Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 3.10
Variable output CO
2
generator with output from 6 to 27 cubic feet
CO
2
per hour. (Courtesy of Green Air Products, Inc., Gresham, Oregon.)
upon their capacity. The size of the unit depends upon the volume of the
growing space that must be enriched. Variable carbon dioxide (CO
2
) gen-
erators are also available that can produce from 3 to 6 and 6 to 27 cubic
feet per hour of carbon dioxide (Figure 3.10). These range in price from
$450 to $600. They are hooked up to your natural gas pipe. They have
an electronic ignition control module or safety pilot light shutoff just as
your furnace has. Other units produce 13 and 26 cubic feet of CO
2
per
hour with capacity to supply grow areas of 15 × 15 feet and 30 × 30 feet,
respectively. These cost from $350 to $500. Green Air Products has CO
2
generators (Figure 3.9 and Figure 3.11) that produce 12, 24, or 48 cubic feet
per hour that are relatively light in weight at 11 pounds. Their price range
is from $400 to $500. All CO
2
generators must operate with a timer only
during the light period. Such generators produce as much heat as a 250-
watt halide lamp, so you need to move the air with a fan or vent the room
to reduce excessive heat. Green Air Products has an optional cooling tube
that slides into the units for cooling their generators. Probably during the
light period you would be able to heat the plants from the excess heat of
the lights and carbon dioxide generator. During the summer months you
would have to vent the heated air out of the room to keep temperatures
within the desired range.
A more environmentally friendly unit is the CO
2
Boost Bucket sys-
tem that uses organic compost to naturally generate carbon dioxide
