• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 1995

This study was conducted to develop an automatic nutrient control system for trickle application of nutrient solution. Temperature, electric conductivity(EC). pH and dissolved oxygen(DO) were selected as control variables. A controller using single-chip microcomputer was constructed. An automatic control system for nutrient solution and a controller using single-chip microcomputer with control algorithm were developed. The control system was tested, and could control temperature, EC and pH within the error ranges of $pm 0.2^{circ} pm 0.2mS/cm, pm 0.1pH$, respectively.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.328-338
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• 1990

The objective of this study was to develop automatic systems of nutrient solution management for optimal nutrient solution environment and labor saving in water culture which enables factory crop production. In this study, an automatic control system and its driving program are developed to prepare, supply, and recover nutrient solution and to keep the optimal solution concentration level using microcomputers. Based on this study, the following conclusions are obtained: 1. The concentration measured by the system using oscillating circuit designed and built in this study, gave good agreements with the actual nutrient solution. 2. In water culture, the period of 12 hours for measuring concentration, pH, and temperature of the nutrient solution was optimum. Addition of control solution due to the decrease of the nutrient solution concentration is required in every 3 to 5 days. 3. It is estimated that the period of the whole solution change is 15 days, however, further research is needed to assure it. In addition, this period must be shortened in the future. 4. Both the hardware and software of the developed optimal nutrient solution control system in the water culture are working very well, however, it is necessary to develop a more economical one-chip micro controller to substitute for the microcomputer.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 1993

Cooling of nutrient solution is essential to improve the growth environment of crops in hydroponic culture during summer season in Korea. This study was carried out to provide fundamental data for development of the cooling system satisfying the required cooling load of nutrient solution in hydroponic greenhouse. A numerical model for prediction of the cooling load of nutrient solution in hydroponic greenhouse was developed, and the results by the model showed good agreements with those by experiments. Main factors effecting on cooling load were solar radiation and air temperature in weather data, and conductivity of planting board and area ratio of bed to floor in greenhouse parameters. Using the model developed, the design cooling load of nutrient solution in hydroponic greenhouse of 1,000$m^2$(300pyong) was predicted to be 95,000 kJ/hr in Suwon and the vicinity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1997.06c
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• pp.89-98
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• 1997

This study was conducted to develop an automatic nutrient-solution control system for small-scale growers. The nutrient-solution control system consisted of a low-cost and precise metering device and a personal computer. The system controlled electric conductivity(EC) and pH of nutrient-solution based on the time-based feedback control method with the information about temperature, EC, and pH of the nutrient-soIution. The performance of the nutrient-solution control system was evaluated through the control of EC and pH while compared with those of commercial nutrient-solution control system. Also an experimental cultivation of tomato was conducted to verify and to improve the developed system. Results of this study were as follows. 1. An automatic nutrient-solution control system based on a low-cost and precise metering device was developed. 2. The developed system controlled EC and pH within $\pm$0.05 mS/cm and $\pm$0.2 pH full scale error respectively at $24^{/circ}C$. 3. When using the commercial system, the controlled values of EC and pH of the 500l of water were 1.29 mS/cm and 6.1 pH for the setting points of 1.4 mS/cm and 6.0 pH respectively at $22^{/circ}C$. 4. The developed nutrient-solution control system showed $\pm$0.05 mS/cm of deviation from the setting EC value over the experimental cultivation period. 5. The deviation from the average values of Ca and Mg mass content in the several nutrient-solution were 0.5% and 1.8% respectively.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.113-121
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• 1994

Since it is difficult to expect the normal production of plants in greenhouses during hot summer season in Korea, certain provisions on the control of extreme environmental factors in summer should be considered for the year-round cultivation in greenhouses. This study was carried out to find a method to suppress the temperature rising of nutrient solution by cooling, which is able to contribute to the improvement of the plant growth environment in hydroponic greenhouse during hot summer season. A mechanical cooling system using the counter flow type with double pipe was developed for cooling the nutrient solution efficiently. Also the heat transfer characteristics of the system was analysed experimentally and theoretically, and compared with the existing cooling systems of nutrient solution. The cooling capacities of three different Systems, which used polyethylene tube in solution tank, stainless tube in solution tank, and the counter flow type with double pipe, were evaluated. The performance of each cooling system was about 41 %, 70% and 81 % of design cooling load in hydroponic greenhouse of 1 ,000m$^2$ on the conditions that the flow rate of ground water was 2m$^3$/hr and the temperature difference between two liquids was 10 ˚C According to the results analysed as above, the cooling system was found to have a satisfactory cooling capability for regions where ground water supply is available. Fer the other regions where ground water supply is restricted, more efficient cooling System should be developed.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.1059-1065
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• 2005

In this study, an nutrient solution control system have been designed and implemented, which controls the density of nutrient and the nutrient supply automatically using embedded real time operating system and fuzzy control algorithm. The factors which affect the growth of crop consist of solar radiation, external temperature, and external humidity. Also, nutrient temperature, electric conductivity(ED, and pH are monitored. According to the surveyed results, a fuzzy control algorithm for nutrient control is developed in order to control the density of nutrient and the nutrient supply. The exclusive embedded controller which consists of an embedded real time operating system, a korean LCD, and a graphic is developed for common users.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 1998

An Aero-NFT nutriculture system using microcomputer for cultivation of greenhouse melon was developed and the performance of the system was evaluated through experiments. The system could control temperature, EC and pH of the nutrient solution within the error ranges of $\pm$ 0.2$^{\circ}C$, $\pm$ 0.2 mS/cm, $\pm$ 0.1 pH, respectively. The results of cultivation experiment showed that temperature, EC and pH of the nutrient solution were generally controlled within the setting ranges during cultivation period. The growth results were good until pinching, but the fruit quality of melons was not high except sweetness and shape. To optimize performance of the system, more techlical information for nutriculture of greenhouse melon was needed.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2017

This study aimed to investigate the nutrient solution developed by based on nutrient-water absorption rate of strawberry 'Maehyang' by comparing growth and yield for 8 months with 5 kinds of nutrient solution with different ion composition. Strawberry plants were planted at elevated bed and supplied with five kinds of nutrient solutions (RDA), Yamazaki, PBG, University of Seoul (UOS) and NewUOS from one month onwards. Five types of nutrient solution were supplied to the strawberry plants associated with EC $1.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, pH 6.0, $150{\sim}300mL{\cdot}plant^{-1}$ per day. At 60 days after planting, leaf width and leaf petiole of the strawberry plants showed significant differences among nutrient solution types and photosynthesis was higher in RDA and NewUOS nutrient solution and lower in PBG nutrient solution. The EC of the drainage on vegetative growth stage was $0.7{\sim}0.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, which is lower than the supplied EC level, and to $1.0-1.2dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, afterwards. The pH of the drainage was higher in Yamzaki solution as 6.2~6.8, while the pH of the UOS nutrient solution was lower in 5.1~5.2. Nitrate content was most absorbed in vegetative growth stage and after flower clusters development. The potassium uptake was highest at the NewUOS followed by UOS and Yamazaki nutrient solution. At six months after -planting fresh weight and dry weight of shoot and root were higher in UOS and NewUOS nutrient solution than other nutrient solutions, and the dry matter ratio was lower at 43.5% in Yamazaki nutrient solution and 30.6% in NewUOS nutrient solution than other solutions. Length, width, weight, and sugar content of the strawberries harvested from December to February were unaffected by treatment, but yield was higher in NewUOS nutrient solution due to increasing fruit number and average weight. From March to May, number of fruit was higher in Yamazaki nutrient solution. In conclusion, there was no difference in the growth of 'Maehyang' when 5 nutrient solutions were grown under hydroponics. But in order to improve the marketability, the NewUOS nutrient solution is appropriate to use from planting to February and it is suitable to use Yamazaki nutrient solution after March when temperature is high and the amount of fruit set per inflorescence.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 1997

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of limited nutrient supply during 21 days before and after pollination stage on the growth, fruit quality and nutrient uptake of muskmelon in rockwool culture. Muskmelon, cv. Earl's Favorite seeds sowed on rockwool cube and transplanted on rockwool slab($90\times15\times7.5cm$) when 2 to 3 true leaf appeared on Sep. 6, 1991. Three kinds of nutrient composition recommended by Shizuoka university, combinated with the composition of Otsuka house A and composition Shizuoka III. One half of calcium nitrate(Ca(NO$_3$)$_2$.4$H_2O$) for limiting nitrogen supply during 21 days was treated and then fertigated the nutrient composition recommended by Shizuoka university up to harvest time. Trickling nozzles(Netafim Co. Israel) were used for fertigation of nutrient solution and noncirculating system was employed. Temperature was maintained $18^{\circ}C$ in night but 23 to $25^{\circ}C$ for 10 days after pollination for softening the fruit. The drainage ratio of nutrient solution was adjusted 20 to 30 percent. Fertigated and drained amount, and the pH and EC of nutrient solution were recorded. The concentrations of mineral elements including N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were analyzed and compared among treatments. In both autumn and winter cultivation, the limitation of nutrient supply by adjustment of nutrient composition(NO$_3$-N : 8meㆍ$\ell^{-1}$) caused the nutrient deficiency in muskmelon plant due to the limited nutrient supply. After pollination nutrient limitation by the lowering the nitrate retarded the over thickening of upper leaves of muskmelon but plant height and fresh weight of fruit were higher in the plot of nonlimited nutrient supply. The phenomena were attributed to the differences of the amount of nutrient uptake due to the limited time of nutrient solution, duration of nutrient supply and concentration of nutrient solution. These results suggested that increasing nutrient supply in the pollination stage was favorable for better appearance of fruit and improving fruit quality. Further trials would be required for the incre-ment of sugar degree of muskmelon grown in rockwool.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.469-478
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• 1997

This study was conducted to develop an automatic nutrient-solution mixing system for small-scale sewers. The nutrient-solution mixing system consisted of a low-cost and precise metering device and data acquisition ＆ control system with a personal computer. and, the metering device was composed of three parts those were supply pumps, metering cylinders and venturi tube. The system controlled electric conductivity(EC) and pH of nutrient-solution based on the time-based feedback control method with the information about temperature, EC, and pH of the nutrient-solution. The performance of the nutrient-solution mixing system was evaluated through the control of EC and pH while compared with those of commercial system. Also an experimental cultivation of tomato was conducted to verify and to improve the developed system. Results of this study were as follows. 1. The correlation coefficient of meteing device between the flow rate and operating time was 0.9999, and the linear reuession equation computed was y=21.759x, where y is the discharge($g$) and x is the operating time(s). 2. Calculated errors for the developed metering device and two commercial pump were $\pm$0.3% $\pm$2.45% and $\pm$1.38 % FS error respectively. 3. An automatic nutrient-solution mixing system based on a low-cost and precise metering device was developed. 4. The full scale errors of the developed system in controlling EC and pH at 23$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$ were $\pm$0.05mS/cm and $\pm$0.2, respectively 5. When using the commercial system, the controlled values of EC and pH of the 500 $\ell$ of water were 1.29 mS/cm and 6.1 pH for the setting points of 1.4 mS/cm and 6.0 pH respectively at 23$pm1^{\circ}C$. 6. The developed nutrient-solution control system showed $\pm$0.05 ms/cm of deviation from the setting EC value over the experimental cultivation period. 7. The deviation from the average values of Ca and Mg mass content in the several nutrient-solution were 0.5% and 1.8% respectively.