Surface lighting device, cross-flow water-cooled surface lighting device, and device for artificially growing photosynthetic organisms using same

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a surface lighting device which causes surface light emissions from a panel and which has a large effective irradiation surface area. Also, to provide a water-cooled surface lighting device in which, as a heating countermeasure, cooling water travels between a plurality of surface light-emitting units.　[Solution] The present invention comprises: an LED line light source 120; a cross-flow cooling water conduit 130 which is provided together with the LED line light source 120 and inside which cooling water flows; an LED water-cooling structure 140 which water-cools heat that is generated by the LED line light source 120 with cooling water flowing through the cross-flow cooling water conduit 130; and a surface light-emitting panel 150 which is provided with a light-guiding plate diffusion structure 153 that causes irradiation light received from a light guide side surface 154 to be diffused and emitted from a light-emitting surface 152, wherein these elements constitute a single water-cooled surface light-emitting unit 110, and water-cooling is performed via cooling water cross-connection in which cross-flow cooling water conduits 130 are connected between water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110 and cooling water travels between a plurality of the water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110. A water-cooled surface lighting device 100 is applied to constitute a device for artificially growing plants and an illumination device for a building structure.

Description

[Amendment based on Rule 26 10.10.2023] Surface light emitting irradiation device, water-cooled surface light emitting irradiation device, and artificial cultivation device for photosynthetic organisms using them

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface light-emitting irradiation device, an artificial cultivation device for photosynthetic organisms using the same, and a lighting device for a building structure using the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a lighting device that uses an LED line light source and a light guide plate to scatter the irradiated light to produce surface light.

[0002] Human activities from the past to the present have relied heavily on fossil fuels, which has had an impact on the global environment, resulting in various problems such as climate change. In recent years, measures to protect the global environment, such as the development of renewable energy that does not place a burden on the global environment, have progressed rapidly. Sosuke Naito, the inventor of this application, has been considering the future of industries that utilize photosynthesis.

[0003] The first promising industry that utilizes photosynthesis is agriculture. Because agriculture is based on plant photosynthesis, it can be said to be an industry that places no burden on the global environment. In modern society, considering issues such as carbon neutrality, food shortages, and pharmaceutical raw materials, the development of industries that utilize photosynthesis—in other words, the development of agriculture—is considered to hold the key to success. When using sunlight in agriculture, many problems must be solved, including unstable production due to regional differences in sunlight duration and illuminance, seasons, and weather, as well as uneven regional distribution of agricultural products and limited harvest seasons. All of these problems result from relying solely on sunlight for photosynthesis. Sosuke Naito, the inventor of this application, has conducted extensive research into low-cost, operational agriculture that does not rely on sunlight but instead uses artificial lighting from LED elements.

[0004] The second promising industry that utilizes photosynthesis is the production of plant-derived biofuels. The production of plant-derived biofuels is considered a new energy source that can replace conventional fossil fuels. This is a technological field that has rapidly gained attention as the issue of carbon neutrality has been raised, and research is being conducted into the production of plant-derived biofuels using algae that produce hydrocarbons through photosynthesis. Sosuke Naito, the inventor of this application, has conducted extensive research into the production of plant-derived biofuels that can be operated at low cost using artificial lighting from LED elements.

[0005] In the prior art, high-power LED elements (light-emitting diode elements) have been developed and are beginning to be used as light sources for artificial lighting. In particular, white LED elements are capable of emitting light of many wavelengths, making them suitable for artificial lighting in artificial cultivation devices for photosynthetic organisms such as plants and algae, and their compact size, low power consumption, and long lifespan have also contributed to their widespread use. Furthermore, because LED elements emit light of a relatively uniform wavelength and generate relatively little heat, it has been proposed to use artificial lighting devices with a large number of LED elements arrayed as lighting fixtures for artificial cultivation.

[0006] In the prior art, the artificial light sources that have been used have been LED light bulb devices that imitate the electric lamps of the prior art, which are made up of an assembly of multiple LED elements, and straight-tube LED lighting devices that imitate the fluorescent lamps of the prior art, which incorporate an LED line light source that has multiple LED elements arranged in a line.

[0007] The plant cultivation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 2013-17397 A) utilizes conventional straight-tube LED lighting fixtures. As shown in FIG. 10 , the device includes a cultivation rack 3 having a mounting shelf 4 on which a cultivation tank 2 is placed, and straight-tube LED lighting fixtures 5 arranged at intervals above the mounting shelf 4. The cultivation rack 3 is constructed by arranging multiple vertical supports 8, connecting the vertical supports 8 with horizontal members 9 to form a single vertical frame 7, and connecting a pair of left and right vertical frames 7A, 7B with connecting members 18 to form the cultivation rack 3. Multiple support members 6 protrude from the sides of the vertical supports 8 of the vertical frame 7, and straight-tube LED lighting fixtures 5 are attached to these support members 6. As described in paragraph 0028 of the publication, the straight-tube LED lighting fixtures 5 are fixed to the vertical supports 8 by screws, rivets, or the like, to the receiving portions 32 of the support members 6.

[0008] Furthermore, the plant cultivation device disclosed in Patent Document 2 (JP 2015-006165 A) is a device that uses a conventional straight-tube LED lighting fixture. As shown in FIG. 11 , a straight-tube LED lighting fixture 5 is arranged on a cultivation rack. The straight-tube LED lighting fixture 5 includes a picture-frame-shaped frame 15, a plurality of LED lighting fixtures 16 detachably attached to the frame 15, and a plate-shaped reflecting member 17 detachably attached to the frame 15 above the LED lighting fixtures 16, with its reflective surface facing downward. The left and right ends of the straight-tube LED lighting fixture 16 are fitted into notches 23 in lighting fixture receiving portions 21 of left and right frame members 18 of the horizontal frame 15, and are fixed by retaining members 25 detachably attached to the horizontal frame 15. The left and right ends of the LED lighting fixture 16 are then screwed from above by the retaining members 25 via elastic members 29, thereby fixing the LED lighting fixture 16.

[0009] As described above, both Patent Documents 1 and 2 are devices that utilize conventional straight-tube LED lighting fixtures, in which a structure called a cultivation rack is assembled and the straight-tube LED lighting fixtures are fixed and positioned opposite the cultivation rack.

[0010] JP 2013-017397 A JP 2015-006165 A JP 2008-300158 A JP 2010-251114 A

[0011] The first problem with conventional straight-tube LED lighting devices is that they use LED bulbs or straight-tube LED lighting devices, and the illumination area is small. Although the illumination light is concentrated in the area directly below the LED bulbs or straight-tube LED lighting devices, only a limited area is illuminated when viewed from the overall size of the artificial plant cultivation device. This is one of the reasons for the high cost of artificial plant cultivation devices in conventional technology.

[0012] The second problem with conventional straight-tube LED lighting devices is the need to cool the heat generated by them. In particular, a large number of straight-tube LED lighting fixtures are installed in each artificial cultivation device unit, and large-scale plant factories often have many such units. Furthermore, to prevent the intrusion of pests and the effects of weather changes, artificial cultivation device units are installed indoors and isolated from the outside world. Therefore, heat countermeasures for straight-tube LED lighting devices are important. In particular, heat dissipation is difficult in the summer, and cooling using air conditioning devices increases electricity costs. There are concerns that this problem could become a major obstacle to the widespread use of artificial cultivation devices in plant factories in the future.

[0013] The plant cultivation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not disclose any special measures to increase the illumination area. In other words, the area directly below the straight-tube LED lighting devices arranged in a cultivation rack has an illumination angle of approximately 90 degrees and a short illumination distance, providing a good lighting environment for the LED illumination light. However, as the area moves away from the area directly below, the illumination angle becomes smaller and the illumination distance becomes longer, deteriorating the lighting environment. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not disclose any special measures to deal with heat generated by the plant cultivation device. Instead, the device relies on so-called heat conduction through the electronic boards and straight tubes of the straight-tube LED lighting devices 5 and air cooling (air cooling), and does not employ any efficient thermal countermeasures such as water cooling.

[0014] Patent Document 2 does not disclose any special measures to increase the illumination area of ​​the plant cultivation device. As with Patent Document 1, the area directly below the straight-tube LED lighting devices arranged in the cultivation rack has an illumination angle of approximately 90 degrees and a short illumination distance, providing a good lighting environment for the LED illumination light. However, as the area moves away from the area directly below, the illumination angle becomes smaller and the illumination distance becomes longer, deteriorating the lighting environment. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not disclose any special measures to counter heat generated by the plant cultivation device. Instead, the cultivation rack relies on so-called heat conduction through the electronic boards and straight tubes of the straight-tube LED lighting fixtures 16 and air cooling (air cooling), and no efficient thermal countermeasures such as water cooling are implemented.

[0015] In the prior art, water-cooled thermal solutions are known as thermal solutions partially adopted in general machinery. In the prior art, water-cooled thermal solutions are also known for straight-tube LED lighting fixtures. For example, Patent Document 3 (JP 2008-300158 A) discloses a semiconductor light source, such as an LED, that is cooled using a thin jacket through which a coolant passes. As shown in FIG. 12 , a number of LEDs 12 are mounted on a conductor layer 13 of a light source substrate 11, and heat generated by the LEDs 12 is dissipated by transferring it to a cooling jacket 15. For example, Patent Document 4 (JP 2010-251114 A) discloses a water-cooled LED lighting device. As shown in FIG. 13 , a water-cooled LED lighting device 1 is disclosed that includes a housing 2, a light source unit 3 using LEDs as a light source, a water-cooled unit 5 including a water-cooled jacket 20, a radiator 21, a circulation pump 23, and a fan 22, and a control circuit unit 4 that controls the lighting of the light source unit 3.

[0016] However, the water-cooled LED lighting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are all equipped with a closed water-cooling cooling device within the housing of the LED lighting device itself. In other words, the water used in the water-cooling cooling device is assumed to be repeatedly circulated within the housing of the device itself. Because it is difficult to fit the pump device necessary for circulation within the LED lighting device, only a portion of the circulation path is extended to the outside. The water-cooled LED lighting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are equipped with a complete water-cooling cooling device within the device itself. Even if multiple LED lighting devices are used, the devices disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are simply lined up with each equipped with an independent water-cooling mechanism, and therefore assume water cooling.

[0017] The water-cooled LED lighting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 operate on the premise that cooling is sufficient to prevent the LEDs themselves from being degraded by heat, and the objective of lowering the temperature of the environment where they are installed is not suggested, nor is it cited as a problem. Therefore, water can be kept confined within a circulating pipe within the housing of the device itself. In particular, it is common knowledge that water should be avoided for electronic devices, including LEDs, due to concerns about short circuits, and even if a water-cooling system is adopted, it is important to circulate water within the housing of the device itself in a sealed state.

[0018] In particular, for artificial cultivation devices that use a large number of LED lighting devices densely arranged indoors, isolated from the outside world, simply using a large number of water-cooled LED lighting devices as disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 would gradually accumulate heat through simple water circulation in a sealed circuit, resulting in insufficient heat dissipation efficiency throughout the indoor space where the artificial cultivation device is installed, raising the environmental temperature and potentially creating an unsuitable growing environment for the plants being cultivated. Furthermore, using a large number of water-cooled LED lighting devices as disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 would require a large number of densely arranged pumps, which would increase costs and electricity costs.

[0019] In view of the above problems, the inventor, Sosuke Naito, has continued his research into the development of artificial lighting devices using LED elements, and has come up with the present invention. The object of the present invention is to provide a water-cooled surface light emitting irradiation device that uses an array of LED elements, which are originally point light sources, but which creates a surface light source unit that emits light from a panel, and which uses a water-cooled water crossing connection to pass water between the multiple surface light emitting units; an artificial cultivation device for photosynthetic organisms using the same; and a lighting device for building structures using the same.

[0020] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a surface-emitting illumination device comprising: an LED line light source having a large number of LED chips arranged thereon; a surface-emitting panel having a light-emitting surface and light-guiding side surfaces that introduce irradiation light, the surface-emitting panel having a diffusion structure that serves as a light-guiding plate that diffuses the irradiation light received from the light-guiding side surfaces and causes the light-emitting surface to emit light; the light-guiding side surfaces of the surface-emitting panel are arranged opposite the irradiation surface of the LED line light source to form a surface-emitting unit that emits surface light from the light-guiding side surfaces of the surface-emitting unit; and the surface-emitting illumination device irradiates an illumination object with the irradiation light from the light-emitting side surfaces of the surface-emitting unit. According to the surface-emitting illumination device of the present invention, surface light can be emitted by the light-guiding plate inside the surface-emitting panel of the surface-emitting unit, and LED chips that are point light sources can be used to emit surface light as a surface light source, thereby increasing the effective illumination area.

[0021] In order to achieve the above object, the surface light emitting irradiation device of the present invention, which is a combination of the above surface light emitting irradiation device and a crossover water cooling water guide pipe, comprises an LED line light source having a large number of LED chips arranged therein, a crossover water cooling water guide pipe provided next to the LED line light source and having water cooling water flowing therein, an LED water cooling structure that water-cools the heat generated by the LED line light source by the water cooling water flowing through the crossover water cooling water guide pipe, a light emitting surface, a light guide side surface that introduces the irradiated light, and a diffusion plate that serves as a light guide plate that diffuses the irradiated light received from the light guide side surface and causes the light emitting surface to emit light. a water-cooled surface-emitting unit configured to water-cool the heat generated by the LED line light source using the water-cooling structure, the water-cooled surface-emitting unit including a surface-emitting panel having a structure, the water-cooled surface-emitting unit including a water-cooled water-cooling structure, the water-cooled water-cooling pipes connected between the water-cooled surface-emitting units, and a water-cooled water-cooling water crossover structure through which the water-cooled water crossover structure passes between the water-cooled surface-emitting units, and the water-cooled water-cooling water crossover structure is configured to irradiate the light-emitting surface of the surface-emitting panel onto an object to be irradiated. According to the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention, the combination of the "water-cooled water pipe" and "LED water-cooling structure" formed within the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device and the "water-cooled water pipe" formed between the multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units allows water cooling to be efficiently passed through the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device composed of multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units, thereby transporting heat generated by the LED line light source outside the system and providing thermal management. In winter, the heat recovered through the water-cooled water pipes via the water-cooled water pipes of the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device can be used to directly heat the environment by circulating it as warm air, or to indirectly heat the environment by circulating it as warm air through an installed heat exchanger. In summer, heat can be transported outside the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device and released outdoors via an outdoor heat exchanger.

[0022] In the configuration of the water-cooled surface-emitting illumination device described above, a water-cooled bridge current adjusting unit is provided that adjusts the supply current so that an excess current greater than the rated current flows through the multiple LED chips of the LED line light source, and the excess current greater than the rated current flows through the LED chips by the water-cooled LED structure, so that excess heat generated in the LED chips can be water-cooled. Even when the LED chips emit light at such high brightness that heat dissipation would not be able to keep up with it in conventional technology, the water-cooled bridge type surface-emitting illumination device of the present invention can sufficiently dissipate heat through water cooling, making it possible to improve the illuminance of the LED line light source.

[0023] The water-cooling water crossover connection structure may be configured with crossover water-cooling water pipe connection terminals at the ends of the crossover water-cooling water pipes for connecting the crossover water-cooling water pipes between multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units, and the crossover water-cooling water pipes are connected between the multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units via the crossover water-cooling water pipe connection terminals. Connecting the crossover water-cooling water pipes between multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units allows for flexible formation of water-cooling water channels between the multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units. To simplify the device configuration, the crossover water-cooling water pipes of the crossover water-cooling surface-emitting illumination device of the present invention may be configured to share the crossover water-cooling water pipes between multiple devices. For example, two water-cooled surface-emitting units may be arranged in parallel with the light-guiding sides of their surface-emitting panels facing each other, so that their LED water-cooling structures are adjacent to each other, and the crossover water-cooling water pipes may be shared between them. This configuration allows for multiple water-cooled surface emitting irradiation devices to be installed horizontally by sharing a single water-cooled water pipe on both sides of the pipe. Furthermore, by rotating the configuration by 90 degrees, multiple water-cooled surface emitting irradiation devices to be installed vertically as well.

[0024] Next, for example, two water-cooled surface-emitting units can be arranged so that the light-guiding sides of the surface-emitting panels face the same direction, and the LED water-cooling structures are adjacent to each other, allowing the crossover water-cooling water pipe to be shared. With this configuration, one crossover water-cooling water pipe can be shared, allowing for multiple crossover water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation devices to be stacked vertically. It is also possible to rotate this configuration by 90 degrees to create multiple units.

[0025] The photosynthetic organisms that can be cultivated in the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention may include any one or a combination of vegetables, herbaceous plants, algae, phytoplankton, euglena, bacteria with chloroplasts, microorganisms with chloroplasts, and bacteria with chloroplasts. It is expected that algae and phytoplankton that produce biofuels through photosynthesis will be discovered or artificial photosynthetic organisms will be created through genetic engineering.

[0026] Next, it is possible to configure an artificial photosynthetic organism cultivation device using the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention. The artificial photosynthetic organism cultivation device using the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention comprises an artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf for storing the photosynthetic organisms to be artificially cultivated, a house structure surrounding the cultivation space for the photosynthetic organisms, and a water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device disposed on the ceiling wall of the house structure so as to face the photosynthetic organisms cultivated on the artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf. With the above configuration, an efficient photosynthetic organism cultivation device can be configured if the distance between the wall of the house structure and the photosynthetic organisms planted on the artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf is appropriate. It is also preferable that the inner wall surface of the housing of the house structure be coated with a highly reflective material. With the above configuration, the amount of light emitted by the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device can be efficiently irradiated onto the photosynthetic organisms cultivated on the artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf, thereby maintaining high photosynthetic organism cultivation efficiency.

[0027] In addition, as a configuration of an artificial cultivation device for photosynthetic organisms to which the crossing water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention is applied, it is also possible to configure the shelves for artificially cultivated photosynthetic organisms to be multi-tiered, and to arrange the crossing water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device on the backside of each tier of shelves for artificially cultivated photosynthetic organisms. With this multi-tier configuration, it is possible to cultivate a large number of photosynthetic organisms vertically, which has the advantage of improving space utilization efficiency. Furthermore, instead of using the wall surface of the greenhouse structure to support the crossing water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device, it is also possible to configure the crossing water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device to be positioned facing the photosynthetic organisms using a separate housing that supports the crossing water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device.

[0028] Furthermore, in the water-cooled crossover type surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention, the voltage supply can also be devised. That is, in the configuration of the water-cooled crossover type surface-emitting irradiation device, the voltage supplied to the LED line light source can be configured by electrically connecting the LED line light sources between the water-cooled type surface-emitting units and providing a crossover voltage connection structure that passes the supply power between the multiple water-cooled type surface-emitting units. With this configuration, by combining the "crossover voltage connection structure" formed within the water-cooled crossover type surface-emitting irradiation device and the "crossover voltage connection structure" formed between the multiple water-cooled crossover type surface-emitting irradiation devices, power can be efficiently supplied to each LED line light source in the large-scale water-cooled crossover type surface-emitting irradiation device.

[0029] It is preferable that the voltage supplied to each LED line light source be the rated voltage. For example, if the rated voltage of the LED elements is 3 V and the LED line light source is configured with 30 LED elements connected in series, and 100 V is supplied from an external voltage supply line to each LED line light source, a voltage of approximately 3 V is supplied to each LED element connected in series. If the application is an artificial growth device, small voltage fluctuations are often not a problem, and in many cases, a commercial power supply transformer adjustment is sufficient. Furthermore, a voltage source such as that previously filed by the present inventor in PCT / JP2018 / 013206 is also applicable.

[0030] In this voltage supply configuration, it is preferable that the power supply device has a current control mechanism that controls the amount of current supplied by a switching circuit or thyristor circuit, and that the amount of current can be variably adjusted depending on the situation. This configuration makes it easy to control the amount of current supplied by the current control mechanism to suit the variety being cultivated, and obtain the optimal illuminance from the LED for the photosynthetic organism being cultivated.

[0031] It is also preferable that the system be equipped with a heat exchange mechanism that can absorb heat from the circulating cooling water through heat exchange and supply it to the artificially grown photosynthetic organism shelves, and that the heat absorbed by the cooling water from each of the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation devices be used to supply heat to the shelves for artificially grown photosynthetic organisms, thereby variably adjusting the temperature of the shelves for artificially grown photosynthetic organisms. In addition, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the water supply device be equipped with a valve mechanism with a water temperature adjustment function, so that the temperature of the water supplied to the cooling water pipe can be variably adjusted depending on the photosynthetic organisms being artificially grown. With this configuration, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the cooling water pipe is adjusted by the valve mechanism with a water temperature adjustment function to suit the variety being grown, and the amount of heat supplied to the shelves for artificially grown photosynthetic organisms is adjusted by the heat exchange mechanism. Taking into account the amount of heat absorbed by the LED line light source and the amount of heat supplied to the shelves for artificially grown photosynthetic organisms, the environmental temperature within the shelves for artificially grown photosynthetic organisms can be adjusted to suit the variety being grown, thereby achieving an optimal environmental temperature.

[0032] The water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention is not limited to applications in artificial growing devices, but can also be used for general lighting, i.e., as a lighting device for building structures.

[0033] The surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention enables surface emission through a light guide plate inside the surface-emitting panel of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit, thereby increasing the effective irradiation area. Furthermore, the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention, which combines the "water-cooled water guide pipe" and "LED water-cooling structure" formed within the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device with the "water-cooled water crossover" formed between multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units, allows water cooling water to be efficiently passed through the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device composed of multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units, transporting heat generated by the LED line light source outside the system and providing thermal management. The heat can also be reused by circulating it as warm air within the environment. Even when LED chips emit light at high brightness levels that would be impossible to dissipate in conventional technology, water cooling allows for sufficient heat dissipation, thereby improving the illuminance of the LED line light source. The artificial photosynthetic organism cultivation device using the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device of the present invention makes it possible to construct an efficient artificial photosynthetic organism cultivation device. Furthermore, the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention can be used as a lighting device for building structures, and can provide high-quality indoor lighting with a large effective light-emitting area.

[0034] 1 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a light-emitting surface 152 in a surface light-emitting panel 150; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a crossover voltage connection structure in which current flows between surface light-emitting units 110; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 in which heat from an LED line light source 120 is heat-exchanged with a water-cooled crossover water guide pipe 130 via an LED water-cooling structure 140 and carried away by the flow of water-cooled water; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a water-cooled crossover voltage connection structure and a water-cooled crossover connection structure in which current flows between a plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a simplified configuration of a device in which a water-cooled crossover water guide pipe 130 is shared between a plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of an artificial plant cultivation device 300 to which a water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 according to Example 3 is applied. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a plant cultivation device disclosed in conventional Patent Document 1 (JP 2013-17397 A); FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a plant cultivation device disclosed in conventional Patent Document 2 (JP 2015-006165 A); FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a water-cooled LED illumination device disclosed in conventional Patent Document 3 (JP 2008-300158 A); and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a water-cooled LED illumination device disclosed in conventional Patent Document 4 (JP 2010-251114 A).

[0035] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, examples of the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention, the artificial plant cultivation device using the same, and the lighting device for building structures using the same will be described. It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific uses, shapes, numbers, etc. shown in the following examples. Example 1 shows an example of the configuration of the surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention. Example 2 shows an example of the configuration of the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention. Example 3 shows an example of the configuration of an artificial cultivation device for photosynthetic organisms to which the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention is applied. Example 4 shows an example of the configuration of a lighting device for building structures to which the surface light-emitting irradiation device of the present invention is applied.

[0036] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention according to Example 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram simply showing the configuration of a water-cooled crossover type surface light-emitting irradiation device 100. Some components such as an LED voltage control circuit are not shown.

[0037] 1, the surface light emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention is formed by combining a plurality of surface light emitting units 110. However, since various combinations are possible, we will first explain a single surface light emitting unit 110. The surface light emitting unit 110, which is the basic unit of the surface light emitting irradiation device 100, is configured to include an LED line light source 120, a surface light emitting panel 150, and a crossover voltage supply line 160.

[0038] FIG. 1( a) is a perspective view of the surface-emitting irradiation surface side of the surface-emitting unit 110, i.e., the surface-emitting irradiation surface of the surface-emitting unit 110, viewed from above. Some components are simply illustrated with the internal structure being transparent. FIG. 1( b) is a simplified exploded view showing the individual components that form the surface-emitting unit 110. The surface-emitting panel 150, the LED line light source 120, and the crossover voltage supply line 160 are simply illustrated. FIG. 1( c) is a simplified view showing a simple surface-emitting irradiation device 100 assembled by combining multiple surface-emitting units 110.

[0039] The components of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 will be described below in order. The LED line light source 120 is an illumination body in which a large number of LED elements 122 are mounted in a line along an electronic board 121. In this configuration example, the LED line light source 120 is mounted facing the light-guiding side surface 154 of the surface-emitting panel 150 so that irradiation light is guided to the light-guiding side surface 154 of the surface-emitting panel 150. Therefore, the side of the LED line light source 120 facing the light-guiding side surface 154 of the surface-emitting panel 150 becomes the light irradiation surface.

[0040] The LED element 122 is in the form of a chip, with the light-emitting surface of the LED element on the front side and the electrode surface on the back side. In this example, the LED element is a surface-mounted (SMD) LED element. The emission wavelength of the LED element 122 can be selected according to the intended use and is widely available. For example, in the case of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 of the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 applied to the artificial plant growth device described in Example 3, an emission wavelength that includes many wavelengths effective for plant photosynthesis is preferable. While this depends on the type and structure of the chloroplasts possessed by plants, it is generally believed that three wavelengths—400 to 470 nm (blue wavelength), 640 to 690 nm (red wavelength), and 710 to 740 nm (far-infrared wavelength)—are easily absorbed by chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and beta-carotene and are related to photosynthesis and growth and are efficiently utilized for photosynthesis. Therefore, it is preferable to use an LED element 122 that efficiently emits light in any one of the three wavelength ranges of 400 to 470 nm (blue wavelength), 640 to 690 nm (red wavelength), and 710 to 740 nm (far-infrared wavelength), or a combination thereof. In the case of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 of the surface-emitting illumination device 100 applied to the lighting device for building structures described later in Example 4, it is preferable to use an LED element 122 that has an emission wavelength that appears to humans as white or a yellowish incandescent color. It is generally said that light centered around a wavelength of 555 nm is suitable for humans to perceive objects as bright and easy to see, so a so-called white-emitting LED should be selected.

[0041] These LED elements 122 are arranged in a line to form the LED line light source 120. For example, 30 LEDs 122 are mounted so that they emit light forward. A detailed description of the LED voltage control circuit will be omitted, but it receives voltage supplied from an external power supply device and controls the supply of the necessary power to the LED line light source 120.

[0042] The surface-emitting panel 150 is a panel that diffuses the light irradiated from the LED line light source 120 to illuminate the light-emitting surface. In other words, it can diffuse light from the side to illuminate the entire light-emitting surface 152 approximately evenly. The surface-emitting panel 150 described below is also available in conventional technology, and its structure and mechanism are understood by those skilled in the art as common general technical knowledge. For example, to illuminate the entire light-emitting surface 152 approximately evenly, the diffusion structure 153 described below may have a lower structural density, such as the number of dots, on the side closer to the light-guiding side surface, and a higher structural density, such as the number of dots, on the side farther from the light-guiding side surface. Those skilled in the art would understand its structure and mechanism as common general technical knowledge. The surface-emitting panel 150 includes a panel substrate 151, a light-emitting surface 152, a diffusion structure 153, and a light-guiding side surface 154.

[0043] The panel substrate 151 is the panel material of the surface-emitting panel. A transparent material is preferable; in this example, a highly transparent acrylic resin is used. The size of the panel substrate 151 is not limited, but it can be from several tens of centimeters square to several meters square, or even several tens of meters square, depending on the application. The shape of the panel substrate 151 is also not limited. A rectangular shape is the basic shape. In other words, the light-emitting surface 152 is square or rectangular. For special applications, the light-emitting surface 152 may be elliptical, circular, or even irregular. The three-dimensional shape of the panel substrate 151 is also not limited. While both the front and back surfaces are generally flat, the light-emitting surface 152 on the surface may have a convex or concave shape. The surface of the panel substrate 151 is preferably water-repellent. Even if water droplets or the like fall on the surface, it is advantageous if the water drains well and does not remain on the panel substrate 151.

[0044] The light-emitting surface 152 is all or part of the surface of the panel base material 151. It is a surface that emits light upon receiving the irradiated light diffused by the diffusion structure 153. Depending on the arrangement of the diffusion structure 153 in the surface-emitting panel 150 and the presence or absence of a reflector, the light-emitting surface 152 can be provided on only one surface, or on both the front and back surfaces.

[0045] The diffusion structure 153 is a structure provided inside the panel base material 151 and uniformly diffuses the LED light received from the side. It typically has dots or grooves formed therein. Because the LED light introduced as illumination light travels in a straight line, the light-emitting surface 152 does not emit light uniformly without the diffusion structure 153. The diffusion structure 153 scatters the light received from the side in a straight line using the dots or grooves, allowing the entire light-emitting surface 152 to emit light. The diffusion structure 153 can be provided inside the panel base material 151 by various methods. For example, laser processing is one method. A predetermined surface is imagined inside the panel base material 151, and a laser is focused to scratch the predetermined surface to form an uneven surface. For example, silk printing is one method. A dot pattern is printed on the back surface of the panel base material 151 using luminescent ink. For example, cutting is one method. A groove pattern or dot pattern is cut into the back surface of the panel base material 151 using a plotter. For example, molding is one method. A mold with a groove pattern or dot pattern is prepared, and molten acrylic material is poured into the mold to form the acrylic material. In this manner, the diffusing structure 153 is provided with a pattern that reflects and scatters the light emitted by the LED. In this configuration example, the light emitted by the LED is guided from the light-guiding side surface 154. Therefore, in order to make the light-emitting panel 150 emit light uniformly, it is also possible to adjust the density of the dots and grooves of the diffusing structure 153 depending on the distance from the light-guiding side surface 154. For example, by making the density relatively low in areas closer to the light-guiding side surface 154 and making the density of the dots and grooves of the diffusing structure 153 relatively high the further away from the light-emitting panel 150, the light-emitting panel 150 can emit light uniformly.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagram simply illustrating the arrangement of the light-emitting surface 152 and the diffusing structure 153 in the surface-emitting panel 150, and whether or not a reflector 153-2 is provided. FIG. 2( a) is a diagram simply illustrating a configuration in which the light-emitting surface 152 is provided on both sides. FIG. 2( b) is a diagram simply illustrating a configuration in which the light-emitting surface 152 is provided on only one side. FIG. 2( a) shows the diffusing structure 153 provided near the center of the panel substrate 151. That is, the dots and grooves of the diffusing structure reflect and diffuse light both toward the front and back sides. That is, the LED illumination light is diffused toward the front side and also toward the back side. Thus, whether the light-emitting surface 152 in the surface-emitting panel 150 is one-sided or two-sided depends on the presence or absence of the diffusing structure 153 and the reflector 153-2 inside the panel substrate 151. FIG. 2( b) shows the diffusing structure 153 provided inside the panel substrate 151 on the back side of the panel substrate 151 or near the back side. That is, while the light emitted by the LED is scattered in both directions by the diffusion structure 153, the light emitted by the LED is diffused in only one direction by providing the reflector 153-2.

[0047] The light-guiding side surface 154 is a surface that introduces the LED irradiation light from the LED line light source 120. The light-guiding side surface 154 of the surface-emitting panel 150 is disposed opposite the irradiation surface of the LED line light source 120, and the LED irradiation light from the LED line light source 120 is introduced. Note that although the introduced LED irradiation light is a straight light, it is preferable to introduce it so that it is incident in the direction of the diffusion structure 153. The introduced LED irradiation light is uniformly diffused by the diffusion structure 153, and the light-emitting surface 152 emits light.

[0048] The crossover voltage supply wire 160 is a metal strip or wire that conducts electricity to the LED line light source 120. The crossover voltage supply wire 160 conducts electricity through the surface-emitting units 110 in a continuous manner, enabling power to be supplied to each LED line light source 120. FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram illustrating a crossover voltage connection structure that conducts electricity across multiple surface-emitting units 110. As shown in FIG. 7, the terminals of the crossover voltage supply wire 160 are connected across adjacent surface-emitting units 110, forming a crossover voltage connection structure that also conducts electricity. In the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 in FIG. 1, the terminals of the crossover voltage supply wire 160 are simply drawn at the end of the electronic board 121 of the LED line light source 120, but by electrically connecting these terminals, the crossover voltage connection structure shown in FIG. 3 is formed. These crossover voltage supply wires 160 and crossover voltage connection structure connect multiple surface-emitting units 110, forming a large-scale surface-emitting illumination device 100. Furthermore, a plurality of surface light-emitting irradiation devices 100 can be connected to each other to form a large-scale group of surface light-emitting irradiation devices.

[0049] The water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 configured as described above is a single unit formed by combining the LED line light source 120 and the surface-emitting panel 150. To summarize the operation of one surface-emitting unit 110, the light-guiding side surface 154 of the surface-emitting panel 150 is disposed opposite the irradiation surface of the LED line light source 120, and the introduced LED irradiation light is uniformly diffused by the diffusion structure 153, and the light-emitting surface 152 emits light.

[0050] The surface light emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention is composed of at least a plurality of surface light emitting units 110, and the plurality of surface light emitting units 110 are connected to each other, and crossover voltage supply lines 160 are connected between the plurality of surface light emitting units 110 to form a "crossover voltage connection structure" in which the supply voltage is crossed between the plurality of surface light emitting units 110.

[0051] An example of the configuration of the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention, which is designed to dissipate heat by using a water-cooled water pipe according to Example 2, is shown. Figure 4 is a diagram simply showing the configuration of the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device 100. Some components, such as an LED voltage control circuit, are not shown.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 4, the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention is formed by combining a plurality of water-cooled surface-emitting units 110. However, since various combinations are possible, we will first explain one single water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110. The water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110, which is the basic unit of the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100, is configured to include an LED line light source 120, a water-cooled water guide pipe 130, an LED water-cooling structure 140 (not shown in Fig. 4), a surface-emitting panel 150, and a voltage supply line 160. The power supply device that supplies power to the voltage supply line 160 is also configured to include a current adjuster 170 (not shown in Fig. 4).

[0053] FIG. 4( a ) is a perspective view of the surface-emitting irradiation surface of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110, i.e., the surface-emitting irradiation surface of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110, viewed from above. Some components are shown in a simplified view, with the internal structure transparent. Note that the example in FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which a diffusion structure 153 is provided near the back surface, and a light-emitting surface 152 is provided on only one side. FIG. 4( b ) is a simplified exploded view showing the components that make up the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110. The surface-emitting panel 150, LED line light source 120, crossover water-cooling water conduit 130, and crossover voltage supply line 160 are simply illustrated. FIG. 4( c ) is a simplified view showing a simple crossover water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 assembled by combining multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units 110.

[0054] The following describes the components of the water-cooled surface light emitting unit 110. The LED line light source 120 may have the same configuration as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0055] Next, the crossover cooling water conduit 130 is a pipe through which water-cooled water flows. Because it is used for water-cooled heat exchange, it is preferably made of a material with good thermal conductivity. For example, a metal pipe such as an aluminum pipe or a copper pipe is preferable. It is designed to prevent cooling water leakage in the circumferential direction while allowing cooling water to flow through in the longitudinal direction. The crossover cooling water conduit 130 is installed alongside the LED line light source 120, and is positioned to easily absorb heat generated by the LED line light source 120. The ends of the crossover cooling water conduit 130 are connected across adjacent water-cooled surface-emitting units 110, forming a water-cooled water crossover connection 131 through which water flows. In this way, the water-cooled water crossing pipe 130 and the water-cooled water crossing connection 131 can be used to connect multiple water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110 and multiple water-cooled water-crossing surface light-emitting irradiation devices 100, thereby enabling the construction of a large-scale water-cooled water-crossing surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 in which water-cooled water is passed around the device.

[0056] The LED water-cooling structure 140 efficiently exchanges heat between the LED line light source 120 and the connecting water cooling water conduit 130, and water-cools the heat generated by the LED line light source 120 using the cooling water flowing through the connecting water cooling water conduit 130. The configuration is not shown in FIG. 4 . The structure of the LED water-cooling structure 140 is not limited. For example, the LED elements 122 of the LED line light source 120 are arranged on a thin electronic board 121, and the structure may be formed by wire members or pillar members made of a highly thermally conductive material (e.g., aluminum or copper) that connect the back side (the side opposite the mounting surface of the LED elements 122) of the thin electronic board 121 on which each LED element 122 is mounted to the connecting water cooling water conduit 130 while maintaining electrical insulation. Alternatively, the LED water-cooling structure 140 may be formed by a structure in which the electronic board 121 of the LED line light source 120 also serves as the cooling water conduit 130. The electronic board 121 has a structure that ensures insulation while including a highly thermally conductive portion. If the electronic board 121 of the LED line light source 120 and the connecting water cooling water conduit 130 are arranged in a heat-exchangeable state, heat from each LED element 122 of the LED line light source 120 can be conducted to the connecting water cooling water conduit 130 via the highly thermally conductive portion. The LED water-cooling structure 140 also includes a structure in which the LED line light source 120 and the connecting water cooling water conduit 130 are in direct contact with each other, as long as the materials are insulating and allow for direct heat exchange between them. Because the LED line light source 120 is an electronic element, direct contact with water without insulating it is undesirable due to the risk of short circuits. If the connecting water cooling water conduit 130 has a pipe-like structure and is designed to prevent cooling water from leaking onto its periphery, heat from the LED line light source 120 can be conducted without electrical interference.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram illustrating how heat from the LED line light source 120 is exchanged with the connecting water cooling water pipe 130 via the LED water cooling structure 140 and carried away by the flow of cooling water. It is depicted in a plan view. To make the heat exchange easier to understand, only a portion of the device configuration is shown in FIG. 5 . The LED water cooling structure 140 is also omitted from the illustration. Only a portion of the continuously connected water-cooled surface light-emitting unit 110 is depicted. The cooling water in the connecting water cooling water pipe 130 flows from the bottom to the top in the figure. Arrows are used to clearly illustrate the movement of heat and the flow of cooling water.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5 , heat generated by each LED element 122 on the electronic board 121 in the LED line light source 120 is absorbed by the water-cooling pipe 130 via the LED water-cooling structure 140. Water-cooling water flows through the water-cooling pipe 130, and the heat generated by each LED element 122 is absorbed by the water-cooling water and travels through the water-cooling pipe 130 along with the water-cooling water before being discharged outside the system. As will be described later, even when the LED elements 122 emit light at a high brightness that would be impossible to dissipate in conventional technology, the water-cooling surface-emitting lighting device 100 of the present invention can sufficiently dissipate heat through the water-cooling structure 140 and the flow of water-cooling water through the water-cooling pipe 130, thereby improving the illuminance of the LED line light source 120. The dissipated heat can also be reused by circulating it as warm air in the environment.

[0059] The surface-emitting panel 150 may be the same as in Example 1, and a detailed description of the surface-emitting panel 150 will be omitted here, but the configuration of Example 2 differs in that a crossover water-cooled water conduit 130 and an LED water-cooling structure 140 are formed when connecting the surface-emitting panels 150 together, and the heat generated by the LED line light source 120 is water-cooled by the water-cooled water flowing through the crossover water-cooled water conduit 130.

[0060] The crossover voltage supply wire 160 may be the same as in Example 1, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Figure 7 is a simplified diagram illustrating a crossover voltage connection structure that passes current between multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units 110. As in Figure 3 of Example 1, the terminals of the crossover voltage supply wire 160 are connected across adjacent water-cooled surface-emitting units 110, forming a crossover voltage connection structure that also passes current. In the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 in Figure 4, the terminals of the crossover voltage supply wire 160 are simply drawn at the end of the electronic board 121 of the LED line light source 120. By electrically connecting these terminals, a crossover voltage connection structure as shown in Figure 7 is formed. The crossover water-cooling connection structure shown in Figure 5 also provides heat dissipation along with current flow. The crossover voltage supply wire 160 and crossover voltage connection structure, the crossover water-cooling conduit 130 and crossover water-cooling connection structure connect multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units 110, forming a large-scale crossover water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100. Furthermore, a plurality of water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation devices 100 can be connected to each other to form a large-scale group of water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation devices.

[0061] The crossover current adjustment unit 170 (not shown) is a current control circuit that adjusts the supply current so that an excess current greater than the rated current flows through the multiple LED chip elements 122 in the LED line light source 120. The crossover current adjustment unit 170 receives power supplied from an external power supply device and adjusts the supply current so that an excess current greater than the rated current flows through the multiple LED chip elements 122 in the LED line light source 120. The crossover water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention causes the LED chip elements 122 to emit light at an excess brightness greater than the rated capacity of the LED chip elements 122 used. In other words, the LED line light source 120 emits light at an excess brightness greater than the range designed for the number and capacity of the LED chip elements 122 mounted on it. In conventional technology, the heat generated by the LED chip elements 122 would be a problem if the heat dissipation could not keep up, causing the LED chip elements 122 to deteriorate themselves. However, the water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention employs a water-cooling water crossover connection structure using the crossover water-cooling water conduit 130 described above, as shown in FIG. 7. This allows the water-cooling water to absorb the heat generated by the LED chip elements 122 extremely efficiently, and the water-cooling water flows through the crossover water-cooling water conduit 130 to be discharged outside the system, so that the LED chip elements 122 can be operated without any problems even when they are made to emit light at a brightness higher than their rated capacity.

[0062] Water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 configured as described above is a single unit that combines LED line light source 120, crossover cooling water guide pipe 130, LED water-cooling structure 140, and surface-emitting panel 150. To summarize the operation of one water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110, surface-emitting panel 150 is disposed so that light-guiding side surface 154 faces the irradiation surface of LED line light source 120, and the introduced LED irradiation light is uniformly diffused by diffusion structure 153, resulting in surface emission from light-emitting surface 152. Heat generated by LED line light source 120 is water-cooled by LED water-cooling structure 140.

[0063] The water-cooled crossover surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention is composed of at least a plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110. A water-cooled water crossover connection structure is formed by connecting the water-cooled water conduits 130 between the plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110, thereby providing a water-cooled water crossover connection structure for crossover water between the plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110. Furthermore, a crossover voltage supply line 160 is connected between the plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110, thereby providing a crossover voltage connection structure for crossover voltage between the plurality of water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110. The crossover current adjustment unit 170 adjusts the supply current so that an "excess current" greater than the rated current flows through the numerous LED chip elements 122 of the LED line light source 120, thereby causing the LED chip elements 122 to emit light at an "excess brightness" greater than the rated capacity of the LED chip elements 122 used. As a result, the illuminance of the water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110 is increased, resulting in a high-illuminance surface illumination.

[0064] Next, we will explain how to simplify the device configuration by sharing the water-cooling water pipe 130 between multiple water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110 in the water-cooling water-transfer type surface light-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention. Each diagram in Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of only a portion of the structure to simplify the structure.

[0065] FIG. 8( a) shows a simplified parallel-type configuration. In this simplified parallel-type configuration, two water-cooled surface-emitting units 110 are arranged in parallel with the light-guiding side surfaces 154 of the surface-emitting panels 150 facing each other, so that the LED water-cooling structures 140 are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, and the central crossover cooling water guide pipe 130 is shared. As shown in FIG. 8( a), a first water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 is located on the left side, and a second water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 is located on the right side. Note that FIG. 8( a) only shows a portion near the light-guiding side surface 154. The LED line light source 120 of the first water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 on the left side emits LED light toward the left side of the figure, and the substrate of the LED line light source 120 faces toward the center of the figure. Although not shown, the LED water-cooling structure 140 also faces toward the center of the figure. The LED line light source 120 of the second water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 on the right radiates LED light toward the right in the drawing, and the substrate of the LED line light source 120 faces toward the center of the drawing. Although not shown, the LED water-cooling structure 140 also faces toward the center of the drawing.

[0066] 8(a), the existing crossover water cooling water conduits 130 are shared to provide a single crossover water cooling water conduit 130. If the water volume in the crossover water cooling water conduit 130 is sufficient to absorb heat from the two left and right LED line light sources 120 and the water flow in the crossover water cooling water conduit 130 is sufficient to carry away the heat generated by the two left and right water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110, the "water-cooling water crossover connection structure" can function, and the simplified parallel configuration that simplifies the device configuration is a useful structure.

[0067] FIG. 8( b ) shows a simplified configuration of the so-called stacked type. It is shown as a hybrid of the simplified parallel type and simplified stacked type configurations. In the simplified stacked type configuration, two water-cooled surface-emitting units 110 are stacked so that the light-guiding sides 154 of the surface-emitting panels 150 face the same direction, and the LED water-cooling structures 140 are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, sharing the central crossover cooling water guide pipe 130. In this simplified stacked type configuration, the light-emitting surfaces 152 of the surface-emitting panels 150 are single-sided. Because the light-emitting surfaces 152 are single-sided, by aligning the surfaces of the surface-emitting panels 150 that do not form the light-emitting surfaces 152 (by connecting them back to back), a configuration like two stacked layers, as shown in FIG. 8( b ), is possible.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 8( b), a first water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 is located on the upper side, and a second water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 is located on the lower side. Note that FIG. 8( b) also shows only a portion near the light-guiding side surface 154. The LED line light source 120 of the upper first water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 emits LED light toward the left side in the figure, and the substrate of the LED line light source 120 faces toward the center of the figure. Although not shown, the LED water-cooling structure 140 also faces toward the center of the figure. The LED line light source 120 of the lower second water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110 emits LED light toward the right side in the figure, and the substrate of the LED line light source 120 faces toward the center of the figure. Although not shown, the LED water-cooling structure 140 also faces toward the center of the figure. Here, as shown in FIG. 8( b), the connecting water-cooling water guide pipes 130 that would normally exist in each unit are shared, and a single connecting water-cooling water guide pipe 130 is provided. If the water volume in the crossover water cooling water conduit 130 is sufficient to absorb the heat from the two upper and lower LED line light sources 120, and the water flow in the crossover water cooling water conduit 130 is sufficient to carry away the heat generated by the two upper and lower water-cooled surface light-emitting units 110, then the "water-cooled water crossover connection structure" can function, and therefore the simplified stacked structure that simplifies the device configuration is a useful structure.

[0069] Figure 8(c) shows an example of a hybrid configuration that combines the so-called parallel simplified configuration and the vertically arranged simplified configuration, in which the light-emitting surface 152 of the surface-emitting panel 150 is on both sides. Because the light-emitting surface 152 is on both sides, it is assumed that light will be emitted from both sides of the surface-emitting panel 150, and therefore it is not appropriate to stack the panels as shown in Figure 8(b), and a space is provided between the upper and lower tiers. This hybrid configuration is the same as the simplified stacked configuration of Figure 8(b), in that a space is provided between the upper and lower tiers. Since the operating principles and heat exchange principles are the same, a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0070] The above is an example of the basic configuration of the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 of the present invention according to Example 2. The water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 configured as described above enables surface emission through the diffusion structure 153, which is a light guide plate inside the surface-emitting panel 150 of the water-cooled surface-emitting unit 110, thereby increasing the effective irradiation area. Furthermore, the combination of the water-cooled water guide pipe 130, the LED water-cooling structure 140, and the "water-cooled water crossover connections" formed between the multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units 110 within the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiation device 100 allows water cooling water to be efficiently passed between the multiple water-cooled surface-emitting units, transporting heat generated by the LED line light source 120 outside the system to provide thermal management. This heat can also be reused by circulating it as warm air in the environment. Furthermore, the crossover current adjusting section 170 adjusts the supply current so that an "excess current" greater than the rated current flows through the many LED chip elements 122 of the LED line light source 120, causing the LED chip elements 122 to emit light at an "excess brightness" that is higher than the rated capacity of the LED chip elements 122 being used. The crossover water cooling water connection structure efficiently transports heat generated by the LED line light source 120 outside the system as a heat countermeasure, and as a result, the illuminance of the water-cooled surface light emitting unit 110 increases, resulting in a high-illuminance surface lighting body.

[0071] Example 3 shows an example of the configuration of an artificial plant growing device using a water-cooled cross-sectional surface light-emitting irradiation device. Figure 9 is a simplified diagram illustrating the configuration of an artificial plant growing device 300 using a water-cooled cross-sectional surface light-emitting irradiation device 100. Each figure shows a cross section of the artificial plant growing device 300, and this basic configuration can be extended in the depth direction of the page to achieve a larger scale. Furthermore, multiple artificial plant growing devices 300 shown in Figure 9 can be arranged in parallel to achieve a larger scale. In the case of a larger scale, although not shown, the "water-cooled cross-sectional water connection" and "cross-sectional voltage connection structure" shown in Example 2 allow water-cooled water and supply voltage to be passed between the surface light-emitting panels 110 of the water-cooled cross-sectional surface light-emitting irradiation device 100. As shown in Figure 9, the artificial plant growing device 300 includes an artificial plant growing shelf 310, a greenhouse structure 320, and a water-cooled cross-sectional surface light-emitting irradiation device 100. A simple illustration of a plant 400 to be planted is also shown.

[0072] The artificially grown plant shelf 310 is a planting shelf for storing artificially grown plants. The artificially grown plant shelf 310 is available in various types and structures, and may be a known type. It may be a single-tier or multi-tiered type. The medium placed in each tier of the planting shelf can be soil culture using potting soil, or hydroponic culture using a nutrient solution. There are no restrictions on the plants that can be planted on the artificially grown plant shelf 310, and any type of plant can be used. Generally, edible vegetables and ornamental flowers are suitable.

[0073] The greenhouse structure 320 encloses the plant growing space and makes it less susceptible to environmental changes from the outside. The material and structure of the greenhouse structure 320 are not limited. For example, it may be a structure such as a commonly used vinyl greenhouse. It may also be a structure such as a dome house, which has recently begun to be proposed and whose walls are made of a foamed resin material.

[0074] In the configuration example shown in Figure 9(a), the artificial plant growing shelf 310 is a single-tier structure, and the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiating device 100 shown in Example 2 is disposed on the ceiling wall of the greenhouse structure 320 so as to face the plants planted on the artificial plant growing shelf 310. In this configuration example, the height of the ceiling wall is preferably greater than the height of the worker so as not to interfere with the worker's work. However, if the ceiling wall is too high, a spatial distance will be created between the artificial plant growing shelf 310 and the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiating device 100 on the ceiling wall, which may reduce the efficiency of the LED irradiation light. Therefore, it is preferable to raise the height of the artificial plant growing shelf 310 to a height that does not interfere with the worker's work, for example, to waist or stomach height. In the configuration example shown in Figure 9(b), the artificial plant growing shelf 310 is a multi-tier structure, and the water-cooled surface-emitting irradiating device 100 shown in Example 2 is disposed on the back side of each tier of the artificial plant growing shelf 310. The configuration example of FIG. 9(b) has the advantage of improving space utilization efficiency because it allows a large number of plants to be grown vertically.

[0075] Furthermore, instead of using the wall of the greenhouse structure 320 as a support structure for the water-cooled-type surface-emitting irradiation device 100, a separate housing 330 may be used to support the water-cooled-type surface-emitting irradiation device 100, with the device facing the plants. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 8( c), the artificial plant growing shelf 310 is positioned relatively low, or the artificially grown plants are planted directly on the ground. The light-emitting surface 152 of the surface-emitting panel 150 is oriented to face the plants, and the housing 330 supports the water-cooled-type surface-emitting irradiation device 100. In other words, the configuration is rotated 90 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 4 and installed upright. Heat generated by the water-cooled-type surface-emitting irradiation device 100 can be recovered by water cooling, and this heat can be used to circulate the heat as warm air within the environment for reuse. This is particularly effective as a winter measure. As shown in Example 2, the crossover current adjustment unit 170 adjusts the supply current so that an "excess current" greater than the rated current flows through the many LED chip elements 122 of the LED line light source 120, making it possible to cause the LED chip elements 122 to emit light at an "excess brightness" that is brighter than the rated capacity of the LED chip elements 122 being used.Since heat dissipation measures can be taken using the crossover water-cooled water conduit 130 and the LED water-cooling structure 140, sufficient illuminance can be obtained with fewer LED elements 122 than before, and photosynthetic organisms can be grown efficiently.

[0076] Example 4 shows an example of the configuration of a lighting device for a building structure to which a surface-emitting illumination device is applied. The crossover water-cooled surface-emitting illumination device 100 can be used as a lighting device for a building structure. As a lighting device for a building structure, the surface-emitting illumination device 100 shown in Examples 1 and 2 can be installed in the interior or corridor of a general building structure. In other words, the crossover water-cooled surface-emitting illumination device 100 of the present invention can be installed where general building lighting is installed. As shown in Example 2, the crossover current adjustment unit 170 adjusts the supply current so that an "excess current" greater than the rated current flows through the multiple LED chip elements 122 of the LED line light source 120, allowing the LED chip elements 122 to emit light at an "excess brightness" greater than the rated capacity of the LED chip elements 122 used. Furthermore, heat dissipation measures are implemented using the crossover water-cooled water conduit 130 and the LED water-cooling structure 140, so sufficient illuminance can be obtained with fewer LED elements 122 than in the past, making it effective for building lighting.

[0077] It will be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention can be widely applied to a cross-water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device, a culture device for a multilayer structure using the same, an artificial plant growth device using the same, and a lighting device for a building structure using the same.

[0078] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Water-cooled surface light-emitting irradiation device 110 Water-cooled surface light-emitting unit 110 120 LED line light source 130 Water-cooled water guide pipe for water-cooling 140 LED water-cooling structure 150 Surface light-emitting panel 160 Water-cooling voltage supply line 170 Water-cooling current adjustment unit 200 Cultivation device 300 Artificial cultivation device 310 Artificially cultivated plant shelf 320 House structure 330 Supporting housing 400 Lighting device for building structure

Claims

1. A surface-emitting illumination device comprising: an LED line light source having a large number of LED chips arranged thereon; a surface-emitting panel having a light-emitting surface and a light-guiding side surface that introduces irradiated light, the surface-emitting panel having a diffusion structure that serves as a light-guiding plate that diffuses the irradiated light received from the light-guiding side surface and causes the light-emitting surface to emit light; the light-guiding side surface of the surface-emitting panel is placed opposite the irradiation surface of the LED line light source to form a surface-emitting unit that causes the light-emitting surface to emit light; and the surface-emitting illumination device irradiates the irradiated light from the light-emitting surface of the surface-emitting unit to an illumination object.

2. A surface light emission irradiation device as described in claim 1, comprising: a water-cooled water guide pipe arranged next to the LED line light source and flowing water-cooled water inside; an LED water-cooling structure for water-cooling the heat generated by the LED line light source by the water-cooled water flowing through the water-cooled water guide pipe; the surface light emission panel being a water-cooled surface light emission unit for water-cooling the heat generated by the LED line light source by the water-cooled water guide pipe and the LED water-cooling structure; and the water-cooled water guide pipes being connected between a plurality of water-cooled surface light emission units and combined with a water-cooled water crossing connection structure through which the water-cooled water crosses between a plurality of water-cooled surface light emission units to form a crossing water-cooled surface light emission irradiation device.

3. The surface light emitting irradiation device according to claim 2, further comprising a crossover current adjustment unit that adjusts the supply current so that an excess current larger than the rated current flows through the multiple LED chips of the LED line light source, the excess current larger than the rated current is caused to flow through the LED chips by the crossover current adjustment unit, and heat generated in the LED chips is water-cooled by the crossover water cooling water conduit and the LED water cooling structure.

4. The surface light emitting irradiation device described in claim 3, characterized in that an end of the crossover water cooling water pipe is provided with a crossover water cooling water pipe connection terminal for connecting the crossover water cooling water pipes between a plurality of water-cooled surface light emitting units, and the water cooling water crossover connection structure connects the crossover water cooling water pipes between a plurality of water-cooled surface light emitting units via the connection between the crossover water cooling water pipe connection terminals.

5. The surface light emitting irradiation device described in claim 4, characterized in that two of the water-cooled surface light emitting units are arranged in parallel with the light guiding sides of the surface light emitting panels facing each other, so that the LED water cooling structures are adjacent to each other, and the crossover water cooling water guide pipes are shared between them.

6. The surface light emitting irradiation device described in claim 4, characterized in that two of the water-cooled surface light emitting units are arranged so that the light-guiding sides of the surface light emitting panels face the same direction, thereby arranging the LED water cooling structures adjacent to each other and sharing the crossover water cooling water guide pipes between them.

7. An apparatus for artificially cultivating photosynthetic organisms utilizing a surface-emitting irradiation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising an artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf for storing the photosynthetic organisms to be artificially cultivated, and the surface-emitting irradiation device is disposed on the ceiling wall surface of a house structure so as to face the photosynthetic organisms cultivated on the artificially cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf.

8. An apparatus for artificially cultivating photosynthetic organisms utilizing a surface light-emitting irradiation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising an artificially-cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf for storing the photosynthetic organisms to be artificially cultivated, the artificially-cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf being of a multi-tiered type, and the surface light-emitting irradiation device being disposed on the back surface of each tier of the artificially-cultivated photosynthetic organism shelf.

9. The device for artificially cultivating photosynthetic organisms as described in claim 8, characterized in that the wavelength range of the light emitted by the LED line light source is any one of the three regions of 400 to 470 nm (blue wavelength), 640 to 690 nm (red wavelength), and 710 to 740 nm (far-infrared wavelength), or a combination thereof.

10. An apparatus for artificially cultivating photosynthetic organisms utilizing a surface-emitting irradiation device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising an artificial cultivation area for planting photosynthetic organisms to be artificially cultivated, and the surface-emitting irradiation device, wherein the surface-emitting panel is disposed so as to face the photosynthetic organisms.

11. An apparatus for artificially cultivating photosynthetic organisms as described in claim 10, characterized in that the wavelength range of the light emitted by the LED line light source is any one of the three regions of 400 to 470 nm (blue wavelength), 640 to 690 nm (red wavelength), and 710 to 740 nm (far-infrared wavelength), or a combination thereof.

12. A lighting device for use in a building structure, which utilizes the surface light emitting irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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