Beet Formative Structure for Vertical Farming Energy Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cultivation of sugar beets is challenged by deteriorating soil and climate conditions due to global warming, and traditional field cultivation requires large areas and high energy consumption, while vertical farming faces energy inefficiencies and processing difficulties with irregularly shaped beets.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a formative structure that shapes the beet plants during growth, allowing for efficient processing and reduced energy consumption by forming beets into predefined shapes, suitable for both conventional and vertical farming, using a cavity with a base element that supplies water and nutrients, and an artificial light source for optimal growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If vertical farming is used to grow sugar beets, then land requirement is reduced, but energy consumption increases due to artificial lighting, climate control and nutrient supply
Solution Approach 1:
The formative structure is designed beforehand with specific wall configurations that will shape the beet roots during growth. The cavity geometry and wall arrangements are pre-configured to guide root development into desired forms, eliminating the need for post-harvest shaping operations and reducing processing energy requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The beet plant utilizes the formative structure's walls as natural guides for its own root development. The plant's growth process itself is directed by the cavity geometry, allowing the structure to serve dual purposes: containing the plant and simultaneously shaping the roots without requiring additional external intervention or energy-intensive processing.
2Use of energy by moving object
If classical field cultivation is used, then energy consumption is lower, but land requirement and area needed for multiannual crop rotation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cultivation system transitions from two-dimensional field planting to three-dimensional vertical stacking. Multiple beets are grown in stacked cavities within a single structural unit, effectively utilizing vertical space to increase production density per unit area while maintaining lower energy consumption characteristics of controlled environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The formative structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the plant, delivers water and nutrients through integrated irrigation systems, shapes the root morphology, and enables vertical stacking for space efficiency. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and lowers overall energy requirements.
3Device complexity
If beets are grown without formative structures, then cultivation is simpler, but processing efficiency decreases due to irregular shapes and increased waste
Solution Approach 1:
The formative structure applies localized geometric constraints through its walls and cavity configuration. Specific regions of the structure provide different shaping influences on the root system, with wall positions and cavity geometries tailored to produce uniform root forms suitable for processing, while maintaining overall cultivation simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus enhances energy efficiency in processing sugar beets by reducing energy consumption and improving crop yield, allowing for easier transportation, slicing, and processing, while minimizing waste and clogging issues in extractors.
Implementation Method 1
the formative structure is designed such that the outer shape of the beet is at least partially affected by walls of the cavity during growth
Implementation Method 2
the cavity is partly or completely filled with a liquid, gaseous and/or vaporous water and/or nutrition solution for soilless cultivation of the beet plant
Implementation Method 3
the strips are passed through an extractor (also referred to as diffuser) in order to extract the sugar content into a water solution typically by way of countercurrent exchange
Implementation Method 4
an artificial light source for optimal growth
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for cultivation of a beet plant, the apparatus includes a formative structure with a cavity for containing the beet plant, the formative structure is designed such that an outer shape of the beet plant is at least partially affected by walls of the cavity during growth of the beet plant.