Field Invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to horticulture systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to horticulture systems that include an air circulation system and to related methods.

Background

[0002] Existing horticulture systems that include an air circulation system often provide uneven air circulation in the space where plants are set to grow. This can produce uneven humidity levels in the growth space, which can result in plant rot, reduced yield or uneven growth of plants.

[0003] Therefore, improvements in air circulation systems for horticulture are desirable.

Summary

[0004] The present disclosure provides an air circulation system and method for horticulture. The air circulation system can be a closed circuit air circulation system and can provide a substantially constant air speed at vertically spaced-apart openings from which the air enters the growth space (the space in a horticulture structure where plants grow).

[0005] In some embodiments, the air circulation system comprises a plenum connected to two side cavities, a blower system is coupled to the plenum and configured to blow air from the inside of the growth space into the plenum. From the plenum, the air flows toward the side cavities and down the side cavities. Each side cavity has a perforated wall that faces the inside of the growth space and causes air to flow horizontally out from the side cavities into the growth space. Perforations of the perforated wall are grouped in patterns, each above a respective plant canopy and group of interlocked trays.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an air circulation system for horticulture. The air circulation system comprises an air blower system, a ducting system and a structure defining a growth space for growing plants. The growth space has plant placement positions at which plants being cultivated can be placed. The structure has an interior wall. The interior wall is a perforated wall that defines a plurality of apertures grouped in vertically spaced apart groups of apertures. The vertically spaced apart groups of apertures are in fluid communication with the ducting system. The vertically spaced apart group of apertures each span a horizontal distance coextensive with a portion of the plant placement positions. The air blower system is configured to blow air from the interior of the growth space into the ducting system. The ducting system is in fluid communication with the vertically spaced apart groups of apertures. Air blown into the ducting system exits the plurality of vertically spaced apart groups of apertures and enter the interior of the growth space. The plurality of apertures are parallel to a vertical plane causing air exiting the plurality of apertures to exit perpendicular to the vertical plane.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an air circulation system for horticulture. The air circulation system comprises a blower system and a duct or more than one duct coupled to the blower system and in fluid communication with the blower system. The duct or more than one duct has one perforated wall or more than one perforated wall defining apertures. The one perforated wall or more than one perforated wall is substantially vertical. The apertures are grouped in multiple groups. At least one group of the multiple groups is vertically spaced-apart from another group of the multiple groups. Upon activation of the blower system, the blower system blowing air from the growth space into the duct or more than one duct at a predetermined airflow rate, the air circulating from the blower system to the duct or more than one duct and exiting the one perforated wall or more than one perforated wall in a substantially horizontal direction, back into the growth space.

[0008] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a horticulture system that comprises a structure defining a growth space configured for cultivating plants therein. The horticulture system also comprises an air circulation system. The air circulation system has a blower system, a plenum coupled to the blower system and a duct or more than one duct coupled to the plenum and in fluid communication with the plenum. The duct or more than one duct extend vertically along a height of the structure. The duct or more than one duct have a perforated wall defining apertures. The perforated wall is substantially vertical. The apertures are grouped in multiple groups, each group of the multiple groups is vertically spaced-apart from the other groups of the multiple groups. Upon activation of the blower system, the blower system blows air from the growth space into the plenum, the air circulates from the plenum through the duct or more than one duct and exits the duct or more than one duct through the apertures of the perforated wall in a substantially horizontal direction, back into the growth space.

[0009] In a fourth embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of circulating air in a growth space of a horticulture system. The method comprises coupling an air output of a blower system to an air duct. The air duct has a perforated wall that extends vertically along a height of the growth space. The perforated wall defining apertures facing an inside of the growth space. The method further comprises coupling an air input of the blower system to the inside of the growth space. Upon activation of the blower system, air exits the apertures of the perforated wall in a substantially horizontal direction to enter the growth space, and enters the air input of the blower system.

Brief Description of the Figures

[0010] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a horticulture system that includes an air circulation system in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0011] Fig. 2 shows a front, cutaway perspective view of the horticulture system and of the air circulation system of Fig. 1 .

[0012] Fig. 3 shows a cutaway, side view of the horticulture system and of the air circulation system of Figs. 1 and 2.

[0013] Fig. 4 shows a cross-section view of the horticulture system of Fig. 3.

[0014] Fig. 5 shows a front side view of the horticulture system and air circulation system of Fig. 3, but with shelving units adjacent to perforated walls.

[0015] Fig. 6A shows the same cross-section view as that shown in Fig. 4, but with a shelving unit supporting containers, tray assemblies and plants.

[0016] Fig. 6B shows a cross-section view of another embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. 7 shows an elevation view of embodiment of a perforated wall in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 8 shows an elevation view of an embodiment of a perforated wall 100 in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 9 shows the perforated wall of Fig. 8 equipped with movable shutters in a configuration where none of the apertures are blocked by the shutters.

[0020] Fig. 10 shows the perforated wall of Fig. 9 in a configuration where rows of apertures are blocked by the shutters.

[0021] Fig. 11 shows the perforated wall of Fig. 9 in a configuration where rows of apertures are blocked by the shutters and where columns of apertures are partially blocked by the shutters. [0022] Fig. 12 shows a front, cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a horticulture system and air circulation system that include the perforated wall of Figs. 8-11.

[0023] Figs. 13 and 14 show an embodiment of a mechanism to secure a shutter to a perforated wall in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 15 shows a side cut-away view of another embodiment of a horticulture system and air circulation system in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 16 shows the same view as Fig. 15, but without grow towers.

[0026] Fig. 17 shows a cutaway, front view of an embodiment of a horticulture system in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 18 shows a top view of the horticulture system of Fig. 17.

[0028] Fig. 19 shows a side cutaway view of the horticulture system of Fig. 17, taken along the line XIX - XIX of Fig. 17.

Detailed Description

[0029] The present disclosure provides an air circulation system for horticulture. The air circulation system has a blower configured to blow air from the inside of a growth space to a ducting system. The growth space has opposite inner walls that are perforated and that in fluid communication with the ducting system. As such, the air blown out of the growth space by the blower system returns to the growth through the perforated wall. The apertures of the perforated wall are grouped in vertically spaced apart groups and are configure to output air therefrom in a horizontal direction. Trays of plants can be positioned in the growth space at a height that allows air exiting the apertures to flow above the plant canopy. In some embodiments, the air speed of the air exiting all the apertures can be set to a target air speed within a ±20% range.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a horticulture system 30 that includes an air circulation system 31 in accordance with the present disclosure. The horticulture system 30 includes a structure 32, an air exchanger system 34 coupled to the structure 32, and doors 36 that allow access to the inside of the structure 32 and to the plants growing therein. In the context of the present disclosure, the term “plant” is used to designate the crop being cultivated in the horticulture system 30. The crop can include vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, house plants, or any other suitable type of crop. The structure 32 can be a unit structure, such as a repurposed transport container or a standalone building. Other types of structures considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure include, for example, a room of a building or a portion of a building or any other suitable type of structure. As will be understood by the skilled worker, horticulture systems can include hydroponic systems, aquaponic systems, aeroponic systems, and soil based systems.

[0031] Fig. 2 shows a front, cutaway perspective view of the horticulture system 30 and of the air circulation system 31 of Fig. 1. The doors 36 are omitted from Fig. 2. The inside of the structure 32 can be referred to as the growth space 38, in which plants can be placed and cultivated. The growth space 38 has a floor 40, a ceiling 42 and perforated sidewalls 44. In the present embodiment, a plenum 46 is formed between the ceiling 42 and the roof 48 of the structure. The air circulation system 31 includes the plenum 46, ducts 50, the blower 54 and the perforated walls 44, which are interior walls of the growth space 38. The plenum 46 is in fluid communication with the ducts 50, which are formed between the outside wall 52 of the structure 32 and the perforated walls 44 of the growth space 38. The blower 54 is coupled to the plenum 46 and blows air from the growth space 38, into the plenum 46, from where the air circulates to the ducts 50, out of the perforated walls 44 and back into the growth space 38. In the context of the present disclosure, structures or constructions that define volumes or areas can be said to be in fluid communication with one another when fluid present in a volume or area defined by a first structure or constructions can flow into another volume or area defined by another structure or construction. The ducts 50 can be referred to as a ducting system or as being part of a ducting system.

[0032] Fig. 3 shows a cutaway, side view of the horticulture system 30 and of the air circulation system 31 of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 3 shows the same elements as those shown in Fig. 2 except for the air exchanger system 34, which is omitted from the figure. Fig. 3 includes arrows 56 that depict air flowing from the blower 54 into the plenum 46, arrows 58 that depict air flowing from the plenum 46 into the ducts 50, arrows 60 that depict air flowing out of the ducts 50 and perforated walls 44 into the growth space 38, and arrows 62 that depict air flowing in the growth space 38 toward the blower 54. The blower 54, the plenum 46, the ducts 50 and the perforated walls 44 are part of the air circulation system 31.

[0033] Fig. 4 shows a cross-section view of the horticulture system of Fig. 3, taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows the blower 54, the plenum 46 and a perforated wall 44, which, in the present embodiment, has four patterns of apertures 92. The patterns are shown at reference numbers 64, 66, 68 and 70, and are vertically spaced-apart. Air flowing from the plenum 46 to the duct 50 enters the growth space 38 though the apertures defined by the perforated wall 44 in the patterns 64, 66, 68 and 70. The perforated wall opposite the perforated wall 44 shown in Fig. 4 can have the same patterns of apertures 92 or different patterns of apertures. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, all the apertures of each of the patterns 64, 66, 68 and 70 have the same diameter. However, embodiments where the aperture diameter varies between apertures of the same pattern or between apertures of different patterns are to be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 5 shows the front side view of the horticulture system 30 and air circulation system 31 of Fig. 3, but with shelving units 72 placed next to the perforated walls 44. The shelving units 72 includes vertical beams 74 and shelf portions 76 coupled to the vertical beams 74. Fig. 5 also shows containers 78 and tray assemblies 80 covering a top opening of the containers 78. The trays of the tray assemblies 80 define a plurality of holders 82 holding plants 84 being cultivated in the horticulture system 30.

[0035] In Fig. 5, the plants 84 are in vertically spaced-apart groups, with one group of plants per shelf portion. In the present embodiment, the vertical placement of a group of plants 84 supported by a particular shelf portion 76 is determined so that the canopy of the group of plants 84 is below the pattern of apertures 92 immediately above the shelf portion 76 in question. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the canopy of the group of plants 84 supported by the topmost shelf portion 76 is below the pattern 64, the canopy of the group of plants 84 supported by the second-from-the-top shelf portion 76 is below the pattern 66, the canopy of the group of plants 84 supported by the third-from-the-top shelf portion 76 is below the pattern 68, and the canopy of the group of plants 84 supported by the bottommost shelf portion 76 is below the pattern 70. As will be understood by the skilled worker, the canopy of a group of plants 84 is the portion of the plants that is above the respective tray assembly 80.

[0036] The inventors have discovered that having air uniformly flowing over the canopy and subsequently up toward the blower 54 can provide a uniform transpiration rate for the plants 84 and a uniform evapotranspiration rate associated with the plants and growth space 38. Such uniform rates can provide/contribute to uniform growth rates for the plants 84 and a uniform size of the harvested plants 84. Additionally, having the canopy of the plants 84 below the pattern of apertures immediately above prevents or reduces the effect of airflow on the growth direction of the plants, promotes better air flow in the growth space 38, and reduces the risk of damage to the plants 84 by the air flowing out of the perforated sidewalls 44, directly onto the plants 84. The air flowing out of the perforated sidewalls is depicted by the arrows 60.

[0037] Having the air circulation system of the present disclosure blow air directly across and through a plant canopy can be advantageous for certain plants and is within the scope of the present disclosure. [0038] The horticulture system 30 also comprises a light system configured to illuminate the plants 84 supported by each shelf portion 76. Any suitable light system can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, a light system includes lighting units 86, each of which is secured to a respective shelf portion 76 and illuminates the plants 84 positioned below. The skilled worker will understand how to select lighting units 86 that have an illumination spectrum and an intensity suitable for the type of plants 84 being cultivated. The light system also includes a power supply system (not shown) to energize the lighting units 86 and a controller system (not shown) to control the lighting units 86. Such light systems are within the purview of the skilled worker.

[0039] Additionally, the horticulture system can include a pump system (not shown) connected to the containers 78. The pump system is used to provide water and nutrients to the containers 78, which provide these to the plants 84. Such a pump system and its components are known in the art and are within the purview of the skilled worker.

[0040] Fig. 6A shows the same cut-away view as that shown in Fig. 4, but with a shelving unit 72 supporting containers 78, tray assemblies 80 and plants 84. In this embodiment, the canopy of the plants 84 on each shelf portion 76 is below a respective pattern or group of apertures. This embodiment also shows the apertures 92 evenly distributed horizontally between the vertical beams 74. The plants 84 can be said to be place in plant placement positions, which are locates below apertures 92 and along a length of the growth space.

[0041] Fig. 6B shows the same cut-away view as that shown in Fig. 4, with a shelving unit 72 supporting containers 78, tray assemblies 80 and plants 84, and with the shelving 72 comprising additional vertical beams 74 between the outmost vertical beams 74. In this embodiment, the apertures 92 are in horizontally spaced apart groups with a spacing 99 between the groups coinciding with the placement of the two middle vertical beams 74. That is, the perforated wall 44 does not have apertures directly facing the vertical beams 74. The horizontal spacing 99 can have any suitable value provided it is sufficiently large to overlap the width of the vertical beams 74.

[0042] Referring back to Fig. 5, assuming all the air blown into the plenum 46 exits from the perforated walls 44 back into the growth space 38, the airflow produced by the blower 54 is divided into eight separate airflows, one per pattern of apertures. Excluding losses, the sum of the output airflow rates from the two patterns 64, from the two patterns 66, from the two patterns 68 and from the two patterns 70 is equal to the airflow rate of the air blown by the blower 54 into the plenum 46. As will be understood by the skilled worker, losses due to friction, bends, etc. in the air circulation system lead to the sum of the output airflow rates from the two patterns 64, from the two patterns 66, from the two patterns 68 and from the two patterns 70 being less than the airflow rate of the air blown by the blower 54 into the plenum 46. Generally, the airflow rate Q through a system having a cross section area A, with air circulating therethrough at a speed can be expressed as Q=cAV, where ‘c’ (c<1) is a system design constant that accounts for losses in the air circulation system. The airflow rate is the volume of air per unit time flowing through a conduit or across a surface.

[0043] In the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 and 6, the total area of the apertures in the pattern 64 is the same as in the pattern 66 and, the total area of the apertures in the pattern 68 is the same as in the 70. However, the total area of each of the patterns 68 and 70 is one third larger than the total area of the apertures in the patterns 64 and 66. The inventors have discovered that for embodiments of the air circulation system 31 shown in Fig. 4 and 5, the speed of the air output from the apertures of the perforated wall 44 can be set to a target speed with a variation of ±20%, by controlling the airflow produced by the blower 54. For example, referring to Fig. 7, which shows one of the perforated walls 44, for a growth space 38 having a length of 10 m (~33 feet), a height of 2.4 m (~8 feet), and a width of 2.1 m (~7 feet), with two opposite perforated walls 44 each having four shaped patterns of apertures having a diameter of 18.5 mm, with the apertures spaced apart by 11 mm, the air speed can be set to 1 m/s ±20%, with the blower set for produce an airflow rate of 6000 cfm ±2000 cfm. In the embodiment of Fig. 7, the top two patterns 64 and 66 have a total number of 744 apertures, and the patterns 68 and 70 have a total number of 1116 apertures.

[0044] In Fig. 7, the pattern 64 is formed 562 mm below the ceiling 42 and the height of the pattern 64 is 48 mm. The pattern 66 is formed 350 mm below the pattern 64 and also has a height of 48 mm. The pattern 68 is formed 350 mm below the pattern 66 and has a height of 79 mm. The pattern 70 is formed 322 mm below the pattern 68 and also has a height of 79 mm. The patter 70 is formed 562 mm above the floor 40.

[0045] Given the geometry of the plenum 46 and of the ducts 50, the dimensions of the plenum 46 and the ducts 50, the height at which the patterns of apertures are situated, and the materials of the plenum 46 and the ducts 50 along which the air flows, it is possible to design the air circulation system 31 to output air at about the same air speed, from each of the patterns of apertures. Such a design can be achieved using air flow principles of conservation of mass, energy and momentum and/or computational fluid dynamics modeling, in consideration of the geometry of all the portions of the air circulation system 31 , including the consideration of any bend in air circulation system 31 , junctions between portions of the air circulation system 31 , the geometry of all the portions of the air circulation system 31 , the materials of which the portions of the air circulation system 31 are made, the geometry of the growth space, the humidity level in the growth space, the volume occupied by the plants and the shelving units in the growth space, etc.

[0046] Bernoulli’s principle relating the speed of a fluid, the static pressure of the fluid and the potential energy of the fluid can be used to in calculating air speed along portions of the ducts. The airflow rate at the output of an aperture can be obtained by multiplying the air speed at the output of an aperture by the surface area of the aperture and by a constant related to the system.

[0047] The following describes an embodiment of an air circulation system of the present disclosure that allows to adjust the air flow at the output of the apertures of the perforated walls. Fig. 8 shows an elevation view of an embodiment of a perforated wall 100 in accordance with the present disclosure, which has four patterns of apertures. The patterns are shown at reference numerals 102, 104, 106 and 108. In this embodiment, all the apertures have the same diameter and each pattern has the same number of apertures, which is to say that each pattern has the same aperture surface area. The perforated wall 100 can have any suitable height and length. The patterns 100, 102, 104 and 106 can have any suitable number of apertures (e.g., 1 to 500 or more), number of rows (e.g., 1 to 5 or more) and number of columns (e.g., 1 to 100 or more), and the apertures can have any suitable diameter.

[0048] Fig. 9 shows the perforated wall 100 of Fig. 8 equipped with movable shutters 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D, coupled to the perforated wall 110 and movable with respect to the perforated wall 100, vertically and/or horizontally, to cover or block, either entirely or partially, row and/or columns of apertures 92 of the patterns 102, 104, 106 and 108 respectively. The shutters 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D can be coupled to perforated wall 100 using any suitable mechanism such as, for example a sliding frame mechanism that allows the shutters to be moved horizontally and vertically.

[0049] Fig. 10 shows the embodiment of Fig. 9, but with the shutters 110A and 110 B positioned to cover the two bottom rows of apertures of patterns 102 and 104, and the shutters 110C and 110D positioned to cover the bottom row of apertures 106 and 108. The configuration of the shutters 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D shown in Fig. 10 is effectively the same as the perforated wall 44 of Fig. 7 in the sense that the pattern 64 of Fig. 7 and the pattern 102 combined with the shutter 110A each have the same number of rows. Similarly, the pattern 66 of Fig. 7 and the pattern 104 combined with the shutter 110B each have the same number of rows; the pattern 68 of Fig. 7 and the pattern 106 combined with the shutter 110C each have the same number of rows; and the pattern 70 of Fig. 7 and the pattern 108 combined with the shutter 110D each have the same number of rows. [0050] Fig. 11 shows the embodiment of Fig. 10, but with the shutters 110C and 110D positioned to partially cover each aperture of each column of the pattern 106 and 108.

[0051] Advantageously the perforated wall 100 and the movable shutters 110A, 11 OB, 110C and 110D shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 can be used to create the horticulture system 112 and air circulation system 113 shown in Fig. 12, which are similar to the horticulture system 30 and air circulation system 31 shown at Fig. 2 et seq., but with opposite perforated walls 100 each equipped with the movable shutters 110A, 110B, 11 OC and 110D, to enable control of airflow at each pattern of apertures.

[0052] The positioning of the movable shutters can be set at any time during the lifetime of the horticulture system 112 and air circulation system 113. For example, prior to a particular crop being placed in the growth space, the air circulation system 113 can be calibrated to function at a substantially constant air speed suitable for the crop in question. To do so, the blower 54 can be set to produce an airflow rate known to produce initial air speeds close to the required air speed. Upon operation of the blower 54 at the prescribed airflow rate, the air speed at the aperture outputs can be balanced by the iterative process of measuring the air speed at the output of the apertures in each of the patterns of apertures and adjusting the position of the shutter 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D with respect to the apertures of the respective patterns 102, 104, 106 and 108, and as needed, adjusting the blower 54 to modify the airflow rate produced by the blower 54. The air speed can also be readjusted as need be during the growth cycle of the plants. This can be advantageous when the plant volume inside the growth space starts to significantly affect the air distribution and flow inside the growth space.

[0053] Any suitable instrument can be used to measure air speed. Such instruments include hot wire anemometers, hot film anemometers, cup anemometers, laser Doppler anemometers, ultrasonic anemometers, etc.

[0054] Figs. 13 and 14 show an embodiment of a mechanism to secure a shutter 110E to a perforated wall in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 13 shows a rail 114 that can be fixedly secured to a perforated wall. The rail 114 can be secured to a perforated wall using any suitable means such as welding or fasteners. The rail 114 defines a groove 116 to which are coupled rollers 118 configured to roll in the rail 114, along the groove 116. The shutter 110E defines vertical grooves 120. Fig. 14 shows the shutter 110E coupled to the rail 114 using fasteners 112 configured to fasten to the rollers 118 to maintain the shutter fixed with respect to the rollers 118. Prior to fastening the fasteners 122, the shutter is adjusted vertically according to the row of apertures, if any, meant to be obstructed by the shutter 110E. The shutter 110E can subsequently be move and positioned horizontally in accordance with the portion of each column of apertures, if any, meant to be obstructed by the shutter 110E. The shutter 110E can be maintained fixed in place through any suitable securing mechanism, such as, for example, fasteners or clamps. All shutters can be secured to a perforated wall and positioned to block apertures in the same manner as the shutter 110E.

[0055] The air speed at the output of the apertures can be set by adjusting the airflow rate of the blower 54 and/or the total unobstructed surface area of the apertures. The air speed can be set to any suitable value. For example, the value can be at or below a plant damage threshold value, e.g. about 1 meter per second for some types of romaine lettuce. Alternatively, the air circulation system can be configured to have any suitable air speed output from the apertures. Such air speeds can be within any suitable air speed range such as, for example, from 0.1 m/s to 5 m/s or more.

[0056] Fig. 15 shows another embodiment of a horticulture system 200 and an air circulation system 201 according to the present disclosure. Fig. 15 shows a side cutaway view of an air circulation system 201 that includes a perforated wall 202 that defines multiple patterns 94 of apertures 92. The horticulture system 200 includes multiple towers 88 that define plant holders 90. The top portions of the towers 88 are connected to a beam 96 and to the bottom portion of the towers are connected to the floor 40. The patterns 94 include two staggered columns of apertures 92. Fig. 16 shows the same view as Fig. 15, but without the towers 88. Although not shown in the figures, the aperture surface area can be greater toward the bottom of the perforated wall 202 than toward the top of the wall, to obtain a uniform speed of the air exiting the apertures. As will be understood by the skilled worker, the embodiment of Figs. 15 and 16 is an improvement over prior system where air circulation was provided by air socks positioned in the growth space.

[0057] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the components or portions of the air circulation system can include louvres, adjustable of fixed, installed in the ducts to help control the air speed at the output of the apertures. Additionally, the ducts 50 can include vertical portions with different cross sections to better control the air speed at the output of the apertures. The ducts 50 can also include vertical dividers that divide the ducts 50 into multiple vertically extending ducts.

[0058] Referring to Fig. 5, the horizontal distance between the shelving units 72 can have any suitable value, provided it is sufficient to allow a worker access to the plants 84 along the length of the shelfing units 76. As a non-limiting example, the horizontal spacing may be about 45 cm.

[0059] The vertical distance between the shelf portions 76 of a shelving unit 72 can be of any suitable value. The vertical placement of a shelf portion 76 with respect to the pattern of apertures immediately above the shelf portion 76 can be selected to have a value sufficiently large to always have the canopy of the plants being grown below the pattern of apertures in question. The selected value can be based on an expected plant height at harvest or at maturity. The shelving units 72 can have adjustable shelf portions 76 to allow the shelf portions 76 to be positioned vertically, at a required height, such that the air output from the perforated walls flows above the canopy of the plants 84 grown in the growth space 38. However, this need not be the case and air circulation systems or horticulture systems where the vertical position of the patterns of apertures and the height of the shelf portions are set to have air output from the apertures at the plant canopy height of below the plant canopy height are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] The growth space 38 shown at Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 12 can have any suitable shape and dimensions. For example, the growth space 38 can be in the shape of a rectangular prism. The dimensions such a growth space can be 40 feet (~12 m) in length, 8 feet (~2.4 m) in height, and 7 feet (~2.1 m) in width. Any other suitable dimensions are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable shape of the growth space is also to be considered within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Such shapes can include square shapes, trapeze shapes, circular shapes, etc.

[0061] The shelving units 72 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 can have any suitable dimensions as long as they can fit in the growth space. Further, even though two shelving units 72 are shown in the embodiment of Fig. 5, any suitable number of shelving units is to be considered within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the horticulture system of the present disclosure can include one shelving unit, or two shelving units, or three shelving units, etc. provided they all fit in the growth space 38.

[0062] As shown in the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6, the shelving units 72 can have four shelf portions 76. Any other suitable number of shelf portions 76 is to be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figs. 4 and 6 show that the perforated wall 44 has four patterns of apertures. This need not be the case. Other embodiments of the present disclosure can have any suitable number of patterns. For example, air circulation systems with perforated walls each having one pattern of apertures or five patterns of apertures or three patterns of apertures are all within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0064] Instead of having patterns of apertures as described above, embodiments where air is output from vertically spaced-apart single openings defined by the perforated walls are also within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, embodiments where instead of having patterns of apertures, the perforated walls have vertically spaced-apart single rectangular openings is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0065] Even though the embodiments described above have two opposite perforated walls, embodiments where there is only a single perforated wall and embodiments where there are three or four perforated walls are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] As will be understood by the skilled worker, the air circulation system of the present disclosure is optimized to function with the growth space isolated from the outside of the growth space. This allows for closed circulation of air from the plenum 46 to the ducts 50, through the perforated walls 44 and into the growth space 38 and back into the plenum 46. For the embodiment shown at Fig. 2, the doors 36 are to be closed during operation of the horticulture system 30.

[0067] As will be understood by the skilled worker, the air exchanger system 34 shown in the embodiments of Figs. 2 and 12 are coupled to the plenum 46 and can be configured to replenish the air circulating in the growth space, control the humidity level in the air and control the air temperature. Additionally, the air exchanger system 34 can be coupled to a controller (not shown), which can be coupled to various sensors (not shown) such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, CO2 sensors, etc.

[0068] Even though the embodiments described above have a single blower 54, embodiments where there are more than one blower are considered to be within scope of the present disclosure. For example, an air circulation systems with two, three, four, etc. blowers are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. The multiple blowers can be connected to the plenum 46 directly or through respective ducts. The single blower 54 can be referred to as a blower system, as can multiple blowers coupled to the plenum. The blower 54 or blowers 54 of the blower system can be variable flow blowers, meaning that the blower 54 or blowers 54 can produce an airflow at a controllable airflow rate.

[0069] The diameter of the apertures defined by the perforated walls can have any suitable shape and dimensions. For example, circular openings having a diameter of 0.5 inch (~12.5 mm) or less to 3 inches (~76.2 mm) or more are within the scope of the present disclosure. Rather than being circular, the apertures can be oval, rectangular, triangular, square, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] The blower system can be selected to produce for example, an airflow rate of between 100 cubic meters per hour to 25000 cubic meters per hour or more. Any other suitable airflow rate is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. As will be understood by the skilled worker, the required airflow can depend on the dimensions of the growth space, the temperature, the humidity level, the air density, the geometry of the air circulation system, the size of the apertures, the age of the plants, etc.

[0071] The air circulation system embodiments described above include a blower system that blows air into a plenum (formed above a ceiling) from which the airflows into vertical ducts and subsequently out of apertures formed on an inside wall of a growth space. However, other embodiments of air circulation systems where air is caused to flow out of the apertures and into the growth space, are within the scope of the present disclosure. Figs. 17, 18 and 19 shows such an embodiment.

[0072] Fig. 17 shows a cutaway, front view of an embodiment of a horticulture system 300 in accordance with the present disclosure. The horticulture system 300 includes an air circulation system 301 and a structure 323 enclosing a growth space 312. The air circulation system 301 includes vertical conduits 302 located in the growth space 312. The vertical conduits 302 receive air from a blower system at conduits 304. The air blower system part of the air circulation system and is located outside the structure 323. The air circulates from the conduits 304, through the vertical conduits 302, and out of the vertical conduits 302 into the ducts 50 through conduits 306. From the ducts 50, the air flows out of perforated walls 310 and into the growth space 312. From the growth space 312, the airflows out through the return conduit 314 located at the backwall 313 of the structure 323. The vertical conduits 302 and/or the conduits 304 can be equipped with fixed or adjustable louvres to help control the air speed in the air circulation system.

[0073] Fig. 18 shows a top view of the horticulture system 300 of Fig. 17. Fig. 18 shows the blower system 316 located behind the back wall 313. The blower system 316 is coupled to the conduits 304, which traverse the back wall 313 and couple to the vertical conduits 302. The vertical conduits 302 are coupled to the ducts 50 through the conduits 306. The arrows 320 show the flow direction of the air circulating from the blower system 316 to the vertical conduits 302, through the conduits 304. The arrows 322 show the flow direction of the air circulating from the vertical conduits 302 to the ducts 50, through the conduits 306. The arrows 324 show the flow direction of the air as it circulates along the length of the ducts 50. The arrows 60 show the flow direction of the air exiting the perforated walls 310. The arrows 326 show the flow direction of the air as it circulates through the growth space 312 toward the return conduit 314. And the arrows 328 shows the flow direction of the air as it circulates from the growth space 312 to the blower system 316, through the return conduit 314. Fig. 18 also shows the front wall 315 of the structure which can include doors to gain access to the growth space 312. [0074] Fig. 19 shows a side cutaway view of the horticulture system 300 taken along the line XIX - XIX of Fig. 17. The arrow 320 shows the flow direction of the air circulating from the blower system 316 to the vertical conduits 302, through the conduit 304. The arrow 321 shows the flow direction of the air circulating in the vertical conduit 302 toward the conduit 306 that is coupled to the vertical conduit 302 located at the bottom portion 307 thereof. Fig. 19 also shows the perforated wall 310, which defines the apertures 92 and four vertically spaced apart patterns 64, 66, 68 and 70.

[0075] Even though the horticulture system 300 shown in Figs. 17 - 19 includes two vertical conduits 302, horticulture systems having one vertical conduit or more than two vertical conduits are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, even though the vertical conduits 302 receive air from the blower system 316 through conduits 304 that traverse the back wall 313, horticulture systems where the vertical conduits receive air from a blower system through conduits traversing any wall of the structure 323 or traversing the ceiling and/or floor of the structure 323 are within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, horticulture systems where the vertical conduits are located outside the structure 323 but are connected to the blower system to receive air therefrom and connected to the ducts 50 to provide air thereto are also considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, horticulture systems where instead of vertical conduits there are horizontal conduits or oblique conduits connected to the blower system to receive air therefrom and connected to the ducts 50 to provide air thereto are also considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, any horticulture system that has an air circulation system with a blower system coupled to the ducts to provide air thereto and coupled to the growth space to receive air therefrom are considered to within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0076] Although not shown, the air circulation system 301 shown in Figs. 17 - 19 and the air exchanger system 34 shown at Figs. 1 and 2 can include heating sub-systems to heat the air, cooling sub-systems to cool the air, and humidity control sub-systems to control the humidity of the air circulating in the horticulture systems.

[0077] As will be understood by the skilled worker, the air circulation system can be made of or include any suitable materials such as steel, fiberglass, polymers, wood, etc.

[0078] Advantageously, having a horticulture system that includes the air circulation system described herein, can provide even air flow/air distribution for the plants being cultivated. The even air flow/air distribution allows for uniform evapotranspiration throughout the growth space, which allows for improved absorption of nutrients by the plants. The air circulation system of the present disclosure can also provide better control of the humidity level within the growth space, improved control over the temperature in the growth space, improved water and CO2 management, and an increased plant density.

[0079] In the preceding description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required. In other instances, well-known electrical structures and circuits are shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the understanding.

[0080] The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations can be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the particular embodiments set forth herein, but should be construed in a manner consistent with the specification as a whole.