ChrisFL
General Disarray
Has anyone used one of these to control a greenhouse and grow space? Any advice or recommendations?
Programmable logic controllers?
- Thread starter ChrisFL
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Chris, please explain a bit more about this system. I have
something similar...I think. My heat, louvers, exhaust
fan and lighting have to be set manually. After the initial
setting, everything is automatic and changes with changing conditions. Is that what you mean?
something similar...I think. My heat, louvers, exhaust
fan and lighting have to be set manually. After the initial
setting, everything is automatic and changes with changing conditions. Is that what you mean?
Details please (and a photo would be helpful)
naoki
Well-Known Member
I'm starting to experiment with Arduino, ESP8266, and RaspberryPi based project. So far I have figured out remote monitoring and logging (wi-fi based) of RH and temp in several grow area. Next, I want to monitor CO2 (I got the sensor), and eventually control CO2 injection. RH and temp (exhaust fan) is currently controlled by Zoomed Hygrotherm, but if it breaks, I'll probably try to control with Arduino. I'm still learning about relays to control 120V AC. Everything can be done super cheap, and it is fun to learn about it. Is this the kind of things you are thinking, or are you thinking about a pre-built controller? It's been too busy, so this project is going pretty slowly.
Arduino is cheaper, but here is Raspberry Pi based project:
http://www.raspiviv.com
I use ESP8266 in each grow area, which send the data to a home automation server (OpenHab) running on a RaspberryPi. I access OpenHab via web page from iPad or desktop computers.
Here is the remote monitoring node based on ESP8266 and DHT22 RH/temp sensor (the web uses DHT11, but it is better to go with DHT22).
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/meet-arduino-killer-esp8266/
Here is openhab on Rpi:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/getting-started-openhab-home-automation-raspberry-pi/
Arduino is cheaper, but here is Raspberry Pi based project:
http://www.raspiviv.com
I use ESP8266 in each grow area, which send the data to a home automation server (OpenHab) running on a RaspberryPi. I access OpenHab via web page from iPad or desktop computers.
Here is the remote monitoring node based on ESP8266 and DHT22 RH/temp sensor (the web uses DHT11, but it is better to go with DHT22).
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/meet-arduino-killer-esp8266/
Here is openhab on Rpi:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/getting-started-openhab-home-automation-raspberry-pi/
Paphluvr
Well-Known Member
Should be easy enough to do. I don't have experience with controlling a greenhouse but I do with controlling industrial equipment. The downside would be the expense and ease of programming. You might want to check out this site.
I'm not familiar with their equipment but it starts at a good price point. I'm sure you could find many others.
http://velocio.net/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Campaign #1&utm_campaign=Simple to use
I'm not familiar with their equipment but it starts at a good price point. I'm sure you could find many others.
http://velocio.net/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Campaign #1&utm_campaign=Simple to use
ChrisFL
General Disarray
you guys are rockstars! Naoki, I have multiple DHT22s and an first gen RPi that is just greek to me.
I understand logic and traditional ladder relays. I know NOTHING about programming.
The RPi viv thing did not exist when I jumped into the micro controller fray awhile back.
I understand logic and traditional ladder relays. I know NOTHING about programming.
The RPi viv thing did not exist when I jumped into the micro controller fray awhile back.
You guys just went way over my head. Himself is an
engineer and he designed and installed my system. He
explained as he did it and that went over my head as well.
However, it works wonderfully well. Now somebody tell
me how to control condensation from the roof of my greenhouse in the winter. The damn drips are rarely
in the same place.
engineer and he designed and installed my system. He
explained as he did it and that went over my head as well.
However, it works wonderfully well. Now somebody tell
me how to control condensation from the roof of my greenhouse in the winter. The damn drips are rarely
in the same place.
Point fans at the ceiling.
ChrisFL
General Disarray
Sensors/input:
External temperature and humidity
(1 x DHT22)
Internal temperature and humidity
(2 x DHT22, one for upper, warm half, second for lower, cool half)
Submersible temp probe
(not sure which; to measure sump water temperature)
Light (not PAR, just day or night, not sure which sensor).
Equipment:
Outside: ½ hp chiller, Iwaki 55 closed loop pump, 20 gallon sump, Aquarium heater.
Inside greenhouse: 2 x 120 mm waterproof fan (run on external DC power supply) attached to closed loop radiator.
Water is pulled from sump, send through chiller and radiator before being returned to sump.
At night, night setpoint should be activated: chiller runs to maintain 50-55 F nighttime temperature of water in the sump, fan on/off used to seek to keep bottom of the greenhouse at 55-60 F.
During day: If too warm, chiller and fans run to maintain 85 F inside greenhouse, if too cool (cloudy, chilly day, weak visible and IR heating load), heater runs to maintain at least 70 F inside greenhouse during the day.
Watering is accomplished by high pressure misting pump (MistKing). Turn on randomly during daylight hours for 30-60 seconds continuously, 1-2x per day.
All inputs from sensors, and state of all outputs should be capable of being monitored and controllable from outside the home network (iPhone, etc.). Logging/graphing of input from sensors.
External temperature and humidity
(1 x DHT22)
Internal temperature and humidity
(2 x DHT22, one for upper, warm half, second for lower, cool half)
Submersible temp probe
(not sure which; to measure sump water temperature)
Light (not PAR, just day or night, not sure which sensor).
Equipment:
Outside: ½ hp chiller, Iwaki 55 closed loop pump, 20 gallon sump, Aquarium heater.
Inside greenhouse: 2 x 120 mm waterproof fan (run on external DC power supply) attached to closed loop radiator.
Water is pulled from sump, send through chiller and radiator before being returned to sump.
At night, night setpoint should be activated: chiller runs to maintain 50-55 F nighttime temperature of water in the sump, fan on/off used to seek to keep bottom of the greenhouse at 55-60 F.
During day: If too warm, chiller and fans run to maintain 85 F inside greenhouse, if too cool (cloudy, chilly day, weak visible and IR heating load), heater runs to maintain at least 70 F inside greenhouse during the day.
Watering is accomplished by high pressure misting pump (MistKing). Turn on randomly during daylight hours for 30-60 seconds continuously, 1-2x per day.
All inputs from sensors, and state of all outputs should be capable of being monitored and controllable from outside the home network (iPhone, etc.). Logging/graphing of input from sensors.
naoki
Well-Known Member
To achieve what you want to do, it sounds like that you probably need to know a bit of programming??
Programming Arduino isn't too bad, but I have to admit that I already knew several computer programming languages. So it may be a steep learning curve if you start from "hello world". Most of the time, there are lots of Arduino codes you can find, which is relatively easy to read and modify. I'm learning by just copying other people's code and modifying small bits. With Rpi, you need to know the basic of linux, so linux sys-admin is an additional layer.
The link which Paphluvr provided looks pretty interesting, and I didn't know about this kind of controllers! It's more expensive than Arduino, but it suggests that you can graphically program it.
If you are ok with a simplified version (e.g. chiller is controlled by thermostats, and fan is controlled separately), ZooMed Hygrotherm (and a couple other reptile controller) can have day/night set points (I'm sure you already know this), which is used as the main temp control. Then exhaust fan could be controlled by another cheap thermostat.
Why do you have to turn on MistKing "randomly"? Can't you set a time of the day to turn them on, and the timer which comes with MistKing can do the time based control at a fine scale (i.e. you can do less than 1 min).
If you are going to learn programming with Arduino, you can make more integrated solution for super cheap, though. I'm not quite there with Arduino yet, but I know that you can do everything you planned with Arduino (you can do with Rpi, but it is much more expensive than Arduino, which is <$5). Here is a good tutorial to start:
http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/
There is a water-proof temp sensor, DS18B20 (about $1). DHT22 is about $3. Here is a link to lux meter ($6). Arduino copy is <$5 from eBay and aliexpress. Then a couple relays. So the total cost is probably $40 or less.
For the logging capacity, I would probably run a server on Rpi (cheaper to run than a computer all the time), so you need to connect Arduino to Rpi with radio transceiver or wifi. ESP8266 is a cheap option to provide wifi to arduino. For the radio, I heard good things about RFM69HW when I was thinking of making a snail mailbox alarm, so orchids don't sit in the mailbox for a long time ( some info here). These are $10 or less, I think.
As a related idea, it would be cool to use water-cooled LEDs to help the temp regulation. If you don't have enough heat for the day in the winter, the cooling water goes to the closed loop radiator in the greenhouse, but in the summer time, it will goes to the sump outside of the greenhouse (I'm assuming that you are talking about indoor greenhouse you posted here).
Whatever you decide to do, I'd love to hear how you implement it!
Do you or anyone happen to know the efficiency comparison of AC-based vs chiller-based cooling solution?
Programming Arduino isn't too bad, but I have to admit that I already knew several computer programming languages. So it may be a steep learning curve if you start from "hello world". Most of the time, there are lots of Arduino codes you can find, which is relatively easy to read and modify. I'm learning by just copying other people's code and modifying small bits. With Rpi, you need to know the basic of linux, so linux sys-admin is an additional layer.
The link which Paphluvr provided looks pretty interesting, and I didn't know about this kind of controllers! It's more expensive than Arduino, but it suggests that you can graphically program it.
If you are ok with a simplified version (e.g. chiller is controlled by thermostats, and fan is controlled separately), ZooMed Hygrotherm (and a couple other reptile controller) can have day/night set points (I'm sure you already know this), which is used as the main temp control. Then exhaust fan could be controlled by another cheap thermostat.
Why do you have to turn on MistKing "randomly"? Can't you set a time of the day to turn them on, and the timer which comes with MistKing can do the time based control at a fine scale (i.e. you can do less than 1 min).
If you are going to learn programming with Arduino, you can make more integrated solution for super cheap, though. I'm not quite there with Arduino yet, but I know that you can do everything you planned with Arduino (you can do with Rpi, but it is much more expensive than Arduino, which is <$5). Here is a good tutorial to start:
http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/
There is a water-proof temp sensor, DS18B20 (about $1). DHT22 is about $3. Here is a link to lux meter ($6). Arduino copy is <$5 from eBay and aliexpress. Then a couple relays. So the total cost is probably $40 or less.
For the logging capacity, I would probably run a server on Rpi (cheaper to run than a computer all the time), so you need to connect Arduino to Rpi with radio transceiver or wifi. ESP8266 is a cheap option to provide wifi to arduino. For the radio, I heard good things about RFM69HW when I was thinking of making a snail mailbox alarm, so orchids don't sit in the mailbox for a long time ( some info here). These are $10 or less, I think.
As a related idea, it would be cool to use water-cooled LEDs to help the temp regulation. If you don't have enough heat for the day in the winter, the cooling water goes to the closed loop radiator in the greenhouse, but in the summer time, it will goes to the sump outside of the greenhouse (I'm assuming that you are talking about indoor greenhouse you posted here).
Whatever you decide to do, I'd love to hear how you implement it!
Do you or anyone happen to know the efficiency comparison of AC-based vs chiller-based cooling solution?
Sorry for the hack about condensation. I already have the
inside lining and it doesn't work for condensation, although
it sounded like a good idea at first. Ray, my fans are 52"
ceiling fans and they don't stop the condensation either.
inside lining and it doesn't work for condensation, although
it sounded like a good idea at first. Ray, my fans are 52"
ceiling fans and they don't stop the condensation either.
He may be talking about making an inner tent that's lower than your roof plastic. Run a line from one end to other, put individual rolled sheet pieces up over the line then fasten on opposite walls where the roof drips collect on the top of the tent and run down to the wall. You have to leave spaces between the 'tent plastic' sheets, and fasten periodically to roof, so air moves all around it. Your condensation will form under the roof and drip to the tent
Elmer Nj
Elmer Nj
