Eutrema japonicum growing device

Abstract

To provide an Eutrema japonicum growing device that does not require a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system.SOLUTION: An Eutrema japonicum growing device A comprises growth tanks 2A, 2B located in an indoor water circulation system 1. The growth tanks 2A, 2B have cultivation beds for growing Eutrema japonicum. The cultivation beds are made by spreading water-crushed slag from a waste melting furnace, which is obtained by melting municipal or industrial waste in a waste melting furnace at high temperatures of 1200°C or higher, crushing the resulting molten material with water, magnetically separating the material to reduce the metallic iron content to 1 mass% or less, and then adjusting the particle size; or a mixture containing more than 50 mass% of the water-crushed slag from a waste melting furnace, the remainder being natural sand that has been heated and washed for sterilization. An LED lighting 3 for growth illumination and a UV lighting 4 for sterilization illumination are installed in positions within the growth tanks 2A, 2B where they can illuminate the Eutrema japonicum.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wasabi growing device for artificially growing wasabi indoors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, water circulation systems have generally been used in wasabi growing devices for artificially growing wasabi indoors (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, water circulation systems have the problem that pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria tend to grow in the circulating water. Therefore, water circulation systems have traditionally been equipped with mechanisms for removing or sterilizing pathogenic microorganisms. For example, Patent Document 1 equips the water circulation system with a filter for removing pathogenic microorganisms, and Patent Document 2 equips the water circulation system with an ultraviolet sterilization device for sterilizing pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 equips the water circulation system with an activated carbon tower, as well as a nanobubble generator and an ozone generator.

[0003] As described above, conventional wasabi growing devices have mechanisms in their water circulation systems for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria, but this makes the device configuration more complex, leading to increased device costs (initial costs), as well as increased running and maintenance costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2-11212 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-58837 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4754512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a wasabi growing device that does not require a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors conducted extensive testing and research, focusing particularly on the configuration of the growth tank to be placed in the water circulation system. As a result, they discovered that by using granulated slag from a waste melting furnace to form the cultivation bed of the growth tank and arranging UV lighting to irradiate the wasabi in the growth tank as sterilizing lighting, good wasabi growth is possible without installing a mechanism to remove or sterilize pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system. Here, waste melting furnace granulated slag is obtained by melting municipal or industrial waste in a waste melting furnace at high temperatures of 1200°C or higher, pulverizing the resulting molten material with water (rapid pulverization, rapid cooling pulverization; the slag discharged from the waste melting furnace is poured into water to rapidly cool, harden, and simultaneously pulverize into granules), subjecting the slag to a magnetic separation process to reduce the metallic iron content to 1% by mass or less, and then subjecting the granules to a particle size adjustment process. Because of this high-temperature melting process, the slag does not contain pathogenic bacteria or organic matter. Therefore, good wasabi growth is possible without installing a mechanism to remove or sterilize pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system. In addition, because the metallic iron content is low at 1% by mass or less, rust is less likely to form, which prevents the rust from adversely affecting the quality of the circulating water and also prevents the rust from deteriorating the appearance.

[0007] That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, the following wasabi growing apparatus is provided. A wasabi growing device comprising a growing tank arranged in an indoor water circulation system, The growth tank has a cultivation bed for growing wasabi, The cultivation bed is made of granulated waste melting furnace slag, which is obtained by melting municipal waste or industrial waste in a waste melting furnace at a high temperature of 1200°C or higher, pulverizing the resulting molten material with water, reducing the metallic iron content to 1% by mass or less by magnetic separation, and further subjecting the molten material to a particle size adjustment process, or a mixture containing more than 50% by mass of the granulated waste melting furnace slag, with the remainder being natural sand that has been heated and washed for sterilization; Furthermore, the wasabi growing device has LED lighting as lighting for growth and UV lighting as lighting for sterilization disposed in positions where they can irradiate the wasabi in the growth tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The wasabi growing device of the present invention enables good wasabi growth without the need to install a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the overall configuration of a wasabi growing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the growth tank in the wasabi growth device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Figure 1 conceptually shows the overall configuration of a wasabi growing device that is one embodiment of the present invention. The wasabi growing device A shown in the figure includes an indoor water circulation system 1 that circulates well water, and two growth tanks 2A, 2B are arranged in series in this indoor water circulation system 1. Above these two growth tanks 2A, 2B, an LED light 3 is arranged as a growth light, and a UV light 4 is arranged as a sterilization light.

[0011] To explain the water circulation system 1 in detail, in this embodiment, the water circulation system 1 includes a first water tank 5 that stores well water pumped by a pump P1 as circulating water, a cooling mechanism 6 that cools the circulating water delivered by a pump P2, a second water tank 7 that stores the circulating water from the cooling mechanism 6, and a pump P3 that supplies the circulating water in the second water tank 7 to the growth tank 2A. The water circulation system is configured by the circulating water discharged from the growth tank 2B returning to the first water tank 5. In this embodiment, at least the portions of the water circulation system 1 corresponding to the growth tanks 2A and 2B are located indoors. In other words, in the present invention, the entire water circulation system does not need to be located indoors; it is sufficient that at least the portions corresponding to the growth tanks are located indoors. In other words, in the present invention, an "indoor water circulation system" refers to the portion of the water circulation system located indoors.

[0012] Next, the growth tanks 2A and 2B will be described in detail. Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the configuration of the growth tanks 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, the growth tanks 2A and 2B have substantially the same configuration, and therefore are shown without distinction in Figure 2. The growth tanks 2A, 2B have a cultivation bed 21 for growing wasabi W. In this embodiment, the cultivation bed 21 is formed by spreading, to a thickness of, for example, about 150 mm, a mixture 9 containing granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 or more than 50 mass% granulated waste melting furnace slag, with the remainder being natural sand that has been heated and washed for sterilization. Thus, a technical feature of this embodiment is that the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 or the mixture 9 is used as the cultivation bed 21 of the growth tanks 2A, 2B.

[0013] As mentioned above, waste melting furnace granulated slag 8 is obtained by melting municipal or industrial waste (hereinafter simply referred to as "waste") in a waste melting furnace at high temperatures of 1200°C or higher, pulverizing the resulting molten material with water, reducing the metallic iron content to 1% by mass or less through magnetic separation, and then subjecting the slag to a particle size adjustment process. Because of this high-temperature melting process, it does not contain pathogenic bacteria or organic matter. Therefore, good wasabi growth is possible even without installing a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system 1. Furthermore, because the metallic iron content is low at 1% by mass or less, iron rust is less likely to form, which prevents the circulating water quality from being adversely affected by iron rust and also prevents the rust from deteriorating the plant's appearance. The "particle size adjustment process" mentioned above is a general term for sieving and particle size adjustment, and these processes are performed after magnetic separation (using either crushing or grinding methods).

[0014] Furthermore, since the mixture 9 is primarily composed of granulated waste melting furnace slag 8, with the remainder being natural sand that has been heated and washed for sterilization, it similarly does not contain pathogenic bacteria or organic matter. Therefore, good wasabi growth is possible without the need to install a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic bacteria in the water circulation system 1. The conditions for the heating and washing treatments for sterilizing the natural sand can be determined appropriately taking into account the purpose of the treatment, which is sterilization; for example, the heating temperature can be around 400 to 500°C.

[0015] In this embodiment, the pH value of the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 and mixture 9 used as the cultivation beds 21 in the growth tanks 2A and 2B is preferably 7 or higher and 9.5 or lower. This allows the pH value of the circulating water in the growth tanks 2A and 2B to be adjusted to a weak alkaline level suitable for growing wasabi. In this embodiment, it is also preferable to spread the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 or mixture 9 over the second water tank 7 to form a circulating water passage layer 71. This makes it easier to maintain the pH value of the circulating water in the water circulation system 1 at a weak alkaline level suitable for growing wasabi. In addition, the pH values ​​of the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 and mixture 9 in the present invention are determined by preparing an analytical aqueous solution according to the method specified in JIS K 0058-1 (Testing methods for chemical substances in slags - Part 1: Leaching amount test method) and measuring this analytical aqueous solution in accordance with JIS K 0102 (Testing methods for industrial wastewater - 12. pH).

[0016] In addition, the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 and the mixture 9 have a permeability coefficient of 10 -4 It is preferable that the permeability of the cultivation bed 21 and the circulating water passage layer 71 themselves is sufficient. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, water is supplied from one end of the upper part of the growth tanks 2A and 2B and drained from the other end of the lower part. However, if the permeability of the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 and the mixture 9 is 10 -4 If the coefficient is m / s or more, the permeability of the cultivation bed 21 itself can be sufficiently ensured. The test method for the permeability coefficient is specified in JIS A 1218 (method for testing soil permeability), and the test specimen is placed in a cylinder, immersed in water, and vacuum degassed to a saturated state, and the constant water level method (measurement of the amount of water passing through the soil sample with a constant water level difference) is used to determine the permeability.

[0017] Furthermore, the waste melting furnace granulated slag 8 and the mixture 9 are -4To ensure a hydraulic conductivity of at least m / s, it is preferable that the particle size be 5 mm or less, with the mass ratio of particles of 0.15 mm or less being 10 mass % or less. Here, "particle size" refers to the sieve mesh size defined by the nominal mesh size of the sieve specified in JIS Z 8801-1, and a particle size of 5 mm or less and a particle size of 0.15 mm or less refer to particles that pass through sieves with mesh sizes of 5 mm and 0.15 mm, respectively.

[0018] In this embodiment, in order to reliably ensure water permeability into the cultivation bed 21, as shown in Fig. 2, coarse aggregate with a particle size of about 20 mm is filled under the cultivation bed 21 to form a coarse aggregate layer 22, and the cultivation bed 21 is then formed on this coarse aggregate layer 22. In this case, the coarse aggregate used is one that has been heated and washed for sterilization, similar to the natural sand described above.

[0019] In this embodiment, waste melting furnace granulated slag 8 is used alone or as the main component of the mixture 9 to form the cultivation beds 21 in the growth tanks 2A and 2B and the circulating water passage layer 71 in the second water tank 7. As described above, waste melting furnace granulated slag 8 is generated in a waste melting furnace, and a coke-bed waste melting furnace is preferred as the type of waste melting furnace. A coke-bed waste melting furnace is a waste melting furnace that adds coke and limestone as secondary materials when the waste is charged, and the coke and limestone added as secondary materials provide the following effects. In other words, the addition of coke as a secondary material provides the following effects. (1) The atmospheric temperature in the lower part of the furnace reaches a high temperature of 1700-1800°C, and the waste melts completely at this high temperature, resulting in the ash in the waste melting completely (the unmelted portion disappears). (2) The atmosphere inside the furnace becomes a high-temperature reducing atmosphere (a high-temperature atmosphere without oxygen), which causes harmful substances such as heavy metals in the waste to migrate into the gas system, thereby keeping the content of harmful substances in the molten material low. As a result, the safety is comparable to that of natural sand. In addition, adding limestone as a secondary material has the following effects: (3) By adjusting the proportion of limestone added depending on the type of waste, the concentrations of the main components of the molten material (silicic acid / SiO2, lime / CaO) are stabilized throughout the year, and the pH value is also stabilized. (4) The stabilization of the concentration of the main components in the molten material and the high-temperature melting process facilitate the separation of the slag and metallic iron when crushed with water, improving the separation in the subsequent magnetic separation process. As a result, the metallic iron content in the resulting granulated slag from the waste melting furnace is significantly reduced. (5) Since the concentration of the main components in the molten material is stable throughout the year, the quality of the resulting granulated slag from the waste melting furnace (pH value, particle size distribution, and hydraulic conductivity) is also stable throughout the year.

[0020] As described above, in this embodiment, two growth tanks 2A, 2B are arranged in series in the indoor water circulation system 1, and water is supplied from one upper end of each growth tank 2A, 2B and drained from the other lower end. The drain pipes from each growth tank 2A, 2B are configured to include raised portions 11A, 11B that are raised higher than the upper end level of the cultivation beds 21 of the growth tanks 2A, 2B, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This makes it possible to prevent water from leaking out of the growth tanks 2A, 2B in the event of a power outage.

[0021] Next, the growing conditions for wasabi in the wasabi growing apparatus A will be explained. In this embodiment, well water is used as the water, but since the yearly water temperature fluctuates between approximately 12 and 22°C, it is preferable to control the water temperature to 15°C or below using a cooling mechanism 6, especially in the summer, to maintain the residual oxygen concentration in the water supplied to the growth tanks 2A and 2B. In this embodiment, the cooling mechanism 6 controls the water temperature so that the water temperature measured by the thermometer TI shown in FIG. 1 is 15°C or below. Note that a known cooling mechanism such as a cooling tower can be used as the cooling mechanism 6.

[0022] The water supply rate to growth tanks 2A and 2B is 10 to 25 L / min / growth tank m 2 The water supply rate is preferably 10 L / min / growth tank m 2If the water volume is less than this, the amount of oxygen remaining in the growth layers 2A, 2B will decrease due to the reduced water volume, adversely affecting wasabi growth, while an increase in the amount of water supplied is undesirable as it increases the power consumption of the water supply pump P3. In this embodiment, the amount of water supplied to the growth tanks 2A, 2B is managed by controlling the flow rate of the water supply pump P3 based on the flow rate measured at the flow rate FI shown in Figure 1.

[0023] Because the growth tanks 2A, 2B are installed indoors, ordinary ceiling lighting (for example, fluorescent lights) alone does not provide enough illumination for growth. For this reason, as described above, LED lighting 3 is placed above the growth tanks 2A, 2B as growth lighting. The lighting conditions are preferably controlled so that the illuminance on the upper surface of the leaves when illuminated is 6 to 12 klux. The illuminance on the upper surface of the leaves can be controlled based on actual measurements using an illuminometer. Furthermore, it is preferable to use a timer to change the on / off (irradiation time) of the LED lighting 3, and to vary the illuminance so that the illuminance on the upper surface of the leaves remains constant in response to the growth of the leaves during wasabi growth. Insufficient illuminance will slow the growth rate of the wasabi, and excessive illuminance will increase electricity costs.

[0024] As described above, the granulated waste melting furnace slag 8 and mixture 9 used as the cultivation beds 21 in the growth tanks 2A and 2B do not contain pathogenic fungi or organic matter, allowing for good wasabi growth without the need to install a mechanism for removing or sterilizing pathogenic fungi in the water circulation system 1. However, there is a risk that pathogenic fungi may adhere to and multiply from the atmosphere on the stems and leaves of the wasabi W growing in the growth tanks 2A and 2B. Therefore, in this embodiment, UV lighting 4 is installed above the growth tanks 2A and 2B as a sterilizing light. In this embodiment, the irradiation time of the UV lighting 4 is variable depending on the growth status of the wasabi W and the surrounding conditions. [Example]

[0025] Using the wasabi growth device A shown in Figure 1, a wasabi growth test was conducted under the following growth conditions, and wasabi growth equivalent to or better than that achieved outdoors was confirmed. <Growth conditions> Water temperature: Keep below 15°C LED lighting conditions (leaf surface illuminance): 12klux LED lighting conditions (irradiation time): 18 hours / day UV lighting conditions (irradiation time): 15 minutes / day

[0026] Although one embodiment and examples of the present invention have been described above, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. may be made to the above examples without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims. For example, the installation positions of the LED lighting and UV lighting are not limited to above the growth tanks 2A and 2B, and the LED lighting and UV lighting may be placed at positions where they can irradiate the wasabi in the growth tanks. In this case, for example, the LED lighting and UV lighting may be placed on the upper surface of the cultivation bed 21 in the growth tanks 2A and 2B. Alternatively, for example, they may be placed to the side of the growth tanks 2A and 2B. For example, tap water may be used instead of well water. For example, a water circulation system may be configured so that circulating water discharged from growth tank 2B returns between first water tank 5 and cooling mechanism 6. For example, a water circulation system may be configured so that circulating water returns between cooling mechanism 6 and second water tank 7. For example, a water circulation system may be configured so that circulating water returns between second water tank 7 and growth tank 2A. Even in this case, it is preferable that the temperature of the water supplied to growth tanks 2A and 2B is 15°C or lower, and the amount of water supplied to growth tanks 2A and 2B is 10 to 25 L / min / growth tank m. 2 It is preferable that the temperature is controlled to be 100°C. For example, the particle size adjustment process may be performed by only performing at least one of "sieving" and "particle size adjustment (crushing or grinding)." Even in this case, it is preferable that the mass proportion of particles with a particle size of 0.15 mm or less in the granulated waste melting furnace slag after the particle size adjustment process is 10 mass % or less. For example, the number of growth tanks 2A and 2B to be installed is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] A Wasabi growing device Double Wasabi P1, P2, P3 pumps 1 Water circulation system 11A, 11B rising section 2A, 2B Growth tank 21 Cultivation bed 22 Coarse aggregate layer 3. LED lighting 4 UV lighting 5 First Tank 6 Cooling mechanism 7 First Tank 71 Circulating water passage layer 8 Granulated slag from waste melting furnace 9 mixture

Claims

1. A wasabi growing device comprising a growing tank arranged in an indoor water circulation system, The growth tank has a cultivation bed for growing wasabi, The cultivation bed is made of granulated waste melting furnace slag obtained by melting municipal waste or industrial waste in a waste melting furnace at a high temperature of 1200°C or higher, pulverizing the resulting molten material with water, reducing the metallic iron content to 1% by mass or less by magnetic separation, and further subjecting the molten material to a particle size adjustment process, or a mixture containing more than 50% by mass of the granulated waste melting furnace slag and the remainder being natural sand that has been heated and washed for sterilization; Furthermore, the wasabi growing device has LED lighting as lighting for growth and UV lighting as lighting for sterilization disposed at positions where they can irradiate the wasabi in the growth tank.

2. 2. The wasabi growing device according to claim 1, wherein a cooling mechanism for cooling circulating water is disposed in the water circulation system upstream of the growth tank.

3. 3. The wasabi growing device according to claim 2, wherein a water tank for storing circulating water is disposed in the water circulation system between the cooling mechanism and the growth tank, and the waste melting furnace granulated slag or the mixture is spread in the water tank.

4. 2. The wasabi growing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the growing tanks are provided in series, and the drainage pipe from each growing tank includes a rising portion that rises higher than the upper end level of the cultivation bed of that growing tank.

5. 5. The wasabi growing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pH values ​​of the granulated waste melting furnace slag and the mixture are 7 or more and 9.5 or less.

6. The waste melting furnace granulated slag and the mixture have a particle size composition of 5 mm or less, of which the mass ratio of particles of 0.15 mm or less is 10 mass % or less, and a permeability coefficient of 10 －４ The wasabi growing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a quality of m / s or more.

7. The irradiation time of the LED lighting and the UV lighting is variable, and the LED lighting is controlled so that the illuminance on the upper surface of the leaves during irradiation is 6 to 12 klux; Furthermore, the amount of water supplied to the growth tank is 10 to 25 L / min / growth tank m ２ The wasabi growing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wasabi growing apparatus is controlled so that

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