Vertical Farm Modules for Safe Continuous CO2 Enrichment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical farm systems require manual management and cannot safely introduce significant amounts of carbon dioxide for plant growth due to safety concerns, limiting productivity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vertical farm system with modules for growth and collection, incorporating a carbon dioxide source and recovery duct, enabling automated management and safe, continuous carbon dioxide introduction and recycling, enhancing plant growth and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carbon dioxide is introduced in significant quantities to accelerate plant growth, then productivity increases, but safety risks increase due to high carbon dioxide concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the farming space into multiple independent modules (growth modules and collection modules), each with controlled carbon dioxide levels. This allows high carbon dioxide concentrations in growth areas while maintaining safe concentrations in collection areas through physical separation and independent atmospheric control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces automated movement means (robots, conveyors) as intermediaries to handle plant transfers between modules. This eliminates the need for human personnel to enter high carbon dioxide zones, allowing continuous carbon dioxide introduction without safety concerns while maintaining productivity.
2Productivity
If manual management is used to ensure safety, then safety is maintained, but productivity is limited due to restricted carbon dioxide introduction
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs automated movement means including robots and conveyor systems that independently perform plant transfers between modules without human intervention. The automated atmospheric control system also self-regulates carbon dioxide levels in each module, enabling continuous operation at high productivity levels without manual safety monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations by personnel are replaced with automated mechanical systems (robots, conveyors). This substitution allows the system to operate in environments that would be unsafe for humans, including high carbon dioxide concentrations, thereby enabling continuous carbon dioxide enrichment for maximum plant growth rate.
3Productivity
If carbon dioxide introduction is restricted to nighttime, then safety is ensured, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system enables carbon dioxide enrichment to continue uninterrupted throughout the entire day and night cycle. Growth modules maintain high carbon dioxide levels continuously while automated collection modules periodically remove plants, eliminating the need to stop carbon dioxide introduction for safety reasons and maximizing photosynthesis efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Collection modules are prepared in advance with safe atmospheric conditions before plant transfers. The automated system schedules plant movements to coincide with pre-prepared safe zones, allowing carbon dioxide introduction to continue without interruption while maintaining safety through预先 prepared collection areas.
4Ease of operation
If specialized personnel are deployed for sowing and collection, then safety is maintained, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated modules: growth modules that cultivate plants, collection modules that store harvested plants, and automated movement means that transfer plants between them. This modular integration reduces operational complexity by consolidating specialized personnel tasks into automated systems while maintaining safety through separated functional zones.
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 accelerates plant growth by up to 50% and allows safe, continuous carbon dioxide introduction without human intervention, reducing production time and recycling waste carbon dioxide for sustainable cultivation.
Implementation Method 1
The carbon dioxide source (5) is configured to blow a predetermined quantity of carbon dioxide into at least one growth module (C)
Implementation Method 2
the forced carbon dioxide recovery duct (6) is configured to aspirate the carbon dioxide contained in at least one collection module (P)
Data Source
AI summary
A vertical farm system comprises at least two modules each of which has a closed volume thereof with respect to an external environment, wherein a first module comprises a plant crop cultivation apparatus while a second module comprises a collection opening configurable between a closed position and an open position, a movement device configured to convey the plant crops from the cultivation apparatus towards the collection opening through a transfer passage, a carbon dioxide source configured to blow a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide into the first module so as to define at least one respective growth module of the plant crops, and a forced carbon dioxide recovery duct configured to aspirate the carbon dioxide contained in the second module so as to define a collection module of the plant crops.