KR102852139B1 - Artificial Gravity Based Plant Cultivation Device and Plant Cultivation System including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiments relate to an artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device that not only maintains its structure but also expands and maintains its structure by the internal pressure of the gas supplied necessary for plant cultivation, and creates an environment similar to the Earth by forming artificial gravity through rotation in a weightless space, in order to solve the problem of plant growth caused by lack of or lack of gravity by forming a direction of gravitational acceleration in a space where there is no or lack of gravity.

Description

Artificial Gravity Based Plant Cultivation Device and Plant Cultivation System including the same

Embodiments of the present application relate to an artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device that cultivates plants using artificial gravity, and a plant cultivation system including the same.

A fundamental requirement for deep space exploration is providing the crew with the necessary food and water for extended periods. While it would be ideal to bring all the food and water needed for the entire expedition from Earth, the spacecraft's size and weight limits make this impossible.

Although SpaceX's Falcon 9 has recently been trying to reduce the transportation cost by more than 10 times, the cost of transporting to space is still not cheap.

Therefore, there is a need to at least partially solve the food problem on board the spacecraft and space station with the crew on board.

Patent Registration Publication US2004/0060491 A (April 1, 2004)

To solve the above-described problem, embodiments of the present application aim to provide a device for generating artificial gravity to cultivate plants without disturbing the geotropism of plants in a space where gravity is less than that of the Earth, and a plant cultivation system including the same.

An artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device installed in a place with less gravity than the Earth's gravity according to one aspect of the present application,

A structure forming an above-ground growing space within the device in which a vegetative portion of a seed grows, the structure comprising an inner layer structure forming the above-ground growing space and an outer layer structure spaced apart from the inner layer structure, wherein one or more seed pads can be mounted on one surface of the inner layer structure;

A sprayer for supplying nutrients to the seeds - the sprayer is placed in the root zone space between the inner layer structure and the outer layer structure;

A barrier film covering the above structure to seal the above-ground growing space into a closed system;

An inlet for injecting air into the above-ground growing space; and

It includes a light source module that irradiates light to a plant part that has sprouted from a seed.

In one embodiment, the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device comprises:

a bonding hole formed in the above barrier; and

A rotation module for applying artificial gravity to a plant part grown from the seed pad, wherein the rotation module is configured to be coupled to the structure through the coupling member so as to rotate the structure;

The above-mentioned joint is configured so that the above-ground growing space remains airtight even after the rotation module and the structure are combined.

In one embodiment, the rotation module comprises:

It is configured to drive at a rotational angular velocity according to the rotational radius of the plant cultivation device to create a preset artificial gravity,

The above preset artificial gravity value is the difference between the current gravity of the terrestrial growing space and the Earth's gravity.

In one embodiment,

The above injection holes are formed on the surface of the inner layer structure and the surface of the outer layer structure, respectively,

The air is injected through the inlet so that the pressure of the above-mentioned ground growing space becomes the target pressure,

The above barrier is made of a flexible material whose volume changes in response to changes in the volume of internal air, and when the air is injected, the barrier maintains a shape structure according to the injected air.

In one embodiment, the structure comprises:

Further comprising a guide structure coupled to the inner layer structure such that the surface includes the center of the cross-section of the plant cultivation device,

The above light source module,

one or more light source units; and

A coupling unit is included that connects the light source and the guide structure so that the light source unit moves along the guide structure,

The above plant cultivation device,

Further comprising a rotating latch coupled to the above guide structure,

The above rotating clasp is inserted into a clasp groove formed on the surface of the outer layer structure.

In one embodiment,

A height measuring device for measuring the height of a plant part grown from a seed pad; and

Further comprising a light saturation measuring device for measuring the ambient light saturation of the above plant part,

The above light source module,

It may be possible to change one or more of the intensity of the light source and the distance between the light source and the plant based on at least one of the plant's growth height and light saturation.

In one embodiment, the surface of the inner layer structure has a planar pattern forming a plurality of sub-regions,

When each of the plurality of seed pads is respectively placed in some sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions, the interval between each seed pad includes at least one sub-region,

Each of the above sub-areas may have a plurality of grooves formed so that the nutrient solution from the sprayer is sprayed directly onto the seed pad.

In one embodiment, the seed pad comprises:

a root zone layer spaced apart from the ground floor; and

Includes a pad frame that is combined with the above-mentioned ground layer and the root layer to form a receiving space between the two layers,

wherein said one or more seeds are accommodated in said receiving space,

The above seed pad,

The above-mentioned ground layer may be mounted on the inner layer structure so that it faces the above-mentioned growing space and the above-mentioned root zone layer faces the root zone space.

In one embodiment,

The above-mentioned ground layer is made of a material having a higher water resistance than the above-mentioned root zone layer, and a material having a tensile strength characteristic that allows the surface to be at least partially destroyed when the germination power of the seed is applied.

The above-mentioned root zone layer may be made of a material having a tensile strength characteristic that allows the surface to be at least partially destroyed when the rooting force of the seed is applied, among materials having a higher hydrophilicity than the above-mentioned ground layer.

In one embodiment, the sprayer may be configured to deliver the nutrient solution to the seeds through the root zone in an aeroponic manner.

In one embodiment, the outer surface facing the outside of the device in the outer layer structure includes a double intermediate layer having a fiber thread bundle structure connecting the double films,

The above double intermediate layer includes the residual space between the fiber bundles,

The above residual space is filled with air injected through a plurality of puncture patch capsules and an injection port of the outer layer structure,

If the outer surface of the above outer layer structure is destroyed, the destroyed area may be compensated for by at least some of the plurality of puncture patch capsules.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of puncture patch capsules comprises:

Comprising a plurality of fillers inside the capsule shell, and a liquid adhesive that hardens in response to exposure to ambient air,

Each of the plurality of fillers includes a plurality of hooks formed on the surface,

The capsule shell may be configured to rupture when exposed to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure filled in the residual space of the double-spaced container or when a physical shock greater than a critical shock occurs.

A plant cultivation system according to another aspect of the present application includes an artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device according to the above-described embodiments. The plant cultivation system includes a control system including a processor, wherein the control system is configured to perform a control operation for moving the position of the system or moving the orientation of a component of the plant cultivation system; and

A gas supply system for delivering gas to the above inlet;

The above gas supply system,

A gas reservoir that stores air; and

It includes a pipe that delivers the air to the inlet.

In one embodiment, air is stored in a liquid or solid state in the gas storage,

The above artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device may be configured to inject liquid air and expand the injected liquid air so that the air pressure of the above-ground growing space becomes a target air pressure.

In one embodiment, the phase transition and expansion of air within the gas reservoir are performed based on the amount of external light energy absorbed - the gas reservoir is positioned at a first position to decrease the temperature inside the reservoir, and the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device is positioned at a second position to increase the temperature inside the device, wherein the first position may be on the opposite side of the surface receiving the external light energy, and the second position may be on the surface receiving the external light energy.

In one embodiment, the plant cultivation system may be further configured to control at least one of a surface angle and an elevation of one or more of the components of the gas reservoir and the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device to utilize the absorption of the external light energy.

In one embodiment, the operation of controlling at least one of the surface angle and altitude of the one or more components is performed during some of the orbital sections of the planet,

The above-mentioned partial section may be set based on at least one of the minimum angle (β) between the light energy vector from the star toward the planet belonging to the star system and the orbital plane of the plant cultivation system and the altitude (h) of the plant cultivation system from the planet.

A plant cultivation device according to one aspect of the present application can cultivate any crop that can be grown on Earth, provided it provides Earth-like gravity, air pressure, and atmospheric composition. In particular, unlike animals that must move, plants that grow stationary can grow without problems even with high-speed rotation. This makes it much more economical than adapting plants to weightlessness or breeding crops that are adapted to weightlessness.

As a result, efforts to select special crops that can be grown in zero gravity are unnecessary.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

To more clearly explain the technical solutions of embodiments of the present invention or prior art, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the drawings below are for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the present specification and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, for clarity of explanation, some elements may be depicted with various modifications, such as exaggeration or omission, in the drawings below.
Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a plant cultivation system according to one embodiment of the present application.
Figure 2 illustrates an application to which the plant cultivation system of Figure 1 is applied.
FIG. 3 illustrates a thermal environment of space in which the plant cultivation system (1) of FIG. 1 may be located, according to one embodiment of the present application.
Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between the plant cultivation system and sunlight in the ecliptic coordinate system.
FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a position at which the amount of solar heat absorbed is adjustable according to one embodiment of the present application.
FIG. 6 illustrates the relationship between the minimum incidence angle and a portion of the orbit according to the altitude of the plant cultivation system according to one embodiment of the present application.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a plant cultivation device according to another aspect of the present application.
Figures 8a and 8b are internal perspective views of the plant cultivation device of Figure 7 viewed from both ends, respectively.
Figure 9 illustrates the installation locations of the seed pad and the sprayer according to one embodiment of the present application.
Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a seed pad according to one embodiment of the present application.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a structure having a double space according to one embodiment of the present application.
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a puncture patch capsule according to one embodiment of the present application.
Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a supplementary process using a puncture patch capsule when damage occurs due to space debris.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

However, this disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosure to a specific embodiment, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components.

In this specification, expressions such as “has,” “may have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a feature (e.g., a component such as a number, function, operation, step, part, element, and/or component), and do not exclude the presence or addition of additional features.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

The terms "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in various embodiments may describe various components, regardless of order and/or importance, and do not limit the components. These terms may be used to distinguish one component from another. For example, "first component" and "second component" may represent different components, regardless of order or importance.

The embodiments of the singular expression used in this specification also include embodiments of the plural expressions, unless the phrases related to the singular expression clearly indicate a contrary meaning.

The expression "configured to" as used herein can be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term "configured to" does not necessarily mean something is "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression "a device configured to" can mean that the device, together with other devices or components, is "capable of." For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or application processor) that can perform those operations by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

In this specification, the remaining part of a plant grown from a seed, excluding the root part, is referred to as a plant part. The plant part includes part or all of the stem, leaves, fruits, etc.

Plant cultivation system

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a plant cultivation system according to one embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 2 illustrates an application to which the plant cultivation system of FIG. 1 is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, the plant cultivation system (1) may include a plant cultivation device (10), a control system (1000), a gas supply system (1200), a nutrient solution supply system (1300), and a power supply system (1500).

The plant cultivation system (1) according to one aspect of the present application may be implemented in a location with lower gravity than sea level or the general surface of the earth. The low-gravity space includes a space with a weightless state, such as outer space, or a space with lower gravity than the Earth (e.g., the moon, Mars, etc.). Furthermore, the low-gravity space may also include a space at a high altitude (e.g., 2,500 m or higher) within the Earth where people may suffer from altitude sickness.

The above plant cultivation system (1) may also be applied to objects moving or constructed in such space, or to other applications. For example, it may be applied to vehicles such as space stations, space probes, and landers, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or buildings such as planetary exploration bases. Alternatively, the above plant cultivation system (1) or plant cultivation device (10) may be utilized to cultivate crops in low-lying areas at high altitudes.

The above system (1) may be entirely hardware, entirely software, or may have aspects that are partially hardware and partially software. For example, a system may collectively refer to hardware equipped with data processing capabilities and operating software for driving the same. In this specification, terms such as "unit," "module," "device," or "system" are intended to refer to a combination of hardware and software driven by the hardware. For example, hardware may be a computing device capable of processing data, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or other processor. In addition, software may refer to a running process, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, etc.

The above plant cultivation device (10) is configured to cultivate plants by generating artificial gravity. The above plant cultivation device (10) is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7 below, etc.

The control system (1000) includes a processor configured to control the overall operation of a plant cultivation system (1) for cultivating plants within a plant cultivation device (10). In some embodiments, the control system (1000) may be connected to a central control system (e.g., a space station control system) of an application in which the plant cultivation system (1) is installed. The control system (1000) may move the position of the application to move the position of the plant cultivation system (1). Alternatively, the control system (1000) may move the orientation of a component of the plant cultivation system (1). The movement of the orientation of the component may be implemented by moving the position of the plant cultivation system (1), or may be implemented in a state in which the position of the plant cultivation system (1) is fixed. For example, if the application of FIG. 2 rotates in a state in which the position is fixed, the orientation of the internal space of the device may change.

In some embodiments, the control system (1000) may drive the rotation module at a rotational angular velocity according to the rotational radius of the plant cultivation device (10). The control system (1000) may also control the rotational speed of the rotation module (600) by controlling the rotational angular velocity. Through this, the control system (1000) may create an Earth gravity environment in the internal device even in a zero gravity or a place with less gravity than the Earth.

Additionally, the control system (1000) may adjust the distance between the light source of the plant cultivation device (10) and the plant. In some embodiments, the control system (1000) may adjust the distance between the light source and the plant based on the light saturation of the plant cultivation device (10) and/or the growth height of the plant.

The control operation of the plant cultivation device (10) of this control system (1000) is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 7, etc. below.

In addition, the control system (1000) can also control a nutrient solution supply system (1300), a gas supply system (1200), and a power supply system (1500) so that nutrient solution, gas, and power are supplied to the plant cultivation device (10).

The above nutrient solution supply system (1300) is a system that supplies a nutrient solution containing nutrients and/or moisture to plants within the plant cultivation device (10). The nutrient solution supply system (1300) includes a nutrient solution storage (1301) for storing the nutrient solution and a pipe (1310) connected to a sprayer. In some embodiments, the nutrient solution supply system (1300) may further include a pump for more easily supplying the nutrient solution to the sprayer.

The gas supply system (1200) is configured to supply gas to the space where the plant part of the plant cultivation device (10) grows, providing gas components required for plant growth, or to create a pressure environment. The gas may be air or a gas composed of components similar thereto. For clarity, the invention of the present application will be described in more detail below with examples using air.

The gas supply system (1200) includes a gas storage (1201) and a pipe (1210). The pipe (1210) may be formed of a flexible material that can change shape, such as a pipe or tube. In some embodiments, the gas supply system (1200) may further include a pump and/or a compressor.

The pump is a component for more easily injecting air into the interior of a device located remotely from the storage (1201).

A compressor is a component for compressing air and storing it in the storage (1201) in a smaller volume form, such as a liquid or solid.

In certain embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may be configured to efficiently store or supply gas by utilizing temperature differences according to external light energy.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may be stored in the storage (1201) in a state in which the air flow rate is relatively reduced. The reduced flow rate may be in a cooled liquid or solid state. To this end, the plant cultivation system (1) may be configured to reduce the temperature of the gas storage (1201).

Additionally, in some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may supply air to the plant cultivation device (10) through the gas supply system (1200) in a reduced fluidity state. For example, the plant cultivation system (1) may supply air in a liquid state to the plant cultivation device (10).

In addition, the plant cultivation system (1) may further increase the volume of air with reduced fluidity injected into the plant cultivation device (10). In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may also change the injected liquid air into vaporized air. The plant cultivation system (1) may also be configured to increase the temperature of the plant cultivation device (10) after injecting the liquid air.

The above plant cultivation system (1) can also perform the temperature control operation for the aforementioned air supply using the power energy of the power supply system (1500) or external light energy.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may perform the temperature control operation for the air supply described above by utilizing changes in the amount of external light energy intake. The plant cultivation system (1) may change the liquid air injected into the plant cultivation device (10) into vaporized air by exposing the plant cultivation device (10) to external light energy or increasing the amount of intake. The plant cultivation system (1) may also change the gaseous air stored in the gas reservoir (1201) into liquefied or solid air by blocking the gas reservoir (1201) from external light energy or decreasing the amount of intake.

FIGS. 3 to 6 are drawings explaining a process of performing a temperature control operation of a plant cultivation system (1) using changes in the amount of external light energy absorbed, according to embodiments of the present application.

Since the size of the component system (1200, 1500) of the plant cultivation system (1) is very small compared to the distance between the sun, the earth, and the plant cultivation system (1), the component system (1200, 1500) is represented as the plant cultivation system (1) in FIGS. 3 to 6.

FIG. 3 illustrates a thermal environment of space in which the plant cultivation system (1) of FIG. 1 may be located, according to one embodiment of the present application.

As shown in Figure 3, space around Earth has a thermal environment characterized by extreme temperature differences, with the Sun, with a blackbody temperature of 5,500 °C, and deep space, with a temperature of -270 °C. Consequently, the average temperature difference between the sides of Earth's orbit and the sides receiving sunlight is approximately 217.6 °C.

Liquefied air can be formed by cooling the compressed air below its critical temperature and simultaneously pressurizing it through adiabatic expansion and the Joule-Thomson effect. The liquefied air forms a closed space with a gaseous structure in space without an atmosphere. When the liquefied air supplied to the plant cultivation device (10) is vaporized, it expands the structure through expansion force and simultaneously forms a target pressure, such as the Earth's atmospheric pressure (e.g., 1 atm), at which plants can grow.

Specifically, liquefied air has a slightly bluish tinge, a boiling point of approximately -190°C at atmospheric pressure, and a specific gravity of approximately 1. Roughly 700 cubic meters of air is required to produce 1 liter of liquefied air. Therefore, sending 1 liter of liquefied air into space could create a 700-cubic meter closed cultivation space.

The volume of a 20-foot container smart farm currently in use on Earth is 33.13 cubic meters (cbm) (=5.90 x 2.35 x 2.39). Vaporizing 1 kg of liquefied air in space creates a cultivation space equivalent to the volume of more than 21 container smart farms, capable of growing approximately 2 million heads of lettuce per year.

The above plant cultivation system (1) can also implement a space in the closed system plant cultivation device (10) capable of cultivating 2 million lettuces per year in space using 1 kg of liquefied air.

Additionally, the energy of expansion of 1 L of liquefied air can store gigawatts (Ghw) of energy as potential energy.

The plant cultivation system (1) above can also reduce the temperature inside the gas storage (1201) by positioning it at a first position. The first position is opposite to the side receiving external light energy (e.g., sunlight). Consequently, the plant cultivation system (1) can use the sunlight energy to change gaseous air injected into the gas storage (1201) into a liquid state or change liquid air into a solid state. As a result, the amount of air stored can be further increased. In addition, power consumption can be further reduced during this process, as there is no need to supply power to drive the compressor.

The above plant cultivation system (1) may increase the internal temperature of the plant cultivation device (10) by positioning it at a second position. The second position may be a position of a surface receiving external light energy (e.g., sunlight). Consequently, the plant cultivation system (1) may use the sunlight energy to change liquid air injected into the plant cultivation device (10) into vaporized air. As a result, the power consumed to create an air pressure environment of the plant cultivation device (10) can be further reduced.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may be configured such that the gas reservoir (1201) is located at a first location and the plant cultivation device (10) is located at a second location simultaneously in a single location. For example, the plant cultivation system (1) may be configured such that the plant cultivation device (10) is located on a side that receives sunlight and the gas reservoir (1201) is located on the opposite side.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may be further configured to control at least one of the surface angle and elevation of the gas reservoir (1201) and/or the plant cultivation device (10) to utilize the absorption of external light energy, such as by absorbing or not absorbing external light energy.

Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between the plant cultivation system and sunlight in the ecliptic coordinate system.

Referring to Fig. 4, the position of the plant cultivation system (1) may be expressed on the ecliptic coordinate system as part of the orbital elements handled by the thermal control system. In Fig. 4, Γ is the ecliptic true solar longitude, ε is the obliquity of the ecliptic (23.45°), i is the orbit inclination, and Ω is the right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN).

The above plant cultivation system (1) may be configured to adjust the angle of the surface of the gas storage (1201) and/or the plant cultivation device (10) based on the incident angle of sunlight that changes according to the Earth's orbit when located in the Earth's orbit.

For example, the plant cultivation system (1) may control the surface angle of the gas storage (1201) so that the projected exposure area with respect to the incident angle of the sunlight is minimized, thereby suppressing the rise in the temperature inside the storage. In addition, the plant cultivation system (1) may control the surface angle of the plant cultivation device (10) so that the projected area with respect to the incident angle of the sunlight is maximized, thereby maximizing the rise in the temperature inside the device.

In this way, the above plant cultivation system (1) can also control the solar energy absorbed by each component by controlling the surface angle.

Additionally, the plant cultivation system (1) may be further configured to move the plant cultivation system (1) to a specific position where the amount of solar heat intake is adjustable. The surface angle control operation is meaningful only at positions where the amount of solar heat intake is adjustable.

The above plant cultivation system (1) may also perform an operation of controlling the angle of the surface of the plant cultivation device (10) and/or the gas storage (1201) to control the amount of solar heat absorbed in some sections of the orbital section of the planet (e.g., the Earth).

The above-mentioned partial section may be set based on the minimum angle (β) between the light energy vector (e.g., sunlight) from a star (e.g., the Sun) toward a planet (e.g., the Earth) belonging to the star system and the orbital plane of the plant cultivation system (1) and/or the altitude (h) of the plant cultivation system (1) from the planet (e.g., the Earth).

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a position at which the amount of solar heat absorbed is adjustable according to one embodiment of the present application.

Referring to Fig. 5, the minimum angle (β) can also be calculated using the following mathematical formula.

As the above minimum angle (β) increases, it is confirmed by Fig. 5 that the ratio of the portion of the entire orbit section in which the amount of solar heat absorbed is controlled by controlling the angle of the surface of the plant cultivation device (10) and/or the gas storage (1201) increases.

When the above minimum angle (β) is 0, it is meaningless to control the angle of the surface of the plant cultivation device (10) and/or the gas storage unit (1201) to control the amount of solar heat absorbed.

Meanwhile, the starting point of the above section can be expressed in degrees. The starting point (β ^* ) of the above section can be calculated using the following mathematical formula.

In addition, the plant cultivation system (1) can also set the ratio and corresponding altitude of the above-mentioned section through the following mathematical formula.

FIG. 6 illustrates the relationship between the minimum incidence angle and a portion of the orbit according to the altitude of the plant cultivation system according to one embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 6, the ratio of some sections of the above mathematical expression 1 increases as the altitude of the gas supply system (1200) from the Earth decreases.

The plant cultivation system (1) may be moved to a certain altitude so as to be positioned in a certain section with a desired ratio. The plant cultivation system (1) may raise the altitude of the plant cultivation device (10) so that the ratio of a certain section increases when it is necessary to increase the internal temperature of the plant cultivation device (10) (e.g., by injecting liquefied air). The plant cultivation system (1) may lower the altitude of the gas storage (1201) so that the ratio of a certain section decreases when it is necessary to decrease the internal temperature of the gas storage (1201) (e.g., by injecting vaporized air).

In addition, the plant cultivation system (1) can control the position and surface angle of the plant cultivation device (10) and the gas storage (1201) according to the ratio of the above-mentioned predetermined section.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may be moved so that the plant cultivation device (10) is positioned at an altitude where a temperature difference corresponding to the heat energy required for liquid air to change from a liquid state to a gaseous state occurs, depending on the characteristics of the phase change material (PCM) of the liquid air.

In this way, the plant cultivation system (1) may adjust the angle of the surface of at least one component and/or adjust the altitude to perform a gas storage/supply operation using external light energy. Through this adjustment process, the plant cultivation system (1) may induce an extreme temperature difference within the component and utilize the induced extreme temperature difference as a thermal energy source for repeating the gas storage/supply operation.

Plant cultivation device

A plant cultivation device according to one aspect of the present application is configured to generate artificial gravity by rotating a structure on which seed pads are placed, in order to cultivate plants without disturbing the plant's geotropism in a space where gravity is less than that of the Earth.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a plant cultivation device according to another aspect of the present application, and Figs. 8a and 8b are internal perspective views of the plant cultivation device of Fig. 7 viewed from both ends, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the plant cultivation device (10) includes a structure (200) capable of mounting one or more seed pads (100), a sprayer (300), a barrier (400), and a light source module (500). In certain embodiments, the plant cultivation device (10) may further include a rotation module (600). In addition, in some embodiments, the plant cultivation device (10) may further include one or more measuring devices among a height measuring device (530) and a light saturation measuring device (540).

The structure (200) is configured to form a hollow space within the device. The hollow space may be a cavity or a hollow core penetrating both ends.

The structure (200) has a double layer structure including an inner layer structure (210) and an outer layer structure (220).

The inner layer structure (210) is a layer closer to the center of the internal space. The inner layer structure (210) surrounds the center of the structure (200) so that one end and the other end are connected to each other, thereby providing the internal space of the device.

The outer layer structure (220) is a layer closer to the outside of the device (10). The outer layer structure (220) is spaced apart from the inner layer structure (210). The outer layer structure (220) together with the barrier (400) provides the external shape of the plant cultivation device (10).

The above-mentioned barrier film (400) is configured to cover the structure (200) (e.g., the outer layer structure (220)) and both ends of the structure (200) to separate the internal space of the device from the external environment. When the barrier film (400) and the structure (200) are combined, the internal space of the device is sealed, and has the characteristics of a closed system in which there is no communication of materials with the outside of the barrier film (400).

The above-mentioned barrier (400) may be composed of one or more patches. Each patch is joined to an adjacent patch to maintain the airtightness of the internal space. When the barrier (400) is composed of a single patch, it may cover the structure (200) in the form of a balloon or airbag to ensure that the internal space of the structure (200) is airtight.

The size specifications of the above barrier (400) are based on the size specifications of the structure (200).

The above-described barrier (400) may be configured to maintain its structure when a gas (e.g., air) necessary for plant growth is injected. In some embodiments, the barrier (400) may be configured to be at least partially expandable in diameter and length as needed according to the size of the structure (200). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the barrier (400) is made of a material whose volume changes in response to changes in the volume of internal air, such as a flexible material used in the manufacture of an air insertion structure.

The above barrier film (400) may be made of a transparent or opaque material.

In some embodiments, when the barrier film (400) is made of a transparent material, the outer layer structure (220) and the inner layer structure (210) may also be made of a transparent material. Then, the internal space of the device may have closed system characteristics in terms of material while having open system characteristics in terms of energy. For example, external light energy may pass into the internal space of the device through the barrier film (400) and the structure (200).

By providing the shape structure of the plant cultivation device (10) through the barrier (400) as described above, a separate structure for maintaining the shape structure of the plant cultivation device (10) outside the barrier (400) is unnecessary.

In the above structure (200), the outer layer structure (220) may have, for example, a cylinder, a pipe, or other shape whose length is longer than its diameter, but is not limited thereto. The structure (200) may also have a spherical shape.

The cross-section of the above outer layer structure (220) and inner layer structure (210) may be circular, or may be triangular, quadrangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or other polygonal.

In the above structure (200), the inner layer structure (210) may have a cross-sectional shape that is identical to or different from the cross-sectional shape of the outer layer structure (220).

In one example, both the outer layer structure (220) and the inner layer structure (210) in the structure (200) may have a circular cross-section.

In other examples, the outer layer structure (220) of the structure (200) may have a circular cross-section and the inner layer structure (210) may have a polygonal cross-section. When the outer layer structure (220) has a circular cylindrical structure, the inner layer structure (210) may have a cylindrical structure with a polygonal cross-section. When the outer layer structure (220) has a spherical structure, the inner layer structure (210) may have a regular polyhedron structure corresponding to a sphere, such as a regular hexahedron.

The surface of the inner layer structure (210) may have a planar pattern forming a plurality of sub-regions.

When the inner layer structure (210) has a cylindrical structure with a polygonal or circular cross-section, the surface of the inner layer structure (210) has a linear pattern. When the inner layer structure (210) has a spherical or regular polyhedral structure, the surface of the inner layer structure (210) has a lattice pattern in which each face is arranged in a cross-section.

The above sub-region may be divided according to the surface structure of the inner layer structure (210) when the cross-section is polygonal, or may be divided by an imaginary line when it is not distinguished according to the surface structure, such as a circle.

In some embodiments, when the cross-section of the inner layer structure (210) is polygonal, one or more seed pads (100) may be arranged on a sub-region of the inner layer structure (210). One or more seed pads (100) may be arranged on a single sub-region. For example, two or more seed pads (100) may be arranged along each sub-region of a linear pattern. Alternatively, two or more seed pads (100) may be arranged on each sub-region of a grid pattern.

To this end, the length and size of the sub-region may be designed based on the horizontal or vertical length and size of the seed pad (100) described below. The length of the sub-region may be longer than either or both of the horizontal and vertical lengths of the seed pad (100) described below.

The bonding relationship between the inner layer structure (210) and the seed pad (100) is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9 below.

The size of the above structure (200) may be designed to have various values depending on the design purpose. The structure (200) may be configured in a small size, such as, for example, the inner diameter of the inner layer structure (210) is tens of meters, several meters, or less than 1 meter. Alternatively, the structure (200) may be configured in a large size, such as, for example, the inner diameter or length of the inner layer structure (210) is hundreds of meters or several kilometers.

The above-mentioned plant cultivation device (10) is configured to provide an above-ground growth space in which the plant part sprouted from the seed grows, and a rhizosphere (or root zone) space in which the root part of the plant sprouted from the seed grows. The above-ground growth space and the rhizosphere space are separated by an inner layer structure (210).

In certain embodiments, the above-ground growing space comprises an interior space of the device formed by the inner layer structure (210). The root zone space comprises a space between the outer layer structure (220) and the inner layer structure (210).

The seed pad (100) may be placed on one surface of an inner layer structure (210) that separates the above-ground growing space and the root zone space. A sprayer (300) may be installed in the root zone space. The plant cultivation device (10) may cultivate plants by supplying a nutrient solution to seeds contained within the seed pad (100) by means of the sprayer (300).

Figure 9 illustrates the installation locations of the seed pad and the sprayer according to one embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 9, the seed pad (100) has a double-layer structure and may include one or more seeds in the internal space (hereinafter, “accommodation space”) of the double-layer structure. In some embodiments, the seed pad (100) may accommodate seedlings or plants having some or all of the roots, stems, and leaves that have germinated to a level less than the overall growth level expected for the seed.

The specifications of the seed pad (100) may be designed based on the size of the seeds and seedlings to be accommodated. For clarity, the present application will be described in more detail below with examples of seeds being accommodated.

The sprayer (300) may be connected to a connected nutrient solution supply system to supply the nutrient solution to the seeds within the seed pad (100). The plurality of sprayers (300) may be distributed throughout the root zone. In one example, the sprayer (300) may supply the nutrient solution delivered from the nutrient solution storage of the nutrient solution supply system through a pipe (1310) to the seed pad (100). The nutrient solution supply pattern depends on the spraying method of the sprayer (300).

The above plant cultivation device (10) may include a plurality of sprayers (300) arranged in parallel along the pipe 1310. In addition, in some embodiments, the plurality of sprayers (300) may be distributed in at least a portion of the root zone space corresponding to a portion where the seed pad (100) can be mounted.

In some embodiments, the sprayer (300) may be configured to supply the nutrient solution to the seed pad (100) in an aeroponic manner that intermittently generates mist. For example, the sprayer (300) may be implemented as a nutrient solution mist spray nozzle, as illustrated in FIG. 9. However, the sprayer (300) in the present application is not limited thereto, and may be implemented as a two-way nozzle utilizing air pressure, a centrifugal sprayer, an ultrasonic sprayer, or other sprayers.

The seed pad (100) is configured so that the plant part of the seed received by the nutrient solution supplied from the sprayer (300) grows toward the above-ground growing space and the root part of the seed received by the nutrient solution grows toward the root zone space.

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a seed pad according to one embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 10, the seed pad (100) includes a ground layer (110), a root zone layer (120), and a pad frame (130).

The above-mentioned root layer (120) is spaced apart from the ground layer (110) to form a double-layer structure having the aforementioned accommodation space.

The root zone layer (120) is a layer closer to the root zone space in the double layer of seed pad 110. In certain embodiments, the root zone layer (120) may be in contact with the root zone space.

The above-mentioned root zone layer (120) may be formed of a material having a tensile strength that allows its surface to be at least partially destroyed by the rooting force of the seed. Upon germination, seeds within the seed pad (100) may pass through the root zone layer (120) while at least partially destroying it. In doing so, the root zone may grow within the root zone space.

To this end, the portion of the root zone (120) where the seed is to be placed may be made of a material having a tensile strength such that the surface thereof can be at least partially destroyed by the rooting force of the root portion of the seed. The material of the root zone (120) may be selected based on the plant variety of the seed received. The root zone (120) may be manufactured from a material that can be easily destroyed by the rooting force, such as, for example, a tensile strength of 30 to 50 N/m (MD), or approximately 40 N/m (MD).

In some embodiments, the location where the seed is to be placed may be pre-designated. In this case, the location where the seed is to be placed is configured to have a weaker tensile strength than the location where the seed is not to be placed. The root zone layer (120) at the location where the seed is to be placed has a weak tensile strength of approximately 40 N/m (MD), but the area outside the seed size can be designed to have a stronger tensile strength the farther away from the location where the seed is to be placed.

Additionally, the root layer (120) may be formed of a hydrophilic material that allows moisture in a gaseous or liquid state to pass through. For example, the root layer (120) may be implemented as a hydrophilic film.

The above-ground layer (110) is the layer in the double layer of the seed pad (100) that is closer to the above-ground growing space. In certain embodiments, the above-ground layer (110) may be in contact with the above-ground growing space.

The above-mentioned ground layer (110) is made of a material having a lower hydrophilicity than the following root layer (120). In some embodiments, the above-mentioned ground layer (110) may be made of a waterproof material. The above-mentioned ground layer (110) may be implemented as, for example, a waterproof film.

The ground layer (110) made of a waterproof material can also prevent the nutrient solution supplied from the sprayer (300) through the root zone layer (120) from leaking into the above-ground growing space. The waterproof-coated ground layer (110) prevents moisture in the root zone from moving into the above-ground growing space, thereby maintaining the germination moisture required for the seeds in the early stages of germination.

The seeds within the seed pad (100) may, upon germination, pass through the above-ground layer (110) while at least partially destroying it. The plant parts may then grow in the above-ground growing space.

To this end, the ground layer (110) may be configured so that its surface is at least partially destroyed by the germination power of the vegetative part of the seed.

For example, the above-mentioned ground layer (110) may be configured to be subjected to a cutting line treatment centered on the area where the seeds are placed so that the area is destroyed even under a germination force (e.g., 1 to 2 N/m (MD)). Alternatively, the above-mentioned ground layer (110) may be formed of a material having a low tensile strength that can be destroyed even under a low germination force without the cutting line treatment.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the material of the above-ground layer (110) has tensile strength properties that are not destroyed by the pressure of the gas injected into the above-ground growing space. For example, the material of the above-ground layer (110) may have tensile strength properties that can withstand a target pressure, such as 1 atm.

The pad frame (130) is combined with the ground layer (110) and the root zone layer (120) to maintain the height of the receiving space between the two layers. The side of the double-layer structure is shielded by the pad frame 110 to prevent the received seeds from leaking out of the pad (100).

The size and other specifications of the configuration (110, 120, 120) of the seed pad (100) are designed based on the number and size of seeds to be accommodated.

The seed pad (100) may be mounted on the surface of the inner layer structure (210). The seed pad (100) may be arbitrarily placed on one surface of the inner layer structure (210) or may be placed at a designated location.

In some embodiments, when each of the plurality of seed pads (100) is respectively disposed in some sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions on the surface of the inner layer structure (210), the gap between each seed pad (100) may include at least one sub-region. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, a gap including one sub-region may be provided between adjacent seed pads (100).

As a result, the plant cultivation device (10) ensures high cultivation efficiency by minimizing collision between plant parts of a seed pad (100) and plant parts of adjacent seed pads (100).

In some embodiments, the inner layer structure (210) may include a plurality of step structures. The seed pad (100) may be mounted on the step structures.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the inner layer structure (210) may include a plurality of grooves (211). Each groove (211) is formed to penetrate the surface of the inner layer structure (210). The plurality of grooves (211) may each be formed in some sub-regions where seed pads (100) are mounted.

The seed pad (100) may be mounted by contacting the surface of the peripheral inner layer structure (210) surrounding the groove (211). For this purpose, the planar size of each groove (211) may be matched to or narrower than the planar size of the root zone layer (120) exposed to the outside of the pad frame (130). In one example, the planar size of the groove (211) may be narrower than the planar size of the pad frame (130).

The nutrient solution can be sprayed directly from the sprayer (300) to the root zone layer (120) through the above groove (211). As a result, the transmission loss of the nutrient solution can be minimized.

In some embodiments, the pad frame (130) may be configured to be at least partially magnetic. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the pad frame (130) may include one or more permanent magnets. In this case, the inner layer structure 110 may be formed of various ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, stainless steel, or a soft magnetic material that immediately loses magnetism when the magnet is removed. The magnetism may allow the seed pad (100) to be mounted on the surface of the inner layer structure (210) or to be re-mounted.

Referring again to FIG. 9, the plant cultivation device (10) may further include an inlet (240) for injecting air from a gas supply system (1200) into the above-ground growing space. This maintains the air pressure of the above-ground growing space at a target pressure. The target pressure represents an exponential atmosphere. For example, it may be 0.9 to 1.1 atm, 0.95 to 1.05 atm, or approximately 1 atm.

The above one or more injection ports (240) may be formed on the surface of the inner layer structure (210). A component (e.g., a pipe (1210), a pump, etc.) for injecting air into the injection ports (240) may be installed in the root zone space.

The above-mentioned inlet (240) is installed with a gas-tight structure so that, when closed, the internal space has the characteristics of a closed system. When the inlet (240) is opened, air is injected from the gas storage 1210 through the pipe (1210). When the inlet (240) is closed again after opening, the internal space of the device is re-converted to a closed system with the material exchanged. As a result, the pressure of the gas injected through the inlet (240) is maintained.

In some embodiments, one or more of the injection holes (240) may be further formed on the surface of the outer layer structure (210). When air is injected between the barrier film (400) and the outer layer structure (220) through the injection holes (240), an air layer is formed between the outer layer structure (220) and the barrier film (400). The formed air layer may push out the barrier film (400) to maintain the external shape structure of the plant cultivation device (10).

Due to the pressure of the injected gas, the plant cultivation device (10) does not require a separate external structure to maintain the shape of the device outside the device, and ultimately, the structural shape of the device can be maintained while minimizing the structure (200).

The above light source module (500) is a component that supplies light energy to a plant part that has sprouted from a seed. The light source module (500) is configured so that the distance between the light source and the plant part is adjustable.

In certain embodiments, the light source module (500) includes one or more light source units (510) and a coupling unit (520). In addition, the structure (200) may further include a guide structure (256). In some embodiments, the guide structure (256) may be coupled to the inner layer structure (210) such that a surface of the guide structure (256) includes a center of a cross-section of the plant cultivation device (10).

The light source unit (510) may be a light source element that generates light when power is supplied. The light source unit (510) may be installed on the surface of the coupling unit (520), or may be installed at one end of the coupling unit (520) as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The above coupling unit (520) connects the guide structure (256) and the light source unit (510) to each other. The coupling unit (520) is configured to allow the light source unit (510) to move along the guide structure (256). The distance between the light source unit (510) and the plant part can be fixed or changed by the coupling unit (520).

The above guide structure (256) may be, for example, a rail or other guide member. When the guide structure (256) is a rail, the coupling unit (520) may slide along the guide structure (256).

In some embodiments, the guide structure (256) may be a linear structure as illustrated in FIG. 2. In other embodiments, the guide structure (256) may be a non-linear structure, such as a curve or circle.

In some embodiments, the light source module (500) may be configured to control one or more of the intensity of the light source and the distance between the light source and the plant based on the growth height and/or light saturation of the plant.

The above plant cultivation system (1) can also control the amount of light irradiation for each of the plant's growth height and light saturation. The amount of light irradiation is controlled through the intensity of the light source unit (510) and the distance between the light source unit (510) and the plant.

The above plant cultivation system (1) can also calculate and confirm the current light irradiance based on the current intensity of the light source unit (510) and the current distance between the light source unit (510) and the plant.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may store in advance a reference table that records the light irradiance according to plant growth height, the light irradiance according to light saturation, or the reference light irradiance according to the combination of plant growth height and light saturation.

The above plant cultivation system (1) measures the height of a plant growing inside the device by a height measuring device (530), searches for a reference light irradiance corresponding to the measured plant height, and changes the current intensity of the light source unit (510) and/or changes the distance between the light source and the plant based on the reference light irradiance.

The above plant cultivation system (1) measures the light saturation of the above-ground growing space by a light saturation measuring device (540), searches for a light irradiance corresponding to the measured light saturation, and changes the current intensity of the light source unit (510) based on the reference light irradiance and/or changes the distance between the light source and the plant.

If the value of the above reference light irradiance is greater than the value of the current light irradiance, the intensity of the light source unit (510) is controlled to increase and/or the distance to become closer.

If the value of the above reference light irradiance is less than the value of the current light irradiance, the intensity of the light source unit (510) is controlled to decrease and/or the distance is increased.

In some embodiments, the light source module (500) is configured to change the distance first. In space, a critical factor is the lifespan of components. If the intensity of the light source is frequently changed or maintained at a high intensity for a long time, the remaining lifespan of the light source may be rapidly consumed. The light source module (500) first changes the distance between the light source unit (510) and the plant based on the difference between the value of the reference light irradiance and the value of the current light irradiance. If the value of the reference light irradiance and the value of the current light irradiance are matched after the change, the intensity of the light source is maintained. If the value of the reference light irradiance and the value of the current light irradiance are still different after the change, the intensity of the light source may be further changed.

In some embodiments, the plurality of light saturation measuring devices (540) may be distributed on the inner layer structure (210). Furthermore, in some embodiments, each of the plurality of light saturation measuring devices (540) may be distributed to individually measure light saturation for each seed pad (100). Then, the plant cultivation system (1) may control the current intensity and distance of the light source unit (510) so that a reference light irradiance is applied to a specific seed pad (100).

The above rotation module (600) is configured to rotate the connected structure (200) around the connection axis to generate artificial gravity in the internal space of the device. The rotation module (600) may include a motor or other rotation unit. The rotation of the motor may be controlled by a control signal from an external control system.

In some embodiments, the rotation module (600) may be installed outside the barrier (400). In this case, the barrier (400) may further include a coupling member. The rotation axis of the rotation module (600) may be coupled to the structure (200) inside the barrier (400) through the coupling member of the barrier (400). The coupling member may be configured such that the structure (200) and the rotation module (600) are coupled while maintaining an airtight state within the space of the device.

In addition, the rotation module (600) may be coupled with the structure (200) such that a central axis including a center point of the internal space of the plant cultivation device (10) is positioned on the rotation axis. In some embodiments, the rotation module (600) may be coupled with the structure (200) such that an extension axis of the structure (200) is positioned on the rotation axis. In addition, in some embodiments, the rotation module (600) may be coupled with a guide structure (256). In this case, the guide structure (256) is used to perform a sliding motion and a rotation motion.

In addition, in some embodiments, the plant cultivation device (10) may further include one or more rotary latches (610). The rotary latches (610) may be coupled to a guide structure (256). In this case, the structure (200) may include a latching groove into which the rotary latches (610) are inserted. In some embodiments, the latching groove may be formed as a step structure on the surface of the outer layer structure (220). The rotary latches (610) may be configured to have a front shape that matches the space between the latching groove and the barrier (400). The rotary latches (610) are inserted into the latching groove so that the rotational force of the guide structure (256) is fully transmitted to the structure (200).

When the structure (200) is rotated while maintaining the airtight state in this way, a centrifugal force in the direction opposite to the rotation axis is applied as artificial gravity to the plants arranged along the surface of the inner layer structure (210). The gravity of the gravity system in which the system is installed and the artificial gravity may be applied to the plants of the seed pad of the plant cultivation device (10). Alternatively, when the gravity system is in a weightless state, the artificial gravity may be the actual gravity applied to the plant cultivation device (10).

The above-mentioned rotation module (600) may generate a preset artificial gravity by adjusting the rotational angular velocity according to the rotational radius of the plant cultivation device (10). The preset artificial gravity value may be the difference between the current gravity of the above-ground growing space and the Earth's gravity. If the above-ground growing space is in a weightless state, the artificial gravity is generated based on the Earth's gravity value.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may also store in advance a reference table recording the relationship between the rotational angular velocity and the artificial gravity value for each rotation radius.

The rotation radius is determined according to the size (e.g., length) of the plant cultivation device (10). The plant cultivation system (1) may use the reference table to search for a rotational velocity for generating a desired artificial gravity at a rotational radius according to the size of the current plant cultivation device (10) in the reference table in order to generate a required gravitational acceleration such as the Earth's gravitational acceleration (e.g., 9.8 m/sec2), and may drive the rotation module (600) with the searched rotational velocity.

As a result, even if the plant cultivation device (10) is installed in a weightless environment such as space or an environment with less gravity than Earth such as Mars or the moon, a gravity environment matching Earth gravity can be created inside the device.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the outer layer structure (200) of the plant cultivation device (10) may be configured to maintain a stronger shape.

Space debris, such as space debris or space debris, is distributed in space where the above-mentioned plant cultivation device (10) may be installed. Since there is no air resistance in space, space debris moves at a very high speed. If the above-mentioned space debris collides with the plant cultivation device (10), it may penetrate one side of the barrier (400) and the structure (200). Then, the terrestrial growing space, which was in a closed system state before the collision, will no longer be in a closed system state, and the terrestrial growing space may change from the Earth environment to the harsh space environment, ultimately leading to the loss of all cultivated crops in a matter of tens of seconds, and in particular, the loss of air, the most precious resource in space.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a structure (200) having a double space (230) according to one embodiment of the present application.

To solve this problem, the outer surface (230) of the outer layer structure (220) in the plant cultivation device (10) may be formed of a double spacer. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the double spacer (230) has a double film structure spaced apart from each other.

The above-described double spacer (230) includes a fiber thread bundle (231) connecting the double films. Tens of millions or hundreds of millions of fiber threads are installed between the double films at close intervals to connect the double films. There is an empty space between the fiber threads.

In the double space (230), if the double film is attached with an adhesive like a single film and does not have a laminated structure without an internal gap, or if the outer surface of the outer layer structure (220) is made of only a simple empty space without a fiber thread structure in the internal gap, such a laminated structure or double structure easily changes shape when a pressure is applied to a specific area, the pressure is dispersed and other areas expand.

On the other hand, since the structure has a structure in which the entire area of the two films is connected by fiber threads while a residual space exists between the fiber threads, the expansion force of high-pressure air or gas pushing the two films and the tensile force of the dense fibers holding the two films are simultaneously applied. As a result, the double space sheet (230) maintains a solid structure that does not expand or contract when high-pressure air is injected into the residual space of the fiber thread structure, and ultimately has solid properties like a solid that does not deform depending on the air pressure.

In addition, in some embodiments, the plant cultivation device (10) may be configured to prevent damage to plants being cultivated in the above-ground growth space by creating a gaseous environment corresponding to the Earth's environment in the above-ground growth space inside the device and installing a seed pad (100) to at least partially compensate for the damaged portion when the exterior of the device is damaged by an external collision during plant cultivation.

Referring again to FIG. 11, the remaining space between the fiber bundles (231) of the double space sheet (230) may further include a plurality of puncture patch capsules (235). The remaining space is filled with the plurality of puncture patch capsules and air injected through the injection port of the outer layer structure.

In Fig. 11, the puncture patch capsule (235) is partially positioned in the double space (230), but this is merely to simultaneously show the cross-sectional shape in which the fiber thread bundle structure (231) and the puncture patch capsule (235) are filled in the remaining space. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the puncture patch capsule (235) of the present application is interpreted as not being partially positioned in the double space (230).

The above puncture patch capsule (235) may be filled with a high density in the internal residual space of the double space sheet (230). In some embodiments, the puncture patch capsule (235) may be filled so as to occupy 50% or more of the volume of the internal residual space of the double space sheet (230).

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a puncture patch capsule according to one embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIG. 12, the puncture patch capsule (235) includes a plurality of fillers (2353) inside the capsule shell (2351) and a liquid adhesive (2355).

The above capsule shell (2351) includes an internal space. The internal space of the capsule shell (2351) includes a plurality of fillers (2353).

The above filler (2353) may be, for example, spherical, but is not limited thereto.

The above-mentioned filler (2353) has a surface treated to form a plurality of hooks. In some embodiments, the filler (2353) may be configured to have a velcro structure derived from the hook structure of the dokkomari fruit.

The above liquid adhesive (2355) has a material property that instantly hardens when exposed to air. The above liquid adhesive (2355) may also harden into a solid by reacting with the surrounding air when exposed to the surrounding air.

The capsule shell (2351) is configured to rupture when exposed to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure filled in the remaining space of the double space carrier (230) or when a physical impact higher than a critical impact occurs. In some embodiments, the capsule shell (2351) may be configured to swell and rupture when exposed to a pressure lower than 1 atmosphere. The critical impact is based on the velocity of the space debris.

Even if damage occurs to the outer layer structure (220), especially the double spacer (230), by the above puncture patch capsule (235), loss of plant cultivation can be suppressed.

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a supplementary process using a puncture patch capsule when damage occurs due to space debris.

Space debris (a general term for floating debris in space) is primarily observed and tracked, and according to ESA's Office on Space Debris, there are approximately 30,000 objects, large and small, orbiting Earth, including satellites. The real danger lies in the 300 million or more smaller objects, which are hurtling through space at speeds of up to 30,000 km/h (18,000 mph), five times the speed of a bullet.

If this small object collides with the plant cultivation device (10), the impact point may be penetrated or destroyed. Then, the internal air of the double-spaced container (230), which is filled to maintain a relatively high pressure compared to space due to the pressure difference between space and the inside of the device, is ejected out of the device (10) through the outer layer structure (220).

As described above, the capsule shell (2351) is destroyed when exposed to a pressure lower than the pressure charged in the remaining space of the double space (230). When the double space (230), which is the outermost part of the plant cultivation device (10), is damaged, the puncture patch capsule (235) filled around the damaged location is destroyed by the impact of the impactor that caused the damage, or the capsule shell (2351) is also destroyed by the pressure difference resulting from the destruction.

The destruction of the capsule shell (2351) occurs when the puncture patch capsule (235) is in a moving state rather than a stationary state. At least some of the plurality of puncture patch capsules (235) may pass through the damaged area while moving along the flow of air being ejected to the outside of the device (10). When the puncture patch capsule (235) is destroyed while passing through the damaged area, the filler (2353) and liquid adhesive (2355) contained in the destroyed puncture patch capsule (235) are sprayed around the damaged area.

By the Velcro structure formed on the surface, the filler (2353) is bonded to the fiber thread structure installed in the double space (230) of the damaged area, thereby forming a bonding structure that at least partially fills the empty space of the damaged area, and at the same time, a phase transition occurs in which the liquid adhesive (2355) reacts with the injected air and hardens. As a result, the damaged area is at least partially repaired by the hardened adhesive (2355) and the bonding structure, which ultimately suppresses the loss of internal air and cultivated crops.

As the air pressure increases, the fluid flow becomes faster, so damage caused by small objects is repaired within 1 to 2 seconds, and the lost air pressure is automatically replenished by the gas supply system (1200).

This plant cultivation device (10) has the following advantages:

1) A place in which gravity is minimal or has a thin atmosphere has a thinner atmospheric pressure than Earth's atmosphere.

Plants determine the direction of root growth by considering gravity and various other environmental factors. When gravity disappears, starch granules, which sense the direction of gravity within the cell, no longer remain at the bottom of the cell and instead spread throughout the cell. This causes stems and roots to grow in all directions and become entangled. Plants, which have evolved to adapt to gravity, experience unnecessary stress when growing in places where Earth's atmospheric pressure is absent, as their physical structure is disrupted.

Additionally, without gravity, there is no load, so cell walls become thinner, which reduces fresh weight and ultimately leads to a decrease in yield.

Moreover, the lack of atmospheric pressure also affects mitosis. Without mitosis, growth and wound healing are impossible. A plant cut from the root peduncle, which contains the growing point where cell division occurs most actively, regenerates within two to three days on Earth, but in space, it fails to regenerate at all.

The above plant cultivation device (10) can create an atmospheric pressure environment corresponding to the Earth's atmospheric pressure in the ground growing space within the device by means of air supplied through the gas supply system (1200), so that when installed in a place with insufficient atmospheric pressure, plants can be smoothly cultivated in such a place.

2) The above plant cultivation device (10) does not require a separate temperature maintenance device for maintaining the temperature of the above-ground growing space filled with air where plants are grown, or an expensive barrier (400) for maintaining the temperature, thereby reducing system costs.

When an air layer is formed between the outer layer structure (220) and the barrier film (400), the temperature of the above-ground growing space may be maintained at a constant temperature that is the same as or similar to the Earth's atmospheric environment suitable for growing plants by the air layer.

Although there is no medium such as air in outer space, any object within the space with a material structure can act as a medium and conduct heat. The air layer between the outer layer structure (220) and the barrier (400) can also change to an extremely high or low temperature depending on whether it is exposed to external light energy (e.g., solar energy).

The above plant cultivation device (10) rotates at high speed to generate artificial gravity as described above. Then, the air layer between the outer layer structure (220) and the barrier (400) also rotates at high speed. When the rotating plant cultivation device (10) receives external light energy, the temperature of the air layer between the outer layer structure (220) and the barrier (400) partially rises to several hundred degrees Celsius and then falls again repeatedly within a short period of time due to radiant energy.

If the liquid air has the characteristics of a phase change material (PCM) equivalent to this temperature change, this temperature change may be used as the heat energy required for the liquid air to undergo a phase change, so that no internal temperature change may occur.

3) The above plant cultivation device (10) can relatively easily create artificial gravity even in a plant cultivation space having a large rotation radius of 224 meters or more.

When creating artificial gravity for humans, the radius of rotation and angular velocity are important factors.

For relatively small structures, high angular velocities pose a different challenge. To generate 1 G of gravity with a 10-meter rotational radius, an angular velocity of approximately 10 RPM is required. While higher angular velocities allow for smaller systems, speeds above 2 RPM can cause balance issues for humans, making normal life and work impossible.

Conversely, generating 1 G of gravity at an angular velocity of less than 2 rpm requires a space station with a rotation radius of at least 224 meters (735 feet). Building a structure with a rotation radius greater than 224 meters in space is not economically feasible, considering the transportation cost of over $10,000 per kilometer (as of 2010).

The barrier (400) of the above plant cultivation device (10) is made of a material that reacts to changes in the volume of air injected into the device. The above plant cultivation device (10) may be transported into space in a very small size without gas being supplied to the internal space and then expand in volume.

For example, the plant cultivation device (10) can be transported into space with 47g of liquefied air in a volume that is 5% of a 20-foot container farm, and then the liquefied air can be injected into the internal space of the device in space to cause adiabatic expansion, thereby expanding it back to the volume of the 20-foot container. As a result, space logistics costs based on volume can be reduced by approximately 95%, and ultimately, a relatively large-scale plant cultivation space can be provided in space at a low cost.

4) The above plant cultivation device (10) supplies nutrient solution through an aeroponics method, thereby increasing productivity by 50 to 60% or more compared to conventional farming, depending on the plant, even when cultivation is performed with only 5% or less of the water compared to conventional farming.

In some embodiments, the plant cultivation system (1) may further include one or more transport drones (700).

Referring again to FIG. 1, the above-ground growing space of the plant cultivation device (10) may be configured to have a gas density environment of 1 atm. The plant cultivation system (1) may further include a transport drone (700) that moves in the above-ground growing space within the device.

The above transport drone (700) is a component that performs a sowing operation of attaching a seed pad (100) to the surface of an inner layer structure (210) in the above plant cultivation device (10) and a harvesting operation of detaching the seed pad (100) from the surface of the inner layer structure (210).

The transport drone (700) may include a body to which multiple propellers are connected, and multiple arms extending from the body. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the body may include a communication unit and a processor. The transport drone (700) may communicate with the control system (1000) and perform operations according to control commands.

The above-mentioned transport drone (700) may be placed in a ground growing space. The plant cultivation system (1) may move the drone to place the seed pad (100) on the surface of the inner frame 210. While the drone transports the seed pad (100), the plant cultivation device (10) may be stationary without rotating.

In Earth's environment, drones must overcome gravity to fly, which limits their operational time. This means that the more intense the task, the heavier the payload, and the heavier the drone, the shorter its flight time—and thus its operational time.

On the other hand, in zero gravity space, since no energy is used for hovering or towing the load of the object being transported, it is possible to transport small energy source products regardless of their weight, providing an environment that is rather advantageous for carrying out the entire process of sowing, transplanting, and harvesting crops by drone.

The arm of the transport drone (700) is configured to move the seed pads (100) without the seed pads (100) being separated from the transport drone (700) while the transport drone (700) is moving. The arm includes at least one joint and at least two links. In some embodiments, the arm may be configured to have less than three joints.

Additionally, the arm of the transport drone (700) may include an electromagnet unit. The electromagnet unit of the transport drone (700) has a magnetic force while current is applied. The electromagnet unit having a magnetic force may interact with the permanent magnet of the seed pad (100) so that the seed pad (100) is stably transported without being separated from the arm of the transport drone (700).

The arm of the above-described transport drone (700) may have a length longer than the length of one or more seed pads (100), and may thus transport a plurality of seed pads (100). In this case, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet of the arm of the above-described transport drone (700) may have a value greater than the sum of the magnetic forces of the plurality of seed pads (100). In this case, in a zero-gravity state, the value of the magnetic force may be greater even by 0.1%.

In some embodiments, the link for attaching/detaching the plurality of seed pads (100), including the electromagnet unit, may be a single link. The remaining links and joints may be configured to have degrees of freedom for the single link to more smoothly attach or detach the seed pads (100) to or from the inner layer structure (210).

When the above transport drone (700) reaches the position where the seed pad (100) is to be mounted, it turns off the current to the electromagnet unit to remove the magnetic force. Then, the seed pad (100) is separated from the transport drone (700), moves to the position, and reacts with the ferromagnetic material on the surface of the inner layer structure (210) to form a bonding force so that it can be mounted.

In some embodiments, the magnetic force of the electromagnet unit may be a magnetic force capable of forming a bonding force greater than the bonding force between the seed pad (100) and the inner layer structure (210) when interacting with the permanent magnet of the seed pad (100).

When the harvester approaches the seed pad (100) where the plants to be harvested are grown and a current is applied to the electromagnet unit, a bonding force greater than the bonding force between the seed pad (100) and the inner layer structure (210) is formed between the seed pad (100) and the electromagnet unit of the transport drone (700), thereby separating the seed pad (100) from the inner layer structure (210).

Depending on the arrangement between the electromagnet unit of the transport drone (700) and the seed pad (100), one or more seed pads (100) may be separated in a single separation process.

The above transport drone (700) can also ascend or descend by changing the rotation direction of the propeller in the ground growing space.

In some embodiments, the transport drone (700) may rotate its propellers only once for continuous ascending or descending movements. In zero gravity, attachment and towing can be accomplished with very little force, regardless of weight. Therefore, in zero gravity, the transport drone (700) can continuously travel a certain distance with just one rotation.

The above-mentioned transport drone (700) may stop the operation of its propellers to remain stationary on the ground growth space. Unlike on Earth, the above-mentioned transport drone (700) does not require propeller operation for stationary flight.

In some embodiments, the transport drone (700) may include solar panels positioned on the body or arms. The transport drone (700) may be powered by the solar panels. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the plant cultivation device (10) may be configured to transmit sunlight to the solar panels of the transport drone (700) positioned in the above-ground growing space. For example, the shield (400) and the structure (200) may be formed of a transparent material.

It can operate continuously using only the energy generated in real time by the solar panels installed without a separate built-in energy source, and can transport 760 tons (2 million heads of lettuce) at once.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above system (1) and device (10) may include other components not described herein. For example, the system may further include a data input device, an output device such as a display and/or printer, a network, a network interface, and a protocol.

While the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible. However, such modifications should be considered within the technical protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (17)

In an artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device installed in a place with less gravity than the Earth's gravity,
A structure forming an above-ground growing space within the device in which a vegetative portion of a seed grows, the structure comprising an inner layer structure forming the above-ground growing space and an outer layer structure spaced apart from the inner layer structure, wherein one or more seed pads can be mounted on one surface of the inner layer structure;
A sprayer for supplying nutrients to the seeds - the sprayer is placed in the root zone space between the inner layer structure and the outer layer structure;
A barrier film covering the above structure to seal the above-ground growing space into a closed system;
An inlet for injecting air into the above-ground growing space; and
Includes a light source module that irradiates light to a plant part that has germinated from a seed,
The above injection holes are formed on the surface of the inner layer structure and the surface of the outer layer structure, respectively,
The air is injected through the inlet so that the pressure of the above-mentioned ground growing space becomes the target pressure,
The above barrier is made of a flexible material whose volume changes in response to changes in the volume of the internal air, and the barrier maintains a shape structure according to the injected air when the air is injected.
In the above outer layer structure, the outer surface facing the outside of the device includes a double spacer having a fiber thread bundle structure connecting between the double films,
The above double space includes the residual space between the fiber bundles,
The above residual space is filled with air injected through a plurality of puncture patch capsules and an injection port of the outer layer structure,
Characterized in that when the outer surface of the outer layer structure is destroyed, the destroyed area is compensated for by at least a portion of the plurality of puncture patch capsules.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 1,
a bonding hole formed in the above barrier; and
A rotation module for applying artificial gravity to a plant part grown from the seed pad, wherein the rotation module is configured to be coupled to the structure through the coupling member so as to rotate the structure;
The above-mentioned joint is characterized in that it is configured so that the above-ground growing space is sealed even after the rotation module and the structure are combined.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 2, the rotation module,
It is configured to drive at a rotational angular velocity according to the rotational radius of the plant cultivation device to create a preset artificial gravity,
The above preset artificial gravity value is characterized by being the difference between the current gravity of the terrestrial growing space and the Earth's gravity.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. delete In claim 1,
The above structure is,
Further comprising a guide structure coupled to the inner layer structure such that the surface includes the center of the cross-section of the plant cultivation device,
The above light source module,
one or more light source units; and
A coupling unit is included that connects the light source and the guide structure so that the light source unit moves along the guide structure,
The above plant cultivation device,
Further comprising a rotating latch coupled to the above guide structure,
The above rotary latch is characterized in that it is inserted into a latch groove formed on the surface of the outer layer structure.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 1,
A height measuring device for measuring the height of a plant part grown from a seed pad; and
Further comprising a light saturation measuring device for measuring the ambient light saturation of the above plant part,
The above light source module,
characterized in that at least one of the intensity of the light source and the distance between the light source and the plant is changed based on at least one of the growth height and light saturation of the plant.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 1,
The surface of the above inner layer structure has a planar pattern forming a plurality of sub-regions,
When each of the plurality of seed pads is respectively placed in some sub-regions among the plurality of sub-regions, the interval between each seed pad includes at least one sub-region,
Each of the above sub-areas is characterized in that a plurality of grooves are formed so that the nutrient solution is directly sprayed from the sprayer to the seed pad.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 1,
The above seed pad,
a root zone layer spaced apart from the ground floor; and
Includes a pad frame that is combined with the above-mentioned ground layer and the root layer to form a receiving space between the two layers,
wherein said one or more seeds are accommodated in said receiving space,
The above seed pad,
Characterized in that the above-ground layer is mounted on the inner layer structure so that it faces the above-ground growing space and the root zone layer faces the root zone space.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 8,
The above-mentioned ground layer is made of a material having a higher water resistance than the above-mentioned root zone layer, and a material having a tensile strength characteristic that allows the surface to be at least partially destroyed when the germination power of the seed is applied.
The root zone layer is characterized in that it is made of a material having a tensile strength characteristic that allows the surface to be at least partially destroyed when the rooting force of the seed is applied among materials having a higher hydrophilicity than the ground layer.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In claim 9,
The sprayer is characterized in that it is configured to supply the nutrient solution to the seeds through the root zone layer in an aeroponic manner.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. delete In claim 1, each of the plurality of puncture patch capsules,
Comprising a plurality of fillers inside the capsule shell, and a liquid adhesive that hardens in response to exposure to ambient air,
Each of the plurality of fillers includes a plurality of hooks formed on the surface,
The capsule shell is characterized in that it is configured to rupture when exposed to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure filled in the remaining space of the double space or when a physical impact higher than the critical impact occurs.
Artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device. In a plant cultivation system including an artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5 to 10, and 12,
A control system including a processor, wherein the control system is configured to perform a control action to move the position of the system or to move the orientation of a component of the plant cultivation system; and
A gas supply system for delivering gas to the above inlet;
The above gas supply system,
A gas reservoir that stores air; and
characterized in that it includes a pipe that delivers the air to the inlet.
Plant cultivation system. In claim 13,
Store air in a liquid or solid state in the above gas storage,
Characterized in that it is configured to inject liquid air into the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device and expand the injected liquid air so that the air pressure of the above-ground growing space becomes the target air pressure.
Plant cultivation system. In claim 14,
The phase transition and expansion of air within the gas storage are performed based on the amount of external light energy absorbed - the gas storage is positioned at a first position to decrease the temperature inside the storage, and the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device is positioned at a second position to increase the temperature inside the device, characterized in that the first position is on the opposite side of the surface receiving external light energy, and the second position is on the surface receiving external light energy.
Plant cultivation system. In claim 14,
characterized in that it is further configured to control at least one of the surface angle and the elevation of one or more of the components of the gas storage and the artificial gravity-based plant cultivation device to utilize the absorption of external light energy.
Plant cultivation system. In claim 16,
The operation of controlling at least one of the surface angle and altitude of the one or more configurations is performed during some of the orbital sections of the planet,
The above-mentioned partial section is characterized in that it is set based on at least one of the minimum angle (β) between the light energy vector from the star toward the planet belonging to the star system and the orbital plane of the plant cultivation system and the altitude (h) of the plant cultivation system from the planet.
Plant cultivation system.