Thermal Analysis and Climate Control of Experimental two-level Hydroponic Growth Cell

Abstract

The research focuses on providing optimal conditions for growth, energy efficiency, and sustainability, controlled and autonomous environment. A two-level hydroponic growth cell is proposed as an experimental facility to design of in-door multilayer plant production systems. The goal of the system is to serve as a practical and useful alternative to traditional field agriculture. The growth cell has of 1 m 2 each level area and composites two rows of hydroponic growth elements. The cell is designed to carry out multiple functions essential to sustain plant growth that includes: water circulation, nutrients delivery, environment sensing, ventilation, and artificial selective lighting. The series of repeated growth cycles have been successfully performed and compared against a conventional greenhouse facility using lettuce as a model crop. The factors such as inside temperature and humidity, leaf temperature, illumination under three different lighting types: white light, red-blue light, sunlight were monitored and maintained by a developed control system. Light distribution (photosynthetic active radiation) and yield (leaf size and fresh weight) were assessed. It is shown that sunlight is the more profitable type of lighting for lettuce crops even under warm outside environmental conditions. These results illustrate that the use of transparent covering materials offer great potential for energy save cultivation and should be considered for a plant-factory design.

A Long-Term Analysis of the Possibility of Water Recovery for Hydroponic Lettuce Irrigation in Indoor Vertical Farm. Part 1: Water Recovery from Exhaust Air

“…Various solutions are implemented worldwide to achieve progressive agricultural sustainability. One of the key examples is food production in vertical farming in ecosystems created in internal spaces (e.g., production hall) [2]. Closed ecosystems allow for maintaining the environment parameters (e.g., air temperature and relative humidity) that are best for plant growth, which would not be possible in conventional outdoor cultivation.…”

“…This is essential for yield maximization in a limited space all year round [3]. It also enables farming in places such as a skyscraper, shipping container, or warehouses [2]. Vertical food production might be further increased by using soilless type of cultivation: hydroponics or aeroponics.…”

Establishment of Proper Irrigation Method for Scion and Rootstock Production of Solanaceous Vegetables According to Water Use Efficiency in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting

“…진보적인 농업 지속가능성을 달성하 기 위해 전 세계적으로 다양한 해결책이 시행되고 있다. 그 중 최근 몇 년 동안 농업 분야에서 지속 가능한 발전의 수단으로 실내 수직 농업이 각광받고 있다 (Kozai et al, 2019;Vitoshkin and Haslavsky, 2020;Jurga et al, 2021). 실내 수직 농업은 폐쇄적 인 생태계가 형성되어 작물 생장에 가장 적합한 환경 매개변수(기온, 상대습도, 빛 등) 제어를 통해 수율 극대화를 이룰 수 있다 (Jurga et al, 2021).…”