Insulated shipping containers modified for high-yield plant production capable in any environment

• US 10,271,486 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freight Farms Inc.
• Original Assignee: Freight Farms Inc.
• Inventors: McNamara, Brad, Friedman, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Alker, Kathleen I
• Application Number:
  US15/077,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• 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 9/16 Dismountable or portable greenhouses ; Greenhouses with sliding roofs
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/24 Devices or systems for heating, ventilating, regulating temperature , illuminating, or watering, in greenhouses, forcing-frames, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/246 Air-conditioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/25 Greenhouse technology, e.g. cooling systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

A system and method for generating high-yield plant production is disclosed. The system includes a container, a growing station, and a monitoring system. The growing station includes vertical racks, a lighting system, an irrigation system, a climate control system, and a ventilation system. The monitoring system monitors all of the systems in the growing station, as well as the environment within the container, to provide real-time data and alerts to a user.

Claims

1. A modular system for high-yield plant production, the system comprising at least one modular container, each modular container comprising:

a germination station;

a plurality of vertical racks for plants, the racks arranged in a plurality of rows, the racks configured to hold a plurality of grow channels, each grow channel comprising a vertically disposed channel opening for plants to grow outwardly from a vertical axis of the grow channel;

a lighting subsystem comprising vertical freely hanging LED lights adapted for the growth of plants and disposed between the rows facing the vertical racks;

an irrigation subsystem configured to deliver a water/nutrient solution to an upper end of each grow channel;

a climate control subsystem;

a ventilation subsystem configured to provide vertical airflow between said rows of vertical racks and past the vertically disposed channel openings in the plurality of grow channels; and

a monitoring subsystem configured to monitor and control at least one of the germination station, the irrigation subsystem, the climate control subsystem, the ventilation subsystem and the lighting subsystem to maintain and/or change a set of conditions prescribed by a user;

wherein the system is configured to allow simultaneous plant germination, growth, and harvesting within the at least one modular container.

2. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertical racks form a planar array of vertically hanging grow channels.

3. The modular system of claim 2, wherein the openings for plants are disposed on one side of the array.

4. The modular system of claim 3, wherein the at least one modular container comprises two or more of said planar array of vertically hanging grow channels, and the openings for plants from adjacent arrays face each other.

5. The modular system of claim 4, wherein said LED lights are disposed between said adjacent arrays where the openings for plants face each other.

6. The modular system of claim 4, wherein the ventilation subsystem circulates air vertically between said adjacent arrays where the openings for plants face each other.

7. The modular system of claim 4, wherein the at least one modular container comprises four of said array arranged in two pairs of arrays, wherein the openings for plants from adjacent arrays of each pair face each other, and wherein the LED lights are disposed between said adjacent arrays of each pair where the openings for plants face each other.

8. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the vertical racks are reconfigurable within the at least one modular container.

9. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the ventilation subsystem is configured to provide horizontal air flow and vertical air flow.

10. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular container is insulated.

11. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the modular system is capable of growing at least about 125 heads of lettuce per square foot per year.

12. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the modular system uses not more than about 3.75 gallons of water per square foot per year when operating at capacity.

13. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular container comprises two or more modular containers.

14. The modular system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile app that controls the monitoring subsystem.

15. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides control of ventilation cycle on and off times.

16. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides control of CO₂ level within the at least one modular container.

17. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides control of an irrigation subsystem pump.

18. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides separate control of a main growing area and a nursery area.

19. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides control of humidity and temperature within the at least one modular container.

20. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides control of water pH within the irrigation subsystem.

21. The modular system of claim 14, wherein the mobile app provides live feed or time-lapse pictures of plants growing within the at least one modular container.

22. The modular system of claim 1, further comprising plants growing within the at least one modular container.

23. The modular system of claim 22, wherein the at least one modular container comprises plants at different stages of the plant life cycle.

24. The modular system of claim 22 comprising one or more types of plants selected from the group consisting of lettuce, basil, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme, chive, kale, chard, spinach, arugula, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and mushrooms.

25. The modular system of claim 1, wherein each said vertical rack comprises a grow channel and a synthetic grow medium disposed within the grow channel.

26. The modular system of claim 25, wherein each plant has a root system and said grow medium is configured to hold the root systems of the plants in place.

27. The modular system of claim 1, wherein said vertical freely hanging LED lights comprise different spectra of light.