Modular Indoor Farm Retrofit With Closed-Loop Waste Regeneration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional farming systems face challenges such as land use, seasonality, climate vulnerability, high infrastructure and operational costs, and significant emissions footprints, while controlled environment agriculture systems require substantial setup and have high transportation impacts.
Innovation Solution
A modular controlled environment agriculture system designed for retrofitting into pre-existing building structures, incorporating aquaculture, plant production, and waste regeneration modules, utilizing renewable energy sources and existing building infrastructure to create a self-sustaining, scalable farming system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional controlled environment agriculture systems are used, then crop cultivation is protected from weather and climate, but significant infrastructure and setup costs are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular units that can be independently installed and configured within existing building spaces. Each module contains self-contained agricultural functionality, allowing incremental deployment without requiring complete infrastructure overhaul, thus reducing overall setup costs while maintaining protected cultivation environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes existing building infrastructure (lighting, ventilation, power, water supply) for multiple purposes - both for agricultural cultivation and general building operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated agricultural infrastructure, thereby lowering setup costs while still providing controlled environment protection.
2Productivity
If outdoor farming is used, then land use is required for cultivation, but seasonality and climate vulnerability reduce yield reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional outdoor land-based farming to three-dimensional vertical cultivation within building structures. This vertical dimension allows year-round cultivation independent of seasonal weather patterns, maintaining high productivity while eliminating climate vulnerability through controlled indoor environments.
3Productivity
If monoculture is adopted to maximize efficiency, then yield per unit area increases, but soil fertility decreases and pesticide use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple agricultural functions (plant cultivation, animal housing, waste processing) into integrated modules within the same building structure. This merging allows diverse crops and livestock to be raised together, maintaining soil fertility through natural cycles while reducing the need for monoculture and associated pesticides.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates waste regeneration modules that automatically process organic waste from animals and plants into fertilizers and compost. This self-service mechanism continuously replenishes soil nutrients without requiring external pesticide or fertilizer inputs, maintaining fertility while supporting high yield through integrated rather than monocultural practices.
4Adaptability or versatility
If food is transported over significant distances to market, then supply chain flexibility improves, but emissions footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is positioned to be installed in or near urban centers before the traditional supply chain logistics are needed. By having the agricultural production point located at or close to the consumption point, the system eliminates the need for long-distance transportation of perishable goods, thereby reducing emissions while maintaining supply chain flexibility through local market access.
Data Source
AI summary
A controlled environment agriculture system and method are described, in which the system is modular and configured for retrofit location in a pre-existing building structure. The system comprises one or more multi-modal farm modules, or each multi-modal farm module comprising an aquaculture module, a plant production module, a mushroom production module and a waste regeneration module. The aquaculture module, plant production module, mushroom production module and waste regeneration module are coupled together and operatively associated to form a process loop, whereby at least one output from the aquaculture module forms an input into the plant production module, at least one output from the plant production module forms an input into the mushroom production module, at least output from the mushroom production module forms an input into the waste regeneration module, and at least one output from the waste regeneration module forms an input into the aquaculture module