Agricultural building environmental control system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing environmental control systems in agricultural buildings struggle to maintain optimal environmental conditions across multiple zones, leading to physiological stress on animals due to improper ventilation and temperature control.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a zone-based environmental control system that includes a main controller, smart hubs, temperature sensors, and environmental control devices such as heaters and exhaust fans. This system allows for independent control of each zone based on setpoint temperatures and real-time environmental data, while also preventing the activation of devices in one zone if an operating condition in another zone is met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If independent zone control is implemented, then environmental precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The agricultural building is divided into multiple independent zones, each with its own environmental control system including temperature sensors, smart hubs, and control devices. This segmentation allows each zone to be controlled independently based on local conditions, improving environmental precision while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from centralized control to a distributed hierarchical control architecture, adding a spatial dimension to control management. Each zone operates semi-independently under its own smart hub while remaining coordinated through the main controller, resolving the complexity-precision tradeoff through dimensional restructuring of the control system.
2Reliability
If real-time environmental monitoring is implemented, then animal health is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic environmental monitoring and control actions rather than continuous operation. Temperature sensors and control devices operate in cycles, adjusting environmental conditions periodically based on accumulated data and setpoint comparisons, reducing energy consumption while maintaining animal health through regular monitoring intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where temperature sensors continuously monitor environmental conditions and feed this information back to smart hubs and controllers. This feedback loop enables the system to make targeted adjustments only when deviations from setpoints are detected, improving animal health through responsive control while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption from constant operation.
3Productivity
If coordinated control between zones is implemented, then system efficiency is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges independent zone controls with centralized coordination through the main controller. Each zone maintains its own smart hub and control logic for local efficiency, while the main controller provides overarching coordination to optimize system-wide performance. This merging approach achieves system efficiency through coordinated operation without requiring complex inter-zone control logic at the device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The main controller serves multiple functions: it acts as a centralized coordinator for inter-zone optimization, a backup control authority for fault tolerance, and a data aggregation point for system-wide analytics. This multi-functionality improves system efficiency through coordinated control while managing complexity by consolidating coordination functions at a single control level rather than distributing complex logic across all devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains optimal environmental conditions within agricultural buildings, reducing animal stress and improving growth rates, egg or milk production, and overall health by ensuring precise control of temperature and ventilation across multiple zones.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone
Implementation Method 2
at least one heating device connected to the source of combustible gas through a supply line and configured to generate heat by burning the combustible gas when activated
Implementation Method 3
at least one environmental control device selected from the group consisting of a heating device and an exhaust fan
Data Source
AI summary
An environmental control system for controlling environmental conditions within an open interior of an agricultural building includes a main controller, and a plurality of zone systems. Each zone system is configured to control environmental conditions within one of a plurality of zones within the open interior, and includes at least one environmental control device, a temperature sensor configured to output a temperature signal indicating a temperature within the zone, and a smart hub configured to control the at least one environmental control device of the corresponding zone based on low and high setpoint temperatures for the zone issued by the main controller and the temperature signal issued by the temperature sensor of the zone. The main controller is configured to prevent activation of an environmental control device in one of the zones by the smart hub based on an operating condition of an environmental control device in another zone.