Could you do without large devotee above the craw in the glasshouse ? During a visit to a raw - shape project for a tomato grower , the men from Alcomij got the theme . What if you pull the strain through the nursery pillar ? A few twelvemonth later , at the office in ’s - Gravenzande , the editor in chief of this article has a Caeli fan unit specially design for this aim in his possession .
Quite heavy . Sven van Heijningen , R&D manager at Alcomij and Caeli , sees me thinking and laughs . " Many citizenry do n’t expect it . They might remember it ’s a computer lover , but it ’s not . It ’s a very full-bodied rooter , which is brawny enough to move a high electrical capacity of air . "
The concept was presented last summer . This give , the first large Dutch pilot project will be fit with 308 unit . Within a relatively curt geological period , a patent of invention was obtain for the concept . Several other applications are still pending . It shows that something unique has been developed in ’s - Gravenzande . " I am certain that there is no good fan , tailor-make to the standard pillar proportion , " Sven is unwavering .
Sven with the first Caeli ™ fan unit at the new expression project of Van der Avoird Trayplant .
Smart equipmentThe fan in question will hang above the crop and will integrate into the greenhouse newspaper column . Because of this , an adjustment in the screen fabric is not necessary . That was just one of the things that Alcomij wanted to achieve , recalls Erik Schäfer , Sales Manager at the manufacturer of greenhouse masking systems , among other thing , when the centime drop . " It was workfellow Gerhard who came up with the idea of pass the air travel through the nursery column . "
At that time , Alcomij was already officious making products ' sassy ' . Sven had the great undertaking of work out the fan concept . He started monkey around . At first , he ' plainly ' used materials at home . " I ’m a mechanically skillful engineer and I made a lot of prototypes , " he says . Meanwhile , a feasibility study was also carried out by Wageningen University & Research , with the primary question being : How much air can you pump through the greenhouse newspaper column ? More than enough , it turn out .
Air movementThe first test was then sway out in Zwaagdijk - Oost , at the Vertify psychometric test shopping mall . In an existing glasshouse there , ' interlingual rendition 0 ' of the unit was placed against the greenhouse column . Sven : " A grower did a trial there with tomatoes , peppers , and a little cucumber . It was a keen chance for us to essay our devotee unit in this real - life nursery . We immediately achieved beneficial result and then we went all out . "
The first main estimate behind the conception was to dehumidify the air under the filmdom . Sven : " The idea of on an individual basis controlling the air campaign was supply later . For this , the valve position and the speed were made adjustable . The unit of measurement thread in air at three points , where there are sensor that take measurements . "
The whole draws in air from above and below in the greenhouse column , but also a little from below the fan unit , outside the greenhouse column . This is to valuate the local temperature and humidity .
AlgorithmSven try out a lot with all the possible place , after which he wrote his algorithm to control these activity and thus automatise the unit . " It is far too complicated for hoi polloi to set the configurations for each glasshouse editorial themselves " , says Sven . Erik adds . " After installing the Caeli building block , each greenhouse pillar also becomes a measuring point . To make this possible , to make our organization ' smart ' , we demanded a hatful from our R&D and also on a regular basis exchanged ideas with fellow worker in the field . "
Once the algorithm was in place , it could also be tested . Sven : " One day the algorithm did its Book of Job , the next day it only measured . You before long see that when the algorithm controlled the unit , the temperature deviation in the nursery were much less . " Erik : " Now , in practice , you still follow across considerable temperature differences in glasshouse , sometimes up to six to seven degrees Celsius . Even with the latest climate data processor that are coiffure very accurately , growers still have spots in the nursery where the clime is difficult to control . "
golf hole are made in the nursery column to integrate the unit .
HeatmapThanks to the use of Caeli units , the grower has insight into these issues . Sven : " Placing a building block in each greenhouse column creates a very impenetrable sensor connection , as it were . This live sensor grid make us unique . All these measure bring about a heat map , based on the building block itself , thanks to the algorithm , determines how the aura movement must be created to obtain a uniform glasshouse mood . "
The Caeli building block is equipped with three modes : off , manual and automatic . Sven shortly realized that the robotlike option is by far the honest . " This was evident from the test we carry out . The algorithm is already super potent . I look that it will only get good in the future . "
Heatmap exercise
screenland strategySven expects the raiser who work with the unit of measurement to adapt their sieve strategy . " With the passion map , they get a destiny of insight into the greenhouse mood , and with the sports fan units , they have a specific way of making the climate uniform . As a resultant role , I carry growers to start chopping otherwise , for model . " Erik add up : " At the base of this concept is also the development of Het Nieuwe Telen ( in rendering : The New Cultivation , a Modern Energy Department saving way of growing ) . you could see that for energy - saving reasons , the vents stay closed longer and agriculturist work more with blind . Our whole is then a tool to produce air movement . "
The team was warned about the danger of insensate spots , as the development process spread out . With alterations to the screen fabric when install systems such as fans , that risk is always bushwhack . " This is not an issue with the Caeli climate solution . There are no restriction to the screen initiation , " Sven responds . " It is possible to install several zip - in screens without making any adjustments or trap in the screen fabric . Something that do good the lifetime . Cold spots can also occur in the glasshouse column . The Caeli unit is outfit with a dither to neutralize this problem , which is infinitely adjustable , as already mentioned .
PilotVan der Avoird Trayplant has installed 308 units in a new greenhouse for strawberry and raspberry seedlings . This is the first tumid - scale pilot project with the whole . The whole will be integrated into the columns of the greenhouse . The holes have already been made . Erik : " That is an vantage because it allow you to deploy the breathing apparatus at the very last second , which prevents contamination with mental synthesis dust . "
At the tray plant cultivator , the unit will be site between the level with strawberry , where the cuttings hang down , and the layer with raspberries . Between both layers is a distance of three meters . When send in gamy telegram cultivation , the sports fan units are located at the height of the top of the plant . " This construct the organisation different from a semi - closed greenhouse , where the air is ball up from slots under the flora , " explains Erik . " Moreover , we do not contribute energy to the air . We do n’t inflame or cool off the air and rely exclusively on air motion . "
Sven hands over the first copy to Jurgen Blom , a cultivation specialist at Van der Avoird Trayplant .
CapacityTests already showed that the units have enough capacitance . At Caeli , they even recall that even less electrical capacity may be needed . Erik : " You utilize the air movement in a very targeted agency from many points . How much capacity you have usable does depend on the size of the part , the treillage , and the size of it of the greenhouse column , among other thing . " Sven adds . " With a higher capacity need , it is also possible to monitor the mood differences that arise when a screen door is give and to alternate with periods in which the devotee bring the mood back into balance . That way you keep control of the homogeneousness and increase the capacitance of the dehumidification using the Caeli unit . "
Through strain motion , the Caeli ™ building block creates a more homogenous climate
Anyone who also wants to dehumidify take a connection to the climate computer . All the units can be controlled wirelessly . " This is done from the cloud , " Sven explains . " We are still investigating whether local control is also an selection . However , I doubt whether that is unspoiled . "
The idea is that , once the units are set up ( insert the plug , put on the masking , and fasten two dash ) , the grower does not have to worry about them . Erik : " With this Caeli mood solution , we will presently be offering the grower integrate engineering for exquisitely measuring and controlling the greenhouse mood . " Sven concludes , " We are certain that with Caeli we have developed something unique for nursery land : a simple yet complex greenhouse clime resolution . "
For more entropy : Caeli ™ [email protected]www.greenhouse - climate.com
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