Semi-Automated Crop Production System With Modular Lighting And Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-scale agricultural systems face inefficiencies and challenges in maintaining optimal conditions for plant growth, leading to losses due to unfavorable transportation conditions and lack of scalable, controlled environments for food production, especially in urban areas with limited arable land and zoning restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained, semi-automated crop production system that provides controlled environmental conditions for plant growth, including optimal lighting, airflow, temperature, and water management, using a modular design with integrated irrigation and sterilization systems, allowing for continuous production independent of external climate conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If transplants are transported in non-climate controlled containers, then transportation cost is reduced, but plant quality and survival rate deteriorate due to unfavorable conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary acclimation of transplants to destination climate conditions before transplanting, and provides intermittent storage at optimal conditions during waiting periods, thereby preparing plants in advance to avoid quality deterioration during transportation and planting delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light) to match destination climate conditions and optimal growth requirements, allowing transplants to be acclimated gradually and maintained at optimal conditions throughout the process
2Adaptability or versatility
If transplants are acclimated to different climatic conditions, then plant adaptability improves, but time and facility requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary acclimation of transplants to destination climate conditions before actual planting, allowing plants to adapt in advance to temperature, humidity, and light conditions of the destination environment, thereby reducing shock and improving survival rates
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light intensity) to gradually acclimate transplants to destination conditions, creating a controlled transition that speeds up the adaptation process while maintaining plant health
3Manufacturing precision
If controlled environment agriculture is implemented, then food production quality improves, but system complexity and initial investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular functional units (climate control, irrigation, lighting, monitoring) that can be independently configured and managed, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high production quality through specialized control of each subsystem
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automated monitoring and control mechanisms that self-regulate environmental parameters, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying operation despite the sophisticated control capabilities required for high-quality production
4Stability of the object's composition
If planting is delayed due to unfavorable field conditions, then field readiness improves, but transplant quality deteriorates in non-controlled storage
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides intermittent storage at optimal environmental conditions during the period between transplant preparation and actual field planting, maintaining transplant quality and vitality while waiting for favorable field conditions to develop
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains optimal environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light) during storage and transit periods, preventing quality deterioration and allowing flexible scheduling that accommodates field readiness requirements without compromising transplant health
Data Source
AI summary
A semi-automated crop production system featuring a growing module with grids of cells for growing plants and a lighting and airflow fixture positioned above each cell. The lighting and airflow fixtures feature a fan disposed in a housing, a light emitting diode (LED) assembly board comprising LEDs disposed below the fan; a light diffuser disposed below the LED assembly board, and an adjustable airflow nozzle extending downwardly from the fan and protruding through the LED assembly board and the light diffuser. The adjustable airflow nozzle provides directed airflow downwardly toward a bottom area of the housing. The growing module and lighting and airflow fixtures are housed in a shell. The growing module may be slidably attached to the interior wall of the shell via mounting components.