Cultivation environment control device

Abstract

To provide a cultivation environment control device that can reduce energy consumption and does not require major additions or changes to the device after its introduction.SOLUTION: A cultivation environment control device 1 comprises a light irradiation unit 12 that irradiates a plant P with light. The cultivation environment control device 1 comprises an airflow generation unit 13 that generates an airflow around the plant P. The light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generation unit 13 are intermittently controlled or strength controlled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cultivation environment control device equipped with a light irradiation unit that irradiates light to plants. [Background technology]

[0002] In the cultivation of plants, it is difficult to prepare for sudden natural disasters such as heavy rain and typhoons and climate change in open-field or greenhouse cultivation. Therefore, it is difficult to make forecasts throughout the year, and stable production of agricultural products is required especially by vegetable wholesalers and retailers.

[0003] For this reason, indoor cultivation with controlled environment, so-called closed plant factories, have been attracting attention. However, because it is necessary to control and maintain the cultivation environment, such as light, temperature, humidity, and airflow, by inputting artificial energy, mainly electricity, production costs are higher than for open-field cultivation for the same production volume. Therefore, there is a demand for a system of cultivation environment control that can increase production efficiency and reduce energy input.

[0004] Blowing air to plants is known as a method for preventing leaf browning (tip burn) by homogenizing the temperature and humidity in the cultivation environment, promoting plant growth by facilitating the supply of carbon dioxide to the plants, and increasing production efficiency. Known forms of blowing air to plants in plant factories include blowing air from the side of the plants (see, for example, Patent Document 1), blowing air from above the plants (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and blowing air from below the plants (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

[0005] In addition, the environmental control, particularly the method of light irradiation and airflow, must be adjusted to suit the type of plant in order to maximize the effect of tip burn suppression and growth promotion. In that case, if the range of conditions that can be changed by the environmental control device is narrow, it becomes necessary to prepare a different environmental control device for each type of plant, or to replace the existing environmental control device with a new one, which leads to an increase in cultivation costs. Therefore, the environmental control device is required to have scalability so that it can accommodate the cultivation of multiple types of plants. For example, there are known examples in which the airflow control device is fixed for the cultivation equipment (see, for example, Patent Document 4) and examples in which the airflow control device is variable (see, for example, Patent Document 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6244554 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-41694 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-205072 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-125196 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2020-25480 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When blowing air in addition to irradiating light as in the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to reduce energy consumption and ensure the scalability of controlling the cultivation environment.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation environment control device that can reduce energy consumption and does not require significant additions or modifications to the device after installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cultivation environment control device described in claim 1 includes a light irradiation unit that irradiates light to a plant, and an airflow generating unit that generates an airflow around the plant, and the light irradiation unit and the airflow generating unit are intermittently controlled or strength-controlled.

[0010] The cultivation environment control device described in claim 2 is the cultivation environment control device described in claim 1, which is provided with a holding unit that holds the light irradiation unit and the airflow generating unit, and the distance between the holding unit and the plant is adjustable.

[0011] The cultivation environment control device according to claim 3 is the cultivation environment control device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the light irradiation units are arranged with gaps between each other, and an airflow control mechanism is provided in which the airflow generating unit uses the gaps to generate an airflow toward the core of the plant.

[0012] The cultivation environment control device described in claim 4 is the cultivation environment control device described in claim 3, in which the airflow generating unit generates an airflow at a predetermined speed of 0.3 m / s or more and 1.5 m / s or less against the core of the plant by the airflow control mechanism.

[0013] The cultivation environment control device according to claim 5 is a cultivation environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light irradiating unit includes white light having a color temperature of 3000K or more, or red light having a wavelength of 620 nm or more and 700 nm or less, and further includes a control unit that intermittently controls the light irradiating unit to repeatedly turn on and off at a predetermined period of 10 μs to 20 ms.

[0014] The cultivation environment control device according to claim 6 is the cultivation environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the light irradiation units are arranged in pairs, and power is alternately supplied to one light irradiation unit and the other light irradiation unit from the same power source. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce energy consumption, and there is no need to add or modify a large amount of equipment after the introduction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a cultivation environment control device according to a first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the cultivation environment control device, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a part of the cultivation environment control device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the arrangement of plants in the cultivation environment control device, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the position where an airflow is generated by an airflow control mechanism. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are block diagrams showing the configuration of the cultivation environment control device, in which (a) shows one example, (b) shows another example, and (c) shows yet another example. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the cultivation environment control device. [Diagram 5] 1A is a graph showing an example of the change in voltage over time in the RC circuit of the control unit, FIG. 1B is a graph showing an example of the change in voltage over time in the inverter circuit of the control unit, and FIG. 1C is a graph showing an example of the output voltage from the switch element of the control unit. [Figure 6] Graph (a) shows an example of the change in power over time when the light irradiation unit is constantly lit and when it is pulse controlled. Graph (b) shows an example of the change in power over time when the on / off switching period of the light irradiation unit is short. Graph (c) shows an example of the change in power over time when the on / off switching period of the light irradiation unit is long. [Figure 7] 4 is a graph showing a schematic diagram of the change over time in power consumption in each configuration shown in FIG. 3, where (a) shows an example corresponding to the example shown in FIG. 3(a), (b) shows an example corresponding to the example shown in FIG. 3(b), and (c) shows an example corresponding to the example shown in FIG. 3(c). [Figure 8] 1A and 1B show a cultivation environment control device according to a second embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the cultivation environment control device, and (b) is a perspective view of a part of the cultivation environment control device. [Figure 9]FIG. 2A is a plan view showing the arrangement of plants in the cultivation environment control device, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the position where an airflow is generated by an airflow generating unit. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B show a cultivation environment control device according to a third embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the cultivation environment control device, and (b) is a perspective view of a part of the cultivation environment control device. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B show a cultivation environment control device according to a fourth embodiment, in which (a) is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a part of the cultivation environment control device, and (b) is a graph showing a schematic view of the change in power consumption over time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] In Fig. 1(a), reference numeral 1 denotes a cultivation environment control device. The cultivation environment control device 1 controls the cultivation environment, such as light, temperature, humidity, and air current, in the hydroponic cultivation of a plant P. The cultivation environment control device 1 is suitably used in a plant factory, particularly a closed-type plant factory.

[0019] The cultivation environment control device 1 is installed on a cultivation shelf 2 on which a plant P is arranged. The cultivation shelf 2 is, for example, a multi-tiered type consisting of a framework having beams 4 as supports erected between a number of posts. The temperature and humidity in the room in which the cultivation shelf 2 is installed are controlled by an air conditioner. In the following, the up-down direction is the direction in which the tiers of the cultivation shelf 2 are stacked, the left-right direction is the direction of the arrow X shown in FIG. 1(b) and the front-rear direction is the direction of the arrow Y shown in FIG. 1(b).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1(a), a space 5 is formed in each stage of the cultivation shelf 2, and a cultivation panel 6 in which a plant P is cultivated is installed in this space 5. A plurality of plants P are arranged in the cultivation panel 6. In the illustrated example, a hole 6a is formed in the cultivation panel 6, and a plant P is arranged in each hole 6a. A plurality of cultivation panels 6 are arranged in the space 5. In the example shown in FIG. 2(a), the cultivation panel 6 is formed longitudinally in the left-right direction, and two are arranged in the left-right direction and five are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. As an example, a cultivation panel 6 having a size of about 1.2 m in the left-right direction and 1.5 m in the front-rear direction is used. In each cultivation panel 6, the holes 6a are arranged at equal or approximately equal intervals in the front-rear and left-right directions, and are arranged in a staggered pattern as a whole, and a plurality of rows are formed in the left-right direction along the front-rear direction, and the positions of the holes 6a in adjacent rows are alternately shifted forward and backward. As shown in FIG. 1(a), a plant P is arranged in each hole 6a. In other words, the arrangement of the plants P is the same as that of the holes 6a. Basically, the same type of plants P are arranged on the same cultivation panel 6. In addition, a cultivation pool 8 in which nutrient solution 7 for hydroponic cultivation flows is provided below the cultivation panel 6 inside the space 5. One or more cultivation shelves 2 are installed depending on the scale of the factory.

[0021] The cultivation environment control device 1 has a holding unit 10 arranged in the space 5 of the cultivation shelf 2. The holding unit 10 is a holding body (retainer) arranged above the cultivation panel 6 in the space 5 at a distance. The holding unit 10 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction by an arbitrary moving mechanism, and is configured so as to be able to adjust the distance between the plant P and the holding unit 10 inside the space 5. In the illustrated example, the holding unit 10 is suspended from the beam 4 by a linear body 11 which is a height adjustment unit, and the distance between the plant P and the holding unit 10 can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the linear body 11.

[0022] In the holding unit 10, one or more light irradiation units 12 that irradiate light to the plant P to be cultivated and one or more airflow generating units 13 that generate airflow in the space 5 surrounding the plant P are detachably arranged as one unit. That is, the light irradiation units 12 and the airflow generating units 13 are unitized by the holding unit 10. In this embodiment, a plurality of light irradiation units 12 and a plurality of airflow generating units 13 are held in one holding unit 10. These light irradiation units 12 and airflow generating units 13 are supplied with power from a power source 14 (FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c)), which is an external power source such as a commercial power source. In this embodiment, the power source 14 (FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c)) is set for each holding unit 10, for example, and the plurality of light irradiation units 12 and the plurality of airflow generating units 13 held in the holding unit 10 are supplied with power from the single power source 14 (FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c)). In other words, one holding portion 10 and the multiple light irradiation portions 12 and airflow generating portions 13 held by that holding portion 10 form a unit, and each unit is powered by a power source 14 (Figures 3(a) to 3(c)).

[0023] The light irradiation unit 12 irradiates the plant P with light that promotes the growth of the plant P. The light irradiation unit 12 is a light source or a lamp, and preferably a light emitting element, for example, an LED, is used. The light irradiation unit 12 includes white light with a color temperature of 3000K or more, or red light with a wavelength of 620 nm or more and 700 nm or less. A plurality of the light irradiation units 12 are held by the holding unit 10 with a predetermined gap or more between each other. The light irradiation units 12 are formed in a longitudinal shape. In the example shown in FIG. 1(b), the light irradiation units 12 are arranged in multiple rows in the left-right direction, for example, five rows, with the longitudinal direction aligned along the front-rear direction, and one row with the longitudinal direction aligned along the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the light irradiation unit 12 has an outer shell formed in a cylindrical shape. In the example shown in the figure, the light irradiation unit 12 has a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction inside a translucent outer shell.

[0024] In this embodiment, the gap between adjacent light irradiation units 12 is set to 1 cm or more. That is, in the illustrated example, the gap between adjacent light irradiation units 12 in the left-right direction, and the gap between the light irradiation unit 12 located at the end in the front-rear direction and the multiple light irradiation units 12 lined up in the left-right direction are each 1 cm or more. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the holding unit 10 is arranged so that the gap between these light irradiation units 12 is located above the plant P. The arrangement is such that light is irradiated from the multiple light irradiation units 12 to one plant P. In addition, a reflector 15 is arranged between the light irradiation unit 12 and the holding unit 10, that is, above the light irradiation unit 12. The reflector 15 reflects light emitted upward from the light irradiation unit 12 to the lower side, which is the plant P side. In this embodiment, the reflector 15 is a plate-shaped reflecting plate curved in a cross-sectional arc shape along the upper part of the light irradiation unit 12. The light irradiation unit 12 is attached to the holding unit 10 via the reflector 15.

[0025] In this embodiment, the light irradiation unit 12 is disposed at the lower part of the main body 10a of the holding unit 10. The main body 10a is formed in a plate shape. The main body 10a is located at the lower end of the holding unit 10. The main body 10a is disposed so as to cover the entire cultivation panel 6 disposed in the space 5. In this embodiment, the main body 10a is formed in a quadrangular shape.

[0026] The lighting state of the light irradiation unit 12 is controlled by a control unit 17 shown in Fig. 4. The control unit 17 is electrically connected to the power source 14 via a control panel 18, and controls the power supply from the power source 14 to the light irradiation unit 12. The control unit 17 is provided with a pulse wave generator having an RC circuit 17a which is an oscillation circuit that sets the period of power supply from the power source 14, an inverter circuit 17b which is a driver circuit that outputs a signal having the period set by the RC circuit 17a, and a switch element 17c which is switched in response to the signal output from the inverter circuit 17b.

[0027] The RC circuit 17a includes a capacitor with a predetermined capacity and a resistor with a predetermined resistance. For example, a 100 nF capacitor is used. The resistor is preferably a variable resistor, and the period can be variably set according to the resistance value. In the RC circuit 17a, the capacitor is repeatedly charged and discharged (as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5(a)), thereby generating a signal that sets the conduction period of the inverter circuit 17b.

[0028] The inverter circuit 17b is preferably an inverter IC. In this embodiment, when the voltage applied to the capacitor of the RC circuit 17a is 50% or more of the power supply voltage, a current flows through the inverter circuit 17b (shown by the solid and thin lines in FIG. 5(b)). The switch element 17c is switched on and off according to the current flowing through the inverter circuit 17b.

[0029] The switch element 17c has a filtering function and a switching function. A power MOSFET is preferably used for the switch element 17c. The switch element 17c is turned on only when a current flows through the inverter circuit 17b, thereby turning on and off the voltage supplied from the power source 14 to the light irradiation unit 12 (shown by a solid line in FIG. 5(c)).

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, the light irradiation unit 12 is driven intermittently by the control unit 17. That is, the light irradiation unit 12 is microscopically controlled intermittently by the control unit 17. In this embodiment, the control unit 17 is configured to PWM control the light irradiation unit 12 at a predetermined duty ratio, for example, a duty ratio of 50%. Here, when the light irradiation unit 12 is an LED in particular, the power consumption is low, so that loss occurs when switching between before and after on and before and after off. As a result, the switch loss (shaded parts in Fig. 6(b) and Fig. 6(c)) increases as the switching period between energization and de-energization becomes shorter (Fig. 6(b)), and the energy saving effect decreases. When the switching period between energization and de-energization of the light irradiation unit 12 becomes longer (Fig. 6(c)), the effect of promoting the growth of the plant P decreases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the light irradiating unit 12 is intermittently controlled so as to repeatedly switch between energized and non-energized states at a predetermined period of 10 μs to 20 ms, preferably 400 μs to 4 ms (FIG. 6(a)).

[0031] Furthermore, the control unit 17 is set to operate during a period of the day and not operate during a period of the day. The period during which the control unit 17 operates is a period (light period) during which the control unit 17 controls the light irradiation unit 12 to repeatedly turn on and off the power supply 14, and the light irradiation unit 12 irradiates the plant P (FIG. 1(a)) with pulsed light. The period during which the control unit 17 operates is a period (dark period) during which the control unit 17 does not control the power supply / non-power supply to the light irradiation unit 12 from the power supply 14, and the light irradiation unit 12 maintains an off state and does not irradiate the plant P (FIG. 1(a)) with light (dark period). In this embodiment, the power supply period from the power supply 14 to the control unit 17 is controlled by a timer 20 shown in FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 3(c). The timer 20 is provided in, for example, the control panel 18. The timer 20 may be, for example, a known time switch, or may be configured by a PLC, a computer, or the like. Therefore, macroscopically, the light irradiation unit 12 is intermittently controlled by the timer 20. In this embodiment, the light irradiation unit 12 is operated by the timer 20 in such a way that 12 to 18 hours out of 24 hours is a light period and the remaining time is a dark period.

[0032] In addition, the airflow generating unit 13 shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) diffuses steam generated by transpiration during photosynthesis of the plant P to dehumidify it. A motor fan is used as the airflow generating unit 13. A blower fan or a compressor may be used as the airflow generating unit 13. The airflow generating unit 13 generates an airflow from the position of the gap of the light irradiating unit 12 to the core, which is the center of the plant P. In this embodiment, the airflow generating unit 13 is disposed on the upper part of the attachment unit 10b of the holding unit 10. The attachment unit 10b is formed in a plate shape. The attachment unit 10b is located at the upper end of the holding unit 10. The attachment unit 10b is disposed above the main body unit 10a so as to face the main body unit 10a. The outer edge of the attachment unit 10b is connected to the main body unit 10a. Between the mounting portion 10b and the main body portion 10a, an air passage portion 10c is formed, which communicates with the exhaust side or the intake side of the airflow generating portion 13. The air passage portion 10c is a ventilation space portion formed inside the holding portion 10. Air flows through the air passage portion 10c by the operation of the airflow generating portion 13. Also, as shown in FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b), the holding portion 10 has openings 10d formed at positions facing the holes 6a of the cultivation panel 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the openings 10d are arranged in the same number as the plants P and are located above the plants P. The openings 10d are formed penetrating the main body portion 10a and communicate with the air passage portion 10c.

[0033] The air passage section 10c and the opening 10d constitute an airflow control mechanism 21 that generates a uniform airflow from the gap of the light irradiation section 12 to the core of the plant P by the airflow generation section 13. That is, the airflow control mechanism 21 is a duct having the opening 10d. In this embodiment, the airflow generation section 13 is capable of generating an airflow at a predetermined speed to the core of the plant P by blowing or suctioning with the airflow control mechanism 21. In the illustrated example, the airflow generation section 13 can blow an airflow at a predetermined speed to the core of the plant P from above the plant P. The predetermined speed is preferably 0.3 m / s or more and 1.5 m / s or less. If the wind speed is less than 0.3 m / s, the humidity does not decrease due to insufficient diffusion of steam, and if it is more than 1.5 m / s, the plant P may fall or bend due to the airflow. The direction in which the airflow is blown to the core of the plant P may be directly below or obliquely.

[0034] Furthermore, the airflow generation unit 13 is intermittently controlled. The intermittent control of the airflow generation unit 13 may be synchronized with the intermittent control of the light irradiation unit 12, or may not be synchronized.

[0035] For example, in consideration of the fact that plant P mainly activates transpiration during the light period of light irradiation unit 12, when intermittent control of airflow generation unit 13 is synchronized with intermittent control of light irradiation unit 12, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 7(a), airflow generation unit 13 may be connected electrically in parallel with control unit 17 to timer 20 so that airflow generation unit 13 operates only during the light period of light irradiation unit 12 and is stopped during the dark period of light irradiation unit 12. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 3(b) and 7(b), another timer 22 electrically connected in series with timer 20 to power source 14 may be used so that airflow generation unit 13 is intermittently controlled separately from light irradiation unit 12 during the light period of light irradiation unit 12 and is stopped during the dark period of light irradiation unit 12, thereby minimizing the airflow that diffuses humidity around plant P (Figure 1(a)) generated by transpiration of plant P (Figure 1(a)). In this case, the configurations shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 7(a) have lower initial costs, and the configurations shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 7(b) have lower running costs.

[0036] On the other hand, in the case where the intermittent control of the airflow generating unit 13 is not synchronized with the intermittent control of the light irradiating unit 12, taking into consideration that the plant P (FIG. 1(a)) transpires to some extent even during the dark period of the light irradiating unit 12, as shown in FIG. 3(c) and FIG. 7(c), another timer 22 electrically connected in parallel with the timer 20 to the power source 14 may be used to intermittently control the airflow generating unit 13 separately from the timer 20 throughout the light and dark periods of the light irradiating unit 12. In this case, the humidity can be kept constant more reliably even during the dark period of the light irradiating unit 12, and further improvement in the quality of the plant P can be expected, compared to the configurations shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 7(a) and the configurations shown in FIG. 3(b) and FIG. 7(b).

[0037] Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

[0038] The cultivation environment control device 1 irradiates the plant P with necessary light by repeatedly energizing and deenergizing the light irradiating unit 12 at a predetermined cycle by intermittently supplying power from the power source 14 to the control unit 17. That is, the light irradiating unit 12 irradiates the plant P with pulsed light at a predetermined cycle. In addition, the light irradiating unit 12 is configured to repeatedly energize and deenergize the plant P while setting a light period during which the plant P is irradiated with light and a dark period during which the plant P is not irradiated with light, by controlling the period during which the power source 14 supplies power to the control unit 17 by the timer 20.

[0039] In this way, by controlling the light emitting unit 12 intermittently, the heat generated by the light emitting unit 12 is reduced by 40% to 50%. Therefore, the operating time of the air conditioner is reduced, and the humidity in the space 5 increases. If a dehumidifier is used to suppress the increase in humidity in the space 5, energy will be consumed and electricity costs will increase.

[0040] Therefore, the power supply from the power source 14 is controlled by a timer 20 and / or a timer 22, thereby intermittently controlling the airflow generating unit 13. When the airflow generating unit 13 operates, the airflow control mechanism 21 generates an airflow at a predetermined speed against the core of the plant P, diffusing the steam generated by the transpiration of the plant P, thereby suppressing an increase in humidity in the surrounding space 5 caused by a decrease in the operating time of the air conditioner due to a decrease in heat generation from the light irradiating unit 12.

[0041] The airflow generated by the airflow generating unit 13 promotes the growth of the plants P and reduces tip burn, while at the same time reducing the energy consumption of the cultivation environment control device 1 between the airflow including the airflow generating unit 13 and the light irradiating unit 12, and preventing a decrease in the quality of cultivated plants caused by an increase in humidity due to a decrease in the heat supply of the light irradiating unit 12, without a significant increase in energy consumption. Also, by making it possible to adjust the height of the light irradiating unit 12 and the airflow generating unit 13 using the holding unit 10, it is possible to accommodate plants P of different sizes and shapes.

[0042] Thus, according to this embodiment, by operating the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generating unit 13 intermittently, the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generating unit 13 can each be operated with low energy consumption, while the light necessary for the growth of the plant P is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 12 and a humid environment is adjusted by the airflow generated by the airflow generating unit 13, thereby reducing energy consumption while ensuring the quality of the plant P.

[0043] In addition, since the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generating unit 13 are unitized, the system is highly expandable, and the light irradiation and airflow supply can be easily adjusted according to the type of plant P, eliminating the need for significant additions or modifications to the device after installation.

[0044] Since the distance between the holding part that holds the light irradiation part 12 and the air current generating part 13 and the plant P can be adjusted, the light irradiation conditions from the light irradiation part 12 and the air current conditions generated by the air current generating part 13 can be set according to the height of the holding part 10 to suit plants P of various types, sizes and shapes, thereby improving the quality of the plant P.

[0045] Furthermore, by utilizing the gaps between the light irradiators 12 and using the airflow control mechanism 21 to generate an airflow at the core of the plant P by the airflow generating unit 13, air near the growing point of the cultivated plant P, where humidity is likely to increase, is moved, effectively promoting transpiration of the plant P and calcium transport to the leaf tips. Therefore, the growth of the plant P can be promoted by the movement of air and calcium transport, and the risk of mold and chip burn can be reduced.

[0046] Furthermore, the airflow generating unit 13 generates an airflow speed at the core of the plant P of 0.3 m / s or more and 1.5 m / s or less, and by controlling this airflow generating unit 13 intermittently, the plant P is not caused to fall or bend by the airflow, and steam is reliably diffused, effectively promoting the growth of the plant P while significantly reducing the risk of mold and chip burn.

[0047] Moreover, the light emitting unit 12 includes white light with a color temperature of 3000K or more, or red light with a wavelength of 620nm or more and 700nm or less, and the time of one cycle of energization and de-energization from the power source 14 is set to 10μs or more and 20ms or less, thereby reducing energy consumption without reducing the growth rate of the plant P. In particular, LEDs have good on-off responsiveness, so on-off control in a short period is possible. And the control unit 17 can be structured so that no power consumption occurs including in the light emitting unit 12 when not energized by creating an arbitrary electrical waveform using the frequency and waveform of AC or an oscillator circuit such as an RC circuit, and passing the waveform through a power semiconductor having a filtering function and a switching function.

[0048] By using a motor fan as the airflow generating unit 13, energy consumption can be significantly reduced compared to general dehumidifiers, and energy consumption can be further reduced by operating the airflow generating unit 13 intermittently within a range that does not affect the growth of the plant P.

[0049] As a result, it is possible to improve the profitability of the plant factory by increasing the production efficiency of the plants P and reducing costs.

[0050] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0051] In the cultivation environment control device 1 of this embodiment, a light irradiation unit 12 and an airflow generation unit 13 are held in the lower part of a holding unit 10.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 8(b), a plurality of airflow generating units 13 are fixed to the frame-shaped holding unit 10. The holding unit 10 has a rectangular outer frame 10e and a plurality of frame units 10f formed on the outer frame 10e in a predetermined direction, in this embodiment, along the front-rear direction. An airflow generating unit 13 is attached to both sides of each frame unit 10f. The light emitting unit 12 is attached below the frame units 10f.

[0053] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the airflow generating units 13 are disposed at positions corresponding to the holes 6a. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8(a), the airflow generating units 13 are disposed above the core of each plant P. That is, in this embodiment, the same number of airflow generating units 13 as the number of plants P are disposed. These airflow generating units 13 are electrically connected in parallel to the power source 14.

[0054] Other configurations of the cultivation environment control device 1 according to the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0055] Furthermore, the cultivation environment control device 1 has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, such as intermittently controlling the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generation unit 13, and thus can reduce energy consumption and achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, such as eliminating the need for significant additions or modifications to equipment after installation.

[0056] In addition, since an airflow generating unit 13 is arranged for each core of the plant P, it is possible to generate an airflow suitable for each plant P by controlling the operation of the airflow generating unit 13 according to the state of each plant P.

[0057] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0058] The cultivation environment control device 1 of this embodiment has a light irradiation unit 12 and an airflow generation unit 13 held below a holding unit 10.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 10(a), the light emitting unit 12 is held under the holding unit 10 basically in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 10(b), the airflow generating unit 13 is held at the end of an airflow guidance unit 10g, which is an airflow control mechanism attached to the gap between the light emitting units 12 at the lower part of the holding unit 10.

[0061] The air guide section 10g is formed longitudinally in the front-rear direction. The air guide section 10g is a duct or tube formed in a tubular shape with one end closed, in this embodiment, in a cylindrical shape. The airflow generating section 13 is attached to the other end of the air guide section 10g. An opening 10g1 is formed in the lower part of the air guide section 10g. The opening 10g1 is located corresponding to the core of the plant P. That is, in this embodiment, the same number of openings 10g1 are arranged as the number of plants P. The airflow generating sections 13 are each electrically connected in parallel to the light irradiation section 12. The airflow generating sections 13 may be in a one-to-one or many-to-one relationship with respect to the air guide section 10g.

[0062] Other configurations of the cultivation environment control device 1 according to the third embodiment are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, the cultivation environment control device 1 has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, such as intermittently controlling the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generation unit 13, and thus can reduce energy consumption and achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, such as eliminating the need for significant additions or modifications to equipment after installation.

[0064] Moreover, by simply replacing the air guide section 10g with one having an opening 10g1 at a different position, it is possible to easily accommodate different arrangements of plants P.

[0065] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0066] In the cultivation environment control device 1 of this embodiment, a single power source 14 is connected to each pair of holding parts 10.

[0067] 11(a), the holding section 10 is configured such that one or a plurality of units are designated as one unit U1 and the same number of units are designated as the other unit U2, and power is alternately supplied at a predetermined period from the same power source 14 to the light irradiation sections 12 attached to one holding section 10 and the light irradiation sections 12 attached to the other holding section 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, a unit structure is adopted in which, in each section of a certain area, the plurality of light irradiation sections 12 are supplied with power from one power source 14 and are synchronized between energization and de-energization.

[0068] In the power source 14, during a period when power is supplied to the light irradiation unit 12 attached to one of the holding parts 10 (the shaded portion in FIG. 11(b)), the light irradiation unit 12 attached to the other holding part 10 is de-energized, and during a period when power is supplied to the light irradiation unit 12 attached to the other holding part 10 (the open portion in FIG. 11(b)), the light irradiation unit 12 attached to one of the holding parts 10 is de-energized. In other words, the energized and de-energized periods of the light irradiation unit 12 attached to one of the holding parts 10 and the light irradiation unit 12 attached to the other holding part 10 are inversely synchronized with each other.

[0069] These switching operations are realized by selectively switching the light irradiation units 12 by a switching circuit, in place of the control unit 17, in which a plurality of light irradiation units 12 are connected in parallel.

[0070] The airflow generating unit 13 can be intermittently controlled separately from the light emitting unit 12 by electrically connecting it to a timer 20 or a timer 22 .

[0071] Other configurations of the cultivation environment control device 1 according to the fourth embodiment are basically the same as those of the third embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, the cultivation environment control device 1 has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment, such as intermittently controlling the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow generation unit 13, and thus can reduce energy consumption and achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, such as eliminating the need for significant additions or modifications to equipment after installation.

[0073] Furthermore, if the energization and de-energization of multiple units each having a light irradiation section 12 are controlled separately by individual power sources, the momentary power consumption will be high if these cycles overlap (for example, the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11(b)), and power costs will rise. According to this embodiment, by alternately supplying power to one unit of the light irradiation section 12 and the other unit of the light irradiation section 12 from the same power source 14 at a predetermined cycle, the energization and de-energization cycles of the one unit of the light irradiation section 12 and the other unit of the light irradiation section 12 do not overlap, and the momentary power consumption can be reduced, thereby reducing power costs.

[0074] Furthermore, by making the multiple light irradiation units 12 in each section of a certain area into a unit structure that receives power from a single power source 14 and synchronizes the on / off state, it is possible to irradiate synchronized pulsed light to as many plants P as possible within the constraints of electrical capacity and installation position.

[0075] In each of the above embodiments, the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow control unit 13 are configured to be intermittently controlled, that is, to switch between being energized and not energized. However, this is not limited to this, and the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow control unit 13 may also be configured to control the strength of the light irradiation unit 12 and the airflow control unit 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Cultivation environment control device 10 Holding part 10g Airflow control mechanism 12 Light irradiation unit 13 Air flow generating section 14 Power supply 17 Control Unit 21 Airflow control mechanism P plant

Claims

1. A plurality of light irradiating units are arranged with gaps between each other and irradiate light onto plants; A plurality of airflow generating units that generate airflows around the plants; A plurality of airflow control mechanisms that utilize the gap to generate airflow toward the core of the plant using the airflow generating unit; a holder that holds the light irradiation unit and the airflow control mechanism, The airflow control mechanism is formed in a longitudinal and cylindrical shape and has an opening at a position corresponding to the core of the plant, the airflow generating portion is held at one end of the airflow control mechanism in a longitudinal direction and is located inward from an outer edge of the holding portion, The light irradiation unit and the airflow generation unit are controlled intermittently or by strength control. A cultivation environment control device characterized by the above.

2. The light irradiation unit is located at the same height as the airflow control mechanism and overlaps the airflow control mechanism in the up-down direction in a side view. The cultivation environment control device according to claim 1 .

3. The airflow generating unit generates an airflow at a predetermined speed of 0.3 m / s to 1.5 m / s with respect to the core of the plant by the airflow control mechanism. The cultivation environment control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The light irradiation unit includes white light having a color temperature of 3000K or more, or red light having a wavelength of 620 nm or more and 700 nm or less, A control unit is provided that intermittently controls the light irradiation unit so that it repeatedly turns on and off at a predetermined cycle of 10 μs to 20 ms.

4. The cultivation environment control device according to claim 1,

5. The light irradiation units are arranged in pairs, One of the light emitting units and the other of the light emitting units are alternately supplied with power from the same power source.

5. The cultivation environment control device according to claim 1 ,

6. A plurality of light irradiating units are arranged with gaps between each other and irradiate light onto plants; A plurality of airflow generating units that generate airflows around the plants; a plurality of airflow control mechanisms that utilize the gap to generate airflow with respect to the core of the plant by the airflow generating unit; the light irradiation unit is located at the same height as the airflow control mechanism and overlaps the airflow control mechanism in a vertical direction in a side view, The light irradiation unit and the airflow generation unit are controlled intermittently or by strength control. A cultivation environment control device characterized by the above.

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