Modular Lighting System for Indoor Cultivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Indoor cultivation facilities face challenges in maintaining uniform light intensity for plants, which affects growth and increases power requirements, and existing lighting systems are complex and costly to install and maintain.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a lighting system with multiple units positioned close to the plants, vertically adjustable to maintain consistent light intensity, and a modular design with replaceable light cards and a power supply unit positioned for easy access to reduce maintenance costs and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting units are positioned close to plants to maintain uniform light intensity, then illumination uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple independent lighting units that can be individually positioned and adjusted. Each unit contains modular components including light cards with specific LED configurations, allowing the system to achieve uniform light distribution through distributed positioning rather than requiring a single complex overhead system.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting units are designed to be vertically adjustable relative to the plants. This dynamic positioning capability allows the system to adapt to different plant growth stages and maintain optimal light intensity uniformity, transforming a static complex installation into a dynamically adjustable simpler system.
2Ease of repair
If modular design with replaceable components is implemented, then ease of maintenance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting units incorporate modular light cards that can be independently replaced. Each light card contains specific LED modules that can be swapped out without affecting other components, enabling simple maintenance operations while the modular architecture provides systematic organization that manages complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular light cards are designed with universal mounting and electrical connection interfaces that work across different lighting unit configurations. This standardization allows the same replaceable components to serve multiple functions and positions, simplifying maintenance procedures despite the modular system's inherent complexity.
3Ease of operation
If power supply unit is positioned for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply unit is extracted from the integrated lighting assembly and positioned as a separate, independently accessible component. This allows operators to access and service the power supply without needing to work with the lighting elements themselves, improving operational ease while the separation manages complexity through functional decomposition.
4Illumination intensity
If multiple lighting units are used to provide uniform light distribution, then illumination uniformity is improved, but power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each lighting unit is configured with specific LED modules that emit targeted wavelengths optimized for plant photosynthesis. By providing locally optimized light quality at each positioning point rather than using a single overhead system, the distributed units achieve uniform distribution while improving energy efficiency through localized spectral optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertically adjustable positioning of multiple lighting units allows dynamic optimization of light delivery efficiency. As plants grow, the units can be repositioned to maintain optimal distances, ensuring uniform light distribution without increasing power consumption, thereby resolving the contradiction between uniformity and energy use.
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 ensures uniform light distribution across the growing area, reduces power requirements, and simplifies installation and maintenance by allowing for easy replacement of components, thereby enhancing plant growth and reducing operational expenses.
Implementation Method 1
Each light card may include a plurality of light emitting diodes
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting system, such as for an indoor growing facility, comprises a frame, an end electrical connector, a light emitting unit comprising at least one LED and a unit electrical connector, wherein the light emitting unit is positionable within a first mounting region of the frame with the unit electrical connector electrically connected to a light emitting unit electrical connector of the frame. The light emitting unit is removably insertable into the first mounting region through a first opening in a sidewall of the frame.