HORTICULTURE LIGHTING SYSTEM AND HORTICULTURE PRODUCTION FACILITY USING SUCH HORTICULTURE LIGHTING SYSTEM

• US 20150230409A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Nicole, Cline Catherine Sarah, Tanase, Cristina, Onac, Gabriel-Eugen, Peters, Marc Andre, Ji, Hangfeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,798,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/14 Greenhouses cloches A01G13/04
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

The invention provides a lighting system comprising (i) a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources for application in a horticulture production facility, wherein the light sources are configured to illuminate with horticulture light crops, wherein the lighting system further comprises (ii) a control unit configured to control the light intensity of local light at a location, wherein the local light is the sum of the horticulture light and light at the location originating from an optional other light source, and wherein the control unit is configured to prevent a change in the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of the local light at the location of on average more than 50 μmol/sec/m² over a predetermined period of time selected from the range of equal to or smaller than 5 minutes by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources for application in a horticulture production facility comprising said lighting device, wherein the light sources are configured to illuminate with horticulture light crops within said horticulture production facility,

wherein the lighting system further comprises a control unit which is configured to control the light intensity of local light at a location within the horticulture production facility, wherein the local light is the sum of the horticulture light and optional light at the location originating from an optional other light source, and wherein the control unit is configured to prevent a change in the photosynthetic photon flux density of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility of, on average, more than 50 μ

mol/sec/m² over a predetermined period of time selected from the range of equal to or smaller than 5 minutes, by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light, wherein the photosynthetic photon flux density of the local light is determined as a total number of photons within a wavelength range of 400-800 nm per second per unit area of a local light receiving area.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to prevent a change in the photosynthetic photon flux density of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility of, on average, more than 5 μ

mol/sec/m² over the predetermined period of time.

3. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is selected from the range of equal to or smaller than 2 minutes.

4. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the lighting system further comprises a sensor, configured to sense the photosynthetic photon flux density of the local light at the location.

5. The lighting system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is further configured to prevent a change in the spectral light distribution of the local light at the location by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light to such an extent, that a change in the ratio of intensities between two or more wavelength ranges within the wavelength range of 400-800 nm of the local light maintain within 1:

2-2;

1 of the intensity of a predetermined wavelength range selected out of the two or more wavelength ranges.

6. The lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is further configured to control one or more of the intensity and the spectral light distribution of the local light at the location as function of a predetermined light recipe by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light.

7. The lighting system according to claim 5, wherein the control unit (88) is configured to prevent a change in the photosynthetic photon flux density within the wavelength range of 300-800 nm of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility of, on average, more than 20 μ

mol/sec/m² over the predetermined period of time.

8. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to prevent a change in the photosynthetic photon flux density in a first wavelength range of 400-470 nm of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility facility of, on average, more than 10 μ

mol/sec/m² over the predetermined period of time, in a second wavelength range of 625-675 nm of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility of, on average, more than 10 μ

mol/sec/m² over the predetermined period of time, and optionally in a third wavelength range of 675-760 nm of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility of, on average, more than 10 μ

mol/sec/m² over the predetermined period of time.

9. A horticulture production facility comprising the lighting system according to claim 1.

10. The horticulture production facility according to claim 9, comprises a plurality of sensors, configured to sense the photosynthetic photon flux density of the local light at a plurality of locations within the horticulture production facility, wherein the control unit is configured to prevent said changes in the photosynthetic photon flux densities of the local light at the plurality of locations.

11. The horticulture production facility according claim 10, wherein the horticulture production facility comprises a greenhouse or a horticulture production facility comprising a multi-layer growth system.

12. The horticulture production facility according claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to prevent a change in the spectral light distribution of the local light at the location by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light to such an extent, that a change in the ratio of intensities between two or more wavelength ranges within the wavelength range of 400-800 nm of the local light maintain within 1:

2-2;

1 of the intensity of a predetermined wavelength range selected out of the two or more wavelength ranges.

13. Use of a method of providing horticulture light to a crop in a horticulture production facility comprising providing said horticulture light to said crop, wherein changes in a light intensity of the horticulture light occur gradually in time, for reducing stress in the crop.

14. Use according to claim 13, wherein the method further includes adapting the light intensity of the horticulture light to one or more of (a) the light intensity of additional optional light to the crop originating from an optional other light source, (b) a horticulture light recipe and (c) the cardinal position of a light source providing said horticulture light.

15. Use according to claim 13, wherein the lighting system is applied.