SanSSoil (soil-less) indoor farming for food and energy production

• US 9,606,553 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris
• Original Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris
• Inventors: Faris, Sadeg M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenti, Andrea
• Application Number:
  US13/887,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,423 Days
• Field of Search: 47/59.R, 47/62.R, 47/64, 47/59.S, 47/60, 47/63, 47/17, 47/581.R, 47/581.LS, 47D/IG.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/00 Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 27/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/12 using renewable energies, e.g. solar water pumping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

To produce food, plants rely on three main ingredients, sun energy, water, and carbon dioxide, the cost of which is zero. To address the food and energy security concerns, two mysteries are resolved for the first time: i)—Photosynthetic efficiency is known to be very low, the scientific full accounting for all the losses is lacking; ii)—Fanning is known to be profitable, yet accounting for the zero cost of solar energy is not understood. This inventor resolved them by the derivation of a simple mathematical law, AgriPAL, comprising explicitly, a new solar gain factor >200× which offset the low efficiency of ˜0.005. In the absence of the sun, the newly found solar gain goes to 1. Since SanSSoil enables harnessing the third dimension, the sky is the limit. Water saving of >100 is realized through the controlled enclosed environment.

Claims

1. A method for indoor growing of plants and other photosynthetic organisms to produce a desired product comprising:

a. for a given species of plants or photosynthetic organisms, determining an enhanced economic viability index

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the spacing between layers is characterized by a period, and wherein said period varies according to maturity on adjacent growth layers.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the enclosed environment and growing elements are formed substantially non absorbing to light.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the growing elements are substantially transparent to light.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein steps (b) and (f) use a fogging system.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein steps (b) and (f) use foliar feeding and root uptake feeding.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the main nutrients include water and CO2, the primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, and the secondary nutrients are micronutrients selected based on the requisite needs of the species.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein

the growth element comprises a structure that exposes the roots and foliage of the species;

and

wherein steps (b) and (f) comprises providing a first set of nutrients to the foliage and a different second set of nutrients to the roots.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the gain factor g_e is at least 10.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein step (e) comprise delivery of light by pulsed illumination at intensities not to exceed the saturating level to maximize temporal gain factor and to minimize photorespiration losses.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the enclosed environment is impervious to pests, microbes, uncontrolled fluids, gases, and particulates, and the interior containing the growth layers is shielded and insulated from uncontrolled fluctuating ambient temperatures.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein steps (d) and (h) use one or more load-lock systems to maintain sterilization.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein the growth elements containing plant species do not contain soil.