Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Graduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Taylor Johnson, Graduate Student Aleksander Samulak, Junior
Lead Presenter's Name
Taylor Johnson
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Rafael Rodriguez
Abstract
The global population has grown by 6 billion people over the last century and is trending to approach 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. Of the available fresh water on Earth, agriculture accounts for 70% of global fresh water usage. Technology must be developed to accommodate for the increase of food production to meet the demand of the growing global population and the resultant increase in water usage.
Aeroponic systems are a water-efficient vertical farming technique that can reduce water usage by over 90%. The vertical farming technique suspends plant roots in air within a controlled chamber and supplies atomized droplets of a water-nutrient solution directly to the roots. This study intends to determine the optimal droplet size withinin a range of 10 μm to 100 μm in an aeroponic system under controlled conditions to grow butter head lettuce. The impacts of this technology have the potential to advance the development of water-efficient, reliable food sources in arid and urban regions, as well as future space applications.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
Yes, Student Internal Grants
Aeroponic System Optimization for Future Sustainability
The global population has grown by 6 billion people over the last century and is trending to approach 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. Of the available fresh water on Earth, agriculture accounts for 70% of global fresh water usage. Technology must be developed to accommodate for the increase of food production to meet the demand of the growing global population and the resultant increase in water usage.
Aeroponic systems are a water-efficient vertical farming technique that can reduce water usage by over 90%. The vertical farming technique suspends plant roots in air within a controlled chamber and supplies atomized droplets of a water-nutrient solution directly to the roots. This study intends to determine the optimal droplet size withinin a range of 10 μm to 100 μm in an aeroponic system under controlled conditions to grow butter head lettuce. The impacts of this technology have the potential to advance the development of water-efficient, reliable food sources in arid and urban regions, as well as future space applications.