LED Plant Light Source with Specific Spectral Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light sources used in plant growth enclosures, such as greenhouses and growth chambers, are energy inefficient, leading to slow plant growth, low biomass production, and excessive operating expenses due to non-optimized light spectra, resulting in 'leggy' plants and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
The use of electrically-powered light sources emitting a specific spectral profile defined by wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, with specific percentages of incident light in different ranges, to enhance photosynthetic productivity and biomass production, including wavelengths between 400-470 nm, 526-570 nm, and 626-700 nm, which can be achieved using induction lamps, metal halide lamps, or LEDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional light sources (fluorescent lamps, high pressure sodium lamps, metal halide lamps) are used for artificial illumination, then plants receive sufficient light for photosynthesis, but the photosynthetic productivity is low and plant growth is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spectral parameters of the light source by using LEDs with specific wavelength emissions (blue 430-470nm, green 500-560nm, red 630-680nm) to optimize photosynthetic productivity. This parameter change in light wavelength composition directly addresses the low productivity issue while maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the light spectrum into three distinct wavelength ranges (blue, green, red) and uses separate LED components for each range. This segmentation allows targeted illumination at specific photosynthetically active wavelengths, improving energy efficiency by eliminating wasted spectral regions while boosting photosynthetic productivity.
2Productivity
If conventional light sources are used to illuminate plants, then some plant growth is achieved, but the plants become excessively leggy and spindly with low biomass production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spectral parameters by incorporating green wavelength LEDs (500-560nm) in addition to traditional blue and red LEDs. This parameter change in light spectrum composition affects plant morphology by reducing leggy growth and promoting compact, healthy plant structure while increasing biomass production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different wavelength qualities of light to different aspects of plant growth: blue light for compact growth control, green light for preventing legginess and enhancing overall health, and red light for photosynthetic productivity. This localized quality application optimizes both morphology and biomass.
3Ease of operation
If conventional lamps are used for artificial illumination, then plants can grow indoors, but operating expenses are significant due to high energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thermal-based light sources (fluorescent, high pressure sodium, metal halide) with LED technology. This substitution eliminates the inefficient thermal conversion process and uses electroluminescence to directly produce light at specific wavelengths, dramatically reducing energy consumption while maintaining indoor plant cultivation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the lighting system by using LEDs that convert electrical energy directly to light with minimal heat generation. This parameter change in energy conversion efficiency reduces operating expenses while preserving the ability to cultivate plants indoors year-round.
4Illumination intensity
If conventional light sources are used, then illumination is provided to plants, but a significant amount of energy is converted to heat requiring additional ventilation equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal-based illumination systems with LED technology that uses electroluminescence to generate light. This substitution eliminates the majority of energy conversion to heat, providing sufficient illumination intensity while minimizing heat generation and associated ventilation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy conversion parameters by using LEDs that emit light directly with minimal thermal byproduct. This parameter change maintains adequate illumination intensity for plant growth while dramatically reducing energy loss as heat, eliminating the need for expensive ventilation infrastructure.
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
This approach increases photosynthetic productivity by 40-200% and harvest index by 80-120% per watt of input power compared to conventional light sources, reducing energy consumption and improving plant growth outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
Light incident on these plants provides them with the requisite energy to promote photosynthesis, which is necessary for plant growth
Implementation Method 2
The light source may be an induction lamp, a metal halide lamp or a light emitting diode (LED)
Data Source
AI summary
A method of growing a plant or its propagule is described. The method includes: (i) powering a light source with input power to generate an incident light; (ii) illuminating, for a period of time, a growth area of the plant/propagule with the incident light having a spectral profile defined by a first (i.e., between about 400 nm and about 470 nm), a second (i.e., between about 526 nm and about 570 nm) and a third (i.e., between about 626 nm and about 700 nm) set of wavelengths; (iii) achieving, using the incident light, a final harvest index that is greater than that achieved if the growth area of the plant/propagule had been illuminated by another incident light with same amount of input power for substantially same period of time, and another incident light includes the first and the third set of wavelengths, but not the second set of wavelengths.