Undulating Conveyor Vertical Farming System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional farming methods are labor-intensive, require large areas of land, result in significant transportation costs and losses in nutritional value due to long distances, and are vulnerable to environmental factors, leading to reduced crop freshness and increased costs for consumers.
Innovation Solution
A controlled environment farming system utilizing an endless conveyor with undulating paths to maximize space and exposure to light, providing growth-sustaining liquids and nutrients, and minimizing the need for pesticides and herbicides, allowing for local, just-in-time crop production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional farming methods are used with large fields, then crop production volume is achieved, but land area requirement increases and labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional ground-based farming to three-dimensional vertical farming. Multiple layers of grow trays are stacked vertically, allowing crops to be grown at different heights. This vertical arrangement dramatically increases production volume per unit of land area, directly resolving the contradiction between productivity and land area requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements nested structures where grow trays are arranged in vertical stacks, with each layer containing multiple planting sections. The conveyor system also nests within the vertical structure, moving through the stacked layers. This nesting approach maximizes space utilization and increases crop production within a compact footprint.
2Productivity
If traditional farming with large fields is used, then crop production is achieved, but transportation costs and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary harvesting actions by maintaining continuous growth cycles in the vertical farm, allowing crops to be harvested on-demand rather than requiring long-distance transportation from remote fields. This eliminates transportation time and ensures fresh produce is available locally without the 7+ day transportation delays associated with traditional farming.
3Productivity
If traditional farming methods are used, then crop growth is achieved, but vulnerability to environmental factors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical farm creates a controlled indoor environment that isolates crops from external environmental factors such as extreme temperatures, floods, and storms. The controlled atmosphere inside the facility protects plants from weather-related damage, ensuring reliable and consistent crop production regardless of external conditions, directly addressing the vulnerability issue.
4Reliability
If conventional farming with chemical applications is used, then crop protection is achieved, but harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes the need for chemical pesticides and herbicides by implementing a controlled vertical farming environment. The isolated indoor setting prevents pest infestations and weed growth that typically require chemical intervention in traditional farming. This eliminates harmful chemical applications while maintaining crop protection, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and harmful factors.
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
This system significantly increases crop output in a minimal footprint, reduces environmental impact, and ensures higher nutritional value and freshness of crops, while lowering costs and transportation needs.
Implementation Method 1
an endless conveyor forming a growing path, at least a portion of which is an undulating path having alternating upward and downward portions
Implementation Method 2
providing growth-sustaining liquid and nutrients
Implementation Method 3
exposing the one or more plants to growth-promoting light
Data Source
AI summary
Plants are grown in a growing machine by advancing a plurality of plant cradles on an endless conveyor along a growing path, at least a portion of the path being an undulating path having alternating upward and downward portions and having a return portion for looping back to the undulating portion. Using a pair of parallel endless conveyors, the cradles are removably supported between the conveyors. The cradles are supplied with growth-sustaining liquid and growth-promoting light. The cradles are advanced along the path until the one or more plants have reached a target growth after which they can be harvested or transferred to one or more subsequent machines until mature for harvest. The machine can be in a controlled environment, including located in modules arranged in series, parallel or combinations thereof.