PHOTONIC ENGINE SYSTEM FOR ACTUATING THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

• US 20160014974A1
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Once Innovations Inc. (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Grajcar, Zdenko, Payne, Kevin, Simko, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/804,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A horticultural system having lighting elements pulsed with an off time proportional to the turnover time of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. The lighting elements emit light at a wavelength within 20 nm of a peak absorption of the pigment of the plant and are controlled to provide light at predetermined intervals as needed by the plant cause photosynthesis and reduce excess unproductive light.

Claims

1. A horticultural system for growing a plant under artificial lighting comprising:

at least one lighting device;

a plant positioned in spaced relation to the at least one lighting device to receive light emitted by the at least one lighting device;

the at least one lighting device having a first lighting element emitting light at a wavelength that is within 20 nanometers (_NM) of a peak absorption of a pigment of the plant;

wherein light from the first lighting element is pulsed with off time proportional to turnover time of the photosynthetic electron transport chain to reduce photoinhibition rate.

2. The horticultural system of claim 1 wherein the first lighting element emits light at a wavelength between 655 _NM and 740 _NM.

3. The horticultural system of claim 1 wherein the first lighting element emits light at a wavelength between 425 _NM and 465 _NM.

4. The horticultural system of claim 1 further comprising at least one lighting device having a second lighting element emitting light at a wavelength that is within 20 _NM of a peak absorption of a pigment of a plant.

5. The horticultural system of claim 4 wherein the first lighting element is between 655 _NM and 740 _NM and the second lighting element is between 425 _NM and 465 _NM.

6. The horticultural system of claim 1 further comprising at least one lighting device having a second lighting element emitting light in the range between 495 _NM and 570 _NM to speed photosynthesis.

7. The horticultural system of claim 6 wherein the second lighting element emits light during a first dark interval or a second dark interval of the first lighting element.

8. The horticultural system of claim 1 wherein the first lighting element is a light emitting diode.

9. The horticultural system of claim 5 further comprising at least one lighting device having a third lighting element emitting light in a range between 495-570 _NM to speed photosynthesis.

10. The horticultural system of claim 9 wherein the third lighting element emits light during a first dark interval or a second dark interval.

11. The horticultural system of claim 10 wherein the first, second and third lighting elements are in the same lighting device.

12. A method of growing a plant steps comprising:

emitting a first light from at least one artificial light source;

said first light having a wavelength within 20 nanometers (_NM) of a peak absorption of a pigment of the plant; and

pulsing said first light with off time proportional to turnover time of a photosynthetic electron transport chain within the plant.

13. A horticultural system for growing a plant under artificial lighting comprising:

at least one lighting device;

a plant positioned in spaced relation to the at least one lighting device to receive light emitted by the at least one lighting device;

the at least one lighting device having a first lighting element emitting light at a wavelength that is within 20 nanometers (_NM) of a peak absorption of a pigment of the plant;

wherein light from the first lighting element is emitted during first, second and third lighting intervals with a first dark interval provided between the first and second lighting intervals and a second dark interval provided between the second and third lighting intervals; and

wherein the first dark interval and the second dark interval are different amounts of time.