Design and engineer a domestic use vertical farm unit for growing green vegetables and herbs

• Main Author: Chia, Samuel Soon Yee
• Other Authors: Heng Kok Hui
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/71556
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The reason for this project is to introduce a solution to combat the problem of impending food shortage. The solution proposed is to employ Vertical Farming in every household to supplement the food in each household. This Vertical Farming system had to be compact yet have a high yield. This report will highlight the engineering challenges that comes with developing a vertical farm specific to domestic use as well as how these challenges will be overcome. This report would illustrate the step by step approach in solving these challenges by first going into detail about Hydroponics, specifically what it is, how do we go about doing it, what is required and why it is so good that it was chosen as the technique the whole vertical farming system will be based on. In this report, there would also be a detailed study on the factors that greatly aid in plant growth, namely the kind of nutrients the plant needs to grow, the effect of pH on plant growth and the effect of different coloured lights on plant growth. This report would briefly consider the technology of two of leading vertical farms in Singapore. Based on all the research done, my ideation process would be documented along with some of my conceptual sketches for the domestic Vertical Farming system. Ultimately, this would lead to a total of 4 prototypes and the technology behind them from their environmentally friendly design to their energy optimisation as well as the uniqueness of this design to the ones already out there. Data showing the effectiveness of 2 of these prototypes are also documented in this report. Finally, the report would conclude with the future of this design and what it can do given more time and resources.