Lighting Fixtures with Fluid Cooling and Sensor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional controlled agricultural environments face challenges with wireless sensor systems due to battery reliance and reliability issues caused by plant obstructions, leading to inefficient and costly maintenance and reduced sensor effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
An industrial horticultural lighting system is designed to provide both power and network communication infrastructure, using fluid-cooled LED-based lighting fixtures with integrated sensor assemblies, allowing for a distributed sensor grid that leverages the lighting system's power and communication capabilities to enhance sensor deployment and data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless sensor systems are deployed in controlled agricultural environments, then ease of installation and flexible deployment are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to battery reliance and plant obstructions blocking communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lighting system and sensor system into a single integrated platform. The lighting fixtures serve dual purposes: providing illumination for plant growth and serving as mounting stations for sensors. This integration eliminates the need for separate wireless sensor deployments, thereby improving reliability while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting fixtures are designed to perform multiple functions: they provide artificial lighting for plant growth, serve as structural support for sensor assemblies, and act as communication nodes in the monitoring network. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by eliminating battery-dependent wireless sensors while maintaining deployment flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If wireless sensor systems are deployed in controlled agricultural environments, then flexible deployment is improved, but maintenance cost increases due to periodic battery replenishment or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the sensor power supply with the always-on lighting system, the patent eliminates battery replacement requirements. Sensors mounted on lighting fixtures draw power from the lighting system's electrical connection, transforming a high-maintenance wireless system into a low-maintenance integrated system while preserving deployment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system eliminates the need for external battery maintenance. The lighting system's continuous electrical connection automatically provides power to sensors, and the system's centralized control enables automated data collection and processing without requiring manual intervention for battery replacement.
3Productivity
If sensors are integrated with lighting infrastructure, then maintenance cost is reduced and data collection efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting fixture is designed as a universal platform that simultaneously provides illumination, sensor mounting, power supply, and communication functionality. This multi-functional design improves data collection efficiency by ensuring sensors are always powered and connected, while the modular architecture manages complexity through standardized integration interfaces.
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 solution provides a robust, reliable, and flexible monitoring system that reduces maintenance costs and improves data collection efficiency by integrating sensors with the lighting infrastructure, enabling real-time monitoring and control of environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one pipe thermally coupled to the housing to carry a fluid coolant, wherein during operation of the lighting fixture the fluid coolant flowing through the pipe extracts heat generated by the lighting fixture
Implementation Method 2
the fluid coolant flowing through the pipe extracts heat generated by the lighting fixture
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting system includes two or more lighting fixtures, each comprising a housing, at least one light source mechanically supported by the housing, at least one pipe thermally coupled to the housing to carry a fluid coolant, an AC power port, and at least one network communications port. The AC power ports of respective lighting fixtures are coupled together with a plurality of industrial power cables without using one or more conduits for the plurality of industrial power cables. The network communications ports of the respective lighting fixtures are coupled together with a plurality of waterproof network communications cables. In one example, a lighting system kit comprises two or more lighting fixtures having an AC power port comprising an industrial type connector. The kit further comprises multiple industrial power cables and one or more industrial drop tee cables.