Aeroponic systems design: considerations and challenges

Abstract

Controlled Environment Agriculture holds promise as a way to intensify current agricultural production systems while limiting pressures on land, water, and energy resources. However, its use has not yet been widely adopted, partly because the engineering design considerations and associated challenges are not well known. This is even more apparent for aeroponics, where the additional cost and complexities in controlling atomisation have yet to establish an advantage in scale over simpler hydroponic systems. To shed light on these considerations and challenges, an instrumented aeroponic system was prototyped to create a quantitative growth model for various species of leafy greens. As the first consideration, pressure swirl atomisers were paired with a diaphragm-type pressure tank to supply the necessary pressures needed for effective atomisation. Secondly, the nutrient solution was mixed on demand from Reverse Osmosis water, and the concentrated nutrient stock was then pumped into the pressure tank using a positive displacement pump. A bamboo-based substrate that allowed germination and extended vegetative growth was supported on a stainless-steel mesh and PVC frame acting as a grow tray. Finally, a camera microservice platform was developed using a computer vision pixel-based segmentation method to quantify plant growth.