Irradiation device for irradiating plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426947-B2
Application number	US-201314649931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A device is provided which ensures uniform irradiation of plants with infrared radiation along with ultraviolet and/or visible radiation and requires a small number of infrared emitters relative to the cultivation area. The infrared emitters are designed for temperatures of 800° C. to 1800° C. Each has a cylindrical emitter tube having a length of 50 mm to 500 mm. The emitter tubes extend parallel to one another in an emitter zone located above the culture plane. The infrared emitter occupation density relative to the area of the culture plane is between 0.2 m −2 and 1.0 m −2 . Irradiation regions of adjacent infrared emitters on the culture plane overlap such that average irradiance on the culture plane is between 10 watt/m 2 and 100 watt/m 2 with a variation range of a maximum of 50%. A reflector facing a structural space is assigned to a top side of the emitter tube.

First claim

We claim:

1. An irradiation device for irradiating plants, the device comprising a carrier element defining a culture plane for cultivating the plants, multiple radiation sources for irradiating the plants with at least one of visible and ultraviolet irradiation, and multiple infrared emitters for irradiating the plants with infrared radiation, the infrared emitters being designed for a temperature from 800° C. to 1800° C. and each of the infrared emitters having a cylindrical emitter tube having an emitter tube length in a range from 50 mm to 500 mm and a reflector facing an installation space B allocated to a top side of the emitter tube, wherein the emitter tubes extend parallel to each other in an emitter zone Z lying above the culture plane, wherein a population density of the infrared emitters in relation to a surface area of the culture plane is in a range between 0.2 m −2 and 1.0 m −2 , and wherein irradiation areas of adjacent ones of the infrared emitters overlap on the culture plane, such that an average irradiation intensity on the culture plane is between 10 W/m 2 and 100 W/m 2 with a maximum fluctuation range of 50%.

2. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the average irradiation intensity on the culture plane is 10 W/m 2 to 50 W/m 2 .

3. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein heating filaments of the infrared emitters are designed for a temperature from 850° C. to 1500° C.

4. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple infrared emitters are arranged one behind another in a direction of their longitudinal axes, and wherein adjacent ones of the infrared emitters have, in the direction of their longitudinal axes, a spacing from each other between 0.9 m and 2.3 m.

5. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein adjacent ones of the infrared emitters arranged parallel to each other have a spacing from each other between 1 m and 3 m.

6. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the infrared emitters have a spacing from the culture plane in a range of 1.0 m±0.5 m.

7. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector, viewed in a direction of its longitudinal axis, has a length in a range between 70 mm and 650 mm, and a width in a range between 50 mm and 160 mm.

8. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector has a diffusely reflective top surface.

9. The irradiation device according to claim 8 , wherein the surface is made of hammered aluminum.

10. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first reflector strip mounted on a lateral region of a cover surface of the emitter tube running in a direction of its longitudinal axis.

11. The irradiation device according to claim 10 , wherein the first reflector strip is made of a material selected from gold, opaque quartz glass, and ceramic.

12. The irradiation device according to claim 10 , wherein the emitter tube has a circular cross section, and wherein the first reflector strip covers a circular arc of the emitter tube, the circular arc enclosing a coverage angle between −40° and +40°, with a horizontal running through a filament center of the emitter tube.

13. The irradiation device according to claim 12 , further comprising a second reflector strip mounted on the cover surface, wherein the second reflector strip is arranged mirror symmetric to the first reflector strip in relation to a vertical running through a filament center of the emitter tube.

14. The irradiation device according to claim 10 , wherein the first reflector strip has a diffusely reflective top surface.

15. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , further comprising additional reflectors each arranged in a reflector plane laterally of the emitter tube, wherein the reflector planes enclose an angle between 25° and 70° with a horizontal, and wherein dimensions and spacing of the reflector planes from the emitter tube are set such that they prevent direct irradiation emitted by the infrared emitter into a spatial area defined by two planes starting from a filament center of the emitter tube, and enclosing an angle between −40° and +40° with the horizontal.

16. The irradiation device according to claim 10 , further comprising two side wings connected to the reflector, wherein the side wings each enclose an angle in a range between 20° to 40° with the horizontal.

17. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector has mirror symmetry to a reflector mirror plane, wherein, in sectional representation perpendicular to the reflector mirror plane, the shape of a symmetrical half of the reflector is defined by a conical section, and wherein the reflector tapers to a point at a center in a direction toward the emitter tube.

18. The irradiation device according to claim 17 , wherein at least one part surface of the emitter tube acts as a diffuser and diffusely scatters incident radiation.

19. The irradiation device according to claim 17 , wherein the emitter tube has a roughened surface acting as a diffuser having an average roughness Ra, and wherein the average roughness Ra is in a range between 0.3 μm and 10 μm.

20. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation device comprises a housing having side walls, wherein a reflector film is applied on at least one of the side walls.

21. The irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum fluctuation range is 20% of the average irradiation intensity.

22. An emitter module for irradiating plants with infrared radiation using the irradiation device according to claim 1 , the module comprising an infrared emitter having a cylindrical emitter tube having an emitter tube longitudinal axis, an emitter tube length of 50 mm to 500 mm along the longitudinal axis, and a heating filament arranged in the emitter tube and designed for a temperature from 800° C. to 1800° C., wherein one reflector is allocated to one side of the emitter tube.

Assignees

• Heraeus Noblelight Gmbh

Inventors

• Weiss Oliver
• Linow Sven

Classifications

• A01G7/045 Primary

  with electric lighting · CPC title

• A01G9/249

  Lighting means (with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045) · CPC title

• Y02P60/14

  Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses · CPC title