cultivation trials were conducted on the systems of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-9, respectively. Each system had 600 strawberry plants, using the same seedlings, cultivation substrate, and environmental control parameters. The cycle from planting to first harvest, total energy consumption (including lighting and temperature control energy consumption) over a complete growth cycle (approximately 120 days), fruit uniformity, soluble solids content, and yield per season were recorded. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0079] Table 1

[0080] The center-edge PPFD difference reflects the dispersion of the difference; the larger the coefficient of variation, the more significant the PPFD difference between the center and the edge. The test method is as follows: ① Calculate the average of the three measurements taken at each detection point at the center and edge of each sample (average PPFD of the center in a single sample = sum of three center measurements ÷ 3; average PPFD of the edge in a single sample = sum of three measurements taken at all edge detection points ÷ (number of edge detection points × 3)); ② Calculate the difference: average PPFD of the center - average PPFD of the edge.

[0081] Fruit uniformity (CV) reflects the light environment of the fruit. Generally, when CV ≤ 15%, the uniformity of the light environment of the fruit is considered to be good and can meet the needs of normal growth. The test method can refer to the test requirements of photon irradiance uniformity in the "Technical Specification for Light Environment of Artificial Light Plant Factory" (GB / T45177—2024).

[0082] The test method for soluble solids is as follows: GB / T 12295-1990 "Determination of soluble solids content in fruit and vegetable products".

[0083] When strawberries are grown using the technical solutions in Examples 1-5, the total energy consumption (kWh / cycle) is low, and the center-edge PPFD difference is between 10.2% and 14.5%, reduced from 30%-50% in traditional darkroom cultivation to 10%-15%. Fruit uniformity (CV) is 8.3%-10.8%, improved from the traditional 10%-20% to within 11%, or even within 9%. Soluble solids (%) and single-season yield (kg) are both improved compared to strawberries grown using traditional methods. The darkroom cultivation system of this invention can operate with low energy consumption and also ensure high-quality strawberry production.

[0084] Specifically, from an energy-saving perspective, Example 1 saves 58% more energy than Comparative Example 1 (without insulation function). Comparative Example 2 has polyurethane insulation boards installed on the inner wall of the planting room to insulate the planting room. Even with a thickness of 40mm, its energy consumption is 1.4 times that of Example 1. This proves that the insulation layer disclosed in this invention has a better insulation effect, mainly due to the seamless continuous structure of the aerogel coating, which eliminates thermal bridge heat loss.

[0085] The experimental results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 4 show that simple surface texture processing cannot achieve high diffuse reflectance, and the volume scattering effect of titanium dioxide is the core mechanism for achieving high diffuse reflectance.

[0086] The experimental results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 5 show that even with the addition of titanium dioxide, the diffuse reflection effect is still unsatisfactory without surface texture treatment. The interface scattering provided by surface texture is a necessary supplement to further improve light uniformity.

[0087] The experimental results of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 4-5 show that the synergistic effect of titanium dioxide and texture treatment can achieve the optimal level of diffuse reflectance. The high diffuse reflectance makes the system more energy-efficient, mainly due to the improved light uniformity brought about by the high diffuse reflectance. After sufficient light in the edge area, the total power of the light source can be appropriately reduced to maintain the normal photosynthetic needs of the edge plants.

[0088] The experimental results from Examples 1, 4, 5 and Comparative Examples 8, 9 show that when the titanium dioxide addition is below 8%, the diffuse reflection effect is insufficient; when it is above 15%, the corresponding aerogel addition decreases; and when the addition reaches 20%, although the quality of strawberries is improved, the thermal conductivity is as high as 0.052 W / (m·K), far exceeding the acceptable range of thermal insulation coatings, resulting in a significant increase in energy consumption per season. Therefore, a titanium dioxide addition of 8% to 15% is a reasonable range, with about 12% being the optimal value.

[0089] The experimental results from Examples 1, 2, and 3 and Comparative Examples 6 and 7 show that the thermal insulation performance deteriorates significantly when the coating thickness is less than 2 mm. This is because the thermal resistance is insufficient when the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer thickness is less than 2 mm, failing to achieve the ideal thermal insulation effect. When the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer thickness is greater than 5 mm, the diffuse reflection effect is not significantly improved, and the application cost increases. Therefore, a coating thickness of 2–5 mm is an economical and effective range.

[0090] From the perspective of single-layer light uniformity and fruit quality, the center-edge PPFD difference in the cultivation layer of Example 1 was 11.6%, while the center-edge PPFD difference in the cultivation layers of Comparative Examples 1-6 was 13.2%~44.1%. The center-edge PPFD difference, fruit uniformity (CV), soluble solids (%), and single-season yield (kg) of Example 1 were all better than those of Comparative Examples 1-6. This proves that the aerogel coating with added titanium dioxide is the key to achieving high diffuse reflection, improving the light uniformity within a single layer, and enhancing the quality of strawberries.

[0091] Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 3-5 and 8-9 show that when an uneven surface is set in the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer, titanium dioxide is added to the coating, and the amount of titanium dioxide added in the aerogel thermal insulation coating is 8%-15%, the PPFD difference between the area directly below the light strip and the edge area in the same cultivation layer is reduced from 30%-50% in traditional darkroom cultivation to 10-15%, and the uniformity of strawberry fruit size (measured by the coefficient of variation of single fruit weight) is improved from 10%-20% to less than 11%. In Examples 1, 3 and 5, the uniformity of strawberry fruit size can be improved to less than 9%.

[0092] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A darkroom planting system for growing plants, characterized in that, include: A planting room, the planting room including a top plate and side plates, the top plate and side plates serving as the walls of the planting room; A cultivation system, wherein the cultivation system is installed in the planting room; A lighting system, wherein the lighting system is installed in the planting room; An aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is disposed on the inner side of the top plate and / or the inner side of the side plate, and the surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer near the lighting system is uneven. The coating of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer includes silica aerogel and titanium dioxide.

2. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerogel thermal insulation coating layer completely covers the inner wall of the planting room.

3. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is 2-5 mm.

4. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The titanium dioxide is rutile titanium dioxide, and the amount of rutile titanium dioxide added accounts for 8% to 15% of the total solid content of the coating.

5. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The particle size of rutile titanium dioxide is 200–400 nm.

6. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface roughness Ra of the uneven surface of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is 8 to 15 μm.

7. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal conductivity of the aerogel thermal insulation coating layer is ≤0.04W / (m·K).

8. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lighting system includes full-spectrum white LED lights, and the cultivation system includes a multi-layer three-dimensional cultivation rack, which includes multiple cultivation layers with partitions between each cultivation layer. A cultivation trough is placed on the upper side of the partition, and a full-spectrum white LED light for illuminating the next layer of plants is installed on the lower side. The spectrum emitted by the LED light covers a continuous spectrum in the 400-700nm wavelength range.

9. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The full-spectrum white LED lamp has a color temperature of 5000–6500K and a color rendering index Ra≥90.

10. The darkroom planting system for planting plants according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cultivation system also includes a cultivation trough and a cultivation substrate. The cultivation substrate is filled in the cultivation trough and is composed of peat, coconut coir, perlite and attapulgite mixed in a volume ratio of 3:2:1:1.

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