Automated Plant Growing Control for Low-Energy Urban Hydroponics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydroponics systems require significant space, energy, and maintenance, and fail to efficiently distribute water and nutrients, limiting yield and increasing costs, while urban gardening faces challenges with land availability and climate limitations.
Innovation Solution
An automated plant growing system with a controller that monitors and adjusts environmental parameters such as light, temperature, and humidity to optimize plant growth, using a neural network to enhance precision and efficiency, and supports various growing methods including aeroponics and hydroponics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydroponics systems use extensive assemblies of pumps and blowers to circulate and aerate nutrient solution, then the produce can receive sufficient water and oxygen, but the power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the extensive assemblies of pumps and blowers from the conventional hydroponics system. Instead of using multiple mechanical components to circulate and aerate nutrient solution, the invention employs a simplified delivery mechanism that reduces power consumption while maintaining reliable water and oxygen delivery to the produce through alternative means such as gravity-fed systems or passive aeration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the nutrient solution to circulate and aerate automatically without requiring extensive mechanical intervention. The design incorporates features such as capillary action, gravity flow, or biological processes that naturally distribute water and oxygen to the produce, eliminating the need for energy-intensive pumps and blowers while maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional hydroponics systems use extensive assemblies of pumps and blowers, then adequate aeration is achieved, but maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex assemblies of pumps and blowers that require maintenance. By eliminating these mechanical components, the system reduces maintenance costs and complexity while maintaining adequate aeration through simpler, more reliable methods such as passive gas exchange or natural convection currents that do not require mechanical intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs aeration and nutrient distribution through self-service mechanisms that do not require maintenance of mechanical components. Examples include capillary wicks that automatically transport water, gravity-driven flow that requires no pumping, and biological processes that naturally aerate the nutrient solution, thereby eliminating maintenance costs associated with pumps and blowers.
3Productivity
If conventional hydroponics systems operate continuously to maintain growth conditions, then optimal plant growth is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by allowing the system to operate in cycles rather than continuously. The nutrient solution circulation and aeration are performed at specific intervals or during peak growth periods, then paused during lower-demand periods. This periodic operation maintains optimal plant growth conditions during active phases while significantly reducing energy consumption during inactive phases compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic operation where the intensity and duration of nutrient solution circulation and aeration are adjusted based on real-time plant needs and environmental conditions. The system can increase activity during high-growth periods and reduce activity during stable periods, optimizing the balance between productivity and energy consumption through adaptive, dynamic control rather than static continuous operation.
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
The system ensures optimal growth conditions, reduces energy consumption, and enhances yield by dynamically adjusting environmental parameters, making it suitable for urban environments with minimal space and resource requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The plant generates carbohydrates from light through photosynthesis
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing a growth environment for a plant positioned in an automated plant growing system is disclosed. Light sources with each light source positioned in the automated plant growing system to expose the plant to the light sources and to generate light to trigger photosynthesis in the plant. A controller that monitors a growth parameters associated with the plant to determine whether the growth parameters deviate beyond a corresponding growth threshold. Each of the growth parameters provides an indicator as to a growth status of the plant and the growth status of the plant decreases when the growth parameters deviate beyond the corresponding growth threshold. The controller automatically adjusts an environmental parameter when the growth parameters deviate beyond the growth thresholds. Each of the environmental parameters impact the growth environment of the plant positioned in the automated plant growing system.