Pressure vessel for plant cultivation

Abstract

To provide a pressure container for plant growth that can prevent the growth of plants from being inhibited by heat generation from an illumination device.SOLUTION: A pressure container 1 for plant growth grows plants at a higher pressure than the atmospheric pressure, and has a container body 10 containing a cultivation room 15, which is a space for growing plants, a plurality of lighting windows 30 for guiding light into the cultivation room 15 from outside of the container body 10, and an illumination device that is installed outside the container body 10 and illuminates the inside of the cultivation room 15 through the lighting windows 30. Each lighting window 30 has a cooling device including: a cooling room installed at a site where light from the illumination device passes; a fluid introduction tube for supplying the cooling room with fluid; and a fluid discharge tube for discharging the fluid inside the cooling room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure vessel for growing plants under a predetermined pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to grow plants under a predetermined pressure, plants have been grown in pressure vessels, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-65763 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-162747 A [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2013 / 035816 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to grow plants, light is necessary for photosynthesis, and in the above patent document, a lighting device serving as a light source is installed inside or outside the pressure vessel. However, since the lighting device generates heat, if the lighting device is installed inside the vessel, the heat generated by the lighting device may adversely affect the growth of the plants.

[0005] Furthermore, even if a lighting device is installed outside the container, if a high-brightness lighting device such as a metal halide lamp is used, the amount of heat generated by the lighting device will be large, and there is a risk that the heat generated by the lighting device will have a negative effect on the growth of the plants inside the container.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a pressure vessel for cultivating plants that can suppress the adverse effects on plant growth caused by heat generated by a lighting device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a pressure vessel for cultivating plants for cultivating plants under a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the pressure vessel comprising: a vessel body having a cultivation chamber therein which is a space for cultivating the plants; a plurality of light collecting windows for introducing light from outside the vessel body into the cultivation chamber; and a lighting device disposed outside the vessel body for illuminating the inside of the cultivation chamber through the light collecting windows. The light-collecting window is provided with a cooling device having a cooling chamber installed in a portion through which light from the lighting device passes, a fluid inlet pipe for supplying a fluid to the cooling chamber, and a fluid outlet pipe for discharging the fluid in the cooling chamber, and is connected to the lighting device without any gaps so as to introduce only the light from the lighting device into the cultivation room. It is characterized by the above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the pressure vessel for growing plants of the present invention, by providing a plurality of light windows and installing a lighting device outside the vessel, it is possible to prevent a rise in temperature inside the vessel and suppress the adverse effects on plant growth caused by heat generated by the lighting device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a light collecting window and a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants comprises a vessel body 10, a light-receiving window 30, an entrance door 50, a lighting device 60, and an air conditioning system 70. The vessel body 10 is a horizontally placed cylindrical vessel made of steel, and both the left and right ends are hemispherical with outwardly convex shapes. Note that in Figs. 1 to 3, a part of the light-receiving window 30 and the lighting device 60 are omitted.

[0011] The container body 10 is divided inside by a vertical partition wall 11 and has a cultivation chamber 15 in which plants are cultivated and an air conditioning chamber 17 for adjusting the air circulated and supplied to the cultivation chamber 15, and is supported by fixed legs 10a and placed on the ground.

[0012] The container body 10 also includes a floor plate 19, and an underfloor air circulation path 20 is provided under the cultivation room 15 and the air conditioning room 17. The inner wall surface of the container body 10 is colored white to increase the light reflectance and brighten the room.

[0013] The light collecting windows 30 are circular windows, and a plurality of them are provided at predetermined positions on the upper part of the cultivation container 10 in order to introduce light from outside the container into the cultivation room 15. In this embodiment, a total of 16 light collecting windows 30 are regularly arranged in three rows parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container body 10.

[0014] The light collecting window 30 comprises a holder 31 fixed to the container body 10, an ultraviolet and infrared ray cutting glass 35 and a pressure resistant glass 37 fixed and held by the holder 31, and a cooling device 40. The holder 31 is substantially cylindrical in shape, and comprises a base 32 welded to the container body 10, a packing 33, and a bolt 34. Only the base 32 is shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

[0015] The support base 31 holds, in order from the inside of the room to the outside (from bottom to top), a pressure-resistant glass 37, an ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking glass 35, and a cooling device 40, and a lighting device 60 is installed at the upper end, which is the outer end.

[0016] The pressure-resistant glass 37 and the ultraviolet- and infrared-cutting glass 35 are screwed and held in place by bolts 34 to the holder 31 via a circular packing (heat-resistant gasket) 33 with a hole in the center. Therefore, within the holder 31, the pressure-resistant glass 37 and the ultraviolet- and infrared-cutting glass 35 separate adjacent spaces without any gaps, and each space is sealed.

[0017] The pressure-resistant glass 37 located on the innermost side of the cultivation room 15 is exposed inside the cultivation room 15. The ultraviolet and infrared cut glass 35, which is installed on the outside of the pressure-resistant glass 37 with a certain sealed space between them, cuts out the infrared and ultraviolet rays of the illumination light that passes through the light collecting window 30 and enters the cultivation room 15.

[0018] The cooling device 40 is located between the ultraviolet and infrared ray cutting glass 35 and the lighting device 60, and is equipped with a ventilation cooling chamber 41 surrounded by the ultraviolet and infrared ray cutting glass 35, the holding stand 31, and the lighting device 60 (tempered glass 63), an air inlet pipe 42, and an air exhaust pipe 45.

[0019] The air inlet pipe 42 is equipped with a valve 43, and by opening the valve 43, ventilation air is supplied from an external air compressor through the air inlet pipe 42 into the ventilation / cooling chamber 41, and the air inside the ventilation / cooling chamber 41 is exhausted to the outside through the air exhaust pipe 45.

[0020] As described later, in this embodiment, the lighting device 60 uses a high-brightness metal halide lamp 61. When the lighting device 60 is turned on, heat generated by the metal halide lamp 61 is transferred through the light-receiving window 30 into the cultivation room 15, which may have an adverse effect on plant growth.

[0021] In this embodiment, the cooling device 40 ventilates the air in the ventilation / cooling chamber 41, thereby suppressing the transfer of heat emitted from the metal halide lamps 61 and performing cooling by air cooling, thereby preventing a rise in temperature in the cultivation chamber 15 and preventing heat generation from adversely affecting plant growth.

[0022] The refrigerant of the cooling device 40 may be any fluid, and may be not only a gas such as air, but also a liquid such as water. The valve 43 may also be provided in the air exhaust pipe 45, or the valve 43 may be provided only in the air exhaust pipe 45, not in the air inlet pipe 42.

[0023] The entrance door 50 is installed to allow an operator to enter and exit the cultivation room 15, and is installed on the hemispherical portion at the end of the container body 10. The entrance door 50 includes an entrance reinforcing frame 51 and a flat inward-opening door 53. The entrance reinforcing frame 51 is a frame fixed to the container body 10 to ensure an entrance in the hemispherical portion of the container body 10, and is a cylindrical frame with an oval shape (the shape of an athletics track).

[0024] The inward-opening door 53 has an oval plate shape and is installed so as to be freely opened and closed with an inward-opening structure that opens toward the room relative to the entrance reinforcement frame 51 so as to close the end opening on the inside (room side) of the entrance reinforcement frame 51. The inward-opening door 53 is equipped with a sealing lever 54 for closing the inward-opening door 53 by pressing it against the inside end of the entrance reinforcement frame 51. The sealing levers 54 are installed in eight places on the periphery of the inward-opening door 53.

[0025] In this embodiment, the inside of the container body 10 becomes under high pressure when plants are being cultivated, so by adopting an inward-opening structure, when the container body 10 is closed, the inward-opening door 53 is pressed against the inner end of the entrance / exit reinforcement frame 51 by the indoor pressure, thereby reliably sealing the inside of the container body 10.

[0026] The lighting device 60 includes a metal halide lamp 61, a socket 62, and tempered glass 63, and is installed beside each light collecting window 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the metal halide lamp 61 set in the socket 62 is sealed by the tempered glass 63 installed at the tip of the socket 62.

[0027] When illuminating the cultivation room 15, the lighting device 60 is fixed and installed with fastening members such as bolts (not shown) so that the tempered glass 63 is in close contact with the upper end of the holder 31 of the light-collecting window 30. When installed in this manner, the space surrounded by the tempered glass 63, the ultraviolet and infrared cut glass 35, and the holder 31 becomes the ventilation and cooling room 41, as described above.

[0028] When the lighting device 60 is set up, the metal halide lamp 61 faces directly in front of the upper opening of the light-receiving window 30, so that when the metal halide lamp 61 is turned on, the light it emits passes through the light-receiving window 30 and reaches the cultivation room 15, illuminating the inside of the cultivation room 15.

[0029] In addition, since the lighting device 60 is installed so as to completely cover the upper opening of the cylindrical holding base 31 made of an opaque material, when the lighting device 60 is installed, the only light entering the container body 10 through the light-collecting window 30 is the light emitted by the lighting device 60.

[0030] In this way, by configuring the light-receiving window 30 to guide only the light emitted by the lighting device 60, the light irradiation time, the amount of light irradiation, etc., can be accurately controlled and managed when growing plants, making it possible to grow plants efficiently and to appropriately conduct tests and research on plant growth.

[0031] One lighting device 60 is installed for each of the light collecting windows 30, for a total of 16 lighting devices 60. In this way, by installing a large number (five or more, preferably ten or more) of light sources (lighting devices 60) outside the container body 10 and irradiating the inside of the cultivation room 15 through the large number (five or more, preferably ten or more) of light collecting windows 30 installed in the container body 10, the inside of the room can be irradiated with a more uniform illuminance. By installing multiple light sources in this way, the heat source can be dispersed, and the temperature rise in the cultivation room 15 can also be prevented.

[0032] Furthermore, the lighting device 60 is detachable from the light-receiving window 30, so that when the container body 10 is installed outdoors and sunlight can be taken in during the day, the lighting device 60 can be removed to allow sunlight to be taken in through the light-receiving window 30. Furthermore, as the lighting device 60, a light source other than the metal halide lamp 61, for example, an LED light, can be used as appropriate.

[0033] The air conditioning system 70 is a system that conditions the air in the air-conditioned room 17, and the conditioned air is supplied to the cultivation room 15 through the underfloor air circulation path 20 described above. The air conditioning system 70 includes an air conditioner 71 that adjusts the room temperature in the air-conditioned room 17, and a gas component / pressure regulator 80 that adjusts the air pressure and gas component concentration in the air-conditioned room 17.

[0034] The gas component / pressure adjustment device 80 is equipped with a compressed air supply passage 81 for supplying compressed air, an oxygen supply passage 82 for supplying oxygen, a carbon dioxide supply passage 83 for supplying carbon dioxide, and a nitrogen supply passage 84 for supplying nitrogen, and by adjusting the opening / closing and opening degree of the valves installed in each supply passage 81-84, these gases can be supplied into the air-conditioning room 17 at a predetermined mixing ratio.

[0035] The gas component / pressure adjustment device 80 adjusts the amount of compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply path 81, thereby adjusting the air pressure within the air-conditioning chamber 17, i.e., the air pressure within the cultivation chamber 15 to a predetermined air pressure.

[0036] The configuration of the pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants has been described above, and next, a description will be given of a mode of use of the pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants. When cultivating a plant, an operator passes through the entrance door 50, carries a desired plant into the cultivation chamber 15 in the vessel body 10, and sets it there.

[0037] After installing the plant, the worker goes outside the container body 10 and closes the entrance door 50, and then controls the operation of the lighting device 60 and the air conditioning system 70, thereby allowing the plant to be grown under a predetermined air pressure, a gas atmosphere with a predetermined component concentration, a predetermined irradiation time, and a predetermined illuminance. For example, by adjusting the amount of compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply path 81, the pressure inside the cultivation chamber 15 can be adjusted to 2 atmospheres, and the plant can be grown under 2 atmospheres.

[0038] The above describes this embodiment. According to this embodiment, the lighting device 60, which is a high heat generating element, is installed outside the container body 10, so that the adverse effects on plant growth caused by an increase in temperature in the cultivation room 15 can be suppressed.

[0039] In addition, in this embodiment, a cooling device 40 is provided with a ventilation and cooling chamber 41 installed within the light-gathering window 30, which is the passageway of the light emitted from the lighting device 60, so that the temperature rise within the cultivation room 15 due to heat generated by the lighting device 60 can be more reliably suppressed.

[0040] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, etc. of the members constituting the pressure vessel for plant cultivation can be appropriately changed.

[0041] In addition, in the above embodiment, one lighting device is installed near each light-receiving window, but two or more lighting devices may be installed, or the light emitted by one lighting device may be configured to be guided to two or more light-receiving windows.

[0042] Furthermore, the light collecting window may further be provided with a light amount adjusting member such as glass with a light amount adjusting function. By providing the light amount adjusting member, the amount of light entering the container from the light collecting window can be adjusted as appropriate. In particular, when the pressure container for growing plants is installed outdoors and configured to allow sunlight to enter through the light collecting window, night conditions can be created in the cultivation room by closing the light collecting window with the light amount adjusting member.

[0043] Moreover, the ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking glass may be an ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking layer, and instead of the ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking glass, an ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking film may be attached to the pressure resistant glass. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Pressure vessel for plant growth 10 Container body 11 Partition Wall 15 Cultivation room 17 Air conditioned room 19 Floorboards 20 Underfloor air circulation 30 Skylight window 31 Holding stand 32 Foundation 33 Gasket 34 Volts 35 UV / IR cut glass 37 Pressure-resistant glass 40 Cooling device 41 Ventilation and cooling room 42 Air intake pipe 43 Valve 45 Air exhaust pipe 50 Entrance Door 51 Entrance reinforcement frame 53 Inward-opening door 54 Sealing lever 60 Lighting Equipment 61 Metal halide lamp 62 Sockets 63 Tempered Glass 70 Air Conditioning System 71 Air conditioner 80 Gas composition and pressure regulator 81 Compressed air supply line 82 Oxygen supply line 83 Carbon Dioxide Supply Pathway 84 Nitrogen supply channel

Claims

1. A pressure vessel for growing plants at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, A container body having a cultivation chamber therein for cultivating the plant; A plurality of light-collecting windows for guiding light from outside the container body into the cultivation room; A lighting device is provided outside the container body for illuminating the inside of the cultivation room through the light-collecting window, The light-collecting window is A cooling chamber installed in a portion through which light from the lighting device passes; A fluid introduction pipe for supplying a fluid to the cooling chamber; a fluid discharge pipe for discharging the fluid within the cooling chamber; and a cooling device having a cooling unit and connected to the lighting device without any gaps so as to guide only the light from the lighting device into the cultivation room.

2. 2. The pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to claim 1, wherein five or more light-receiving windows are provided, and one or more of the lighting devices are provided near each of the light-receiving windows.

3. 2. The pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light collecting windows are arranged in a regular pattern so as to illuminate the interior of the cultivation chamber approximately uniformly.

4. 2. The pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-receiving window comprises a pressure-resistant glass for sealing the inside of the cultivation room, and an ultraviolet / infrared cut layer for cutting the ultraviolet and infrared rays of the light irradiated by the lighting device.

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