Introduction: Zero Gravity Garden -Grow Beyond Dry land

I am submitting my entry into the Grow Beyond Earth contest under the professional category. The enclosure I designed allows you to grow sufficiently and maximize crop yield in a confined space with zero gravity. The layout of the contrive allows setups that would represent difficult to sustain on earth, but is perfect for the intended environment. First I wanted to make a point I followed the guidelines to this contest and understand the job they are trying to solve.

Maltreat 1: Cube Enclosure

The first problem I needed to fishing tackle was the space limitation thus I created the enclosure with the allowed quad, which is 50cm cube. It was constructed out of plywood and 1x2 boards to help with the framework. This structural build is underspent and cost rough-and-ready. The system will need to represent light nevertheless sturdy without costing too much to construct. All of these things considered, the materials chosen are the right fit. Aluminum or titanium framing would be suitable for the ISS because it would exist thinner physical for many growing area and a stronger structural hold.

Maltreat 2: Plant Trays

Next, I added trays that bequeath house the plants. These will beryllium placed on the top, bottom, odd and right sides within the square block. The set trays used can be purchased at your topical depot storage. Instead of water in a liquid state the arrangement would utilize hydro gel to be effective nether a zero-gravity environment. An example of this would be a product like Orbeez. The gel wish keep back the water to remove the possibility of it floating around. The hydro gelatin volition comprise the necessary nutrients needful by the plants.

For the seeds I would have a recycled paper/framework material similar to a paper towel sheet, with the seeds infused in them. When you go to start your plants you pick the seeds you want and apply the hydrogel to the paper sheet. When the tissue makes get through with the hydro gel IT will pull the water from it, soak the seeds, and activate them to germinate. Another way you send away start germinating seeds is planting them in prove tubes and when they burgeon forth their first leaves you can transfer them to the hydro gel trays.

Some of the plants that are perfect for this system of rules are various pelf types, kale, spinach, and microgreens since you rear end harvest them in Eastern Samoa little as 10 years. There are dwarf plants you can grow same a tomato plant that stays small and yields quite a trifle.

Footmark 3: LED Grow Sunlit

Since the plants will live in an enclosure we volition use LED grow lights. They consume selfsame little energy and will get importantly less rut than alternatives. Each Light-emitting diode turn reddened testament have an individual plug. The wall that the tubes will beryllium attached to will contain electrical grids similar to a pegboard so that each hole is an electrical contact point allowing you to place the grow light anyplace at the proper distance. The LED lit has an adjustable emitting radius from 180-360 degrees. This means that the grow lights send away go around a full 360 degrees depending on the design chosen. With adjustable lights you can ensure that all plants will get the appropriate ignition. Plants flourish on CO2 and then I suggest having a CO2 tank in the bottom compartment that when your embed is at a good enough sizing you install the Carbonic acid gas exhaust fumes tubes. You can set the CO2 to release in timed bursts or exercise a extremity release. This would give an added boost to arise efficiently.

Step 4: Tall Plants Blue Space Waste

Since one of the issues is when a plant grows tall, the space below is exit to waste. The leaves also stuff the light from hitting the plants below. With the adjustable lights you can place roughly below the tall plants leaves to give floaty to the new plants growing in. I didn't have a tallish flora only used a kale plant in a container arsenic an example.

Step 5: Front entrance/panel

My design for the door is slightly thicker so it can be storage for some components. At the spinning top area it will have a compartment to hold the grow lights for temporary storage until you use them. Below that compartment will be the excess nutrients so if you wanted to help give the plants an added boost, you just get the syringe, fill it with the liquid nutrient and inject it in various areas in the hydro gel. It would be a high concentration of nutrients so a small amount would go a long fashio.

On the top satisfactory of the door will be an LED display that leave picture the temperature, humidness, perch and CO2 timers. You will also be able to set the timekeeper from there as well Eastern Samoa the manual discharge button for the CO2. On the inside control board of the doorway it will have a rubber seal and will also have a reflective finish and so it bounces the grow light back at the plants. The back electrical panel would likewise have that synoptic reflective opencut.

Step 6: Overall All View

Hera is an overall view of it fully collected. I have the lights on a 12 hour on off cps.
With this design you wish be able-bodied to quickly get the most nutritious greens assertable. The setup allows you to grow microgreens year-round and adjust settings to meet any needs.

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