Growing Container Lighting Mechanism for Vertical Farming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vertical farming systems face challenges in achieving uniform light distribution in densely packed, stacked container systems, leading to inefficient lighting and potential directional growth issues for crops.
Innovation Solution
The system employs panel members with lighting means that can be moved from a parallel to a perpendicular position within the container, using a worm gear mechanism to ensure even light distribution across each growing container, eliminating the need for large area lighting solutions and allowing for flexible positioning of lights adjacent to the bins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If large area lighting solutions are used in densely packed container systems, then light coverage is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple individual lighting units, each serving a specific container. Instead of using a single large lighting array, the system segments the illumination function into distributed smaller units that can be independently positioned and controlled for each container in the stack.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting approach transitions from a horizontal plane illumination (large area lighting) to a vertical dimension solution. Lighting units are positioned at multiple heights and angles around the containers, delivering light from different spatial dimensions to achieve uniform distribution without requiring large horizontal coverage areas.
2Illumination intensity
If fixed lighting positions are used in stacked containers, then device complexity is reduced, but light distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting units are designed with movable and adjustable positioning capabilities rather than fixed installations. Each lighting unit can be dynamically positioned at optimal locations and angles relative to its container, allowing adaptation to different container positions in the stack and different growth stages of plants.
Solution Approach 2:
Each lighting unit is independently configured to provide optimized illumination for its specific container based on local requirements. The positioning and orientation of each lighting unit can be adjusted to match the specific needs of plants in that container, rather than using a uniform fixed lighting pattern for all containers.
3Use of energy by moving object
If directional lighting is used in stacked containers, then lighting efficiency is improved, but plant growth uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each lighting unit is independently oriented and positioned to deliver directional light precisely where needed within its container. The lighting angle, intensity, and position can be locally optimized for each container's plant growth stage and container location in the stack, ensuring uniform plant development while maintaining high lighting efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic adjustment of lighting parameters including intensity, angle, and duration for each lighting unit based on plant growth requirements and container position. This enables optimization of photosynthesis efficiency while preventing uneven growth patterns that would result from fixed directional lighting.
Data Source
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AI summary
A growing container for use in a growing system is described. The growing system comprises a plurality of containers arranged in stacks, where at least one of the containers is a growing container. The stacks are arranged within a series of uprights forming a framework and beneath a load handling track grid. The system comprises a series of lighting means deployable from a first position adjacent a container in the stacks to a second position above the container, such that the light emitted by the lighting means is evenly distributed across the growing volume of the container. The growing container comprises a tray-like base and a box-type supporting framework mounted above the tray-like base to form a support for arranging the plurality of growing containers in a self-supported stack. The growing container also comprises a guide portion positioned along opposing sides at the top of the box-type support structure for guiding the lighting means between the first position and the second position.