Plant Disease Lighting Device UV Spectrum Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lighting devices for protecting plants from disease fail to reliably suppress spore formation of filamentous fungi and growth of hyphae, induce plant resistance, and control nocturnal insects, while also influencing flower bud formation and causing growth disorders due to inadequate UV-C and UV-B control and inefficient visible light radiation.

Innovation Solution

A lighting device emitting UV-B rays within the 280-340 nm range, UV-C rays with wavelengths below 255 nm removed, and visible rays with a peak between 460-550 nm, ensuring a combined irradiance of UV-C and UV-B below 50 µW/cm² and visible rays above 0.2 µW/cm², with a UV-C to UV-B ratio of 0.04-0.1:1, to effectively suppress disease and insect damage while promoting plant metabolism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UV-C radiation is increased to suppress spore formation and induce plant resistance, then disease suppression effectiveness is improved, but plant growth disorders and damage occur due to excessive ultraviolet intensity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease suppression effectivenessVSAvoidplant growth disorders
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the wavelength distribution and irradiance levels of UV radiation. Specifically, it sets the UV-C irradiance to 5-50 μW/cm² and UV-B irradiance to 5-100 μW/cm², representing a quantitative optimization that balances disease suppression effectiveness with plant safety. This parameter control resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal radiation intensity range that achieves protective effects without causing harm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If UV-B radiation is increased to suppress filamentous fungi and hyphae growth, then spore formation suppression is improved, but plant damage occurs due to excessive ultraviolet intensity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespore formation suppressionVSAvoidplant damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the wavelength distribution and irradiance levels of UV radiation. Specifically, it sets the UV-C irradiance to 5-50 μW/cm² and UV-B irradiance to 5-100 μW/cm², representing a quantitative optimization that balances disease suppression effectiveness with plant safety. This parameter control resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal radiation intensity range that achieves protective effects without causing harm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If visible light radiation is increased to promote plant metabolism, then plant growth is improved, but flower bud formation is negatively influenced by light corresponding to phytochrome absorption spectra

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplant metabolism promotionVSAvoidflower bud formation influence
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selectively controlling the spectral composition of visible light radiation. It specifies that visible light with wavelengths of 460-550 nm should have peak irradiance, while deliberately avoiding wavelengths corresponding to phytochrome absorption spectra. This selective spectral control allows the patent to promote plant metabolism through chlorophyll absorption in the blue-green region while preventing negative effects on flower bud formation, thus resolving the contradiction through localized spectral optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

The solution reliably suppresses spore formation and growth of filamentous fungi, induces plant resistance, reduces disease and growth disorders, and minimizes damage from nocturnal insects, while minimizing the impact on flower bud formation and preventing excessive ultraviolet intensity.

Implementation Method 1

the light source radiates UV-B having wavelength components in the range of about 280-340 nm, UV-C having wavelength components in the range of about 100-280 nm from which wavelength components equal to or lower than about 255 nm have been removed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltraviolet radiation: Radiation

Implementation Method 2

visible rays having a peak among wavelength components having a wavelength distribution from 460 to 550 nm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotosynthesis: Photosynthesis

Implementation Method 3

The sum of the irradiance of UV-C and the irradiance of UV-B at a location where UV-C and UV-B come into contact with a plant is equal to or lower than about 50 μW/cm2

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption (EM radiation): Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP2224799B1Lighting device for protecting plants from disease
Publication Date: 2017.07.26 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2224799B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2224799B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2224799B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A lighting device (1) for protecting plants from disease includes a light source (2) for emitting light including ultraviolet rays. The light source radiates UV-B having wavelength components in a range of about 280-340 nm, UV-C having wavelength components in a range of about 100-280 nm from which wavelength components equal to or lower than about 255 nm have been removed, and visible rays having a peak among wavelength components having a wavelength distribution from 460 to 550 nm at least in an overlapping manner. A sum of irradiation of the UV-C and irradiance of the UV-B at a location where the UV-C and the UV-B come into contact with a plant is equal to or lower than about 50 μW/cm2, and irradiance of the visible rays at a location where the visible rays come into contact with the plant is equal to or higher than about 0.2 μW/cm2.