Engineering study and design of net pot for optimal plant growth performance and development of intelligent, user-friendly system

• Main Author: Shaza Dhanea Binte Rahmat
• Other Authors: Heng Kok Hui, John Gerard
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/167051
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore’s land scarcity limits the nation’s capabilities to create its own food and energy. This suggests a unique challenge that requires delving into unused spaces. Hydroponics is the practice of producing food using water-soluble nutrients unconventional to the traditional farming method. Recognizing that such hobbies need extensive plant maintenance and a lot of care and attention, beginning hobbyists frequently shy away from them. Furthermore, these tasks are frequently performed in person, which adds to the household responsibilities. This project offers a study and redesign of the net pots used in a hydroponic system in order to overcome these issues by cutting down the time needed to clean each individual net pot. Additionally, intelligent system integration is included to encourage more end users to take up this activity in order to lessen the workload. The major goal of the suggested solution is to minimize plant care efforts. The amount of time needed to wash them can be decreased by using a net pot with few holes. By integrating a user-friendly system, plant maintenance can be carried out without a person present. This project offers ways to enhance net pots and increase hydroponics productivity. The limitations of the project are mentioned in this paper. Concept and idea generation was done to investigate different geometries and distinct elements to include in the final product to further elevate the features of the redesigned net pots. To ensure that the design will work for residential usage across generations, simulation, and fabrication of the design were both explored. To identify potential improvements to the current hydroponics system, design testing was lastly conducted. This serves to test the design's functionality while presenting potential problems for end users. In conclusion, the net pot and intelligent, user-friendly system fulfill their intended role in maximizing hydroponics system efficiency. This is being done in an effort to make plant maintenance easier and encourage more Singaporeans to have a hydroponics system at home.