Carbon dioxide supply apparatus

Abstract

To provide a carbon dioxide supply apparatus that can supply air containing carbon dioxide relatively uniformly to a light-transmissive plant cultivation facility, and can be installed at a lower cost.SOLUTION: A carbon dioxide supply apparatus 1 includes a heater 14. The heater includes: a mixing chamber 13 arranged so as to penetrate between the inside and outside of a vinyl greenhouse or the like and communicating with the outside air and the inner space of the greenhouse; a fan 18 that draws in carbon dioxide-containing air from the mixing chamber 13; a burner 17; and a discharge port 19 disposed downstream of the burner 17 and opening into the inner space of the greenhouse. The carbon dioxide supply apparatus also includes a carbon dioxide generation device 2 that generates carbon dioxide, and a carbon dioxide intake mechanism. The carbon dioxide intake mechanism includes: a suction hose 5 having one end attached to an exhaust port 3 of the carbon dioxide generation device 2; a blower mounted on the heater 14 side and communicating with the other end of the suction hose 5 through an on-off valve 7; and a pipe 11 communicating with the blower and extending into the mixing chamber 13 of the heater 14, the pipe being provided with a plurality of holes 12 for injecting carbon dioxide.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbon dioxide gas supplying device for use in a light-transmitting plant cultivation facility. [Background technology]

[0002] Various fruits and vegetables are cultivated and grown through photosynthesis, which is carried out by receiving sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. For this reason, in well-lit plant cultivation facilities such as vinyl greenhouses and greenhouses, a system is used in which carbon dioxide is taken in along with the outside air, and a device for this purpose is installed.

[0003] For example, a greenhouse air supply device and a greenhouse air supply method have been proposed in which outside air and return air from inside the greenhouse to which carbon dioxide gas has been added are mixed in an air mixing section of the main body, and the resulting mixed air containing carbon dioxide gas is then sent to a main duct and multiple sub-ducts branching off from the main duct, and the mixed air is supplied into the greenhouse from multiple outlets provided in each of the sub-ducts (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-42483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as in Patent Document 1, when outside air and return air from inside the greenhouse to which carbon dioxide has been added are simply mixed in an air mixing section, and the resulting mixed air containing carbon dioxide is diffused into the greenhouse via the main duct and multiple sub-ducts, there is a risk that the difference in carbon dioxide concentration in the mixed air will be excessive for each route. Moreover, since the outside air intake section, the greenhouse air intake section connected to the carbon dioxide intake section, and the mixed air supply section are individually connected to the air mixing section of the main body, and multiple pieces of equipment such as a carbon dioxide generation means and an air heating means are also installed, there is a problem that design costs and equipment costs are likely to be excessive.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the problems described in the background art and to provide a carbon dioxide gas supplying device that can supply air containing carbon dioxide gas relatively uniformly to a well-lit plant cultivation facility and can be installed at lower cost and in a shorter period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The carbon dioxide gas supply device of the present invention comprises: A carbon dioxide gas supply device for use in a light-transmitting plant cultivation facility, a heater including a mixing chamber disposed penetrating the side wall of the plant cultivation facility from the inside to the outside and communicating with outside air and the interior space of the plant cultivation facility, a fan that draws in carbon dioxide-containing air from the mixing chamber, a heating means, and an outlet disposed downstream of the fan and the heating means and opening into the interior space of the plant cultivation facility; a carbon dioxide gas generator that generates carbon dioxide gas; The carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism comprises: a suction hose having one end attached to the exhaust port of the carbon dioxide gas generator; a blower attached to the heater side and communicating with the other end of the suction hose via an on-off valve; and a pipe communicating with the blower, installed inside the mixing chamber of the heater, and having a plurality of holes for injecting carbon dioxide gas.

[0008] In the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism, the exhaust port of the carbon dioxide gas generator may be connected to one end of the suction hose via a hopper.

[0009] The mixing chamber of the heater may have a long, narrow rectangle in plan view that follows the side wall of the plant cultivation facility, and the pipe of the carbon dioxide intake mechanism may be arranged along the long side of the rectangle.

[0010] A plurality of the outlets of the heater may be arranged side by side at different positions or in different directions, and each outlet may be individually connected to an exhaust duct extending inside the plant cultivation facility.

[0011] The inner space of the light-transmitting plant cultivation facility is divided into a plurality of spatial regions, and a sensor for detecting the concentration of carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide supply device are individually arranged in each spatial region, and the output of at least one of the blower of the carbon dioxide intake mechanism and the fan of the heater in the carbon dioxide supply device arranged in that spatial region may be adjustable according to the difference in carbon dioxide concentration detected by the sensor.

[0012] The well-lit plant cultivation facility may be a kamaboko-shaped vinyl greenhouse or a greenhouse with an overall external shape including a gabled roof, and a set of carbon dioxide supply devices consisting of the carbon dioxide generator, heater, and carbon dioxide intake mechanism may be arranged near one or both end walls or gable walls in the longitudinal direction, or near both end walls or gable walls in the longitudinal direction, and also near a side wall near the center in the longitudinal direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the carbon dioxide supply device of the present invention, carbon dioxide is added at a relatively uniform concentration to the flow of outside air or recirculated air from multiple holes in a pipe that runs from the blower in the carbon dioxide intake mechanism toward the mixing chamber of the heater. Moreover, by providing the carbon dioxide intake mechanism between the heater and the carbon dioxide generator, assembly can be easily and quickly performed, making it possible to realize the device at lower cost and in a shorter period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a greenhouse using the carbon dioxide gas supply device of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective plan view of the greenhouse. [Figure 2] 1A is a perspective view showing a carbon dioxide gas supply device of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a heater of the device in a partially exploded state. [Figure 3] (A) is a perspective schematic diagram showing the state in which the on-off valve near the blower of the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism is open, and (B) is a similar schematic diagram showing the state in which the on-off valve is closed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1(B) showing an application of the embodiment of FIG. 1(A). [Figure 5] (A) and (B) are schematic bottom views showing pipes with different shapes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1(A) is a perspective view of a greenhouse (a light-transmitting plant cultivation facility) BH using a carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 of the present invention, and Fig. 1(B) is a perspective plan view of the greenhouse BH. As shown in Figs. 1(A) and 1(B), the greenhouse BH has an overall kamaboko (fish-boiled fish) shape and has a pair of long walls (side walls) LW along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in the figure) and a pair of end walls (gable walls / side walls) SW located at both ends of the long walls. A carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 of the present invention is individually disposed near each of the end walls SW.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1(B), the inside of the greenhouse BH is divided into two spatial regions, a1 and a2, in the left-right direction. A pair of exhaust ducts 20 extending from the heater 14 of the carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 located near each end wall SW are arranged symmetrically. Sensors s1 and s2 for detecting the carbon dioxide gas concentration in each of the first and second spatial regions a1 and a2 are individually arranged near the center of each of the first and second spatial regions a1 and a2. These sensors s1 and s2, together with the drive units of the carbon dioxide gas generating device 2 and heater 14 of each carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1, are utilized by control means 25, such as a personal computer or controller, as will be described later.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), the carbon dioxide gas supply system 1 is composed of a carbon dioxide gas generator 2, a heater 14, and a carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism installed between them. As shown in Figures 1 and 2(A) and 2(B), the carbon dioxide gas generator 2 is a vertically elongated device installed near the outside of the greenhouse BH near the end wall SW. It burns LP gas or kerosene inside and supplies the generated carbon dioxide gas into the greenhouse BH using a fan or other device. It incorporates a burner and fan (not shown), but this configuration is not limited thereto. The carbon dioxide gas generator 2 may also be installed inside the greenhouse BH. A rectangular exhaust port 3 opens horizontally at the top of the carbon dioxide gas generator 2, and one end of a heat-resistant and flexible bellows-type suction hose 5 is attached to the exhaust port 3 via a square-pyramidal hopper (funnel-shaped concentrator) 4.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the suction hose 5 penetrates the end wall SW at its midpoint and extends inside the greenhouse BH, and the other end of the suction hose 5 communicates with a through-hole opened in the front wall 8 of the box-shaped blower chamber 6, which is located in the upper corner of the heater 14 at the back side as shown in the figure. As shown in Figure 3(A), a blower 10 including a centrifugal or axial fan is disposed in the blower chamber 6, and the intake port 9 of the blower 10 and the through-hole in the front wall 8 through which the other end of the suction hose 5 communicates are closely opposed to each other. A horizontally elongated rectangular on-off valve 7 made of a thin metal plate is disposed in the gap between them so as to be slidable horizontally.

[0019] In Figure 3(A), the on-off valve 7 is in a communication state with its front side out of the way through the gap between the other end of the opposing suction hose 5 and the intake port 9 of the blower 10, so that the carbon dioxide gas supplied from the carbon dioxide gas generator 2 is sent into the blower 10. When stopping the operation of the carbon dioxide gas supply device 1, the on-off valve 7 is slid backward either manually or by the control means 25, as shown in Figure 3(B), and the on-off valve 7 closes the gap between the through hole on the other end of the suction hose 5 and the intake port 9 of the blower 10. Note that the on-off valve 7 may be opened and closed by connecting the other end of the suction hose 5 directly through the on-off valve 7 and configuring the on-off valve 7 to slide along the outer surface of the front wall 8 by a guide means (not shown).

[0020] As shown in Figures 3(A) and 2(B), a straight metal pipe 11 extends from the discharge port of the blower 10 toward the mixing chamber 13, which is disposed above the heater 14. As shown in Figures 1(A), (B), 2(A), and (B), the pipe 11 extends horizontally along the long side of the mixing chamber 13, which is rectangular in plan view along the end wall SW of the greenhouse BH. The pipe 11 has a closed end and multiple (four in the figure) downward-facing injection holes (holes) 12 drilled at approximately equal intervals along the axial direction. However, at least two injection holes 12 are sufficient. The hopper 4, suction hose 5, on-off valve 7, blower 10, and pipe 11 with injection holes 12 constitute the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism of the present invention.

[0021] The heater 14 is a thin box-like structure extending from the inside to the outside of the greenhouse BH. Only a shutter 15, which opens and closes to the outside air, is located at the top rear (the outside side of the greenhouse BH). A shutter 16, which opens and closes to the inside of the greenhouse BH, is located at the top front (inside the greenhouse BH). The mixing chamber 13 is located between these two shutters 15 and 16. In other words, the mixing chamber 13 is capable of communicating with both the outside air and the greenhouse BH. Each of these two shutters 15 and 16 is composed of three horizontally oriented movable louvers (blades) on the top and bottom. For example, when the carbon dioxide supplying device 1 starts operating, it adds carbon dioxide to the outside air taken in through the shutter 15 and supplies it into the greenhouse BH. After operation has progressed to a certain extent, the shutter 16 circulates the air inside the greenhouse BH back into the mixing chamber 13.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2(B), a pair of left and right air supply fans (fans) 18 are installed along the end wall SW at the bottom of the mixing chamber 13. A burner (heating means) 17 is disposed horizontally below these fans. A pair of outlets 19, opening along the end wall SW, are provided in opposite directions on a pair of short walls at the lower end of the heater 14. As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the air to which carbon dioxide has been added and which has been heated to a predetermined optimum temperature range is sent from these outlets 19 to an exhaust duct 20, from which the air is supplied to the first and second spatial regions a1 and a2 within the greenhouse BH through a number of exhaust holes 21 provided in the exhaust duct 20. To minimize the impact of the burner 17 on the air to which carbon dioxide has been added, it is recommended that the burner 17 be a radiant tube or heater with a flame located inside a pipe.

[0023] A method of using the carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 will be described below. As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), two carbon dioxide gas supply devices 1 are installed in advance for the greenhouse BH. First, just before the period of active photosynthesis, the carbon dioxide gas generator 2 shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B) is operated to ensure stable carbon dioxide gas generation. Next, the blower 10 is driven, and the on-off valve 7 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is opened to draw carbon dioxide gas from the hopper 4 through the suction hose 5 into the blower 10. The drawn carbon dioxide gas is sprayed relatively uniformly into the mixing chamber 13 from multiple injection holes 12 in the pipe 11. In the mixing chamber 13, a pair of air supply fans 18, which have been driven in advance, mix the sprayed carbon dioxide gas with at least one of the outside air and the return air from the greenhouse BH at a concentration within a predetermined range.

[0024] Next, the carbon dioxide-containing air is heated to a required temperature range by burner 17, and then pressure-fed from each outlet 19 of heater 14 to exhaust duct 20, and released from multiple exhaust holes 21 in each exhaust duct 20 into first spatial region a1 and second spatial region a2, promoting photosynthesis of the plants to be grown. At this time, if sensors s1, s2 detect that the difference in carbon dioxide concentration between the first spatial region a1 and the second spatial region a2 is outside the allowable range, a signal from control means 25 adjusts the output of blower 10 and air supply fan 18 in carbon dioxide supply device 1 on the surplus / deficiency side.

[0025] In addition, when a pair of long walls LW extending along the longitudinal direction of the greenhouse BH is long, in addition to disposing a carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 near each end wall SW as shown in FIG. 1(B), a third or fourth carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 may be additionally disposed at a longitudinal intermediate position of one or both of the long walls LW. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the greenhouse BH has first to third spatial regions a1 to a3, a carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 may be disposed near one of the long walls LW and a sensor s3 may be disposed near the center of the third spatial region a3, which is located in the center in a plan view. Conversely, when the pair of long walls LW are relatively short, a single carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1 may be disposed near only one of the end walls SW.

[0026] Furthermore, in the heater 14 of a single carbon dioxide gas supplying device 1, the flow of carbon dioxide gas-containing air from the pair of left and right air supply fans 18 to the pair of discharge ports 19 may be separated into two separate systems by a partition or the like. According to this configuration, by individually arranging multiple sensors sn for each pair of exhaust ducts 20, it becomes possible to more precisely manage the appropriate concentration of carbon dioxide gas in multiple spatial regions an. Furthermore, by arranging three or more air supply fans 18 in parallel and providing discharge ports 19 on the front wall in addition to the left and right short walls of the heater 14, carbon dioxide gas-containing air can be supplied into the greenhouse BH through three or more systems. Furthermore, a single control means 25 can also be used to appropriately operate a greenhouse BH equipped with multiple sets of carbon dioxide gas supplying devices 1 of each type.

[0027] 5(A) is a schematic bottom view of a different type of pipe 11a. The pipe 11a is divided into two parallel pipe sections from the outlet side of the blower 10 to the tip side, forming a horizontal U-shape overall. A plurality of injection holes 12 are formed at approximately equal intervals on the bottom surface of each pipe section. Use of this pipe 11a further promotes uniform mixing of carbon dioxide gas and air in the heater 14.

[0028] 5(B) is a schematic bottom view of a pipe 11b of a different configuration. The pipe 11b is divided into three parallel pipe sections from the outlet side of the blower 10 to the tip side, and the entire pipe 11b has a substantially E-shape. The bottom surface of each pipe section has a plurality of injection holes 12 formed at substantially equal intervals in a staggered pattern in a bottom view. The use of this pipe 11b further promotes the mixing of carbon dioxide gas and air in the heater 14.

[0029] According to the carbon dioxide gas supply device 1 of the present invention as described above, carbon dioxide gas is added at a relatively uniform concentration to the flow of outside air or recirculated air from a plurality of injection holes 12 opened in pipes 11, 11a, 11b that run from blower 10 in the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism toward the inside of mixing chamber 13 of heater 14. Moreover, since the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism can be assembled by adding it between heater 14 and carbon dioxide gas generator 2, it can be easily realized at lower cost and in a shorter period of time.

[0030] The light-transmitting plant cultivation facility to which the carbon dioxide supplying device 1 of the present invention is applicable also includes a glass greenhouse whose overall external shape includes a gabled roof. In this configuration, one or more carbon dioxide supplying devices 1 may be appropriately utilized for the glass greenhouse, similar to the vinyl greenhouse BH, depending on the size of the glass greenhouse.

[0031] The present invention can be modified in various forms as appropriate within the scope of the gist thereof. [Industrial Applicability]

[0032] According to the present invention, air containing carbon dioxide gas relatively uniformly can be supplied to a well-lit plant cultivation facility, and the facility can be installed at relatively low cost in a short period of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Carbon dioxide supply device 2 Carbon dioxide generator 3 exhaust port 4 Hopper 5 Suction hose 6 Blower Room 7 On-off valve 8 Front wall 9 Air intake 10 Blower 11, 11a, 11b pipes 12 Injection hole (hole) 13 Mixing chamber 14 Heater 15, 16 Shutter 17 Burner (heating means) 18 Air supply fan (fan) 19 Outlet 20 Exhaust duct 21 Exhaust vent 25 Control Means BH greenhouse (a light-transmitting plant cultivation facility) LW long wall (side wall) SW End wall (Gable wall / Side wall) a1~a3 1st to 3rd spatial regions s1~s3 sensors (carbon dioxide concentration sensors)

Claims

1. A carbon dioxide gas supply device for use in a light-transmitting plant cultivation facility, a heater including a mixing chamber disposed penetrating the side wall of the plant cultivation facility from the inside to the outside and communicating with outside air and the interior space of the plant cultivation facility, a fan that draws in carbon dioxide-containing air from the mixing chamber, a heating means, and an outlet disposed downstream of the fan and the heating means and opening into the interior space of the plant cultivation facility; a carbon dioxide gas generator that generates carbon dioxide gas; A carbon dioxide gas supply device characterized by comprising: a carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism including: a suction hose having one end attached to the exhaust port of the carbon dioxide gas generator; a blower attached to the heater side and communicating with the other end of the suction hose via an on-off valve; and a pipe communicating with the blower, installed inside the mixing chamber of the heater, and having a plurality of holes for injecting carbon dioxide gas.

2. 2. The carbon dioxide gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein in the carbon dioxide gas intake mechanism, the exhaust port of the carbon dioxide gas generator communicates with one end of the suction hose via a hopper.

3. 3. The carbon dioxide supply device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing chamber of the heater has an elongated rectangular shape along the side wall of the plant cultivation facility in a plan view, and the pipe of the carbon dioxide intake mechanism is arranged along the long side direction of the rectangle.

4. 2. The carbon dioxide gas supply device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the outlets of the heater are arranged side by side in different positions or directions, and each outlet is individually connected to an exhaust duct extending inside the plant cultivation facility.

5. The carbon dioxide supply device of claim 1, wherein the inner space of the light-transmitting plant cultivation facility is divided into a plurality of spatial regions, and a sensor for detecting the concentration of carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide supply device are individually arranged in each spatial region, and the output of at least one of the blower of the carbon dioxide intake mechanism and the fan of the heater in the carbon dioxide supply device arranged in that spatial region can be adjusted according to the difference in carbon dioxide concentration detected by the sensor.

6. The carbon dioxide supply device described in claim 1 or 5, wherein the light-transmitting plant cultivation facility is a kamaboko-shaped vinyl greenhouse or a greenhouse with an overall external shape including a gabled roof, and a set of carbon dioxide supply devices consisting of the carbon dioxide generator, the heater, and the carbon dioxide intake mechanism are arranged near one or both end walls or gable walls in the longitudinal direction of the greenhouse, or near both end walls or gable walls in the longitudinal direction of the greenhouse, and near a side wall near the center in the longitudinal direction.

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