Permeable Membrane Nutrient Chamber for Plant Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for growing, maintaining, and shipping large quantities of edible plant matter face challenges in delivering precise amounts of water and nutrients, controlling climate conditions, and protecting plants from harsh handling, leading to unusable products due to mistakes in these processes.
Innovation Solution
A plant growing vessel with an impervious outer vessel, a permeable membrane, and a nutrient chamber, where seeds or seedlings are planted in an inert substrate, allowing controlled delivery of water and nutrients through the membrane, shielding the plant from direct contact with raw nutrients, and enabling precise calibration based on plant type and needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If plants are grown in traditional soil-based systems, then plants can access nutrients naturally, but precise control over nutrient delivery and climate conditions is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The growing system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a root zone chamber containing inert substrate and a separate nutrient chamber. This segmentation allows precise control over nutrient delivery by isolating the nutrient storage area from the plant root zone, enabling independent management of each function.
Solution Approach 2:
A permeable membrane acts as an intermediary between the nutrient chamber and the root zone chamber. This membrane selectively allows water and dissolved nutrients to pass through while blocking solid nutrient particles, providing controlled nutrient delivery without direct contact between raw nutrients and plant roots.
2Reliability
If solid nutrients are placed directly in contact with plant roots, then plants can access nutrients immediately, but plants may be harmed by direct exposure to raw nutrients
Solution Approach 1:
A permeable membrane serves as an intermediary barrier between solid nutrients and plant roots. The membrane allows selective passage of water and dissolved nutrients while blocking solid particles, protecting plant roots from direct contact with potentially harmful solid nutrients while maintaining nutrient uptake efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The permeable membrane utilizes porous material properties to achieve selective filtration. The pore structure allows small molecules like water and dissolved nutrients to pass through while retaining larger solid nutrient particles, enabling both plant protection and efficient nutrient delivery.
3Measurement precision
If water is added to nutrient chambers, then nutrients can be delivered to plants, but uncontrolled water addition may lead to over-hydration and product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms including hydro sensors and weight sensors that monitor water levels and plant hydration status. These sensors provide real-time information about the plant's water needs, allowing the system to adjust water delivery accordingly and prevent over-hydration that could lead to product loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The water delivery system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. Water addition rates and amounts are adjusted based on real-time sensor feedback about plant needs, environmental conditions, and nutrient chamber status, enabling precise control over hydration levels.
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 solution ensures precise nutrient delivery, shields plants from harmful direct exposure, and maintains optimal hydration and climate conditions, reducing product loss and extending shelf life, making the process more efficient and effective.
Implementation Method 1
The permeable membrane may be configured to prevent solid nutrients from wicking into the root zone through capillary action
Implementation Method 2
The permeable membrane may be configured to prevent solid nutrients from wicking into the root zone through capillary action
Implementation Method 3
A hydro sensor, weight sensor, or other suitable sensor may be used to determine when water should be added to the nutrient chamber
Implementation Method 4
A hydro sensor, weight sensor, or other suitable sensor may be used to determine when water should be added to the nutrient chamber, when the solid nutrients have been delivered, or some combination thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A plant growing vessel includes an impervious outer vessel, a cover, a first permeable membrane, a nutrient chamber, and a pocket. The impervious outer vessel includes an inert substrate in a root zone. The cover is positioned over the impervious outer vessel. The first permeable membrane is in contact with the inert substrate. The nutrient chamber includes solid nutrients. The nutrient chamber is between the cover and the first permeable membrane or between the first permeable membrane and a bottom of the impervious outer vessel, and the solid nutrients are in contact with the first permeable membrane. The pocket is configured to allow seeds, seedlings, or shoots of plants access to the inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.