Capillary Root-Zone Culture for Separate Liquid and Vapor Roots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plant factories require large tracts of land, significant financial investment, and technical expertise, and are challenging to establish in areas with limited water supply or post-disaster reconstruction.
Innovation Solution
A culture apparatus utilizing a light-shading case with internal objects showing capillary force to hold culturing liquid, allowing separate growth of liquid-phase and vapor-phase roots without soil, enabling soil-free plant cultivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current plant factory systems are established, then plant cultivation can be achieved with controlled environment, but large land area, high capital investment and complex control systems are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the root system into two functional segments: liquid-phase roots that absorb water and nutrients from the nutrient solution, and vapor-phase roots that absorb oxygen from the air. This segmentation allows each root type to operate in its optimal environment without requiring complex control systems to manage all functions in a single system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the oxygen supply function from the liquid nutrient solution by introducing a separate air layer. The vapor-phase roots extend into this air layer to absorb oxygen directly, eliminating the need for complex oxygen dissolution and aeration controls that would be required if all root functions were performed in liquid medium.
2Reliability
If current plant factory systems are established, then plant cultivation can be achieved, but large financial investment and high technical expertise are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows plants to self-regulate their water, nutrient, and oxygen uptake through the dual root system. Liquid-phase roots automatically absorb water and nutrients from the nutrient solution while vapor-phase roots absorb oxygen from the air, eliminating the need for complex automated control systems and reducing technical expertise requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of oxygen supply from dissolved in liquid (requiring aeration systems) to gaseous phase in air (requiring only air layer maintenance). This parameter change simplifies the system while maintaining reliable plant cultivation capability.
3Reliability
If current plant factory systems are established, then controlled plant growth can be achieved, but the systems cannot be easily established in areas with limited water supply or post-disaster regions
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the root system into liquid-phase and vapor-phase components, the system can adapt to locations with limited water supply. The vapor-phase roots provide oxygen absorption capability that reduces the need for large volumes of water, enabling deployment in arid regions and post-disaster areas where water resources are constrained.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the oxygen absorption parameter from liquid-phase dissolution to gas-phase diffusion. This parameter change enables the system to function effectively in locations with limited water supply, as the vapor-phase roots can absorb oxygen directly from air without requiring oxygenated water, thereby increasing location flexibility.
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
Enables cost-effective, soil-free plant cultivation anywhere, facilitating industrial production and efficient nutrient absorption, and supports diverse plant morphologies without location restrictions.
Implementation Method 1
internal objects showing capillary force arranged on at least a part of an inner side surface from among an inner surface of the light-shading case
Data Source
AI summary
The aim of the present invention is to provide a plant culturing apparatus and a plant culturing method for a plant whole body that allow liquid phase roots and vapor phase roots to separately appear in the root system thereof without using soil. More specifically, according to the present invention, the above described aim is achieved by culturing a plant whole body in the plant culturing apparatus for a plant whole body, which comprises a light-shading casing that is provided with at least one through hole on the ceiling surface and holds a culture liquid, and an inner surface showing capillary force, that are arranged on at least a part of an inner side surface from among an inner surface of the light-shading casing.