ISBN: 378-26-138420-01
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CURRENT TRENDS IN ENGINEERING RESEARCH, ICCTER - 2014
Vertical farm buildings Sustainable and green manufacturing
C.BALACHANDAR.
A.SIDHARTHAN.
Dept. of Civil Engineering SMVEC Puducherry, India balaji1145@hotmail.com
Dept. of Civil Engineering SMVEC Puducherry, India sidhu1194@gmail.com
I. INTRODUCTION Abstract— This paper deals about Vertical farm buildings and some advanced technologies as upgrade features to improve the efficiency of these buildings. This paper also deals about vast area of benefits in various categories in this modern agriculture. Index Terms—Artificial photosynthesis, filtering system, Organic wastes, Pesticide-free.
Due to fast growth in urbanisation, agricultural lands are being converted to industrial zones. The land available for agricultural activities is being decreased at a faster rate. The agricultural lands are heavily occupied by industries and business centres in last few decades. Also rural people migrate towards the urban area. The growth comparison of rural and urban population is given in figure below.
Water
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It is estimated that by the year 2050, close to 80% of the world’s population will live in urban areas and the total population of the world will increase by 3 billion people. A very large amount of land may be required depending on the change in yield per hectare. Scientists are concerned that this large amount of required farmland will not be available and that severe damage to the earth will be caused by the added farmland. For survival of mankind, agriculture is necessary. But there is a lack of interest in agricultural activities in the minds of people. To overcome these difficulties and reduce land exploitation Vertical farm concept has been arised. In this paper, I have discussed some new features to be added in these Vertical farm.
B.Air-Conditioning
II. DESIGNING FEATURES The features mentioned here are the advancement technologies that need to be designed in the vertical farm to increase the efficiency . Here the word “efficiency” refers to the crop growth rate. So, these advancement features will help the crops grow in a well conditioned environment . These features are designed to utilize the waste energies such as waste water and utilize the renewable source of energies. Listed below are features that makes the advancement:
C.Drip Irrigation
As mentioned above temperature need to be maintained. Thermal insulation only prevents the exchange of heat from surroundings. It could not provide the required temperature. So , we have to use air conditioners inside the building so as to provide the appropriate temperature for the crops either hot or cold depending on the crops that we cultivate. As we provide thermal insulation for the building, power that we need to spend for the air-conditioners is greatly reduced. With the use of air-conditioning system, we have the choice of adjusting the temperature. Crops will grow and mature at a faster rate if temperature needed for the cops at different stages of growth is shortly provided. Hence, maintain the temperature will greatly increase the crops growth as compared to conventional farming practices. Water that is required for the crops need to be supplied from the ground or underground where the water is stored. The water supply inside the building is divided into primary supply and secondary supply. Primary water supply is similar to pipeline systems that is used in ordinary buildings. This will take the water to each floor level. Secondary water supply takes the water to crops. This secondary water supply is achieved by irrigation so as to reduce the consumption of water. Drip irrigation is the most economical irrigational system to save the water. Further advancement technology in irrigation is Sub-surface Drip irrigation which will further reduce the water consumption and the water will reach the root system of crops directly. As there is no evaporation of water inside the building, the water loss above soil surface is eliminated.
A.Thermal Insulation Crops grow on certain temperature healthy and also at a faster rate based on the temperature. The reason is that the temperature influences the reaction that takes place in growing a crop. The appropriate temperature must be steadily maintained to achieve the steady growth of a crop. But , the environmental temperature may vary according to the different climatic conditions and weather conditions. Hence , to maintain the temperature that is different from environment, we need thermal insulation for the building. While building the outer walls of the building that is exposed to the environment we must take in consideration to provide thermal insulation. It is necessary to provide thermal insulation on the top floor of the building. For this purpose we may use cavity walls, foam concrete, loose fill insulation, light weight aggregate. Using glass wall panels is better thermal insulation also it allows natural light to enter inside the building to some extent.
D. Water filtering system for recycling The water loss is also below the soil surface. If watered the cultivating land in conventional farming practices, the excess water go deeper as the root system is located. But in Vertical farms we can easily eliminate this loss by simple technique. We set a pool of soil for crops. In this pool, below the soil layer we design a thick plastic membrane which will filter the excess water that the soil does not retain. So this excess water gets filtered off and collected for reuse. The water filtering system is shown below. The white layer in the figure indicates the plastic membrane for filtering water.
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can get organic wastes and we can adopt any method for converting them to a good fertilizer. Vermicomposit pit method is very much suitable. III. ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL FARM
A. Ultimate benefits that helps Green Economy Chemical and Pesticide-Free Due to a controlled indoor growing environment, Vertical farms facilities are not affected by natural pests, and therefore do not require chemicals or pesticides to ensure a healthy crop. Vertical farms offers consumers safe, healthy and organic produce, 365 days a year. Freshest Produce Available Vertical farms produces fresh, pesticide-free, local greens that not only taste better, but have a much longer shelf-life compared to most other produce which has to be harvested weeks in advance and then trucked close to 2,000 miles before making it to the market. Buying Local Vertical farms facilities bring the farm right to the people. This means that urban dwellers can buy produce that was grown as close as 5 miles to their homes. Vertical farms makes buying local accessible to everyone, every season of the year. Increases productivity The Vertical farms system grows plants in cubic feet versus square feet, producing yields up to ten times greater than traditional greenhouses, and up to 100 times greater than conventional field agriculture on a per square foot basis. Year-round production Due to the controlled, indoor environment, Vertical farms can produce crops 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This means stable and consistent revenue for Vertical farms facility owners/operators. Strengthens local economy When you purchase Vertical farms produce from your local Vertical farms farm your dollars stay within the community and circulate throughout, giving other local businesses a healthy boost.
Fig. Water filtering system using membrane
E. Power supplement In vertical farms, some electrical energy is required to achieve this process. We need power for artificial lighting, water pumping and lift systems to carry the loads. So this power can be supplemented by using renewable energy sources. We can fit solar panels on the walls of Vertical farm. On the top floor we can have wind mills. Hence this power that is required can be easily supplemented.
F.Lightings for Artificial Photosynthesis By using proper lightings to the plants we can stimulate it’s growth this is termed as artificial photosynthesis. This is what we see in botanical gardens. So above the crops we provide lights focussing the crops. Now-a-days, LED bulbs are more energy conserving and it also suitable for the artificial photosynthesis process.
G. Alternating photosynthesis and respiration A plant does not survive if all the time light is provided. Actually it works for manufacturing it’s food in the presence of light and CO2. For this process, we provide light. After sometime, plants needs to sleep, so it needs dark and O2. To alternate this cycle, we have a special sensing system, that will measuring the parts per million of CO2 molecules present in the air. After attaining certain limit, the air with high CO2 is sucked off. The lights are off and the fresh air with Oxygen is pumped in which is achieved by Air-conditioners.
B. Environmental benefits Eliminates the need for chemical pesticides Because we grow plants in a controlled indoor environment, our facilities are not affected by pests. Pesticides are not only an environmental and health concern, but also represent an additional cost in field agriculture.
H. Utilization of Organic wastes The organic waste materials generated in the metropolitan cities is huge which can be ultimately used as fertilizer in these Vertical farm buildings. The waste products are collected of whole city is collected in a place for disposing or recycling. From there we
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Reduces water pollution Run-off from chemical fertilizers used on commercial farms often contaminates nearby water supplies. Uses less water Vertical farms's closed-loop hydroponic irrigation systems uses only 20% of the amount of water that is required in Conventional Field Agriculture. That's 5 times less water per sq.ft. of production! Reduces fossil fuel use Since Vertical farms grows produce in close proximity to end consumers, limited transportation is required between production site and market, thus significantly decreasing fuel usage and greenhouse gases. Additionally, no machinery (i.e., tractors) is required to plant or harvest a Vertical farms crop, as is required in field agriculture. Minimizes wastewater The watering injection system recycles water, generating little to no waste. Wastewater is one of the most significant environmental costs associated with traditional methods of hydroponics. Re-purposes existing structures Vertical farms builds its facilities on underutilized or abandoned properties, reducing its environmental footprint.
D. Social Benefits
C.Retailer benefits
Conclsion:
Creates local jobs A Vertical farms facility creates employment opportunities that pay livable wages, plus benefits, for local residents. Promotes economic growth Vertical farms creates opportunities for community entrepreneurs to grow and sell the produce, and replaces imported goods with local goods. Promotes social responsibility Vertical farms is committed to sustainable design and building practices, as well as superior energy efficiency in all operations. Vertical farms is a good neighbor Vertical farms partners with local businesses and community leaders to make sure that we address the community's needs and concerns. Our goal is to create jobs, economic growth, and a healthier environment.
Case study: Some existing vertical farms and vertical farms under construction are used for case study. Notable of them are Sky Green Singapore, Farmed Here , Bedfork in United States, Gotham Greens in New York City, Local Garden in Vancouver of Canada.
Price stability Due to year-round production and controlled growing conditions, Vertical farms produce does not fall victim to seasonal availability or price swings. Vertical farms is able to offer a fixed and competitive price for produce year-round. Consistent and reliable crop Due to the controlled, indoor growing environment, Vertical farms produce is not effected by crop loss due to natural disasters or weather related issues, such as droughts or floods. Vertical farms offers suppliers a consistent quality crop regardless of the time of year, or outdoor climate. Longer shelf-life Vertical farms's crops are attached to their roots until they reach the cooler, which makes for a much longer shelf life than crops harvested by traditional methods. Our produce is delivered to stores the same day that it's harvested.
The fast urbanisation in the recent decades affects agriculture as there is no proper land for cultivation. Also the conventional methods of agriculture makes the soil non-fertile and thus makes a way of afforestation. Although some initial costs of spending such a source of money for building these Vertical Farms, the best way to overcome land depletion and save agriculture. Hence, I conclude Vertical Farms are the best choice for agricuture’s future.
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