This document discusses zero-acreage farming solutions for food desert communities. It recognizes problems with conventional farming like extensive land and water usage and environmental damage. The goals of the project are to select cost-efficient crops, optimize growing conditions, and implement an energy-efficient irrigation system within an indoor containment structure. The design proposes a vertical A-frame system for a food desert in Union City, GA. Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and leafy greens are selected. The system is estimated to yield over 15 plants per square meter, significantly more than conventional horizontal farming.
Vertical Farming, also known as CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) refers to the practice of growing crops on vertically inclined surfaces and in vertically stacked layers.
Vertical Farming, also known as CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) refers to the practice of growing crops on vertically inclined surfaces and in vertically stacked layers.
Vertical farming is the practice of growing produce in vertically stacked layers.
Vertical farms come in different shapes and sizes, from simple two-level or wall-mounted
systems to large warehouses several stories tall.
Vertical farming typically uses a mix of natural light and artificial light. Artificial lighting is often LED-based and may be driven by a renewable power source such as solar power or wind turbines.
SELP 500 First Project Review Session Preparing .docxkenjordan97598
SELP 500: First
Project Review
Session
Preparing for El Niño
Mixed Marbles
October 13, 2015
Team Members:
Adnan Alromi
Fahad Alotaibi
Nina Lepp
Noel Rabina
Pierre Marc Paras
1. Overview
Goal Statement: To review the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) developed in
support of the El Niño Damage Preparation and Prevention project initiative.
Agenda:
● Background Information
● Existing Systems
● Operational Overview
● System Overview
● Analysis of Alternatives
● Risks and Issues
● Key Deliverables, Key Stakeholders, Key Customers
2. Background Information
● El Niño Southern-Oscillation (ENSO)-
fluctuation in ocean and atmospheric
temperatures throughout the pacific ocean
● Still unclear on background and reasoning
and prediction of pattern
● Schedule varies, roughly 2-7 years in
between cycles
● Most damaging effects were in 1972-1973,
1982-1983, and 1997-1998
2.2 El Niño Pattern Information 2015
● March, May, and June recorded
highest temperatures since 1880
● Last major damage occurred in
Winter of 1998 and resulted in $550
Million Dollars in Damages and over
20 inches of recorded rain at UCLA
● 95% chance that El Niño will hit
during the 2015-2016 Winter months
throughout the United States
3.1 Existing Systems and Operations
● Metropolitan Water District of Southern California “SoCal Water$mart”
○ City Rebates for collecting barrels of water (http://socalwatersmart.com/?page_id=2973 )
Rebates Start at $75 per Barrel
Collecting and re-using rainwater from gutters and downspouts for lawns and gardens minimizes the amount of water flowing into your storm drains, sewer systems and local waterways. Plants and microbes prefer rainwater because it
is naturally “soft” and free of chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals.
Rain Barrel Guidelines
Minimum size: 50 gallons
Rain barrel must be designed for the intended purpose of rain capture
Should have a cover to prevent mosquitos, rodents and debris from entering
The rain barrel must be mounted in a way that allows the barrel to receive water unimpeded from a rain gutter.
Should not block or restrict access to walkways or pathways
Rain barrel must not be connected to the irrigation system and must be distributed through a hose or bucket
Should be elevated 6 inches off the ground on a solid foundation
Should be strapped to your home for safety if the height of the barrel is two times greater than the width
Maximum of four rain barrel rebates allowed per home
Rain barrel must be purchased as an entire rain barrel. Homemade rain barrels do not qualify for rebates
http://socalwatersmart.com/?page_id=2973
3.2 Existing Systems and Operations
● Los Angles Aqueducts http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/revisit/commentary/concrete-and-
chaparral/a-self-guided-tour-of-the-los-angeles-aqueduct.html
http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/revisit/commentary/concrete-and-chaparral/a-self-guided-tour-of-the-los-angeles-aqueduct.html
http://www.kcet.org/n.
Final presentation for utilization of biosludgeJohn Walker
The Clemson University wastewater treatment plant (CU WWTP) currently produces over 800 tons of biosolids each year. Unfortunately, these carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and phosphorus dense materials are discarded in the Anderson County landfill, increasing carbon and nitrogen emissions as greenhouse gases and decreasing the amount of phosphorus content in the environment. In order to increase the sustainability of Clemson University, two alternative disposal methods are explored in this report: land application for soil fertilization on Simpson Research Farm and gasification for energy production. For both processes, the pathogen concentration of the biosolids would have to be reduced using a solar dryer heater. In order to land apply biosolids on Simpson Research Farm, a large cylindrical storage tank of radius = 10 ft and height = 13 ft would need to be constructed at the CU WWTP in order to store the solids between applications. Using a Terragator, a maximum of 1,031 tons of 90% dry biosolids could be land applied to Simpson Research Farm each year. This amount of biosolids is much larger than the amount of biosolids produced at the CU WWTP. In the gasification process, the biosolids undergo drying, pyrolysis, combustion, cracking, and reduction before becoming hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, biochar, ash, and a variety of impurities including tars, sulfur and nitrogen compounds, hydrogen halides, and trace metals. To process all 951 tons of biosolids projected to be produced in 2019, the gasifier would need to complete 1,079 cycles or about 3 cycles per day. Roughly 31,675 kWh of energy would be produced from the gasification process. Between the two options explored, land application of biosolids is much more feasible. Until further research regarding the effects of contaminants within biosolids (microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, etc.) on the environment is conducted, Clemson University should not land apply their biosolids.
Final Presentation for Utilization of BiosolidsParkerRaymond
My senior design group and I investigate the potential uses of biosolids coming from the Clemson University wastewater treatment plant in soil fertilization and energy production instead of landfilling.
Water billing management system project report.pdfKamal Acharya
Our project entitled “Water Billing Management System” aims is to generate Water bill with all the charges and penalty. Manual system that is employed is extremely laborious and quite inadequate. It only makes the process more difficult and hard.
The aim of our project is to develop a system that is meant to partially computerize the work performed in the Water Board like generating monthly Water bill, record of consuming unit of water, store record of the customer and previous unpaid record.
We used HTML/PHP as front end and MYSQL as back end for developing our project. HTML is primarily a visual design environment. We can create a android application by designing the form and that make up the user interface. Adding android application code to the form and the objects such as buttons and text boxes on them and adding any required support code in additional modular.
MySQL is free open source database that facilitates the effective management of the databases by connecting them to the software. It is a stable ,reliable and the powerful solution with the advanced features and advantages which are as follows: Data Security.MySQL is free open source database that facilitates the effective management of the databases by connecting them to the software.
We have compiled the most important slides from each speaker's presentation. This year’s compilation, available for free, captures the key insights and contributions shared during the DfMAy 2024 conference.
Vertical farming is the practice of growing produce in vertically stacked layers.
Vertical farms come in different shapes and sizes, from simple two-level or wall-mounted
systems to large warehouses several stories tall.
Vertical farming typically uses a mix of natural light and artificial light. Artificial lighting is often LED-based and may be driven by a renewable power source such as solar power or wind turbines.
SELP 500 First Project Review Session Preparing .docxkenjordan97598
SELP 500: First
Project Review
Session
Preparing for El Niño
Mixed Marbles
October 13, 2015
Team Members:
Adnan Alromi
Fahad Alotaibi
Nina Lepp
Noel Rabina
Pierre Marc Paras
1. Overview
Goal Statement: To review the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) developed in
support of the El Niño Damage Preparation and Prevention project initiative.
Agenda:
● Background Information
● Existing Systems
● Operational Overview
● System Overview
● Analysis of Alternatives
● Risks and Issues
● Key Deliverables, Key Stakeholders, Key Customers
2. Background Information
● El Niño Southern-Oscillation (ENSO)-
fluctuation in ocean and atmospheric
temperatures throughout the pacific ocean
● Still unclear on background and reasoning
and prediction of pattern
● Schedule varies, roughly 2-7 years in
between cycles
● Most damaging effects were in 1972-1973,
1982-1983, and 1997-1998
2.2 El Niño Pattern Information 2015
● March, May, and June recorded
highest temperatures since 1880
● Last major damage occurred in
Winter of 1998 and resulted in $550
Million Dollars in Damages and over
20 inches of recorded rain at UCLA
● 95% chance that El Niño will hit
during the 2015-2016 Winter months
throughout the United States
3.1 Existing Systems and Operations
● Metropolitan Water District of Southern California “SoCal Water$mart”
○ City Rebates for collecting barrels of water (http://socalwatersmart.com/?page_id=2973 )
Rebates Start at $75 per Barrel
Collecting and re-using rainwater from gutters and downspouts for lawns and gardens minimizes the amount of water flowing into your storm drains, sewer systems and local waterways. Plants and microbes prefer rainwater because it
is naturally “soft” and free of chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals.
Rain Barrel Guidelines
Minimum size: 50 gallons
Rain barrel must be designed for the intended purpose of rain capture
Should have a cover to prevent mosquitos, rodents and debris from entering
The rain barrel must be mounted in a way that allows the barrel to receive water unimpeded from a rain gutter.
Should not block or restrict access to walkways or pathways
Rain barrel must not be connected to the irrigation system and must be distributed through a hose or bucket
Should be elevated 6 inches off the ground on a solid foundation
Should be strapped to your home for safety if the height of the barrel is two times greater than the width
Maximum of four rain barrel rebates allowed per home
Rain barrel must be purchased as an entire rain barrel. Homemade rain barrels do not qualify for rebates
http://socalwatersmart.com/?page_id=2973
3.2 Existing Systems and Operations
● Los Angles Aqueducts http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/revisit/commentary/concrete-and-
chaparral/a-self-guided-tour-of-the-los-angeles-aqueduct.html
http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/revisit/commentary/concrete-and-chaparral/a-self-guided-tour-of-the-los-angeles-aqueduct.html
http://www.kcet.org/n.
Final presentation for utilization of biosludgeJohn Walker
The Clemson University wastewater treatment plant (CU WWTP) currently produces over 800 tons of biosolids each year. Unfortunately, these carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and phosphorus dense materials are discarded in the Anderson County landfill, increasing carbon and nitrogen emissions as greenhouse gases and decreasing the amount of phosphorus content in the environment. In order to increase the sustainability of Clemson University, two alternative disposal methods are explored in this report: land application for soil fertilization on Simpson Research Farm and gasification for energy production. For both processes, the pathogen concentration of the biosolids would have to be reduced using a solar dryer heater. In order to land apply biosolids on Simpson Research Farm, a large cylindrical storage tank of radius = 10 ft and height = 13 ft would need to be constructed at the CU WWTP in order to store the solids between applications. Using a Terragator, a maximum of 1,031 tons of 90% dry biosolids could be land applied to Simpson Research Farm each year. This amount of biosolids is much larger than the amount of biosolids produced at the CU WWTP. In the gasification process, the biosolids undergo drying, pyrolysis, combustion, cracking, and reduction before becoming hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide, biochar, ash, and a variety of impurities including tars, sulfur and nitrogen compounds, hydrogen halides, and trace metals. To process all 951 tons of biosolids projected to be produced in 2019, the gasifier would need to complete 1,079 cycles or about 3 cycles per day. Roughly 31,675 kWh of energy would be produced from the gasification process. Between the two options explored, land application of biosolids is much more feasible. Until further research regarding the effects of contaminants within biosolids (microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, etc.) on the environment is conducted, Clemson University should not land apply their biosolids.
Final Presentation for Utilization of BiosolidsParkerRaymond
My senior design group and I investigate the potential uses of biosolids coming from the Clemson University wastewater treatment plant in soil fertilization and energy production instead of landfilling.
Water billing management system project report.pdfKamal Acharya
Our project entitled “Water Billing Management System” aims is to generate Water bill with all the charges and penalty. Manual system that is employed is extremely laborious and quite inadequate. It only makes the process more difficult and hard.
The aim of our project is to develop a system that is meant to partially computerize the work performed in the Water Board like generating monthly Water bill, record of consuming unit of water, store record of the customer and previous unpaid record.
We used HTML/PHP as front end and MYSQL as back end for developing our project. HTML is primarily a visual design environment. We can create a android application by designing the form and that make up the user interface. Adding android application code to the form and the objects such as buttons and text boxes on them and adding any required support code in additional modular.
MySQL is free open source database that facilitates the effective management of the databases by connecting them to the software. It is a stable ,reliable and the powerful solution with the advanced features and advantages which are as follows: Data Security.MySQL is free open source database that facilitates the effective management of the databases by connecting them to the software.
We have compiled the most important slides from each speaker's presentation. This year’s compilation, available for free, captures the key insights and contributions shared during the DfMAy 2024 conference.
Using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) for pavements is crucial to achieving sustainability. Implementing RCA for new pavement can minimize carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, reduce harmful emissions, and lower life cycle costs. Compared to natural aggregate (NA), RCA pavement has fewer comprehensive studies and sustainability assessments.
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Harnessing WebAssembly for Real-time Stateless Streaming PipelinesChristina Lin
Traditionally, dealing with real-time data pipelines has involved significant overhead, even for straightforward tasks like data transformation or masking. However, in this talk, we’ll venture into the dynamic realm of WebAssembly (WASM) and discover how it can revolutionize the creation of stateless streaming pipelines within a Kafka (Redpanda) broker. These pipelines are adept at managing low-latency, high-data-volume scenarios.
TOP 10 B TECH COLLEGES IN JAIPUR 2024.pptxnikitacareer3
Looking for the best engineering colleges in Jaipur for 2024?
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TO KNOW MORE ABOUT COLLEGES, FEES AND PLACEMENT, WATCH THE FULL VIDEO GIVEN BELOW ON "TOP 10 B TECH COLLEGES IN JAIPUR"
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VISIT CAREER MANTRA PORTAL TO KNOW MORE ABOUT COLLEGES/UNIVERSITITES in Jaipur:
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Get all the information you need to plan your next steps in your medical career with Career Mantra!
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PROJECT FORMAT FOR EVS AMITY UNIVERSITY GWALIOR.ppt
Zero Acreage Farming Solutions
1. Zero-Acreage Farming
Solutions for Food
Desert Communities
Sarah Austin Chris Brianna
A.B.C.S. Engineering Firm
Clemson University Department of
Biosystems Engineering
BE 4750
2. What is Zero Acreage
farming?
Forms of food production
that are characterized by the
non-use of arable land, or
acreage1
http://www.tuvie.com/wp-content/uploads/urban-skyfarm-by-aprili-design-studio2.jpg
2
3. Recognition of Problem/Need
● Land Usage
○ 17% of US land area used as
cropland14
○ Erosion in dryland regions15,18
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633915300472
3
4. Recognition of Problem/Need
● Water Usage8
○ 40% of total water usage in North America
○ 70% of total water usage in the World
○ Groundwater Depletion from inefficient irrigation practices
4
5. Recognition of Problem/Need
● Environmental Damage
○ Dead Zones29
○ Resource Recycling
● Future Issues
○ Global population increase
http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measured
5
6. Recognition of Problem/Need
● Food Deserts
○ 23.5 million Americans lack access to a supermarket within 1 mile of home2
○ Increased rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease in urban areas35
6
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kK4dF5epIBw/UYwn0kUMFQI/AAAAAAAAAAU/91pWKeXWPvE
/s1600/us-obesity-chart--organisation-de-coop--ration.jpg
8. Definition of Problem/Need
● Water Usage
○ Conventional farming uses 75%-95% more water than Z-farming1,3
○ Groundwater depletion18,26
■ Abstraction of 1000 km3
/yr
○ Water Use Efficiency
■ Recycling/monitoring within controlled environment
8
9. Definition of Problem/Need
● Land Usage
○ Conventional farming uses 99% more land than vertical farming3
○ Erosion18
■ 10 million ha of cropland lost annually20
■ Soil loss is 10-40 times faster than rate of soil formation20
9
10. Definition of Problem/Need
● Environmental damage
○ Distance between consumer and
producer prevents resource recycling
and increases petrofuel use1,5
○ Dead zones17, 18
■ Decrease fisheries production
■ Loss of aquatic biodiversity
https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html
10
11. Definition of Problem/Need
● Future Issues
○ 9.7 billion people in 205018
■ 70% increase in food production
■ Increased competition for land and water usage
○ Environmental tipping points30
11
12. Goals of Project
● Biological
○ Select cost efficient, nutritional crops
○ Optimize climate conditions for plant growth
○ Determine total biomass yield
● Structural
○ Construct an indoor containment system for crops
○ Maximize space, light, and water usage
● Mechanical
○ Implement energy-efficient irrigation system utilizing pumps
○ Potentially design lighting system
12
13. Constraints
● Skills
○ Upcoming graduates to Biosystems Engineering
■ Kinetics
■ Fluid mechanics and hydrology
■ Instrumentation
■ Structural mechanics
○ Technical skills include AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Matlab, and Excel
● Space
○ Adequate space to house system in a Food Desert area
13
14. Constraints
● Equipment
○ Clemson University laboratory equipment and online markets
○ Industry implementation would call for professional equipment
● Logistical
○ Transportation of design to client
○ Conveying design information to client for operation and management
14
15. Considerations
● Safety
○ Electronic equipment near water
○ Water as a slipping hazard
○ Toxicity of pesticides
● Ethical
○ Food grade produce
○ Affordable and sustainable design
○ Community members
15
16. Considerations
● Ecological
○ Reduce
■ Water use
■ Damage to arable land
■ Pesticide use
● Ultimate Use
○ Sustainably produce nutrient rich crops
○ Conserve resources used for farming
16
17. Questions of User, Client and Designer
● User - Consumer/Community
a. How much space will the farm consume?
b. What crops can be grown?
c. How will this design increase accessibility to produce?
● Client - County
a. How much will the design cost?
b. How will this farm increase community health and wellbeing?
c. How much food will the farm produce?
● Designer - A.B.C.S. Engineering Firm
a. What three crops are most beneficial for consumers?
b. What kind of water and nutrient needs do the crops require?
c. How will we obtain the water needed?
17
18. Governing Equations
● Energy and Dimensional Analysis
● Manning’s Equation
■ Open Channel
■ Irrigation system
● Light Intensity
■ Potential lighting system
● Heat Transfer
○ Fourier’s Law
18
20. Plant Growth
● Different growth stages use differing
amounts of water and nutrients
● 4 different stages for
evapotranspiration estimates
○ Initial
○ Canopy development
○ Mid-season
○ Maturation4
● Evapotranspiration values estimated
from a reference crop and crop
coefficients
United States Department of Agriculture (1993). The National Engineering
Handbook, Part 623, 19-22, 69-70.
20
21. Plant Nutrients
● 16 essential nutrients for maximum plant growth13
● Macronutrients include O, C, H, N, K, Ca, Mg, P and S
● Must be balanced for proper uptake
● Dissolved oxygen concentrations must be high for optimum root
respiration
21
22. Irrigation Methods
● Spray irrigation
● Drip irrigation
● Nutrient Film Technique
○ Extremely shallow water ‘film’
○ All necessary nutrients dissolved
○ Can recycle water
Water with Nutrients
Image by Sarah Van Brunt
22
23. Evapotranspiration Rate
● Evapotranspiration rate for
leafy greens
● 1.88 g/plant/h for greenhouse
NFT system11
● 21 day old plants
https://blog.1000bulbs.com/home/how-to-set-up-a-nutrient-film-technique-nft-system
23
24. Lighting Methods
● Sun
● Fluorescent light
● Red and Blue ‘Grow’ lights
○ Strips, arrays, or light filters
http://www.ledgrowlightsforsale.ca/full-spectrum-300w-led-grow-light-for-growing-weeds.html
24
25. Lighting Methods
● Red Blue light: University of Tennessee
○ Chl a and b have highest absorption in red and blue light spectra
■ 663-640 nm and 453-430 nm respectively
○ Beta - carotene and lutein absorb strongly in the 445-650 nm range
● Light intensity
○ Spinach accumulated highest lutein and Beta - carotene at 335
μmol/m2
s
○ Concentrations of soluble sugars increased with increased light
intensity33
25
26. Lighting Methods
Dr. Adelberg, Clemson University
26
https://www.hubbell.com/hubbellindustriallighting/en/Products/Lighting-Controls/I
ndustrial-Lighting/Enclosed-Gasketed/NutriLED/p/212399
http://ledt8bulb.com/hubbell-nutriled-led-horticultural-light-fixture.html
RelativePower
27. Growing Media
● Expanded Clay Pebbles
○ Inert, porous pebbles made from clay
○ Contain tiny air pockets for good drainage
○ Can accumulate salts if not flushed regularly
http://greenscape-ltd.com/product/expanded-clay-pebbles/
27
28. Growing Media
● Coconut Fiber (Coir)
○ Made from waste coconut husks from coconut industry
○ Holds water well and allows oxygenation
○ Can break apart overtime and clog pump systems
28
http://woodethic.blogspot.com/2017/03/coconut-coir-what-is-co
co-coir-and-how.html
29. Growing Media
● Gravel
○ Relatively cheap
○ Heavy and poor water retention
○ Good aeration
● Perlite/Vermiculite
○ Lightweight
○ Perlite - poor water retention
○ Vermiculite retains water well
○ Perlite dust can be hazardous
http://www.white-skips.co.uk/gravel_hull_14.html
https://www.epicgardening.com/perlite-vs-vermiculite/
29
30. Growing Media
● Rockwool/Stonewool
○ Made of liquid rock spun into a
wool like fiber
○ Industry standard holds water
well
○ Does not decompose after
disposal
https://www.amazon.com/Rockwool-Grow-Cubes-1-5-Inch
es/dp/B00IA8AJMI
30
31. Growing Media
● No media
○ Using just water so no media to hold water
○ Deep water or nutrient film technique
○ Salt accumulation in media is negated and nutrient solution easily monitored
31
https://www.citycrop.io/why-citycrop-uses-hydroponics/
32. Hydroponic Media
● Comparison of gravel, floating, and nutrient film technique
hydroponic systems for tomatoes
● Used as treatment for an aquaculture system
● Gravel yielded the highest biomass gain followed by floating then
NFT12
● The daily water usages were not significantly different for all three
systems
32
33. Growing Hydroponic Lettuce
● Shown to use water more efficiently than conventional land based
farming at an average of 13 times less 7
● The yearly lettuce yield increased 11 times when grown
hydroponically
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC44
83736/figure/ijerph-12-06879-f001/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles
/PMC4483736/figure/ijerph-12-06879-f00
2/
33
36. Location Selection: Union City, GA
● Classified as food desert by
USDA
● Population of 6,343
● 8% of households without
vehicles and more than ½
mile from supermarket
● Poverty rate of 30.7%
36
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas.aspx
USDA (2017)
39. Nutrient and Water Requirements
39
Kale Spinach Romaine Lettuce
Water Requirement
[cm/week]
2.5-3.8 2.5 2.5
Nutrients
Requirement
[N-P-K]
16-4-17 16-4-17 16-16-8
Mattson et al. (2014)
Bonnie Plants (2011)
Sanders (2001)
Harrington (2017)
40. Selected A-Frame Design
● Benefits
○ Housed indoors
○ Central lighting can be used
○ Provides vertical growing space
○ Offers space beneath frame
Image by Brianna Chavarria
40
42. Total Plant Yield
42
0.6 m
1.5 m
30.5m
2.5m
● Horizontal Farming
○ 80 plants in 18.6m2
area
○ 4.3 plants/m2
● Our Vertical System
○ 60 plants in 3.9m2
area
○ 15.5 plants/m2
Sustainable Seed Company (2017)
44. Growing Media Selection
● Due to A- frame design, the media must be lightweight so that the
frame can support the channel weight
○ This rules out deep water culture and gravel
● Porous media accumulates salts and nutrients which can influence
pH
○ Must be flushed regularly and sterilized between uses
● NFT system chosen because of ease of nutrient concentration
monitoring and lightweight design
○ Electrical conductivity to monitor nutrient concentration
44
45. NFT System Design
● Flow rate can range from 0.5L/min to 9L/min depending on
channel geometry32
○ Higher flow rates can allow greater oxygenation of water
● Slopes need to range between 2.5%and 1.0%
● Flow rate and slope adjusted to produce shallow channel depth
● We chose a 2L/min flow rate and a 1.3% slope
○ Flow depth: 1.24 cm via Manning’s Equation
45
46. Irrigation Selection
● Positive Displacement Pump
● Fulfills NFT
● Uses negative space
● Run for 15min on then 15min off
○ Save energy and wear on pump
● 61,259 Joules
○ Energy used to pump to all levels for 24
hours
Image by Sarah Van Brunt
46
47. Pesticide Selection
47
Insecticidal Soap Pyrethrum Neem Oil
Cost Rank
(1 being most
expensive)
3 1 2
Properties Sprayed about
once a week
Strong insecticide,
sprayed about once
a week
Contains fungicidal
and insecticidal
properties, sprayed
about once a week
Hydroponics-Simplified (2016)
52. Alternative Design Options
● Other substrates can be used in the A-frame to created an ebb and
flow system that retains water
● Horizontal hydroponics could also be used for a system that is at a
good working height for harvesters
○ NFT system can still be used or deep water hydroponics with a floating raft
○ Can be used to grow taller plants like tomatoes or vine plants like beans
https://www.epicgardening.com/deep-water-culture-get-started/
http://www.commercial-hydroponic-farming.com/contact-us/
52
53. Alternative Design Options
● Rainwater collection
● Solar implementation to
mitigate electricity costs
● Gravity flow system
○ Pump water to roof
○ Solenoid valves release tubes
○ Operated by microcontroller
53
54. Location Alternative: Coin Laundry
● Vacant laundromat in
Union City, GA
● Building size: 195 m2
● High ceilings
● $175,000
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/20461596/6335-Roosevelt-Hwy-Union-City-GA/
54
57. Location Alternative: Greenhouse on Plot of Land
57
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Union-City-GA/pmf,pf_pt/land_type/2098602806_zpid/48085
_rid/globalrelevanceex_sort/33.610544,-84.472075,33.536172,-84.617644_rect/12_zm/
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/6335+Roosevelt+Hwy,+Union+City,+GA+30291/Lower+Dixie+Lake+Rd,+Union+City,+GA+30291/@33.5812545,
-84.5619578,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x88f4e6cc333ea2e7:0x302778b2a94a6c46!2m2!1d-84.5509936!2d33.5827278!1m5!1
m1!1s0x88f4e72a11590283:0xec164a5abbbf2ab8!2m2!1d-84.5643864!2d33.583549!3e2
58. Economic Analysis
58
Building Land (8 Greenhouses)
Price [m-2
] $900 $2.50
Total Price $175,000 $15,500
Grow Lights $23,500 -
Greenhouse - $67,000
A-Frame $4000 $32,000
Pump $3200 $25,500
Air Compressor $2250 $18,000
Irrigation System $3000 $24,000
59. Economic Analysis
59
Building Greenhouse
Total Biomass [kg/yr] 3,927 31,416
Capital Cost $211,000 $178,500
Annual Cost $3,950 $24,550
Total Year 1 Cost $214,950 $203,000
The greenhouse is more cost effective and produces ~8x more biomass
60. Budget - Capital Costs
60
Item Number of Items Cost / Item Total Cost
Land Plot 1 $15,500 $15,500
Greenhouse 8 $8,400 $67,200
3” Pro-Flo Shift
Pump
8 $3,195 $25,560
10 hp Air
Compressor
8 $2,250 $18,000
64. Budget - Capital Costs
64
Total Cost / GH System $3,000
Total Cost / Land $24,000
Irrigation System
65. Budget - Yearly Operating Cost
65
Union City Utilities Electricity (Air
Compressor)
Water (irrigation)
Monthly Rate 1. 8 months $0.0476/kWh
2. 4 months $0.097/kWh
1. $9.56/1000 gal (water)
2. $3.94/1000 gal (sewer)
Monthly Use 2738 kWh/mo 1300 gal/mo
Yearly Cost / GH $2100 $210
Yearly Cost / Land $16,800 $1680
Total Utility Cost / Year: $18,480
66. Budget - Yearly Operating Cost
66
Item Number of Items / GH Cost / Item Total Cost
Fertilizer (bag) 1 $65 $65
Seeds 28,500 $0.00012 $4.00
Pesticides (bottle) 36 $18.75 $675
Total Cost / Year: $744
Total Yearly Cost / Land: ~$5950
67. Year 1 Total Cost
67
Capital Cost $178,500
Annual Cost $24,550
Total Year 1 Cost $203,000
68. Sustainability Measures
● Economic
○ Utilizes vacant space
● Ecological
○ Uses less water than conventional farming
○ Uses less land than conventional farming
● Social
○ Provides nutrient-rich produce for “food desert” community
● Ethical
○ Efficiently uses resources and funding
○ Grows nutritional, low cost produce
68
69. Conclusion
● Zero acreage farming
○ 3.6 times more biomass yield
● Design overview
○ A-frame
○ Greenhouse, Sun
○ NFT, Leafy greens, Neem oil
● Greenhouses vs. Yuma, AZ transportation
● Through non-profit organizations, this could be more viable
○ Could be coupled with conventional farming
69
70. User - Consumer/Community
● How much space will the farm consume?
○ 1.6 ac or 6,475 m2
● What crops can be grown?
○ Leafy greens
● How will this design increase accessibility to produce?
○ Designed in close proximity to Food Desert community
70
71. Client - County
● How much will the design cost?
○ $203,000
● How will this farm increase community health and wellbeing?
○ Helps increase access to healthier foods
○ Educate youth on valuing personal health & nutrition
● How much food will the farm produce?
○ 31,416 kg/year
71
72. Designer - A.B.C.S. Engineering Firm
● What three crops are most beneficial for consumers?
○ Kale, Spinach, and Romaine Lettuce
● What kind of water and nutrient needs do the crops require?
○ Each require about a ratio of 16-4-17 and about the same water requirement of 1
in/week
● How will we obtain the water needed?
○ Municipal water will be used
72
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