Pulsed Aeroponic Root Mist Delivery Without Growth Substrates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aeroponic systems using growth substrates like rock wool, hydroughton, perlite, vermiculite, clay pellets, sand, gravel, or sawdust increase costs and decrease efficiency by retaining moisture and nutrients, leading to attenuated plant growth and limited yield.
Innovation Solution
A system for pulsed aeroponic plant growth without a substrate, utilizing a growth platform with apertures for plant support, a liquid and nutrient delivery system with high-pressure atomizing nozzles, and a controller to manage pressure and pulse sequences for precise nutrient mist application, including cleaning agents like hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If growth substrates (rock wool, perlite, vermiculite, clay pellets, sand, gravel, or sawdust) are used to support plant roots and deliver water and nutrients, then plant support and moisture retention are improved, but system cost and weight increase while water and nutrient delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the growth substrate entirely from the system, extracting the problematic element that caused moisture retention and nutrient binding issues. Plants are grown in air with roots suspended in a controlled environment, receiving nutrients through direct aerosol application rather than through substrate-mediated delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic delivery of nutrient aerosols to replace the hydraulic and capillary action-based nutrient delivery through substrates. High-velocity air streams carry nutrient solutions directly to root surfaces, eliminating the need for substrates to retain and release moisture and nutrients.
2Quantity of substance
If growth substrates are used to retain moisture, then water availability to plants is improved, but water evaporation and nutrient binding to substrate increase leading to nutrient loss
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is completely removed from the system, eliminating the source of water evaporation and nutrient binding losses. Without substrate materials like rock wool, perlite, or clay pellets, there is no material to retain excess moisture or bind nutrients that would otherwise be lost through evaporation or adsorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies nutrients in periodic aerosol pulses rather than continuous moisture retention. Nutrient solutions are delivered as intermittent bursts of aerosolized droplets that directly contact roots, allowing precise control over water and nutrient application timing and quantity, preventing both over-retention and loss.
3Strength
If growth substrates are used to support roots, then plant structural support is improved, but system cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy growth substrates are completely removed from the system, dramatically reducing system weight. Plant roots are supported in air using lightweight structural elements and aerosol delivery mechanisms rather than dense materials like rock wool, perlite, or clay pellets.
4Quantity of substance
If growth substrates are used to deliver nutrients, then nutrient retention in system is improved, but nutrient binding to substrate and delivery efficiency to roots decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate-mediated nutrient delivery pathway is completely removed. Instead of nutrients being retained by and released from substrate materials, the system delivers nutrients directly to roots through aerosolized solutions, eliminating the intermediate binding and release step that caused delivery inefficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic aerosol delivery to transport nutrient solutions directly to root surfaces, replacing the passive capillary and adsorption-based nutrient delivery through substrates. This active pneumatic delivery system ensures efficient nutrient transfer from solution to root without substrate interference.
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
Enhances nutrient absorption and plant growth by minimizing water and nutrient waste, preventing root rot, and optimizing nutrient delivery through controlled droplet sizes and pulsing, thereby improving yield and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid and nutrient delivery system with high-pressure atomizing nozzles
Implementation Method 2
a controller to manage pressure and pulse sequences for precise nutrient mist application
Data Source
AI summary
A system for pulsed aeroponic plant growth without using a media substrate to support plant roots includes a growth platform, a mixing tank, and a hydraulic delivery system, wherein the growth platform is shaped to form multiple apertures, each configured to support a growth ring, and the hydraulic delivery system includes sensors, a high pressure pump, multiple inline valves, and multiple micro-sprayers, the high pressure pump, inline valves, and micro-sprayers being hydraulically coupled to the mixing tank. The mixing tank is configured to combine nutrients in water to generate a nutrient solution for a nutrient solution mist for release through micro-sprayers located in proximity to one or more growth rings, and the hydraulic delivery system is configured to pulse the release of the nutrient solution mist during a feeding cycle at a selected pulse-width.