Automated Growth System for Floating Aquatic Plants and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025024800-A1
Application number	US-202418777899-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2024
Priority date	Jul 21, 2023
Publication date	Jan 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydroponic system for cultivation and harvesting of floating aquatic plants is provided. The hydroponic system includes an arrangement of a plurality of vertically-stacked cultivation trays, each tray containing an amount of fluent media on which floating aquatic plants are able to grow. The hydroponic system also includes a media reservoir in which fluent media is contained and subject to treatment before being circulated to the cultivation trays and a harvesting reservoir for receiving aquatic plants grown in the cultivation trays and harvested from the same. The hydroponic system further includes an automated control system that manages media flow into and from the trays and aquatic plant harvesting from the trays. A method of cultivating and harvesting floating aquatic plants is also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A hydroponic system for cultivation and harvesting of floating aquatic plants, comprising:
an arrangement of a plurality of vertically-stacked cultivation trays, each tray containing an amount of fluent media on which floating aquatic plants are able to grow; a media reservoir in which fluent media is contained and subject to treatment before being circulated to the cultivation trays; a harvesting reservoir for receiving aquatic plants grown in the cultivation trays and harvested from the cultivation trays; and an automated control system that manages media flow into and from the trays and aquatic plant harvesting from the trays.

2 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , wherein the automated control system is configured to maintain media within each tray at a substantially constant level defining a predetermined media line within each tray when exchanging media in the trays and when harvesting aquatic plants from the trays.

3 . The hydroponic system according to claim 2 , wherein the automated control system includes a sonar-based sensor associated with each tray for determining the level of media within the tray.

4 . The hydroponic system according to claim 2 , wherein each tray includes a harvesting tube extending from a side wall of the tray such that the predetermined media line extends through a midsection of an opening of the harvesting tube.

5 . The hydroponic system according to claim 4 , further comprising a normally-closed valve in the side wall of the tray closing the opening of the harvesting tube, wherein the automated control system is configured to open the valve during a harvesting procedure.

6 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , further comprising an ozone generator and an ozone diffuser submerged within media in the media reservoir for sterilizing the media within the media reservoir.

7 . The hydroponic system according to claim 6 , wherein the automated control system is configured to control ozone treatment of the media in the media reservoir such that the dissolved ozone concentration in the media in the media reservoir reaches at least 0.1 ppm or 0.2 ppm for a minimum of ten minutes or about 0.05 ppm to 0.5 ppm, or 0.05 ppm to 0.2 ppm, for a period of 30 minutes to several hours to ensure proper disinfection of the media before the media is permitted to be circulated to the trays.

8 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , wherein the trays, media reservoir, harvesting reservoir, and an external water supply are interconnected with at least one of the tubes and pipes and flow of media or water there is control by pumps and valves, wherein the automated control system controls the operation of the pumps and valves to control flow of media and water through the system based on automated management protocol schedules stored in a server and wireless communications with the pumps and valves.

9 . The hydroponic system according to claim 8 , wherein the management protocol schedules are configured to optimize growing conditions within each of the vertically stacked trays independently or in groups.

10 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , wherein each tray has an input tube that is connected to a central input tube that directs flow of media pumped from the media reservoir to the trays, wherein each tray has an output tube that is connected to a central output tube that directs flow of media pumped from the trays to the media reservoir, and wherein the automated control system regulates the flow of media during a media exchange procedure.

11 . The hydroponic system according to claim 10 , wherein the central input tube is configured to direct the flow of media to be pumped into each input tube of each individual cultivation tray and into a central harvesting pipe, and wherein the central output tube is configured to direct the flow of media from each output tube of each individual cultivation tray and the harvest reservoir and into the media reservoir or out of the system.

12 . The hydroponic system according to claim 11 , further comprising a multi-stage filter such that media being pumped through the central output tube to the media reservoir passes through the multi-stage filter before entering the media reservoir.

13 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , wherein the media reservoir is integrated with an automated dosing system comprising:
sensors and probes for monitoring media properties including pH, electroconductivity, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, temperature, and ozone levels; peristaltic pumps for adding nutrients or chemicals to the media reservoir; and an ozone generator, air pump, and submerged ozone diffuser to disinfect the media.

14 . The hydroponic system according to claim 13 , wherein the automated dosing system is configured to measure nutrient and chemical parameters and to then perform treatment on media in the media reservoir for disinfection and maintenance of nutrient levels optimized for the aquatic plants in the cultivation trays.

15 . The hydroponic system according to claim 1 , wherein all components of the system including pumps, valves, sensors, probes, ozone generation, and lights are controlled over wireless communications.

16 . A method of cultivating and harvesting floating aquatic plants, comprising the steps of:
providing a treated nutrient media from a media reservoir to at least one cultivation tray within a growing system including a vertically stacked arrangement of a plurality of cultivation trays in which floating aquatic plants are growing on the media in the trays; harvesting floating aquatic plants from one or more of the cultivation trays; and regulating input and output of media flow to and from each tray such that a constant media level within each tray is maintained during said providing and harvesting steps, wherein said regulating step includes measuring the level (i.e., the distance of the media surface to the detector) of media within each cultivation tray with sonar-based sensors.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein each cultivation tray has an individual input tube connected to an inlet side of the cultivation tray below the media level, wherein flow through each input tube is regulated by an electronic input valve that connects the individual input tube to a central input tube, wherein the central input tube is connected the input tubes of the cultivation trays, the media reservoir, a central harvest pipe, and an external water source, wherein media and water flow through the central input tube is controlled by an input pump, and wherein operation of the input valves and input pump are controlled by an automated control system via wireless communications to the input valves and input pump.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein each cultivation tray has an individual output tube connected to or adjacent the bottom side of a cultivation tray on an opposite side of the cultivation tray relative to the inlet side, wherein the flow through each output tube is regulated by an electronic output valve that connects the individual output tube to a central output tube, wherein the central output tube is connected to the output tubes of the cultivation trays, the media reservoir, a harvest reservoir, and a system exit tube, wherein media and water flow through the central output tube is controlled by an output pump, and wherein operation of the output valves and output pump are controlled by the automated control system.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , furthe

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Lam Eric
• Sorrels Shawn D

Classifications

• A01G31/00

  Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics (growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00) · CPC title

• A01G31/02

  Special apparatus therefor (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00) · CPC title

• A01G27/003

  Control of self-acting watering devices (Hydroponic system controls A01G31/008) · CPC title

• A01G27/008

  Component parts, e.g. dispensing fittings, level indicators · CPC title

• A01D44/00

  Harvesting of underwater plants, e.g. harvesting of seaweed · CPC title