Date of Award

6-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2024

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Hohyun Lee

Abstract

Hydroponics is a potentially useful farming technique for growing food in climates where it is difficult to naturally farm. However, hydroponic systems in harsh climates are usually very large and unable to be easily moved around. The design of a portable, enclosed hydroponic garden using the soilless Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) with a vertical configuration that can grow spinach in Antarctica will be discussed. It will have a reversible flow to evenly distribute nutrients to stacked rows of plants. A tradeoff analysis shows that 3D printing a custom T splitter is the best option for controlling the flow within the system. A SOLIDWORKS™ model was designed to show how the nutrient solution would flow through the system. ANSYS™ Granta EduPack was used to pick a material for insulation to help the garden retain heat and humidity. A tradeoff analysis shows that polyethylene terephthalate should be used to insulate the garden. When plants are growing inside the enclosure, conducting an energy analysis is a possible consideration for quantifying the efficiency of the garden.

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