Introduction

System for heating plants in climatically controlled environments using electrical energy source to generate microwaves used to heat the aerial part of the plants and a low-temperature thermal source to heat the soil (roots). Applicable to the case of co-generators with reciprocating engines.

Technical features

Currently, the heating of plants in greenhouses involves the use of the air present in the greenhouse as a vector for heating: the heated air, consequently heats the foliage of the plants with which it comes into contact. This involves the heating of large volumes of air much greater than the volume actually corresponding to the volume of the aerial sections of the plants. On the other hand, to heat the roots, the soil is heated.
The patent proposes to use microwaves for the treatment and heating of the aerial parts of plants. For the generation of microwaves, electricity is used and microwaves are distributed with antennas arranged over the entire extension of the greenhouse. The patent proposes to obtain this electrical energy from a generator driven by an internal combustion engine or microturbine; the cooling heat of the engine or turbine is used as low-temperature thermal energy for heating the roots with the benefit of using both energy flows efficiently and with the additional benefit of being able to exploit the overproduction of electricity by selling it in network.

Possible Applications

• Targeted heating of plants in greenhouses.
• Treatment of the growing bed at the end of a growing cycle sterilising it by heating with microwaves.
• Optimal exploitation of low temperature electrical and thermal flows from a cogeneration plant.
• Control of heating of plants illuminated with microwaves.

Advantages

• Energy efficiency: achievement of a higher energy yield than the current heating techniques which involves heating the greenhouse air or lighting the plants with infrared sources;
• Optimal exploitation of an energy flow produced by cogeneration. The high-energy electrical part is used to produce efficiently microwaves and the thermal flux at low temperature and energy is exploited for heating the soil around the roots.