Hydroponic Lighting Height Adjustment and Cleanroom Airflow Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydroponic plant cultivation systems face challenges such as excessive air conditioning capacity, humidity issues, heat accumulation from lighting devices, inefficient light distribution, and difficulties in handling liquid fertilizers, which affect plant growth and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A plant cultivation system with a skeletal rack structure for air circulation, adjustable lighting, and a liquid fertilizer hose design that prevents leakage and facilitates easy attachment/detachment, along with a cleanroom modification to control air circulation and humidity, optimizing light reflection and fertilizer management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a down-flow cleanroom is used for hydroponic cultivation, then air circulation and contamination control are improved, but heat accumulation from lighting devices and humidity issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The cleanroom is divided into multiple floors with different functions: the first floor contains air supply holes for clean air delivery, while the second floor contains air vent holes for exhaust. This segmentation allows independent control of air supply and exhaust functions, enabling heat dissipation while maintaining contamination control.
Solution Approach 2:
An air-conditioning unit is introduced as an intermediary device to manage air circulation between the cleanroom floors. It receives air from the ceiling, conditions it, and supplies it to the first floor, while exhaust air from the second floor is processed separately. This mediator enables precise temperature and humidity control without compromising the cleanroom environment.
2Productivity
If multiple cultivation shelves are used to increase plant density, then productivity is improved, but light distribution efficiency worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal light distribution to vertical light distribution by placing lighting devices on overhead shelves that illuminate downward through air gaps onto cultivation containers below. This dimensional change enables effective lighting across multiple stacked shelves, improving light distribution efficiency while maintaining high plant density.
3Quantity of substance
If liquid fertilizer hoses are used for nutrient delivery, then plant nutrition is improved, but leakage and handling difficulties worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The hose fitting is designed with a vertical insertion direction that aligns with gravity, allowing the hose to be inserted downward into the cultivation container. This equipotential design with respect to gravitational force simplifies the attachment operation, preventing leakage while improving ease of handling.
4Adaptability or versatility
If cultivation containers are placed on lattice members for flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but structural stability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the lattice members and transfers it to dedicated shelves. The lattice members are removed entirely, and cultivation containers are placed directly on solid shelves that provide both support and stability, eliminating the structural weakness while preserving placement flexibility.
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
Improves air circulation, light distribution, and fertilizer handling efficiency, maintaining optimal growth conditions and reducing operational challenges in hydroponic plant cultivation.
Implementation Method 1
an air-conditioning unit configured to circulate air from a ceiling having air supply holes to the air vent holes in the second floor
Implementation Method 2
A plant cultivation system with a skeletal rack structure for air circulation
Implementation Method 3
adjustable lighting
Data Source
AI summary
A plant cultivation apparatus includes a lighting device configured to apply artificial light to plants, the lighting device being supported movably in a vertical direction and a height of the lighting device from the plants being adjustable, a projection part projecting from a lateral side of the lighting device, and a light reflector disposed outside the lateral side of the lighting device to reflect light from the lighting device back to the plants, the light reflector including a vertically extending slit that defines a movable range of the lighting device in the vertical direction in which the height of the lighting device from the plants is adjustable.