Spacer Fabric Façade Element for Irrigation-Free Green Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing green facade systems require complex irrigation measures and cannot achieve extensive greening across the entire facade surface, leading to high maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
A facade element comprising a spacer fabric filled with a substrate mixture, allowing for extensive greening and integrated water retention and distribution, eliminating the need for complex irrigation systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wall-mounted systems with planting troughs are used, then greening can be achieved, but maintenance requirements become high due to need for additional irrigation measures
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer fabric's capillary-active yarn material automatically absorbs and distributes water across the planting surface without requiring external irrigation systems. The system serves itself by using the substrate mixture's water retention capacity combined with the spacer fabric's capillary action to continuously supply plants with water, eliminating the need for manual watering or complex irrigation infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical irrigation systems (pumps, pipes, spray nozzles) with a passive physicochemical system based on capillary action. The capillary-active yarn material naturally draws water through capillary forces, substituting the need for mechanical water transport mechanisms and significantly reducing maintenance requirements.
2Reliability
If planting troughs or channels are integrated into the facade, then plants can be supplied with water and nutrients, but complex irrigation measures are required because rainfall alone is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical irrigation systems with a passive capillary action-based water distribution system. The capillary-active yarn material in the spacer fabric automatically transports water from the substrate mixture to the plant roots through capillary forces, eliminating the need for pumps, pipes, and control mechanisms while ensuring reliable water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer fabric with capillary-active yarn material acts as an intermediary between the water-retentive substrate mixture and the plants. It mediates water transport by absorbing water from the substrate and distributing it across the planting surface through capillary action, ensuring uniform water supply without requiring external irrigation infrastructure.
3Ease of manufacture
If receptacles for planting substrate are arranged only at specific points or in linear fashion, then installation is simplified, but extensive greening across the entire facade surface cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point or linear arrangements of planting receptacles to a continuous two-dimensional surface coverage using a spacer fabric panel. The spacer fabric spans the entire facade area, with the substrate mixture distributed across the whole surface, enabling comprehensive greening while maintaining simple assembly through panel-based installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of multiple discrete planting receptacles into a single continuous spacer fabric panel. The entire panel serves as a unified planting surface with substrate mixture and plants distributed across it, achieving extensive greening coverage while simplifying installation to a single panel mounting operation rather than multiple individual receptacle installations.
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
Enables a low-maintenance, extensively greened facade with efficient water retention and distribution, reducing maintenance efforts and enabling easy assembly and integration with conventional facade elements.
Implementation Method 1
The spacer fabric (2) and the substrate mixture (6) enable water retention and distribution across the entire surface thanks to the capillary-active yarn material of the spacer fabric (2)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a facade element (1) for a facade system (100) for forming a greened, ventilated curtain wall facade, comprising: - a spacer fabric (2) with a rear effective surface (3) and a front effective surface (4) connected by pile threads (5), wherein a substrate or substrate mixture (6) is incorporated into the spacer fabric (2); - a support layer or carrier plate (7) connected to the rear effective surface (3) of the spacer fabric (2); - a planting (8) covering the front effective surface (4) of the spacer fabric (2), which uses the substrate or substrate mixture (6) as a growing medium. The invention further relates to a facade system (100) with at least one facade element (1) according to the invention and to a method for manufacturing a facade element (1).