Methods for providing optimal light-CO2 combinations for plant production
First Claim
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1. A method for controlling resources for growing a plant, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving desired resource amounts for associated resources to achieve a desired plant production rate;
(b) initializing a time period;
(c) determining actual resource amounts for each of the associated resources;
(d) determining costs for each of the associated resources to supplement the actual resource amounts to achieve the desired resource amounts for an upcoming time period;
(e) selecting one of the associated resources which has the lowest of the costs;
(f) supplementing the actual resource amount of the selected associated resource with the selected associated resource;
(g) adding the supplemented resource amount of the selected associated resource to the actual resource amounts of the associated resources, and providing the additive total amount to the plant during the time period;
(h) predicting an outside air temperature outside of a greenhouse containing the plant for the upcoming time period;
(i) predicting solar photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) during the upcoming time period; and
(j) calculating a greenhouse ventilation rate needed for indoor air temperature control of the greenhouse based on the predicted outdoor air temperature and the predicted solar PAR during the upcoming time period and controlling the greenhouse indoor air temperature based on the calculated greenhouse ventilation rate.
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Abstract
Method for optimizing plant production in a cost effective manner. System (100) includes a processor (102) in communication with resource controllers (110, 112) for controlling resources (106, 108) such as, for example, lighting and carbon dioxide. Each resource has a cost that varies temporally or with other factors. The processor implements an algorithm that receives a desired plant production rate and other input, such as operating conditions of the system and environment, and determines amounts of each resource to expend consistent with plant production goals and resource costs.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for controlling resources for growing a plant, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving desired resource amounts for associated resources to achieve a desired plant production rate; (b) initializing a time period; (c) determining actual resource amounts for each of the associated resources; (d) determining costs for each of the associated resources to supplement the actual resource amounts to achieve the desired resource amounts for an upcoming time period; (e) selecting one of the associated resources which has the lowest of the costs; (f) supplementing the actual resource amount of the selected associated resource with the selected associated resource; (g) adding the supplemented resource amount of the selected associated resource to the actual resource amounts of the associated resources, and providing the additive total amount to the plant during the time period; (h) predicting an outside air temperature outside of a greenhouse containing the plant for the upcoming time period; (i) predicting solar photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) during the upcoming time period; and (j) calculating a greenhouse ventilation rate needed for indoor air temperature control of the greenhouse based on the predicted outdoor air temperature and the predicted solar PAR during the upcoming time period and controlling the greenhouse indoor air temperature based on the calculated greenhouse ventilation rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for controlling resources for growing a plant comprising:
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a computer including hardware and software functions that; receive desired resource amounts for associated resources to achieve a desired plant production rate, initialize a time period, determine actual resource amounts for each of said associated resources, determine costs for each of said associated resources to supplement said actual resource amounts to achieve said desired resource amounts for an upcoming time period, select one of said associated resources based on a lowest of said costs, and supplement said actual resource amount of said selected associated resource with said lowest of said costs; and resource controllers that add said supplemented resource amount of said selected associated resource and said actual resource amounts of said associated resources; provide the additive total amount to said plant during said time period; predict air temperature outside of a greenhouse containing said plant for said upcoming time period; predict solar photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) during said upcoming time period; and calculate a greenhouse ventilation rate needed for indoor air temperature control of the greenhouse based on the predicted outdoor air temperature and the predicted solar PAR during said upcoming time period and controlling the greenhouse indoor air temperature based on the calculated greenhouse ventilation rate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification