This document summarizes a student project to design a better hydroponics system. The students were currently using a deep water containment (DWC) unit but wanted to design a system that produced better plant growth. They created a new system using PVC pipes for lateral flow. Testing showed the PVC system led to double the growth of Swiss chard seedlings compared to the DWC unit. Strawberry plants also ripened quicker in the PVC system. The document reflects on challenges faced like algae growth, and conclusions that the PVC system was better for seedling growth and faster fruit ripening.

1. Designing a Better
Hydroponics System
Thomas Ayers
Deoveon Craig
Alex Veverka

3. Ask
• Can we build a better
hydroponics system ?
We are currently using
a deep water
containment (DWC)
unit.
• Can we design a unit
that will produce
better growth results?

4. Imagine
Jan. 21, 2014

5. Imagine
Jan. 21, 2014

6. Plan

7. Plan
Jan. 23, 2014

8. Create

9. Starting Seedlings Feb. 18, 2014

10. Safety

11. March 7, 2013

12. March 10, 2014

13. March 13, 2014

14. Data Collection

15. Data Analysis

16. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
HeightinInches
Plant Numbers
Growth Over Time in the PVC Lateral System
26-Feb
19-Mar

17. 0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
DWC Lateral PVC
Height(inches)
Hydroponics Units
Comparison of Swiss Chard Seedling Growth in
DWC vs. Lateral PVC Hydroponics Units

18. Improve: Systems Comparison

19. Improve: “What Can Work Better?”
Future Designs & Possible Projects

20. Conclusion
• We saw better growth in our engineered PVC lateral
flow system.
• The PVC unit proved to be a better starter for
seedlings. The Swiss chard seedlings were double the
size of the seedlings in the DWC unit.
• The strawberry plants ripened quicker in the lateral
flow unit.
• Both of these factors, quicker growth and faster
ripening of fruit would be important for those who
were growing commercially or for personal use.

21. Reflections
• One of our team’s biggest
challenges was finding a
type of plant suited to
adjust to the environment
of the STEM lab, in the
dead of winter.
• We started first with sage
which we found does not
like to be wet.
• Luckily one of our
advisors traveled south
and brought back lettuce
plants and Swiss chard.

22. Reflections
• Growing plants takes
PATIENCE!
• Because plants were scarcely
available in December and we
began experiencing absences
from school during periods of
inclement weather, we began
planting seeds in case our
plants died.
• We also began growing
strawberries because of the
availability of plants that had
been started in a local
greenhouse.

23. Reflections
• We had problems with algae growth.
• Algae will compete with plants for nutrients
and will decompose leading to waste and
bacteria.

24. Reflections
• Changes we would
have made to improve
our unit’s efficiency
would be to paint the
inside of the PVC pipes
in our PVC lateral flow
unit black to eliminate
some of the algae
growth.

25. Acknowledgements