Prefabricated Green Wall Panel with Integrated Soil and Watering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing green wall systems are time-consuming and expensive to install, require extensive on-site construction, and lack structural strength, often using excessive metal and plastic materials, with difficulties in adapting to specific building dimensions and requiring separate watering systems.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated self-supporting laminate wall panel with a high-pore soil substrate as the middle layer, surrounded by thinner covering layers with integrated mesh structures for stability and water retention, allowing for easy installation and adaptation to building dimensions without internal piping systems, and incorporating features like vapor diffusion and heat insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional modular baskets/crates are arranged on a supporting construction, then plant bearing surfaces can be created, but the installation process becomes extremely time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (supporting structure, baskets/crates, and watering system) into a single integrated prefabricated wall panel. The supporting structure includes pre-attached baskets and integrated watering pipes, eliminating the need for separate installation steps and significantly reducing on-site construction time and labor costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting structure, baskets, and watering system are pre-assembled and pre-configured in the factory before delivery to the construction site. This preliminary assembly allows for quality control and ensures that all components are properly integrated, reducing installation time and ensuring consistent quality across all wall panels.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard dimension baskets/crates are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptation to specific building dimensions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The wall panel system is divided into multiple modular prefabricated panels that can be individually manufactured in standard sizes and then assembled on-site to match various building dimensions. This segmentation allows for standardized production while maintaining flexibility in final configuration to adapt to different architectural requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates adjustable and configurable elements within the prefabricated panels, such as adjustable shelving, movable baskets, and flexible piping systems, that allow the structure to be adapted to different building dimensions and configurations after installation.
3Reliability
If separate watering systems are installed after basket mounting, then irrigation functionality is achieved, but the overall system complexity and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The watering system pipes are integrated directly into the supporting structure during factory assembly, with pipes pre-positioned to deliver water directly to each basket's drainage system. This merging of the watering system with the structural framework eliminates the need for separate piping installation and reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated watering system is designed to automatically distribute water to each basket through pre-installed pipes and connectors, eliminating the need for manual watering or complex control systems. The system self-regulates water distribution through gravity-fed drainage channels built into each basket.
4Area of stationary object
If extensive metal rails and thin-walled materials are used for support, then structural coverage is achieved, but overall structural strength is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting structure uses composite construction combining metal rails with reinforced concrete or engineered wood elements, creating a hybrid structure that maintains large coverage area while significantly increasing overall strength and load-bearing capacity compared to thin-walled metal alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting structure incorporates locally reinforced elements at critical load-bearing points and connections, while maintaining lighter construction in non-critical areas. This allows the structure to achieve necessary strength where required without excessive material usage throughout the entire system.
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 solution enables rapid, cost-effective installation of green walls with improved structural integrity, reduced material usage, efficient water distribution, and enhanced insulation, eliminating the need for internal watering systems and allowing for adaptable and aesthetically varied plant arrangements.
Implementation Method 1
the main layer comprises a plant cultivation substrate, such as a soil substrate, suitable for plant cultivation and having a pore space above 45 %
Implementation Method 2
Due to solar energy absorption of the plants, the building is kept insulated when hot
Implementation Method 3
due to plant evaporation, the surface of the building is kept at a moderate temperature which has a cooling effect on the building construction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural prefabricated wall panel, an agricultural wall panel system and a method for erecting an agricultural wall panel system, where the wall panel comprises a laminated structure having a main layer and first and second layers of a soil substrate. The main layer comprises a larger grain size compared to the covering layers and a larger content of "mesapores". The wall panel further comprises a supporting structure enveloping the layers of soil substrate and preferably being integrated into the covering layers. The wall panel comprises a number of openings through one of the covering layers such that a number of plants may be inserted into the opening and into the main layer.