Movable Light Trolley System for Vertical Farming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional lighting systems fail to effectively maximize light coverage and quality in high-intensity indoor growing environments, particularly in vertical-plane growing setups, where they also need to be easily movable to allow for worker access and efficient labor use.
Innovation Solution
A light trolley system comprising a support structure with C rails and a movable light trolley that supports bar lights, allowing them to be moved along the rails for optimal positioning and easy access, featuring a brace for stabilization and stoppers to prevent over-travel, enabling efficient light distribution and labor use in vertical-plane growing environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional lighting systems are used in vertical-plane growing environments, then the lighting coverage and quality can be maintained, but the space becomes unusable for workers and labor efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is made movable through the trolley mechanism that travels along the C-rail, allowing the lights to be dynamically repositioned between providing full coverage and being moved out of the way for worker access, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining illumination and enabling ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system is divided into modular components (light fixtures mounted on trolleys that move independently along rails), allowing selective positioning of light sources to balance coverage needs with worker accessibility requirements
2Illumination intensity
If lights are fixed in position to maximize light coverage, then illumination quality is maintained, but the growing area becomes less usable and labor efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The trolley-mounted lighting system can be moved along the C-rail to dynamically adjust coverage areas, allowing high-light zones to be positioned where needed while clearing pathways for worker activities, thereby maintaining both light coverage and labor efficiency
3Ease of operation
If movable lighting systems are implemented to improve worker access, then labor efficiency increases, but light coverage and quality may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system resolves this contradiction by making the lighting movable rather than fixed, allowing lights to be positioned optimally for both worker access and light coverage needs at different times, with the trolley mechanism enabling quick repositioning to maintain illumination quality when needed
Data Source
AI summary
A light trolley system for vertical-plane growing that maximizes the coverage area, quality of light, and useable growing area is provided. The light trolley system comprises a support structure and a first C rail secured to the support structure. The first C rail has a first end and a second end. A first brace is mounted to the first C rail and a first light trolley secured to the first brace. The first light trolley has at least one bar light mounted within a light manifold. The first brace supports and stabilizes the first light trolley. The combined first brace and first light trolley is moveable along the first C rail between the first end and the second end of the first C rail allowing the first light trolley to be moved to various locations increasing labor efficiency in the growing area.