Insulated Shipping Containers Modified for High-Yield Plant Production Capable in any Environment

• US 20160198656A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freight Farms Inc.
• Original Assignee: Freight Farms Inc.
• Inventors: McNamara, Brad, Friedman, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

a lighting subsystem;

an irrigation subsystem;

a climate control subsystem;

a ventilation subsystem; 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 plant germination, growth, and harvesting within the modular container.

2. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the vertical racks are configured as a planar array of vertically hanging grow channels, each grow channel comprising an opening for plants.

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 modular container comprises two or more of said arrays, and the openings for plants from adjacent arrays face each other.

5. The modular system of claim 4, wherein the lighting subsystem comprises a plurality of LED lights 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 modular container comprises four of said arrays arranged in two pairs of arrays, wherein and the openings for plants from adjacent arrays of each pair face each other, and a plurality of 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 removable from the modular container and replaceable within the modular container.

9. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the vertical racks are reconfigurable within the modular container.

10. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the lighting subsystem comprises a plurality of LED light bars.

11. The modular system of claim 10, wherein the LED light bars are configured such that each section of LED light bars can be separately turned on, turned off, lifted, or lowered.

12. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the ventilation system comprises horizontal air flow and vertical air flow.

13. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the modular container is insulated.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. The modular system of claim 1 comprising two or more of said modular containers.

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

18. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides control of ventilation cycle on and off times.

19. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides control of CO₂ level within the modular container.

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

21. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides separate control of a main growing area and a nursery area.

22. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides control of humidity and temperature within the modular container.

23. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides control of water pH within the irrigation subsystem.

24. The modular system of claim 17, wherein the mobile app provides live feed or time-lapse pictures of plants growing within the modular container.

25. The modular system of claim 1, further comprising plants growing within the modular container.

26. The modular system of claim 25, wherein the modular container comprises plants at different stages of the plant life cycle.

27. The modular system of claim 25 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.