Vertical Farm Airflow Reversal for Uniform Climate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems for vertical farms lack uniform air distribution, temperature control, humidity optimization, and protection from external contaminants, and often use unsuitable materials that can release harmful substances over time.
Innovation Solution
A climate control system with an air treatment unit, micro-perforated panels, and an alternating air flow direction that maintains a constant horizontal temperature gradient and overpressure to ensure uniform air distribution and protection from contaminants, using materials suitable for a humid environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If air conditioning systems borrowed from the civil sector are used in vertical farms, then the initial setup is simpler, but the air distribution is not uniform and not optimised for homogeneous growth
Solution Approach 1:
The air treatment machine is divided into separate functional modules: filtration system, humidification system, heating/cooling system, and air distribution system with micro-perforated panels. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently for uniform air distribution while maintaining ease of assembly and installation in vertical farm environments.
Solution Approach 2:
Micro-perforated panels are installed at multiple locations throughout the vertical farm, including on walls and ceilings, to create localized air distribution points. This ensures uniform air delivery to different zones and plant levels, addressing the non-uniform air distribution problem of conventional systems while maintaining systematic ease of installation.
2Ease of manufacture
If industrial materials are used in the air conditioning system, then the initial construction cost is lower, but harmful substances are released into the growing environment over time
Solution Approach 1:
The air treatment machine and its components are constructed using food-grade stainless steel and other inert materials that do not react with or release harmful substances into the growing environment. The filtration system uses activated carbon and HEPA filters that are certified safe for agricultural use, creating a chemically inert environment that protects plant health while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple materials with complementary properties: stainless steel for structural components and resistance to corrosion, food-safe plastics for housing and ductwork, and specialized filtration media. This composite approach ensures no harmful releases while controlling overall system cost through selective material application.
3Device complexity
If conventional air conditioning systems are used, then the system structure is simpler, but there is no protection from external airborne contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake system incorporates pre-filtration elements and positive pressure maintenance before air enters the growing environment. The HEPA filtration system is positioned at the air intake stage, preventing contaminants from entering the system in the first place. This preliminary action protects against external contaminants while maintaining a relatively simple overall system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressure differential sensors continuously monitor the internal pressure of the air treatment machine and growing environment, automatically adjusting fan speed and damper positions to maintain positive pressure. This feedback mechanism ensures external contaminants cannot enter through pressure differentials while keeping the control system straightforward and integrated into the basic air conditioning structure.
4Volume of moving object
If air treatment machines are placed in humid environments, then the system is more compact, but the materials generate oxides and release harmful substances
Solution Approach 1:
All internal components of the air treatment machine are constructed from food-grade stainless steel (304 or 316 grade) and other corrosion-resistant, chemically inert materials that do not oxidize or release harmful substances in humid conditions. This allows the system to be placed directly in the humid growing environment without requiring separate protective enclosures, achieving compactness while preventing harmful releases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system operates by precisely controlling temperature and humidity parameters within the growing environment, maintaining conditions that minimize corrosion rates. The air treatment machine includes heated humidification systems that control dew point and condensation, preventing moisture accumulation on metal surfaces that would accelerate oxidation, thereby allowing compact placement without material degradation.
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 system provides a uniform and ideal climate for plant growth, reduces the risk of vertical temperature gradients, and prevents external pollutants from entering the growing environment, ensuring healthy plant growth and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a system for the treatment of external air, known as an air treatment unit (UTA), which makes it possible to control the main parameters of the air to be delivered into the closed environment to be farmed
Implementation Method 2
The flow of the conditioned air is directed towards the farmed agricultural products in a horizontal direction, substantially parallel to the floor of the closed environment
Implementation Method 3
The system provides a uniform and ideal climate for plant growth, reduces the risk of vertical temperature gradients, and prevents external pollutants from entering the growing environment
Implementation Method 4
an alternating cycle (CA) which makes it possible to reverse, on command, the delivery direction of the conditioned air inside the closed environment
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention discloses a method for the air conditioning of closed environments (314), particularly for vertical farms, comprising the steps of: - conditioning the air by means of an air treatment unit (301); - distributing and taking the conditioned air into the closed environment (314) through a plurality of channels (303, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309) connected to said air treatment unit (301); - generating a flow of conditioned air exiting, through a plurality of openings (316), from a first vertical wall (317) and taken in, through a plurality of openings (316), from the opposite vertical wall (315) of the closed environment (314); - alternatively inverting the delivery direction of the conditioned air along a substantially parallel direction with respect to the floor of the closed environment (314) so as to hit the inside of the closed environment (314) alternatively from one direction and subsequently from the opposite direction of the two vertical walls (318a, 318b). The invention also discloses a system for implementing the described method.