Feedback wanted on climate control system.

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Hi,

For two years we have been creating our own climate control system. As we speak we are finalizing our designs, and looking for feedback.

The system is designed to control a complete grow room. We think it is perfectly suitable for a hydroponic system, because you can control anything from watering to lights. You can attach different sensors to get insight in the climate. For a basic insight we think that an (NDiR) CO2 sensor, humidity sensor and air temperature sensor are the minimum requirements. We have created a sensor unit that contains all these sensors.

The base system contains 6 programmable power outlets. You can switch these outlets on or off based on sensor readings, time or manually. We are currently finalizing other sensors like a soil temperature sensor, a water temperature sensor, water leak sensors, water flow sensors so you can see how much water your plants get, different gas sensors and EC/PH sensors. Also we created extension boxes that can be used to add extra power outlets to your system. These extentions are in the final stage of development.

The system can be controlled via a webpage on the Master unit. You can connect to it with a built in WiFi access point. You can also choose to connect the system to your own local network via WiFi and/or Ethernet. The software is designed to give maximum insight in the climate conditions in your grow room. There are charts for all sensors, and all switch moments of the power outlets are logged and viewable. We have chosen for a web based control panel, so that you can use it on any device you want, phone, tablet or laptop/computer.

We are currently looking for feedback on the system that we have created. We try to create an extremely easy to use system that can manage all situations that might be encountered, and make sure that it is also perfectly fit for hydroponic systems. We are currently building a website; on the following page you can find more detailed information about the system, and see some pictures for a general impression: http://goo.gl/koMqoK

Based on the information above, is there anything obvious that we have overlooked?

We appreciate all feedback!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

ricksindoorgarden
10 years ago
any way you could sense rotation? I have a volksgarden that spins about a center light. It takes 45 minutes for the wheel to make 1 rotation. The biggest problem is when the wheel stops due to malfunction. It happens about once every 6 to 8 months. By the time I catch it the lights have dried it out and the plants are toast. There probably aren't enough of these systems out there to warrant the sensors required.
RDclimate thanked ricksindoorgarden
RDclimate
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Hi Rick,

Thank you for your comment!

You are correct; rotation sensing isn't something we have implemented at the moment. I can think of a couple of ways that we can accomodate a setup like this, for instance using a magnet mounted on the rotating part. This magnet triggers a sensor every time it passes by, resetting a user defined counter. This way we can simply trigger an alarm that goes off when the counter runs out.

Out of interest, can you please provide me with some more information (or even pictures) of your volksgarden? I am really curious about the exact setup as i haven't encountered a rotating growing setup in real life yet.

I will consult with the hardware developer to see if we can build a test setup sometime and see if this works as i imagine. We won't be able to implement it right away, but i think this is a really nice feature to implement as soon as we have the chance, as there are indeed no other systems that offer this function.
Related Professionals
Anniston Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Cedar Rapids Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Newburyport Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Platteville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bozeman Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Decatur Landscape Contractors · Augusta Landscape Contractors · Brattleboro Landscape Contractors · Helena Landscape Contractors · Savannah Home Additions · Annapolis Home Additions · Flint Home Additions · Niles Home Additions · Willmar Home Additions · Eau Claire Home Additions
ricksindoorgarden
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
This is my volksgarden. They make much larger systems that benefit from the detector you described. Commercial scale for sure, wouldn't want to lose an entire crop because you weren't there to react. Volksgardens are made by Omega Gardens, here is their website http://omegagarden.com/
RDclimate
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Hi Rick,

Thanks for your response!

I consultated with the hardware engineer today, and we are fairly confident that we can create a sensor to detect the rotation, based on the magnetic principle i described before. We should be able to produce a first prototype in a couple of weeks.

Can you please describe what needs to happen to restore functionality once the wheel disfunctions? Does it need manual replacement of parts or would for instance a power off/on solve the problem? If possible we think it would be nice to offer a complete solution to this problem, rather than just detecting it (and turning off the lighting).

Kind Regards,
ricksindoorgarden
10 years ago
The wheel on the system is constantly spinning, the motor is a small gear motor and when it stops running it is either a power failure or a motor failure. If it is a power failure, the lights go off and the nutrient sump pump will not cycle on and when the power goes on all will be fine. When the motor fails it requires a mechanical fix. If this happens while the lights are on, the plants will dry out much quicker than without the lights on. I would say the rotation failure mode should turn off the lights and make a phone call.