Stackable Growth Module for Vertical Farming Lighting and Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical farming systems face challenges in efficiently providing lighting, water, and airflow to vertically stacked plants, and they often require cumbersome infrastructure for watering, which can lead to water dripping into rail system tracks.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of stackable modules with vertically arranged growth boards and a non-drip watering system, where growth boards are stacked in vertical alignment within columns, and a portable water tank module is used to distribute water without dripping, allowing for efficient use of space and reduced infrastructure needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If vertically stacked growth modules are used to increase planting density, then space utilization improves, but access to lighting and airflow becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The growth boards are arranged vertically instead of horizontally, changing the dimensional orientation of plant growth. This vertical arrangement allows light to penetrate through the stacked layers more effectively, maintaining lighting access while increasing planting density in the vertical dimension
2Quantity of substance
If vertically stacked growth modules are used to increase planting density, then space utilization improves, but access to airflow becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical stacking of growth boards creates interstitial spaces between layers that facilitate airflow circulation. Air can move through the vertical gaps between stacked modules, providing adequate ventilation and heat dissipation while maintaining high planting density
3Quantity of substance
If traditional watering infrastructure is used for vertical farming, then water distribution is achieved, but water drips into rail system tracks
Solution Approach 1:
The watering function is extracted from the fixed infrastructure and integrated into the portable water tank module. This allows the watering system to be self-contained and controlled, preventing water from dripping onto the rail tracks by containing it within the module during transport
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static watering infrastructure to a dynamic portable water tank module that can be moved and positioned as needed. The module includes controlled water release mechanisms that prevent unwanted dripping during transportation while enabling water distribution when in use
Data Source
AI summary
A stackable module has a functional component. The stackable module has a load-bearing frame including a first support member and a second support member held in a spaced apart and parallel configuration by a cross-member. The cross-member forms a part of the functional component. The load-bearing frame is configured to enable the stackable module to occupy a cuboidal volume within which the functional component is supported, and wherein the load-bearing frame includes upper and lower load-transferring edge surfaces. The functional component may be a growth board for supporting plants in a vertical farming system, the growth board having a drain.