Hydroponic Growing Project
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The Brief
Our project was to design a growing product for implementation at the UJ growing gardens, but were not limited to designing exclusively for large scale growing systems. We had the could choose between hydroponic, aquaponic, bioponic and soil-based systems but hydroponics were advised. We were required to conduct extensive research into growing requirements and applications. Our system had to accommodate small-batch manufacture as well as being scalable.
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Why Hydroponics?
Hydroponic systems utilise appropriate technologies which allow for scalable and sustainable solutions that improve small holder farmers' livelihoods and protect the environment. Hydroponic systems also accommodate alternative energy sources such as solar energy which is becoming increasingly relevant due to South Africa's power crisis.
Hydroponic systems use minimal acreage which maximises on land use. They utilise 20 times less water than conventional farming methods.
Urban agricultural systems improve food security and income as they provide nutrition and employment and the surplus of vegetables grown can sold for profit. Urban systems are also more like a educate communities about sustainable small scale farming methods and allow families to cut down on food costs.
Plants are planted in growing mediums such as
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Types of Hydroponic Systems
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Precedent Board
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UJ Growing Tunnels
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Starting from Seed
My germination system was an aluminium baking dish divided into 5 sections with pieces of card and all of the seeds were planted in the seeding and germination soil provided. I chose to use only the soil due to it being specifically produced for and therefore suited to sprouting seedlings.
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Exploratory Sketches
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Mock-up Models
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Chosen Design Direction
I have opted for a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system. This is due to the environmental friendliness in using minimal water and the controllability of the system. Due to NFT systems being sensitive to pump failure I have had to design a solution to keep the system running during Loadshedding. The design will also use a growing medium with high absorption and water retention, such as coconut coir, rockwool or vermiculite, in order to keep the plants hydrated while the system isn't running.
My primary design is a small scale standalone system that is targeted to household, office and apartment block use etc... It can however be translated into a large scale growing system that is much more cost effective but still maintains the primary concepts and functions of the original design.
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Functional Prototype
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CAD Modelling and Engineering Drawings
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Costing
This table shows only the direct costs associated to the project and excludes the cost of the pump and airstone, as I never bought those for my final prototype. This also excludes the product markup which would be included in the indirect costs, mostly consisting of machinery. General consumables include sandpaper, wood glue, soldering wire and flux etc... All materials are hyperlinked to the store’s product page that I bought them from. It should also be noted that the labour costs are only for the building process, not the designing and planning. All prices would also decrease slightly if I were able to buy in bulk and produce multiple units.
With regards to what I would want to change, a higher quality plywood would greatly increase the outcome of the bends and final finish. Birch ply would be an ideal choice but is close to R2000 per panel. I would also prefer to use a more efficiently sized water tanks rather than jerry cans as that would improve the system’s efficacy during loadshedding.
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An Adaptation Towards the Brief
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