SanSSoil (Soil-less) Indoor Farming for Food and Energy Production

• US 20140330406A1
• Filed: 05/05/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris
• Original Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris
• Inventors: Faris, Sadeg M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• 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, which also encourages increased use of GMO for food and biofuel.

Claims

1. A SanSSoil farming system for photosynthetic growth of organisms, comprising:

I. a protected SanSSoil environment for sustaining the growth of at least one plant specie, to produce at least one product;

II. A means for controlling said environment to maximize the economic viability index, EVI;

the photosynthetic conversion efficiency multiplied by the gain factor;

wherein said gain factor is selected from the group;

{g_e, g_sol, g_eg_sol}.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises at least the control of g_sol.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises at least the control of g_e.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises at least the control of g_eg_sol.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI to at least a value ranging between 0.1 and 1.0.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI to at least a value of 1.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI to at least a value ranging between 1 and 10.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI to at least a value larger than 0.05.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the gain factor to a value larger than 1, preferably between 1 and 10.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the gain factor to a value between 10 and 100.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the gain factor to a value between 100 and 1000.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the gain components selected from the group:

{g_φ

,G_ξ

}.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the gain components selected from the group:

{G_sp, G_t, G_f}.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of at least one gain component g_i in the group represented by the product function

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means to maximize EVI comprises the control of the RCR multiplied by EVI to a value larger than 1, more preferably larger than 2, and most preferably larger than 3.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one species is a whole plants.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one species is a photosynthetic organism.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one species is photosynthetic microorganism, including algae and cyano-bacteria, and other carbon dioxide assimilating microorganisms.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one product is food humans and animals.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one product is plant derived fuel.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one product is plant derived proteins, vaccines, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one product is plant derived material for industrial use and for personal care products.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein sustaining growth includes controlled nutrients delivery to maintain values for each nutrient within predetermined optimum quantity range, avoiding costly and toxic overdose, and maximizing biomass productivity.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein nutrient delivery includes at least one means of delivery selected from the group consisting of a first fogging system, a second fogging system, foliar feeding, root uptake feeding, pulsed feeding, and sequential switching from one means to another.

25. The system according to claim 1, wherein sustaining growth includes optimum delivery of light by means including:

pulsed illumination at intensities not to exceed the saturating level to maximize temporal gain factor and avoid photorespiration losses.

26. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment includes means to construct said environment to be impervious to pests, microbes, uncontrolled fluids, gases, and particulates.

27. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment includes means to shield and insulate the interior from the uncontrolled fluctuating temperatures.

28. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment includes means to prevent admission of UV, infrared, and portions of the visible spectrum that prevents growth under uncontrolled conditions.

29. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment includes an enclosure, and load-lock systems to enable the sterilization of personnel, and the ingredients essential for plant growth.

30. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment comprises structures suitable for plant growth, wherein said structures do not include soil.

31. The system according to claim 1, the protected SanSSoil environment comprises three dimensional structures comprising at least one SanSSoil growth layer, comprising at least one SanSSoil Growth Element, SGE, wherein said three dimensional structures, at least one layer and SGE, are so designed for maximum space utilization efficiency.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein said three dimensional structures, at least one layer and SGE, are so designed to allow maximum light utilization efficiency by means of constructing said structures using optical transparent materials.

35. The system according to claim 12, wherein said elements are at least selected from the groups necessary to sustain and enhance plant product including:

g_m=g_CO2g_H2Og_O2

g_I=g_Ng_Pg_K

g_II=g_Sg_Cag_Mgg_Mn . . . g_Cu

g_Br

g_env=g_soilg_pHg_Tg_weatherg_pest

g_photon=g_λ

g_tg_sp

33. The SanSSoil method for indoor growing plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprises the following steps:

1. Providing substantially impermeable environment 101.

2. Providing at least one growth layer, 103 capable of sustaining growth of plant a plant specie, and comprises at least on integrally made SGE 1, for example as in FIG. 2B.

3. Providing seeds to be germinated in at least one SGE to establish a seedling that is viable for further growth, or alternatively, providing at least one seedling that is fixed in an SGE to adapt and become viable for further growth.

4. Providing light having optimized wavelength, intensity, and temporal characteristics.

5. Selecting a program stored in the control system that comprises optimized temporal steps, and parameter values for the plant specie, which is designed to give an optimum growth trajectory for the desired product.

6. Activating the control system to start the growth protocol for the desired specie.

7. Monitoring the growth conditions by means of sensors to enable the control system make adjustments, as needed, follow the designed growth trajectory.

8. Harvesting the products

9. Repeating the cycles for either batch mode culture or continuous culture.

34. The SanSSoil method of claim 33 further comprises the following steps:

a. Varying the parameters in