Hydroponics water management using adaptive scheduling with an on-line optimiser

An optimisation-based methodology for irrigation control and nutrient supply is developed using common measurements of greenhouse climate. The process measurement has a long time delay, and a feedforward (FF) control loop based on a model-based estimate of water losses is used. A long feedback loop, by which the FF model is adapted using output error feedback, is the mechanism used to minimise the control error. To read the output error, a drain measuring device, or soil moisture meter, is necessary. The optimisation method used is a general tool developed for real-time application and is capable of optimising linear and non-linear systems. The minimisation algorithm used is based on a variant of the Powell direction set method in multiple dimensions. It compares favourably in speed of convergence and accuracy when compared with linear regressors for linear systems. It is therefore used as a generalised tool embedded in a modern greenhouse management system. The method allows on-site on-line identification of plant water needs. As an added benefit, the method provides information for the creation of crop transpiration models.