The EcoCELLs are not simply a large gas exchange system. The EcoCELLs were designed to allow scientists from many disciplines to work in the facility. Some of the operational specifications for the CELLs are:
Physical Specifications |
| EcoCELL |
- Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 4.5 m (L x W x D)
- Total volume: 183.5 m3 (6313 mol)
- Circulating volume: 162.5 m3
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| Soil Containers |
- 3 per EcoCELL
- Dimensions: 2.85 x 1.3 x 1.8 m (L x W x D)
- Total volume: 6.7 m3 per pot or 20.1 m3 per EcoCELL
- Surface area: 11.2 m2 per EcoCELL
- Approximately 11000 kg soil per pot (sandy loam top soil)
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Operational Specifications |
| Achievable temperature setpoints |
- Hottest Day: 18 - 50 °C, +/- 1°C at plant surface, +/- 2.5 °C whole chamber
- Hottest Night: 5 - 30 °C +/- 1 °C at plant surface
- Coldest Day: 10 - 35 °C +/- 1 °C at plant surface
- Coldest Night: 5 - 30 °C +/- 1 °C at plant surface
|
| Achievable Humidity Setpoint |
- 10 - 80 % Relative Humidity at all temperatures (+/- 5% @ steady state); +/- 10% in ramp period
- Humidity controlled by computer commanded combination of dew point and flow rate of incoming ("make-up") air
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| Air Circulation |
- Incoming air flow: 500 to 5000 mol min-1
- Within chamber circulation rate: 25000 mol min-1
- Minimum residence time: 70.7 s (5 passes over canopy)
- Maximum residence time: 700 s
- Wind speed over plant canopy: variable from <1 to 2 m s-1
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| Trace gas concentrations |
- CO2 setpoints from ambient to 1000 micro-mol mol-1
- Measurement of most trace gases possible including ozone, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, terpenes, isoprenes, etc.
- Air filtration with charcoal and/or 99.5% HEPA filters
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| Illumination |
- Natural light all skins neutral density
- Outer greenhouse skin transmission: 85%
- EcoCELL skin transmission: 92%
- Uniformity: 20%
- Typical summer external PPFD: 2300 micro-mol m-2 s-1
- More than 300 sunny days per year: typical
- Photoperiod extension available
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Ecocell Specifications
EcoCELL cross sectional view
