LED light timing in a high growth, high density, closed environment system

• US 9,565,812 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emirates Crop One LLC
• Original Assignee: Crop One Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Son T
• Application Number:
  US14/200,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 47/59.R, 47/60, 47/61, 47/62.R, 47/62.N, 47/63, 47/17, 47/581.SE
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/00 Apparatus, or methods of use thereof, for testing or treating seed, roots, or the like, prior to sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/02 Germinating apparatus; Determining germination capacity of seeds or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 2031/006 with means for recycling the nutritive solution
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 22/00 Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 24/00 Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor for mushrooms A01G18/20
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/02 Special apparatus therefor self-acting watering devices A01G27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/06 Hydroponic culture on racks or in stacked containers
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0098 Plants or trees wood G01N33/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/188 Vegetation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a high growth, high density, closed environment growing system and methods thereof. A method of accelerating plant cell growth in a growing system may include adjusting the lighting in accordance with an identified plant growth stage.

Claims

1. A growing system for promoting the rapid growth of a plurality of seedlings, comprising:

a substantially closed container for one or more seedlings of the plurality of seedlings;

a nutrient solution within the closed container;

a first seedling positioned within the nutrient solution;

a grow light;

at least one sensor adapted to observe growth of the first seedling; and

a controller coupled to the grow light and the at least one sensor, the controller programmed to;

read information from the sensor to determine when growth has occurred;

calculate a seedling stress duration, wherein the seedling stress duration commences with the positioning of the first seedling in the growing system and terminates when growth is observed in the first seedling;

divide the seedling stress duration into a plurality of subphases;

determine a subphase factor for each of the plurality of subphases for a second seedling positioned in the growing system based on which subphase of the plurality of subphases the second seedling has reached based on an elapsed time;

calculate a total number of on/off light cycles and a duration for each on/off cycle, wherein one cycle is turning the lights on and off; and

control the grow light to execute the total number of calculated on/off light cycles for the calculated duration of time the lights are on and time the lights are off during each cycle in the growing system.

2. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the subphase factor for each of the plurality of subphases comprises a fraction of the seedling stress duration.

3. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the number of on/off light cycles comprises twice the subphase factor for each of the plurality of subphases.

4. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of subphases comprises three subphases.

5. The growing system of claim 1, wherein there are three subphases and the fraction for a first subphase is 1/600.

6. The growing system of claim 1, wherein there are three subphases and the fraction for a second subphase is 1/300.

7. The growing system of claim 1, wherein there are three subphases and the fraction for a third subphase is 1/200.

8. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the grow light is at least one of a red LED light and a blue LED light.

9. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the grow light is of a wavelength selected in accordance with a predetermined plant species.

10. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to divide the rapid growth into the plurality of subphases followed by one or more phased periods, the one or more phased periods used to calculate on/off times and cycles that are different for each of the one or more phased periods.

11. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor to monitor growth of a plant is one or more of a video observation, a laser sensor, and a location/proximity sensor.

12. The growing system of claim 1, further comprising a scale for measuring a weight of the first seedling.

13. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor to monitor growth of a plant is an O₂ sensor.

14. The growing system of claim 1, further comprising a CO₂ sensor for measuring an atmospheric CO₂ concentration in an atmosphere above one or more of the plurality of closed containers.

15. The growing system of claim 1, wherein the growing system is a hydroponic growing system.

16. A growing system for promoting the rapid growth in stages of a plurality of seedlings, comprising:

a substantially closed container for one or more seedlings of the plurality of seedlings;

a nutrient solution within the closed container;

a first seedling positioned within the nutrient solution;

a grow light; and

a controller coupled to the grow light, the controller programmed to;

receive information on a growth of the first seedling;

calculate a seedling stress duration, wherein the seedling stress duration commences with the positioning of the first seedling in the growing system and terminates when growth is observed in the first seedling;

divide the seedling stress duration into a plurality of subphases;

determine a subphase factor for a second seedling positioned in the growing system based on which subphase the second seedling has reached based on an elapsed time;

calculate a total number of on/off light cycles and a duration for each on/off cycle, wherein one cycle is turning the lights on and off; and

control the grow light to execute the total number of calculated on/off light cycles for the calculated duration of time the lights are on and time the lights are off during each cycle in the growing system.

17. The growing system of claim 16, wherein the grow light comprises a plurality of red lights and blue lights, and the controller is programmed to deliver a desired ratio of red light to blue light to the plurality of seedlings.

18. The growing system of claim 16, wherein the grow light comprises a plurality of lights or LED lights and the controller is programmed to deliver one or more specific wavelengths of light to the plurality of seedlings.

19. The growing system of claim 16, wherein the controller is programmed to control a single, fixed 24-hour on/off light cycle for the grow light after the plurality of subphases.

20. The growing system of claim 19, wherein an on portion of the single, fixed on/off light cycle comprises one-half a recommended on time during a final subphase of the plurality of subphases.