Grow Tower Irrigation Assembly With Local Drainage Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural systems face challenges in efficiently irrigating and managing plant growth in vertical farm structures, particularly in plant support towers, where fluid distribution and drainage are not optimally addressed.
Innovation Solution
A plant capsule design with specific openings for fluid supply and drainage, combined with a vertical grow tower system featuring drainage channels and a gutter for collecting excess fluid, along with a movable irrigation assembly and a tower conveyance system for precise positioning and irrigation, ensures efficient fluid management and distribution in vertical farming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fluid is supplied to upper plant capsules in vertical towers, then irrigation of elevated plants is achieved, but fluid drainage and collection becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical grow tower is divided into multiple discrete plant capsule segments stacked vertically. Each capsule is an independent unit with its own supply and drainage openings, allowing fluid management to be handled at the segment level rather than requiring a complex centralized system for the entire tower.
Solution Approach 2:
Drainage channels are introduced as intermediary structures that receive fluid from drainage openings of upper capsules and channel it downward to supply openings of lower capsules. These channels act as mediators that simplify the overall fluid management by providing automatic gravity-driven transfer between levels.
2Area of stationary object
If vertical stacking of plant capsules is implemented, then space utilization increases, but fluid distribution control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Each plant capsule is equipped with locally-specific openings positioned at optimal locations for its particular position in the vertical stack. Upper capsules have drainage openings oriented downward, while lower capsules have supply openings positioned to receive fluid from above, creating locally-optimized fluid distribution at each vertical level.
3Loss of substance
If drainage channels connect multiple plant capsules, then fluid recycling is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage channels of multiple plant capsules are merged into a common drainage network that collects fluid from various capsules and redirects it to supply openings. This merging allows fluid recycling across the entire tower system while using a unified channel structure rather than separate channels for each capsule pair.
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
This system enhances the efficiency of irrigation and growth management in vertical farms by optimizing fluid flow and distribution, supporting high-density crop growth and yield, while allowing for flexible and controlled environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
drainage channels, wherein the drainage channels are directed to receive fluid from the drainage openings of the plant capsules in the first segment
Data Source
AI summary
An irrigation assembly includes a main manifold having a main channel for conveying fluid and branch irrigation lines stemming from the main manifold. Each irrigation line conveys fluid from the main channel, and includes openings for emitting the fluid. A tower conveyance system includes a track for carrying double-sided grow towers, and a reversing mechanism for receiving the towers at a return end, and repositioning the towers so that a leading edge of the towers received by the reversing mechanism becomes a trailing edge when the reversing mechanism moves the towers to a forward end.