2010-2011 Team 02 Project Proposal and Feasibility

Study
Brian DeKock
Brenton Eelkema
Jacqueline Kirkman
Nathan Meyer
Brandon Vonk

December 6, 2010
Calvin College; Grand Rapids, MI
Engineering 339: Senior Design Engineering Capstone

2010 Calvin College and HydroTower: Gardening Solutions

Executive Summary
Food production, distribution and consumption have become a growing concern due to population
growth in developing countries and the movement of populations into more urban settings. One way
to mitigate the increase in costs for food production and decrease the amount of energy expended on
food production is to grow food locally. Local foods provide a more sustainable means for
consumption of produce without requiring consumers to decrease the amount of fresh produce
purchased. Sustainability is increased because the distance produce is shipped before reaching
market is reduced, thus resulting in the use of smaller quantities of fossil fuels. The HydroTower
design was developed as a means to decrease the cost of food production, decrease the number of
miles necessary for producing shipments and increase the number of people with access to fresh
produce. HydroTower will accomplish such a reduction in shipping distances and cost of food
production by bringing the ability for consumers to grow their own produce in optimized growing
conditions. There will no longer be a need to have a garden plot or ideal weather for produce to
grow. HydroTower will allow consumers to grow their own food without the need for a green
thumb, plots of land or precious time to grow food. While
HydroTower provides numerous solutions, the overarching objective is succinctly stated as: feed
people, more efficiently, through hydroponics.
Initial project designs and analysis show that HydroTower is a feasible project that combines
interdisciplinary designs including biological, chemical, electrical and mechanical principles. This
design feasibility has been confirmed through hydroponic experiments along with engineering
calculations and analysis in LED Light System designs and structural designs. In addition, the
HydroTower is a viable project both economically and technically. Economically the HydroTower
will produce the highest quality food at a cost lower than that of comparable food items. Technically
the HydroTower will provide an innovative nutrient control system that combines both mechanical
and electrical engineering knowledge. Furthermore, market research has shown that HydroTower has
economic competitors who do not provide what the HydroTower will offer. A competitive price for
the HydroTower of less than $200 will ensure that the HydroTower is a strong contender in the
household hydroponic market.

Table of Contents
Table of Acronyms.................................................................................iv
List of Tables........................................................................................v
List of Figures......................................................................................vi
1. Introduction.....................................................................................1
1.1. Project.......................................................................................1
1.2. Team.........................................................................................2
2. Design Specifications............................................................................3
2.1. Requirements...............................................................................3
2.1.1. Functional Requirements..............................................................3
2.1.2. Performance Requirements............................................................5
2.1.3. Interface Requirements..................................................................6
2.1.4. Environmental Requirements.........................................................6
2.1.5. Underwriters Laboratories Requirements............................................7
2.1.6. User Requirements.....................................................................8
2.1.7. Manufacturing Requirements.........................................................8
2.1.8. Delivery Requirements.................................................................9
3. Hydroponics.................................................................................10
3.1. Hydroponic Basics........................................................................10
3.2. Types of hydroponic systems...........................................................11
3.2.1. Flood and drain (Ebb and Flow).....................................................12
3.2.2. Continuous drip......................................................................12
3.2.3. Float...................................................................................13
3.2.4. Aeroponics............................................................................14
1

3.2.5. Deep Water Culture..................................................................15

3.3. HydroTower Experiments.............................................................15
3.4. Proposed Design..........................................................................20
3.4.1. Chosen Prototype Design.............................................................20
4. Electrical and Computer System.............................................................22
4.1.1. User Interface (UI)...................................................................22
4.1.2. Data Management and Processing...................................................24
4.1.4. Control Systems......................................................................27
4.1.5. Lighting System......................................................................30
4.1.6. Power Systems........................................................................31
5. Mechanical Systems...........................................................................32
5.1. Requirements.............................................................................32
5.2. Size........................................................................................32
5.3. Nutrient System...........................................................................34
5.4. Psychrometrics............................................................................38
5.4.1. Humidification........................................................................38
5.4.2. Temperature..........................................................................41
6. Frame Structure...............................................................................42
6.1. Structure and Size........................................................................42
6.2. Safety/ Stability and Durability..........................................................43
6.3 Mobility....................................................................................43
6.4 Ease of Build...............................................................................43
6.5 Aesthetics..................................................................................46
7. Business Analysis..............................................................................47

7.1. Market Research..........................................................................47

7.1.1. Customer..............................................................................47
7.1.2. Overview of Market..................................................................47
7.1.3. Market Survey Results...............................................................48
7.2. Strategies to Success....................................................................49
7.2.1. Entrepreneurs vision of the company...............................................50
7.2.2. Design Norms.........................................................................50
7.3. Industry Profile and Overview...........................................................50
7.3.1. Industry Profile.......................................................................50
7.3.2. Major Customer Groups.............................................................51
7.3.3. Regulatory Restrictions..............................................................51
7.3.4. Growth Rate and Outlook............................................................51
7.3.5. Key Success Factors..................................................................52
7.4. Business Strategy.........................................................................52
7.4.1. Desired Image and Position in Market..............................................52
7.4.2. Company Goals and Objectives: Operational......................................52
7.4.3. Company Goals and Objectives: Financial..........................................52
7.4.4. SWOT Analysis.......................................................................53
7.5. Competitor Analysis......................................................................53
7.5.1. Established Competitors...............................................................53
7.5.2. Potential Competitors..................................................................55
8. Business Financials............................................................................57
8.1. Prototype Costs...........................................................................57
8.2. Variable and Fixed Costs.................................................................57

8.3. Cash Flow Analysis.......................................................................58

9. Management...................................................................................60
9.1. Project.....................................................................................60
9.2. Work Breakdown Structure and Scheduling............................................61
9.3. Budget.....................................................................................63
9.4. Website....................................................................................63
9.5. Meetings and Status updates.............................................................63
9.6. Resources..................................................................................63
10. Design Competitions......................................................................65
10.1. 2011 ASME Innovation Showcase......................................................65
10.2. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Student Design Competition...65
10.3. 2011 IEEE Presidents Change the World Competition...............................65
11. Conclusions...................................................................................66
Appendix A: Work Breakdown Structure/ Milestones..........................................67
Appendix B: Cash Flow Analysis.................................................................70
Appendix C: Lighting System Design Calculations (Red LEDs)...............................72
Appendix D: Lighting System Design Calculations (Blue LEDs)...............................76
Appendix E:Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow System.................................80
Works Cited.......................................................................................84
Bibliography.......................................................................................88

CPU
EC

Table of Acronyms
Central Processing Unit
Electro Conductivity
4

HydroTower

HydroTower: Gardening Solutions

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display

LED

Light Emitting Diode

MS

Microsoft

PCB

Printed Circuit Board

PPFS

Project Proposal and Feasibility Study

SWOT

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

UI

User Interface

WBS

Work Breakdown Structure

List of Tables
Table
1:
List
of
Engineering
339/340
Professors
and
Concentrations......................................................1
Table
2:
October
hydroponic
experiments
with
soybeans
and
radishes................................................16
Table
3:
October
hydroponic
Experiment
#2.......................................................................................17
Table
4:
Different
options
for
touch-screen
devices.............................................................................23
Table
5:
Maximum
loads
on
the
power
supply....................................................................................31
Table
6:
Hoagland's
Solution
.............................................................................................................35
Table
7:
Electrodes
and
interferences
................................................................................................36
Table
8:
Psychrometric
calculations
variable
list .................................................................................40
Table
9:
Summary
of
wick
humidifier
design
for
fan
usage .................................................................41
Table
10:
Full
assembly
of
second
HydroTower
prototype...................................................................45 Table 11: Census Bureau
2008 population..........................................................................................47
Table
12:
Prototype
Costs
.................................................................................................................57 Table
13:
Variable
and
fixed
costs
estimations
for
HydroTower
...........................................................58 Table 14: Tech-Lead positions for the
HydroTower Team ....................................................................60

List of Figures
Gardening
Solutions

Figure
1.2:
HydroTower:
(Engr
339/340
Team
2) ..................................................2
Figure 2: Diagram of hydroponics .....................................................................................................10
Figure 3: Benefits of Hydroponics .....................................................................................................11
Figure
4:
Diagram
of
flood
and
drain
(Ebb
and
flow)
system ...............................................................12
Figure 5: Top Fed Continuous Drip System ........................................................................................13
Figure 6: Float method of hydroponics ...............................................................................................14
Figure 7: Aeroponic method of hydroponics .......................................................................................14
Figure 8: Hydroponic grwoth over 3 weeks with 2 soybean plants and 4 radish
plants ...........................17
Figure 9: Hydroponic growth over 2 weeks with 3 soybean plants and 3
radishes..................................18
Figure 10: Soybean plants at week 2 ..................................................................................................19
Figure 11: Radish plants at week 2.....................................................................................................19
Figure
12:
soybean
plant
with
signs
of
iron
deficiency ........................................................................19
Figure
13:
Radish
plant
with
signs
of
iron
deficiency ..........................................................................20
Figure 14: Initial Setup .....................................................................................................................25
Figure 15: Water Supervisor Program ................................................................................................26
Figure 16: Main UI ...........................................................................................................................26
Figure
17:
Calculation
for
target
amount
of
LEDs ...............................................................................27
Figure
18:
Simulink
Air
Temperature
Control
System .........................................................................28
Figure
19:
Schematic
of
control
system
for
nutrient
control .................................................................29
Figure 20: Plant light frequency response ...........................................................................................30
Figure
21:
First
HydroTower
prototype
design
(circular) .....................................................................33
Figure
22:
Second
HydroTower
prototype
(rectangular) ......................................................................34
Figure
23:
Survey
results
on
likely
aspects
for
purchasing
HydroTower ...............................................49
Figure
24:
Survey
results
on
customers
growing
their
own
food...........................................................49
Figure 25: RotoGro 240 Rotating Garden ...........................................................................................53
Figure 26: Desktop Hydroponic system ..............................................................................................54
Figure 27AeroGarden Pro 200 ...........................................................................................................54
Figure 28: Biosphere Home Farming .................................................................................................55
Figure 29: Kitchen Nano Garden .......................................................................................................56
Figure 31: WBS Spring Semester.......................................................................................................62
7

Figure 30: WBS Fall Semester...........................................................................................................62

1. Introduction
The introduction provides a brief overview of the project and team. The project fulfills
requirements of the 2010-2011 Calvin College Engineering Senior Design class and
specifically, the project selected has been titled HydroTower: Gardening Solutions.
The Calvin College engineering capstone is designed to provide a real world experience
to engineering students in their final year of undergraduate education. Students within senior
design choose both their own teams and projects under the direction of five engineering
professors, one in each of the four concentrations (Electrical/Computer, Chemical,
Civil/Environmental and
Mechanical). Table 1.1 shows the senior design professors and their corresponding
concentrations. Engineering 339 in the fall and then the subsequent Engineering 340 in the
spring combine project implementation with class lecture and discussion to prepare students
to enter the workforce following graduation.
Table 1: List of Engineering 339/340 Professors and Concentrations

Ned Nielsen

Mechanical

J. Aubrey Sykes

Chemical

Steve VanderLeest

Electrical/Computer

Wayne Wentzheimer

Chemical

David Wunder

Civil/Environmental

1.1. Project
In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the global population lived in
cities. Furthermore, projections for urban growth and development by research completed by
Dickson Despommier (author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21 st Century)
concluded that by the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban
centers. 1 Such a situation presents a unique opportunity to feed populations in cities which
subsequently living long distances from agricultural areas. Furthermore, the idea of
hydroponic vertical farming allows those persons without access to outdoor garden areas to
produce their own food. The specific product HydroTower was developed from Disckson
1 Despommier, Dickson. "The Problem." The Vertical Farm. Ed. Dr. Dickson
Despommier Ph. D. Environmental Health Science of Columbia University, n.d.
Web. http://www.verticalfarm.com/
1

Despommiers commercial vertical farming ideas, but adapted for residential hydroponic
growing use. Overall, HydroTower will reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in food
production, decrease the distance produce is shipped to reach market and eliminate the use of
pesticides and herbicides.

1.2. Team
The HydroTower Team is comprised of a mixture between electrical and
mechanical engineering concentrations and is also an interdisciplinary project combining
electrical, mechanical, chemical and biological knowledge and design. The learning
experience for the individual team members is benefitted by such diversity.

Figure 1.2: HydroTower: Gardening Solutions (Engr 339/340 Team 2). Back Row (Left to Right): Jacqueline Kirkman
(ME), Brandon Vonk (EE). Front Row (Left to Right): Brian DeKock (ME), Nathan Meyer (EE), Brenton Eelkema (EE)

Electrical concentration members include Brenton Eelkema, Nathan Meyer and Brandon
Vonk while the mechanical concentration members include Brian DeKock and Jacqueline
Kirkman. Brenton Eelkema will graduate with a BSE Electrical Engineering concentration
and is from Irvine, California. Nathan Meyer grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois and is studying
Electrical and Computer Engineering and is getting a minor in Physicsand he currently has an
internship with DornerWorks in Grand Rapids. Brandon Vonk is originally from Hamilton,
Ontario, Canada, is an Electrical Engineering Major with a Physics Minor at Calvin College.
Brandon has also had an internship with Johnson Controls Inc. Brian DeKock grew up in Salt
2

Lake City, Utah and is pursuing a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Brian currently has an
internship with Temper in Rockford and is also seeking a full time position after graduation.
Jacqueline Kirkman will graduate in May 2011 with a BSE Mechanical Engineering
concentration and a minor in
International Relations. Jacqueline has interned at Westinghouse Electric Co in Pittsburgh,
PA.
2. Design Specifications
2.1. Requirements
The following design requirements are assumed to be System-Level Design. 2 These
requirements have an established concept development but are not fully implemented as a
detailed design. Therefore, these requirements have not been finalized and may or may not be
represented in the final prototype. However the following design requirements do represent
the current design direction and specification for HydroTower. Requirements headings are not
ranked in order of importance, however sub headings are ranked by the currently foreseen
importance to overall success and design of the product. The HydroTower will function
according the requirements stated below:

2.1.1. Functional Requirements

a. The HydroTower is designated for specific use as a hydroponic grower capable of
growing plants, vegetables, and herbs indoors.
b. HydroTower will be one base unit and two additional stackable units. The product will be
fully functional using only the base station or using the base station in combination with
one or two stackable additions.
c. Growing Ability: HydroTower will allow the growth of any plant, vegetable, or herb that
is height permitted to fit within HydroTower. HydroTower team will not specify what can
and cannot be grown, however certain plants will be suggested based on ability to grow
in a hydroponic environment.
d. Autonomous Ability: HydroTower will have the ability to function in an autonomous
mode capable of running without human intervention for seven consecutive days. Any
significant system failure within HydroTower will trigger a fail-safe automatic shutdown
of the system which must be reset by a human operator.
2 Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger. Product Design and Development.
McGraw-Hill, New York, 1995. Print.
3

e. Location: HydroTower will be designed primarily for use in an indoor environment. In

addition HydroTower will be capable of handling moderate outdoor temperatures for
summertime growing. HydroTower will be able to operate in conditions between 100 o F
and 32o F outdoors. In an indoor environment HydroTower will be designed to operate at
indoor temperatures of between 40o and 85o.
f. Overall Size: HydroTower must be suitable for indoor use. Therefore the product must fit
through doorways and stand upright in a room without touching the ceiling. HydroTower
must be lower than 8 feet in height and less than 34 inches wide. Preliminary design of
HydroTower has a height of 5 feet and a width of 34 inches. The base unit shall have a
height of approximately1 foot with each additional unit having a comparable height of 2
feet.
g. Overall Weight Unloaded: HydroTower base station must be able to be carried by an
average adult person regardless of gender capable of carrying 50 lbs. The maximum
weight for the base station without growing media or water will be less than 30 lbs. Each
additional stackable unit should weigh less than 20 lbs. when not filled with growing
media or water.
The total weight of an unloaded HydroTower will be no greater than 80 lbs.
h. Overall Weight Loaded: HydroTower fully loaded should not be able to be pushed over
or toppled by a child under the height of 3 feet. The fully loaded base station should
weigh approximately 50 lbs. Each additional stackable unit should weigh no more than
30 lbs. Therefore a HydroTower with base unit and two additional stackable units should
weigh approximately 110 lbs fully loaded.
i.

Structure Supports: The structure of HydroTower will be supported by four rectangular

metal tubes capable of supporting the weight and torque forces applied to HydroTower
from standard usage as claimed by the HydroTower user manual.

j.

Power Consumption: The HydroTower will not consume power greater than what is
available in a conventional 120 VAC outlet. Power on and shutoff switch will be easily
accessible and labeled near the user interface. Attachment Plugs and Receptacles along
with
Fuses will be in accordance with UL standards. 3

3 "Ul-498.14." UL StandardsInfoNet. N.p., 16 Nov. 2007. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.

<http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/scopes/scopes.asp?fn=0498.html>.

k. Light Emitting Diodes: LEDs will be shielded by the outer shell of the HydroTower in
order to prevent retina damage from bright LEDs to users outside of the HydroTower.
Warning label will be placed on the inside of the HydroTower.4
l.

Strength: HydroTower will be able to endure the climbing and pulling of a small child or
animal no more than 3 feet tall and 30 lbs. HydroTower structural design will first and
foremost focus on the supports holding together the base unit and additional stackable
units. Secondly, HydroTower structural design will focus on building a strong
containment reservoir to ensure water does not escape HydroTower. In addition, the outer
shell of HydroTower will be able to endure a moderate amount of force exerted by
accidents and normal wear such as running into HydroTower while walking or usage past
the specified design life.

m. Durability: HydroTower will be designed to last in an indoor environment for 20 years.

Additional use of HydroTower in an outdoor environment during moderate summer
conditions may increase wear and reduce the operational life of HydroTower.
n. Water Reservoir and Usage: The water reservoir in HydroTower will be located in the
base unit of the system. The reservoir will be capable of holding enough water to meet
requirements specified under Autonomous Ability. HydroTower will be designed to
operate using soft water. The prototype will not have the ability to process hard water.
o. Water Pump: The water pump will be submerged in the water reservoir and will be
capable of pumping water to the top growing level of HydroTower.
p. Plant Diseases and Insects: One of the main advantages of hydroponic growing is that
diseases and insects that live in soil are not present. Over 80% of all plant diseases come
from soil. The inside of the container will be closed to prevent insects from entering and
escaping should any insects enter HydroTower via plants or users.
q. Corrosion Resistance: HydroTower will use materials that are corrosion resistant.
Corrosion resistance will first focus on any areas in HydroTower where electrical
connections and water are near each other. Secondary focus areas will include water
piping and the outer shell of HydroTower.

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rvices/articles/>.
5

r.

Water Resistance: Water resistance will be an utmost issue when dealing with almost all
major components of HydroTower. Water resistance will be assumed using the water
criteria set out in the earlier section titled, Water Reservoir and Usage. Water overflow
will be considered and overflow channels will exist on each level to ensure that water
does not exit HydroTower during standard operation.

2.1.2. Performance Requirements

a. Quality: HydroTower must produce quality plants capable of delivering fruits,
vegetable and herbs that are comparable to produce found in local supermarkets.
b. Growing Time: HydroTower must be able to grow plants between 25-50% faster
than conventional soil grown plants. This growth speed will ensure that produce
can be planted and harvested in a timely manner in order to supply a family of 4
people.
c. Growing Ability: HydroTower will be limited to plants that meet height and width
requirements of the product. For example, apples cannot be grown in HydroTower
due to the fact the apples grow on trees that exceed than the volume of the entire
HydroTower unit. In addition, plants such as pumpkins cannot be grown in
HydroTower unit due to their weight and size. The HydroTower team will recommend
a wide variety of plants that can be grown successfully in HydroTower, but will not
specify a listing of plants as stated in Growing Ability above.
d. Air Temperature: The air temperature of HydroTower will be based on the
Location requirements specified in the previous section Functional Requirements.
Further research is required to determine the optimum temperature for plant
growth. Any temperature for a sustained period that cannot support plant growth in
HydroTower will issue a shutoff command that stops all operation in HydroTower.
Any sudden temperature increase or decrease in HydroTower will issue a warning
to the user. (Sustained period and sudden temperature increase or decrease will be
defined with further research)
e. Water Temperature: Water Temperature will follow the same guidelines set out in
the previous subsection titled, Air Temperature.

2.1.3. Interface Requirements

a. User Interface (General): The interface and interaction requirements for
HydroTower will assume a rugged design that is capable of usage with wet and
dirty hands. Emergency shutoff features and signals will be intuitive to the user
without an instruction manual. All controls for HydroTower will be located in the
base unit.
Instructions on operation will not be included for the user interface on HydroTower.
These instructions will be provided separately in the user manual.
b. User Interface (Control Systems Interface): The user interface for the control
system of the project will feature a touchscreen controller that is capable of
displaying information related to growth time, chemical concentration, water usage,
power usage, and temperature controls. On the touchscreen, the size of the choice
selection buttons will be a minimum of one square inch.
c. User Interface (Power Options/Water and Nutrient Insertion): HydroTower
will feature intuitive buttons to turn on and off. In addition, an emergency shutoff
switch will be prominently displayed. Water and nutrient insertion points will be
labeled and capped to prevent accidents, tampering, or contamination from other
users, children, or pets.

2.1.4.

Environmental Requirements

a. Immediate Environment: The immediate environment will be defined as the room

in which HydroTower is located.
i.

Visual: HydroTower will have a uniform outer shell made of plastic that will
be a neutral color. An effort will be made to contain the LED light from
HydroTower to prevent the light from being a large distraction in the room

ii. Sound: HydroTower will not produce any sustained noise that is greater than
60 dB.
iii. Smell: HydroTower will not contaminate its immediate location with any
smell from inside the unit. Further research will determine if an air purifier
is needed during the operation of HydroTower.
iv. Humidity: The humidity of HydroTower will be optimized to a relative
humidity of 50%. Measurement and control of humidity will be taken care
of by the control system.
7

b. Outside Environment: The outside environment will be defined as any part of the
environment that that HydroTower interacts with both directly and indirectly.
i.

Recycling: All attempts will be made to ensure that HydroTower is as

environmentally friendly as possible. This means further developing the
already stellar environmental achievements of hydroponic growing. Specific
efforts will be made in ensuring that recycled or recyclable materials are used
in the creation of HydroTower.

ii. Water and Nutrient Disposal: Water disposal will be based on the method
of hydroponics chosen in the second semester. Leftover water at the end of a
growing cycle will have little nutrients and will be discarded. Waste water
will be limited to, at most, half of water reservoir capacity.

2.1.5. Underwriters Laboratories Requirements

a. Electronic Gardening Appliances (UL 82):
1.1 These requirements cover cord-connected, electrically-operated gardening
appliances, such as cultivators, edger-trimmers, and the like, rated 250 volts or
less for use in accordance with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70. 1.2 These
requirements also cover battery-operated gardening appliances.
1.3 These requirements do not cover sprayers, foggers, or equipment for use in
hazardous locations as defined in the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70.
1.4 These requirements do not cover electrically operated lawn mowers or garden
tractors or their attachments.
1.5 A product that contains features, characteristics, components, materials, or
systems new or different from those covered by the requirements in this standard, and
that involves a risk of fire or of electric shock or injury to persons shall be evaluated
using appropriate additional component and end-product requirements to maintain the
level of safety as originally anticipated by the intent of this standard. A product whose
features, characteristics, components, materials, or systems conflict with specific
requirements or provisions of this standard does not comply with this standard.
Revision of requirements shall be proposed and adopted in conformance with the
methods employed for development, revision, and implementation of this standard.

5 "Ul-82.7." UL StandardsInfoNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/scopes/scopes.asp?

fn=0082.html>.

2.1.6. User Requirements

a. Ergonomics: Defined as the efficiency and the usability of
HydroTower:
i.

Ease of use: As stated in the previous subsection User Interface, power,

emergency shutdown options, and water/nutrient insertions points will be
easy to find and use.

ii. Maintenance: Standard maintenance on HydroTower will be limited to

cleaning after plant cycles and possibly changing filters. This maintenance
plan will take no longer than one hour to complete for each plant cycle.
iii. Cleaning: All parts of HydroTower that need to be cleaned will be easily
accessible and removable when possible.
b. Assembly: HydroTower will be able to be completely assembled and
disassembled in less than one day by a select user of HydroTower.

2.1.7. Manufacturing Requirements

a. Development Time: The HydroTower prototype will be completed by May 7,
2011.
b. Project Development Cost: HydroTower development cost will be less than
$2,000.
c. Development Capability: HydroTower will be mass produced based on the
documentation of the HydroTower team. This documentation will be specified in
the Delivery Requirements section.
d. Product Quality: The quality of HydroTower will be based on the design norms
chosen by HydroTower team and specified in these requirements.
e. Product Cost: HydroTower will cost less than $100 to produce.
f. Sale Price: HydroTower will sell for less than $200.
g. Sellable Unit: A sellable unit of HydroTower will include two versions: the base
unit and stacking unit. Included in the base unit are all components of HydroTower
in
addition starting seed packages and a users manual. The stacking unit will
include a brief instruction guide on how to attach to the base unit. The stacking
unit will not include any seed packages or an additional users manual.
9

2.1.8. Delivery Requirements

a. PPFS: The PPFS will be completed by December 5, 2010
b. Final Report: The Final Report will be completed by May 7, 2011.
c. Working Prototype: The working prototype will be created by May 7, 2011.
d. Team Website: The team website will be created by November 25, 2011 and
updated monthly.
e. Design Competition: HydroTower team plans on entering three design
competitions. Entrance deadlines are specified outside the requirements section and
are located in the Design Competition sub section.

3. Hydroponics
This section details the basics of hydroponics such as various growing methods, and various
advantages and disadvantages to each growing method mentioned. Some of the advantages
and disadvantages are in regards to growth times, ease of use, portability, maintenance, and
complexity.

3.1. Hydroponic Basics

Hydroponics is a method of plant growth whereby there is no soil medium. The
nutrients that the plants would get from the soil are mixed into a liquid solution that is
applied to the roots of the plants.
Hydroponic systems usually require seeds to be germinated in either a separate
container and transported to the hydroponic growing apparatus after germination is
complete. Germination describes the period where the seed hatches and produces a root
long enough to be used for transplantation into the hydroponic system (typically no more
than an inch in length). However, small foam blocks can be used for germination inside
most hydroponic apparatuses. Figure 2 depicts a simplified diagram of hydroponic growth
for plants.6
6 "Deficiency Symptoms Of Elements | Tutorvista.com." Tutorvista.com - Online
Tutoring, Homework Help for Math, Science, English from Best Online Tutor. N.p.,
n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biologyiv/plant-nutrition/deficiencysymptoms-elements.php>.
10

Figure 2: Diagram of hydroponics

There are many advantages of having a soilless medium to grow plants. Since no
soil is needed and the replacement medium does not grip the roots like soil does, the
plants can be transported from one place to another. This will allow for easier access for
conducting disease inspection and treatment, as well as allow for repositioning during
growth for greater plant density, light access, and other minor adjustments. Another
advantage of using a hydroponic system is that the efficiency of plant growth. Nutrients
can be delivered to the plant roots as is described in the next section. Lou Albright, a
Professor at Cornell University has been able to achieve harvests of head lettuce within
35 days after seeding and produces 58 heads per square foot, per year (approximately
400 tons per acre per year) 7. This is compared to average yields of head lettuce being
ready for harvesting in 70 to 80 days after seeding 8 and producing 17 tons per acre 9
per year. While these numbers are quite significant, one must remember that hydroponic
systems allow for year-round production, and are not generally exposed to harsh outdoor

7 "BEE Faculty - Lou Albright." Department of Biological and Environmental

Engineering.

N.p.,

n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.bee.cornell.edu/cals/bee/people/profile-albright.cfm>.
8 Sanders, Douglas C. "Lettuce Production." North Carolina Cooperative Extension:
Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil11.html>.
9 Jackson, Louise, Keith Mayberry, Frank Laemmlen, Steve Koike, Kurt Schulbach,
and William Chaney. Iceberg Lettuce Production in California. Vegetable Research
and

Information.

University

of

California,

n.d.

Web.

<http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/7215.pdf>.
11

environments. Figure 310 shows the benefits of hydroponics in the area of reducing the
number or resources used in growing plants. In a conventional soil system, water
reaching plant roots is dependent upon the soil type, which at times can lead to waste of
water. However, water is controlled in HydroTower thus reducing the amount of water
both used.
A brief summary of the benefits of using hydroponics is the growing time is decreased
by over fifty percent, the amount of nutrients and land used is decreased by over 75 percent,
and the total water used is decreased by almost ninety percent.

Figure 3: Benefits of Hydroponics

3.2. Types of hydroponic systems

3.2.1. Flood and drain (Ebb and Flow)
The flood and drain method of a hydroponic system consists of having a reservoir of the
nutrient solution that is not in contact with the plants. The plants are situated in a growing
medium (eg: rocks, marbles, perlite, tray, etc.) separate from the reservoir. At specified
intervals, water is pumped into the medium wherein the plants are situated. After a specified
amount of time, the water is then drained from the medium and flows back into the
reservoir.
10 "Cityscape Farms: Soilless Farming." Cityscape Farms: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 05
Dec. 2010. <http://www.cityscapefarms.com/soillessfarming/>.
12

Figure 4: Diagram of flood and drain (Ebb and flow) system 11

Some advantages of the flood and drain method are as follows: 1) aeration of the
nutrient solution is not required since the roots are exposed to air between flood cycles thus
providing the roots of the plant access to air between cycles, oxygen and carbon dioxide are
abundant, and as a result, decreasing the plant growth time, 2) the growing medium selected
for plant support (eg: perlite, sand, rocks, marbles, various action figures, etc.) can be for
plants using the flood and drain technique. For example, due to the short cycle times, it is
difficult to grow strawberries in this type of system because the corolla of the strawberry
must always be moist 12.
Some disadvantages of the flood and drain method are as follows: 1) if the nutrient
concentrations cannot be controlled using a control system, the reservoir will need to be
replaced leading to wasted water and nutrients.

11 "Dual Flow Hydroponic System Ebb and Flow NFT." Hydroponics Supplies
Darlington

County

Durham.

N.p.,

n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.secretgardenhydroponics.co.uk/product/Dual_flow_01-015-005>.
12 "Pros and Cons of Ebb and Flow Hydroponics | Easy Hydroponics." Hydroponics
|

Easy

Hydroponics.

N.p.,

n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.easyhydroponics.net/pros-and-cons-of-ebb-and-flowhydroponics.html>.
13

3.2.2. Continuous drip

The continuous drip method of a hydroponic system is one where the nutrient
solution is fed at a small rate onto the top of the roots of a plant through a drip nozzle where
gravity allows the small amount of solution to flow over the roots.

Figure 5: Top Fed Continuous Drip System13

An advantage of using the continuous drip method is that the nutrient solution does
not need to be aerated because the roots are constantly covered with a thin film that allows
for air to penetrate and reach the roots. However, a disadvantage of this system is that the
drip nozzle needs to deliver one drop at a time, it is quite possible for the nozzle itself to
become clogged. The need to manually unclog a nozzle could have a negative impact on
the low maintenance of the HydroTower.

3.2.3. Float
The float method of a hydroponic system is one where the nutrients are simply being
circulated in some type of reservoir. On top of the reservoir is a flotation device that holds
the plants. There are holes in the flotation device that allow the roots to grow into the water.
The circulation of the water is typically performed by submerged pump in the corner of the
apparatus.
13 "Build Your Own Hydroponics System | BGHydro." Hydroponics | Hydroponic
Supplies.

N.p.,

n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.bghydro.com/bgh/static/articles/0806_byos.asp>.
14

Figure 6: Float method of hydroponics14

An advantage of using the float method is that it is one of the simplest systems to
implement because the nutrients do not need injection into the water. Instead, a slow
circulation and aeration of the water is provided by the pumps.
Some disadvantages of using this system are that the roots of the plants will not have
full access to the open air. As a result, the nutrient solution will need to be aerated to
provide proper oxygenation to the roots of the plants. Furthermore, this system is not as fast
as some of the other alternatives as a result of the aeration problems.

3.2.4. Aeroponics
The aeroponic method is where the plants are held suspended by some apparatus
while the nutrient solution is sprayed onto the roots. Some further variations of aeroponics
include spraying constantly, spraying for a few minutes per hour, etc.

Figure 7: Aeroponic method of hydroponics15

14 "Hydroponic Systems." Hydro-Unlimited.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.hydrounlimited.com/index.php?p=2_1>.
15

An advantage of using an aeroponic system is that the roots receive more oxygen
than the other methods due to the naturally aerated nutrient spray, and the roots exposed
roots. As a result, this method yields some of the fastest growing plants in hydroponic
systems.
A disadvantage of this system is that the roots of the plant need to be exposed to the
open air which means that a base medium can not obstruct airflow to the roots. Growing
mediums capable of providing sufficient airflow to the plant roots will not allow sufficient
grip for the roots in order to support the plant. As a result, separate mechanisms are needed
to either suspend the plant, or provide enough support to keep the plants from falling over.

3.2.5. Deep Water Culture

Deep water culture is a variation of the float method whereby the plants are held
above a nutrient solution reservoir by a mechanism. The plants are suspended in such a way
that approximately half of the roots are sitting in the liquid and the other half are exposed to
air above the reservoir water level. This differs from the float method in that the plant
supports are not floating in the mixture, but instead have a section of air between the
reservoir and the supports to allow for oxygenation of the roots, eliminating the need for
aeration of the nutrient solution before delivery to the plants.
Some advantages of the deep water culture system are that similar to the advantages
in aeroponics where much of the root of the plant is exposed to the air, thereby increasing
the speed of plant growth. Also, just as in the float system, the deep water culture method is
very low maintenance. No pumps are required for moving the solution to different parts of
the plant.
However, unlike the float system, the nutrient solution no longer needs to be aerated.
Some disadvantages of this system is that great care must be taken to make sure that
the roots to do not lose contact with the nutrient water solution. This makes growth during
the first few weeks difficult, since the roots are very short. The amount of root in contact
with the water changes the growth speed of the plants. Too much water and the roots will not
have proper aeration, too little water and the roots could dry out. Also, if not monitored
regularly, some roots may dry out if they are not properly placed in the reservoir.

16

3.3. HydroTower Experiments

The HydroTower team began experiments on October 13, 2010 to test both soybeans
and radishes in a basic hydroponic environment. Soybeans and radishes were chosen
because of their
15

Hydroponics Growing Systems Explained One by One." Hydroponics Gardening - Start a Small Garden Indoors- Helpful
Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-andhydroponicsgardening.com/hydroponics-growing-systems.html>.

growth speed and availability in the biology department. These seeds were first placed in a
plastic bag between a moist paper towels for five days in order for germination to occur. The
germinated seeds were then transplanted to plastic cups with a water nutrient system that is
further described in the Nutrient section of this report. Soybean seedlings were placed in
two cups and radish seedlings were placed in four cups for a total of six cups. Cups 1 and 2
used two times the normal concentration Hoaglands Solution. Cups 3 and 4 used 50%
concentration
Hoaglands solution. Cups 5 and 6 used the normal 100% solution Hoaglands Solution is
the standard liquid nutrient used to feed plants in a hydroponic system. This solution
consists of 12 elements dissolved into water to supply all of the plants needs and is again
discussed in the Nutrients section of this report.15 The table below tracks the growth over
three weeks.
Table 2: October hydroponic experiments with soybeans and radishes

#
1
2
3
4
5
6

Type/Hoaglands% Week 1 (g) Week 2 (g) Week 3 (g)

Soybean/200%
1.95
1.82
1.65
Radish/200%
1.51
1.62
2.48
Radish/50%
1.52
1.98
3.17
Soybean/50%
1.89
3.07
5.1
Radish/100%
1.55
2.07
2.8
Radish/100%
1.55
2.07
4.07

The graph below represents the hydroponic growth over three weeks. Five out of the
six plants show a quality rate of growth.

17

Figure 8: Hydroponic grwoth over 3 weeks with 2 soybean plants and 4 radish plants

In three weeks, only plant one showed no growth. The two soybean plants, numbers
four and six, showed the highest growth rates. The radishes showed a lower but still
comparable
numbers between plants. The above results would indicate that 50% Hoaglands solution is the
best choice to grow plants. However these results may be deceiving due to the fact that these
experiments were not carried out over the full life cycle of the plants. Results will need to be
confirmed during Engr 340 to show that 50% Hoaglands solution is in fact detrimental to the
overall growth of the plants. In the second week, three more soybean plants and three more
radish plants were started. Each of these plants were placed in 100% concentration Hoaglands
solution.
The results are displayed in the table below.
Table 3: October hydroponic Experiment #2

Type/Hoagland%

Week 2 (g)

Week 3 (g)

Soybean/100%

4.2

6.8

Soybean/100%

4.64

7.4

Soybean/100%

4.89

6.8

Radish/100%

4.32

5.7
18

Radish/100%

3.55

4.83

Radish/100%

4.26

5.93

Figure 9: Hydroponic growth over 2 weeks with 3 soybean plants and 3 radishes

The above graph shows that the weight of some of the soybeans nearly doubled.
The radishes showed a slightly low speed of growth. These results confirm that plants can
be grown in Hoaglands solution and thus Hoaglands solution will be used in
HydroTower. However, there were some signs of fatigued growth on many of the plants.
The pictures below show the soybean and radish plants, respectively. The next two pictures
following the week 2 growth pictures show the beginnings of iron deficiency. This is
indicated by the curled leaves and slightly brown color.

19

Figure 10: Soybean plants at week 2

Figure 11: Radish plants at week 2

Figure 12: soybean plant with signs of iron deficiency

20

Figure 13: Radish plant with signs of iron deficiency

Overall, this experiment successfully demonstrated that growing plants in a basic

hydroponic system is possible. This experiment gave the HydroTower team a good idea of the
way that plants grow and how their root systems function. In addition, the team now
understands and can identify some of the nutrient deficiencies that exist in plants. This
experiment serves as a baseline to growing more complex plants and using more advanced
hydroponic systems. The use of more advanced hydroponic systems will allow
HydroTower to optimize growth. The results of this experiment could have been improved
by using appropriate lighting to grow the radishes and soybeans. The fluorescent lights
that were used in this experiment did not represent sunlight and thus future experiments
can make such a modification to improve the overall results. Specifically, wavelength
specific LEDs in the HydroTower design will solve the previously mentioned problem.

3.4. Proposed Design

3.4.1. Chosen Prototype Design
The HydroTower team is currently in the midst of researching as to which system
would be best to implement depending whether or not a control system for the specific ions
in the nutrient solution is or is not possible. A further description of the nutrient system
issues is discussed in the Nutrient section of this report.
If a control system is possible, then the Team will proceed with the flood and drain
technique. Several reasons for choosing a flood and drain system are that the system is
robust in its ability to harbor different varieties of plants. That is, all plants that fall under the
recommended HydroTower plants are able to grow in a flood and drain system. Also, a
21

separate reservoir for growing plants will be beneficial for implementing the control system.
Having a separate reservoir inside HydroTower allows for filtering of foreign materials out
of the system (eg: plant leaves or root debris). Speed of growth using this system meets the
requirements the Team set. Lastly, with the flood and drain system, little resources are
wasted due to a water recycle system.
3.4.2. Transparency, Stewardship and Trust
The requirements of HydroTower are influenced by the selected design norms of
transparency, stewardship and trust. The HydroTower team wants to be open and genuine
with customers such that customers both understand how HydroTower functions and secondly
understand the benefits of HydroTower and hydroponics (see Hydroponic Basics section).
The
Team also wants to be good stewards of Gods creation by eliminating many of the fossil
fuels and costs used in transportation and other current food processes, which are also
directly linked to the transparency aspect of having users understand the benefits of
hydroponics. Lastly, HydroTower will produce food for people, making trust a design norm
since customers must not feel as though HydroTower is neither unsafe nor unhealthy.

4. Electrical and Computer System

In order to satisfy the requirements as established by the HydroTower team (see
Requirements section), the following section details both the design decisions and methods for
the electrical and computer system.

4.1. Design Procedure

The electrical systems have two basic categories of design. First, purchasing a
prebuilt system and secondly designing the system in house. The user interface and higher
level control systems are implemented in software that runs on prebuilt hardware. Other
systems, such as the lower level control systems, lighting, and power supply will be designed
for implementation in HydroTower. The decision to purchase rather than design the digital
hardware was made because such design work would not contribute to the operation of
HydroTower inside the scope of the initial prototype. That is, the objective for Engr 340 is to

22

build a working prototype capable of growing plants and demonstrating an automated

nutrient distribution system along with a control system and user interface.

4.1.1. User Interface (UI)

The user needs a way to operate HydroTower that is simple and efficient.
HydroTower will require input from the user to perform initial setup, letting the system know
when plants are added or removed plants. Furthermore, routine maintenance, such as cleaning
the filter, replenishing the water reservoir, and replacing nutrient concentrates will be a
needed input to the UI. The UI needs two features to perform the previously mentioned tasks,
a display for conveying information to the user and a method for the user to input commands
to the HydroTower.
A character LCD could satisfy the needs of the display because a character LCD will
allow the HydroTower to display basic text information to the user with little formatting. To
allow input, a series of labeled buttons will control the system functions. A character LCD is
the basic solution and would be the least expensive to the overall system to implement.
However, the character LCD is not the best solution for accomplishing the overall design
goals of making the system aesthetically pleasing and simple to use.
The second solution to providing a UI is to implement an LCD touch screen. This is a
more expensive solution than a character LCD, but an LCD touch screen offers more options
to the overall functioning of HydroTower. A touch screen LCD is able to provide a dynamic
interface to the user where context menus are simple and intuitive, allowing a user to
navigate the program and operate basic functions of the HydroTower even if the instruction
manual was not read by the user.
HydroTower will use a touch screen interface for the UI because of the previously
described advantages. The next decision to make is on which specific touch screen LCD to
implement because all requirements must be met. Hence, cost is a large factor in selection of
a touch screen LCD. Since it was decided that the HydroTower will use an Arduino
microcontroller (discussed in the Data Management and Processing section) to run the higher
level automation and UI program code, the touch screen chosen needs to be compatible with
this platform. Outlined in the table below are three alternatives that will satisfy the needs of
the touch screen device.
Table 4: Different options for touch-screen devices

23

Device/

Screen
Resolution Support

Price Availability Manufacturer

Size

When comparing these alternatives, it is hard to see a clear choice that is superior to
the rest. The TouchShield Slide would prove to be a more reliable option but is also the
most expensive, costing almost three times more than the competition. The TouchShield
Slide device, however, does provide the clearest documentation, providing sample code, and
support to make development easier. The BL-TFT240320PLUS is also a possible option
because the the BLTFT240320PLUS has the same 3.2-inch screen as the TouchShield Slide but has a lower
price.
16

"2.8 TFT Color LCD,touch Screen Shield V1.2 for Arduino 168/328 - 35.00 : Nuelectronics.com, Arduino Freeduino
Projects." Nuelectronics.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nuelectronics.com/estore/index.php?main_
page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=19>.

17

"BL-TFT240320PLUS V2." Circuit Ides Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.circuitidea.com/devboard/BLTFT240320PLUS-V2.html>.

18

"Liquidware : TouchShield Slide." Liquidware : Open Source Electronics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.liquidware.com/shop/show/TSL/TouchShield Slide>.

Unfortunately, the BL-TFT240320PLUS overall is a less feasible option since it is more

difficult to acquire. This shield only has one listed supplier, www.thaieasyelec.net 15, who
lists the product as sold out as of November 30, 2010. The fact that Nuelectronics touch
screen is also sold out disqualifies it from being a viable alternative. Due to these factors, the
HydroTower will include the TouchShield Slide.

15 Arduino - 3.2 Inch TFT Touch Screen with Arduino Interface V2." ThaiEasyElec.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.thaieasyelec.net/index.php/Arduino/3-2-inch-TFT-Touch-Screen-with-Arduino-Interface-V2/p_68.html>.
Arduino - HomePage. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://arduino.cc/en/>.

20

24

4.1.2. Data Management and Processing

A large part of the novelty in HydroTower is its ability to automatically control and
optimize the environment in which plants are grown. This requires that the system can read,
store, and operate on data. If designing for the production system, the processor and its
adjacent systems would be custom designed, however an existing board is used to reduce
development time for the initial HydroTower prototype. Several embedded processors were
considered for the HydroTower. The first option is to use an Altera DE2 development kit with
a NIOS II processor. This solution provides ample computing power and memory. The DE2 is
very flexible and can accommodate many additional subsystems. The downside to using a
DE2 board is that they are larger and have extraneous hardware. Another solution considered
was to use an ARM-based board. This would allow for an easy Linux-based programming
environment and some of the advantages that accompany a modern OS. For the HydroTower,
an ARM-board would be more expensive and overkill for the system as lesser solutions will
suffice.
The third option is to use an Arduino20 microcontroller. This platform is very flexible
and easy to program. There are many different expansion shields for Arduino boards. These
shields contain extra hardware in a form factor that directly plugs into the standard I/O pin
interface of the Arduino. This allows us to use I/O ports for controlling external systems such
as the lighting control, pump system, nutrient control, and the temperature control systems.
Also the Arduino has touch screen shields that will easily allow development of a clean and
sleek UI. The Arduino board solution is far less expensive and adequately flexible option and
therefore is the main data storage and processing unit of HydroTower.
4.1.3. Software Model
Shown below is the software breakdown for the different actions of the HydroTower.
The first-run program is shown in Figure 14 and will require basic information from the user
as inputs along with verifying the system reservoirs are properly setup. The next program
function will be the general function that will handle the water pumping and nutrient
replenishment in the system.
This is shown in Figure 15.

25

Welcome

Set Date
/Time

Check Nutrient
And Water Levels

Prompt to
Address
Reservoir
Levels

Low Levels

Levels OK

No

Prompt to Start
Plant Cycle

Enter Sleep
mode

Yes

Begin Growth
Cycle
Program

Figure 14: Initial Setup

Begin
X=1

Flood Level X

Wait while
Roots Soak

Increment X

Drain Level X

Check Nutrient
Concentrations

OK

No

Low Nutrients

Calculate and
Inject Make
-up
Nutrients

All Levels
Watered
?

Yes

End

Figure 15: Water Supervisor Program

26

The User Interface on the touch screen will need to give several options and controls
over the HydroTower system. The high level view of this menu is shown in Figure 16. From
here the user can control the lighting and pumping schedule of the HydroTower. Also, the
user can let the system know that they have added or removed plants from the system.
Another menu provides the user a way to read and address maintenance alerts.

StatusScreen

Scheduling Editor

Add Plants

Maintenance Alert
Manager

Figure 16: Main UI

4.1.4. Control Systems

HydroTower aims to automatically provide an optimal growing environment for
plants through the use of several control systems. These control systems will manage
several environmental variables that affect plant growth.
4.1.4.1. Water Flow
The first system will manage the flow of water to the plants. At the current stage in
the design, two different delivery methods are proposed. The first method uses flood and
drain to soak the plant roots in water for 15 minutes every four hours 16. The second method
uses nozzles to deliver a controlled amount of water to the roots of the plants. In both
methods a pump will drive the water through the pipes. The Arduino microcontroller will
have programmed times to drive the pump in either method. The decision for which method
to use is dependent on the result of the research currently being conducted for which nutrient
injection method the HydroTower will use, this research is discussed in Mechanical Nutrient
Systems section.

16 Resh, Howard M. Hydroponic Food Production. 6thth ed. Mahwah, NJ:

NewConcept, 2004. Print

27

4.1.4.2. Lighting System

A second control system in the HydroTower will control the light to the plants. Plants
require two frequencies of light, 650nm and 450nm. There are several common light sources
used in hydroponic systems, including LED, fluorescent, and halogen. The LEDs chosen for
HydroTower specifically match the required light for plant growth. The LEDs need to deliver
brighter light than is used in average applications of LEDs. For this reason, the lighting
system will utilize 30 1W LEDs. This number was calculated in MathCAD and is shown in
Figure 5.1.

Figure 17: Calculation for target amount of LEDs

The microcontroller will illuminate the LEDs based on a summer daylight schedule,
allowing for a shortening day, since this is a trigger to some fruiting plants to bear fruit
because a shortening day indicates fall and the onset of the end of the growing season. The
lighting system will also allow for the LEDs to be shut-off when there is ample light being
supplied externally.
4.1.4.3.

Temperature Control

The next control system will be responsible for maintaining the temperature of the
water and air in the system. The microcontroller will take in voltage information from
thermocouples installed in HydroTower, and turn on and off separate heaters accordingly to
regulate the temperature required. The system will likewise enable exhaust fans installed in
the HydroTower to bring in cool air from the outside environment if the inside temperature
rises above the allowable range specified in Temperature of the Mechanical section. The
Simulink model below shows the preliminary air temperature control system.

28

Figure 18: Simulink Air Temperature Control System

The air temperature control system will include a thermostat that will monitor the air
temperature inside the HydroTower. The maximum temperature allowed in the system is
80F. Above this temperature the heater will shut off allowing for cooling from the exhaust
fans. The minimum temperature allowed is 70F. Below this value the heaters will turn on.
Influences on this system include the conductive and convective heat transfers from outside
the HydroTower via the walls and the fans, but more analysis will be performed during Engr
340.
The water temperature control system will be nearly the same as the air temperature
control system. However, in this case, there will be no influence from exhaust fans. The
desired water temperature will be the same as the air temperature (70F). This system will
include a separate thermostat. To control the temperature of the water, a water heater will
be employed which will turn on at the minimum temperature and turn off at the maximum
temperature via thermostat control. The dissipative conduction and convection will provide
the cooling of the water, and the water heater will provide heat.
The temperature control system is currently being expanded to provide a qualitative
cost analysis of running the heaters in the system. With this analysis, the microcontroller will
be able to minimize costs of the system whilst changing the thermostat maximum and
minimum values to be used in Engr 340.
4.1.4.4.

Nutrient Injection

The final control system of HydroTower is to provide a nutrient-rich, yet nontoxic,

supply of water to the plants. The range of nutrients provided to plants is important since too
high of concentrations of nutrients results in killing the plants from toxicity. The nutrient
control system will provide to proper amount of nutrients to the plants, but will be designed
29

differently depending on which delivery method is decided upon once a final design direction
is reached in January of 2011.
If HydroTower employs the spray/drip system, Hoaglands solution will be premixed
and no replenishment solution will be necessary. If HydroTower uses a flood and drain
system, which has water being recycled, then nutrients will need to be injected into the water
to keep the nutrients at an optimal level. This injection system will consist of six nutrient
reservoirs that each have a valve to control the release of nutrient concentrates. To measure
out precise amounts of concentrate, each valve will have an accompanying control system.
Figure 19 shows the general form of this controls system.

Figure 19: Schematic of control system for nutrient control

The Arduino microcontroller will decide when and how much concentrate to add
based on one of two methods. The open-loop method includes a schedule that is
determined based on how many plants are in the system and a predetermined rate of
consumption for each nutrient.
The closed-loop method involves determining what the concentration of nutrients is in the
recycled water and compensating to replenish absorbed nutrients. The closed-loop method is
more accurate and represents an ideal solution for HydroTower, however currently there is
no proven method to determine the necessary concentrations in real time, and such issues are
discussed in the Nutrient System portion of the Mechanical Systems section. The first
method has the benefit of being simpler to implement, however it cannot respond to
unpredictable situations. Currently the team is pursuing both methods to determine which
one is feasible for the final design direction of HydroTower, which is also discussed in the
Nutrient System portion of the Mechanical Systems section.

30

4.1.5. Lighting System

The HydroTower Lighting system will consist of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
which will be mounted on the ceiling levels of the HydroTower to provide light to the plants.
Given the calculation in section the Lighting System section, 30 1W LEDs will be used. As
can be seen in Figure 20 below, the wavelength of light that plants use is only in two specific
electromagnetic frequencies between 425nm and 660nm. Therefore, the two frequencies for
the HydroTower LEDs will be red and blue.

Figure 20: Plant light frequency response17

The LEDs needed were donated by SoundOff Signal Inc. The acquired LEDs will
need heat sinks to be designed to run them at 1W such that heat can be dissipated away from
the LEDs for proper operation. The best option for these LEDs is to run them at 1W with an
ambient temperature of 80F, and maximum junction temperature of 257F. This means that
using copper, heat sinks in the shape of a square (notches cut for leads as in datasheets 18, 19)
17 "PHOTOSYNTHESIS." Estrella Mountain Community College. N.p., n.d. Web.
05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookPS.html>.
18 "LR W5SM." OSRAM Opto Semiconductors - Product Catalog. N.p., n.d. Web.
05

Dec.

2010.

<http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?

favOid=000000000003f86200020023&act=showBookmark>.
19 "LD W5SN." OSRAM Opto Semiconductors - Product Catalog. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?favOid=000000030002a14801f30023&act=showBookmark>.

31

will require a side length of up to 4 centimeters for red and 6 centimeters for blue. Full
analysis of the selected red and blue LEDs are contained in Appendix C and D.

4.1.6. Power Systems

The power system for the HydroTower supplies each subsystem with its respective
voltage needs. The power system will take an input from a standard AC wall outlet. By
operating off either 120V at 60Hz or 220V at 50Hz the HydroTower will be more flexible in
where it can be installed and used. Table 5 below shows the current power requirements of
HydroTower.
Table 5: Maximum loads on the power supply

Component

Voltage

Current

Watts

Base (x1)
Pump
Arduino

24V
5V

3A
0.5A

72W
2.5W

Valves

25V

.5A

12.5W

Heater

25V

3A

75W

Growing Unit (x3)

LED's
Exhaust Fans

12V
12V

2A
0.25A

Max Power

24W
3W
243W

The power system will supply power not only for the base unit and the first growing
unit, but also for a second growing level. The largest power draw in each of the growing units
will be the LED lighting. Each unit will need sturdy electrical connections to ensure stable
operation and stand up to repeated assembly and disassembly.

5. Mechanical Systems

5.1. Requirements
HydroTower mechanical components range from the structure of the housing unit to
the pumping, piping and heating of HydroTower. The specific requirements from the
32

mechanical systems are based upon heating/heat transfer and the structure/frame for
HydroTower.
The plants within HydroTower must be in a temperature range no lower than 40F
and no higher than 85F wherein the optimum temperature is 70F.20 Furthermore, the
mechanical system must maintain the interior of HydroTower at a relative humidity no lower
than 30% and no higher than 70% wherein the optimum relative humidity is 50%. 21 Another
aspect of the heating/ventilation of HydroTower is in regards to the housing of the electrical
components and controls. The current HydroTower prototype design has the electrical
housing contained within the base unit.

5.2. Size
Based upon the objectives and goals for HydroTower, the unit size was developed to
fit within a residential dwelling. Thus, some design specifications were made such that
HydroTower accommodates a range of users from third world countries in villages to
apartment dwellers in the United States or classrooms in schools. Specifically, HydroTower is
designed with a 2.5 foot diameter and is no more than 6 foot tall. The current prototype of the
HydroTower is fabricated from wood provided by Calvin College. Figures 21 and 22 depict
the main designs for
HydroTower. While the first built prototype is circular and has a 2.5 foot diameter, the Team
has decided to change the HydroTower structure design to a rectangular module with a short
end length of 32 inches. Figure 22 depicts the next HydroTower structure design. A
rectangular structure was chosen for several reasons. First, while circular shapes are assumed
to be more aesthetically pleasing, a rectangular shape is more functional when placed in a
room. The HydroTower Team rationalized that most likely, the placement of a HydroTower
unit would be in a corner of a room, thus making rectangular a more feasible option.
Secondly, in regards to manufacturing of HydroTower, square and rectangular components
are made faster and more easily. The dimension of 32 inches for the short end was based on

20 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
21 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
33

standard widths of doors in houses. Team HydroTower assumed that a HydroTower unit
would be situated in a living room
or den area in a house and/or in a corner of an apartment or other building. Standard widths
for door frames are 34 inches, but Team HydroTower took into account extra clearances. 22

Figure 21: First HydroTower prototype design (circular)

22 DoItYourself. What is the Standard Door Fram Width? Nov 30, 2010. <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/what-is-the-standarddoor-frame-width>

34

Figure 22: Second HydroTower prototype (rectangular)

5.3. Nutrient System

One of the objectives of HydroTower is real-time automation of the nutrient and water
feed to the plants. The nutrient section describes the preliminary designs along with the issues
and alternative solutions to the real-time measurement and makeup of depleted nutrients.
Initial theoretical designs for the nutrient system included the nutrients shown in Table
623. Precedence has been set by many hydroponic growers as well as other gardeners to use
Hoaglands solution as the nutrient supplements because all of the nutrients found in
Hoaglands solution are found in natural soil and are further known as necessary nutrients
for plant growth.24 The macro-nutrients listed in the first five rows of Table 6 would be
added as individual liquidmolar concentrations and directly injected into the water feed
stream before the pumping of the water through the flood and drain process occurred. Such
23 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
24 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999. Ch 30. Print.
35

a method would first add the needed nutrients to the water supply and would secondly
adequately mix the water supply and nutrients before pumping to the plants. For the initial
design, the direct injection of the nutrients would be performed by low-pressure valves.
However, as indicated later in this section, since the nutrient system is still in preliminary
designs specific valves and calculations regarding proper mixing will be performed once a
final design direction has been selected. Real time measurements of the water would
determine the amount of nutrient makeup necessary before the water would re-enter
HydroTower for plant feed, thus implementing a recycle stream for HydroTower. The water
measurements would occur in the base unit water reservoir to ensure a clear reading occurs
representative of the entire water system.

Table 6: Hoagland's Solution

Hoagland's Solution

(Plant Nutrient Solution)

Majors:
2M KNO3

Stock
Solution

mL Stock
Solution/1
L

202g/L

2.5

236g/0.5L

2.5

Iron (Sprint 138 iron

chelate)

15g/L

1.5

2M MgSO4 x 7H2O

493g/L

1M NH4NO3

80g/L

2M Ca(NO3)2 x 4H2O

Minors:

1L

H3BO3

2.86g/L

MnCl2 x 4H2O

1.81g/L

ZnSO4 x 7H2O

0.22g/L

CuSO4
H3MoO4 x H2O or

0.051g/L
0.09g/L

Na2MoO4 x 2H2O

0.12g/L

1M KH2PO4 (pH to 6.0

with 3M
KOH)

136g/L

0.5

Recycle streams would require water analysis based on both pH and electroconductivity (EC)using electrodes measuring the amount of nutrients in the stream. However,
electrodes capable of measuring individual ions from within a solution do not exist thus
leading to possible design changes in the direction of the HydroTower project. As indicated
36

previously, the initial theoretical design had the objective of measuring and making up the
absorbed nutrient in realtime. However, the initial theoretical design also intended to use EC
electrodes to measure each individual ion, which is not possible to do for two reasons. No
electrodes exist capable of measuring the ions wherein the ions are in solution with other ion
nutrients. Table 725 contains the electrodes capable of measuring ions, but also shows the
problem in that ions have interferences
in the Hoaglands Solution. For an example of interference, in Hoaglands Solution one of the
ion nutrients to measure is NO3, but one of the interferences for NO3 is ClO4. Cl2 is one of the
miconutrients, and when ClO4 dissociates in solution, Cl2 is left, thus inhibiting the NO3
electrode. The mentioning of dissociation of ions in solution is what leads toseveral
alternative solutions or directions for HydroTower and measuring the nutrients in real-time.
Currently, two alternative designs are occurring t along a parallel time basis. One design
alternative will become the new HydroTower design direction by January 2011.
Table 7: Electrodes and interferences
Mode Ion
l
ISE2 Ammonium
0B
NH4 +
ISE2 Bromide
1B
BrISE2 Cadmium
2B
Cd2+
ISE2 Calcium
3B
Ca2+

Sensor

Range (M) Range

(ppm)
polymer 5.10-6 0.1 - 18000
100

state

solid 5.10-6 100

0.4 - 79900

Interferences

pH

0 - 50

K+

Electroly
te
4 - 10 NaCl

0 - 50

I-, CN-, S2-, high levels

2 - 14 KNO3

of Cl-and NH3
solid 10-7 - 10-1 0.01 - 11200 0 - 50
state
polymer

5.10-6 100

0.2 - 40000

0 - 50

1.8 - 35500

0 - 50

Cu2+, Hg2+, Ag+ , 2 - 12 KNO3

high levels
of Fe2+ and Pb2+
Pb2+, Hg2+, Cu2+,
Ni2+

ISE2 Chloride
4B
Cl-

state

solid 5.10-5 100

ISE2 Copper
5B
Cu2+

solid 10-8 - 10-1 0.00064 6350

0 - 50

state

ISE2 Cyanide
6B
CN-

solid 5.10-6 - 10- 0.13 - 260

2

0 - 50

Cl-, Br-, I-, S2-

state

ISE2 Fluoride
7B
F-

solid 10-6 - sat.

0.02 - sat.

0 - 50

OH-

state
0.1 - 10800

0 - 50

I-, ClO4 -, CN-

ISE2 Fluoroborate polymer 7.10-6 8B

100

I-, Br-, CN-, S2-

3 - 10 KCl

1 - 12 KNO3

Hg2+, Ag+ , high

2 - 12 KNO3
levels of
Cl-, Br-, Fe2+ and Cd2+
11 13
5-8

KNO3

KCl

2.5 - (NH4)2S
11
O4

25 "Ion Selective Electrodes." Consort.be. Consort, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.consort.be/Downloads/Documentation/IonElectrodes_pg.pdf>.

37

BF4 ISE2 Iodide

9B
I-

state

ISE3 Lead
0B
Pb2+

state

solid 5.10-8 100

0.006 127000

0 - 50

S2-, CN-, Cl-, Br-

0 - 14 KNO3

S2O3 -2 , NH3
solid 10-6 - 10-1 0.2 - 20700

0 - 50

Hg2+, Ag+, Cu2+,high 3 - 8

levels
of Fe2+ and Cd2+

KNO3

ISE3 Nitrate
1B
NO3 -

polymer

7.10-6 100

0.5 - 62000

0 - 50

I-, ClO4 -, CN-, BF4 -

2.5 - (NH4)2S
11
O4

ISE3 Perchlorate
2B
ClO4 -

polymer

7.10-6 100

0.7 - 99500

0 - 50

2.5 - (NH4)2S
11
O4

ISE3 Potassium
3B
K+

polymer

10-6 - 100

0.04 - 39000 0 - 50

Cs+, NH4 +

2 - 12 NaCl

Hg+, Hg2+

2 - 12 KNO3

ISE3 Silver/Sulphi
solid 10-7 - 100 0.01 4B
de
state
107900
Ag+/S20.003 32000
ISE3 Sodium
glass
10-6 - sat. 0.02 - sat.
5B
Na+

0 - 50

0 - 50

H+, K+, Li+, Ag+, Cs+, 5 - 12 NH4Cl

Tl+

ISE3 Surfactant
6B
X+/X-

0 - 50

similar types of
surfactants

2 - 12 KCl

Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+,

Fe2+

5 - 10 KCl

polymer

ISE3
Water polymer
7B
hardness
Ca2+/Mg2+
ISE5 Ammonia
0B
NH3

10-5 - 5.10- 1 - 12000

2
10-5 - 100

gas 5.10-7 sensing 100

0.4 - 4000 0 - 50
(Ca2+)
0.01 - 17000 0 - 50

volatile amines

11 13

NH4Cl

ISE5
Carbon
gas 10-4 - 10-2 4.4 - 440
1B
dioxide
sensing
CO2/CO3 2-

0 - 50

volatile week acids

4.8 - NaHCO3
5.2

ISE5
Nitrogen
gas
5.10-6 - 0.2 - 220
2B
oxides
sensing 5.10-3
NOx

0 - 50

SO2, HF, acetic acid

1.1 - NaNO2
1.7

The first alternative to the flood and drain system with the direct injection of nutrients is an
aeroponic/spray hydroponic technique. Such a system would change the design of
HydroTower in that the spray nozzles would direct the flow of water to plant roots and
Hoaglands solution would be added directly into the water spray. One objective of the spray
technique would be to minimize the amount of waste water from such a process of spraying
the plants throughout the day. Despite a change in design for HydroTower, the Team is
maintaining the initial goals of providing sustainable methods for growing produce and other
plants. The need to eradicate waste water left over from watering/feeding the plants is
environmentally unsound in two ways. First, the waste water would contain the nutrients,
which should not be introduced directly into a water treatment system (eg: should not be
poured down a residential drain). It is not environmentally appropriate to implement a design
38

which would require users to dispose of the chemical waste through residential
water/drainage systems. While the nutrients are found naturally in soil and nature,
introducing higher concentrations and having the only method of disposal as residential
drains does not align with the goals or objectives of HydroTower as being a sustainable
design. Secondly, wasting water is not efficient for the overall delegation of water as a
resource and is thus not a feasible option for the HydroTower design project.
The second alternative for the flood and drain system with the electrode analysis
would be to research solutions for analyzing individual ions in the water nutrient system. The
premise behind the second design alternative is based upon knowledge that when compounds
are in solution, ions dissociate and are thus individual elements. For example, NH 3 is a
compound in
Hoaglands Solution, but in theory, the second alternative would use an electrode which
measures for N elements. Electrodes for N, Mg, Ca, K and possibly Fe would be used in
research to measure the conductivity of the water solution and analyze for specific algorithms
to add the makeup nutrients. Professor Doug VanderGriend will also be assisting team
HydroTower in researching possible ways to isolate the dissociated elements in solution
using electrodes much like the initial design intended. Furthermore, Professor VanderGriend
would assist in analyzing the data collected from the electrodes to see if any empirical
relations may relate the element ions to the amount of nutrient in the water solution. Said
research will begin at the very end of first semester and will continue into January 2011.
However, a time limit on the research and design of electrodes capable of analyzing the water
solution after which the first design alternative will be implemented fully.
A final design direction will be selected by the middle of January 2011.Currently,
the Team has been split into two sub-groups, one group looking into the first alternative of
the spray system and the second sub-group focusing on research for the electrodes. Until the
final design direction is selected, the team will remain working on the two alternative design
options. Should one design become very apparent as the best alternative, that design will
become the new final design direction. Delegation of time and efforts has been a 50-50 split
between both design alternatives, but as the project continues, one design alternative will
become the main focus in which case delegation of time and effort will become 90-10 (90%
of the time being on the final design direction and 10% being towards ensuring the correct
design direction was chosen).

39

5.4. Psychrometrics
Mechanical design of HydroTower for optimal plant growth includes humidity and
temperature control of the water and nutrient system. The environmental conditions for plants
are optimal when relative humidity is about 50% and temperature is 70F.26
5.4.1. Humidification
From a biological standpoint, if humidity is too high, and condensation forms on plant
leaves, the plants become susceptible to fungus and disease. 27 Thus, the mechanical design
of HydroTower includes compensation for air flow and ventilation to regulate the humidity
within the HydroTower growing structure. Furthermore, if the relative humidity is too low,
plants will close their stomatas, which are how plants intake CO 2 and release O2. Should
the humidity become too low, a humidifier will turn on via the control system for
psychrometrics and will subsequently add moisture to the air within HydroTower.
Initially, the mechanical designs were going to measure humidity with a hygrometer and
then have the regulation of air flow controlled by fans and a venting system with mechanical
flaps capable of different degrees of opening/closing. However further analysis of
alternative design options showed that a more complex and expensive humidity control
system was not necessary to meet the design requirements. For example, below is a list of
the alternative designs for the humidifiers/dehumidifiers, four humidifying systems
researched and then analyzed included the following.
1) Steam humidifiers which boil water to release steam into the air
2) Impeller humidifiers which move water through a diffuser to make very fine
water droplets in the air
3) Ultrasonic humidifiers which vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency to create water
droplets which are absorbed into the air.
4) Wick/evaporative humidifier which draws water out of a reservoir and allows
water to evaporate as air passes over the wick via a fan-powered ventilation
system Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the cost and implementation of
each of the four humidifying/dehumidifying systems was completed to move
26 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
27 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
40

towards a final design on the humidifier/dehumidifier system. Qualitative

analysis of implementation and cost allowed Team HydroTower to eliminate the
steam humidifier and the ultrasonic humidifier. Both of the aforementioned
options would require more electrical and mechanical systems to control the
humidity, which would add to the overall cost of HydroTower. Furthermore, the
components necessary to have either a steam humidifier or an ultrasonic
humidifier would subtract the amount of space usable in the base unit by the
electrical control systems and/or the amount of water held within the base unit.
Thus, either the controls box would move outside of the base unit or the base unit
size would need to increase. Overall, Team HydroTower decided to not pursue
further designs of implementing the steam humidifier or the ultrasonic humidifier.
The two other humidification system alternative designs were the impeller and
then the wick humidifier. Due to resources and initial thoughts of Team
HydroTower and the tech lead on the psychrometric design, the wick humidifier
was pursued in quantitative analysis for several reasons. First, the wick
humidifier would require forced ventilation, and since Team HydroTower found
several CPU fans the cost for production of a prototype would be low.
Furthermore, the wick for the humidifier would be placed in the water tubing and
then in the middle of the forced air flow stream. The wick would be a waterabsorbent cotton rope which could be purchased at a fabric store for under
$0.50/foot.28 A filter for the system may also be necessary, but testing of the
implemented wick design would show if a filter is needed for better functioning.
Should a filter on the wick humidifier prove necessary, the cost of the filter would
be under $10.29
Quantitative analysis of the wick humidifier system was based upon temperature changes of
the air and the amount of heat transfer from the water to the air. The amount of air flow
needed to maintain a relative humidity of 50% with an air entry temperature of 70F and an
exit air temperature of 65F was completed. The fan which was being used as the base case
for the flow rate of air were the fans found by Team HydroTower. The fans (two) were able
28 "Cotton Rope | Twisted & Braided 1/4 - 1 Inch Sizes." KnotandRope.com. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <www.knotandrope.com/store/pc/Cotton-Rope-c6.htm>.
29 "Wick Humidifier - Google Search." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.google.com/search?q=wick humidifier...>
41

to provide 12cfm of air flow (cited in bibliography page DC Fan Data Sheet and NMB-Mat
DC Axial Fan). Equation 6.4.1 shows the main equation used to calculate the needed air
flow rate while full calculations are contained in Appendix E. The result of the calculation
showed that one fan capable of 12cfm would be enough to maintain the proper humidity
within HydroTower since the calculated air flow rate was 5.1 cfm based on the previously
mentioned conditions.
Equation 6.4.1
The following table shows the variables and variable names.
Table 8: Psychrometric calculations variable list

Variable

Variable Name

Units

Flow rate of air

Cfm

Flow Rate of water

Gal/min

Enthalpy of inlet water

Btu/ lbm dry air

Enthalpy of outlet water

Btu/ lbm dry air

Enthalpy of inlet air

Btu/ lbm dry air

Enthalpy of outlet air

Btu/ lbm dry air

Humidity ratio of inlet air

lbm H2O/lbm dry air

Humidity ratio of outlet air

lbm H2O/lbm dry air

Providing HydroTower remains with the flood and drain system along with the current
prototype model as the final design direction, HydroTower will implement a wick
humidifier due to the low cost and simplicity of implementing the design both in
prototyping and in manufacturing. The wick humidification system will work well for
ensuring that the air within HydroTower remains at about 50% relative humidity because as
the air becomes more humid, the water requires more energy to evaporate and the same
principle applies for dry air (easier to evaporate water when air is less humid). Thus, the
wick humidification system works by natural evaporation of water from the wick. Specific
design of the wick humidifier will occur during spring semester once the final design
direction is known. However, one specific issue with wick humidification to be addressed
during the design phase is that wick humidification will be to ensure that condensation does
not occur within the HydroTower. Thus, as previously mentioned, the two fans will be
42

installed on each growing level on either side of HydroTower. The wick humidifier will
have a control system based on readings from a hygrometer. For the control system, if the
humidity is too high the fan furthest to the water input flow (hence, the fan without the wick
in front of it) will turn on. Should the humidity remain high, both fans will turn on. The failsafe method to ensure humidity can be lowered within HydroTower will be looked into
further during the spring semester. The table below shows a more visual summary of how
the fans will turn on and off via the control system and hygrometer readings.
Table 9: Summary of wick humidifier design for fan usage

System Reading

Fan with Wick

Fan without wick

Humidity too high

Off

On

Humidity too low

On

Off

ranges On

On

Extreme
high or low

Fail-safe method
for humidity out of
range

To be determined in To be determined in
spring semester
spring semester

5.4.2. Temperature
Control of the temperatures of both water and air are necessary to optimize plant
growth, however, hierarchically, the water temperature is more important. Such a decision is
based on the rate of heat dissipation from the water and the rationalization that the air
temperatures will be relative to the ambient air in a room of a residential area. The optimum
growing temperature for most plants is 70F.30 Using the waste heat from the electrical
components has been discussed as a method to control the heat of the water. However, since
the Team is still working towards finalizing a design direction, specific mechanical design
and analysis for the temperature control system have been placed on hold until a final design
direction is chosen.

30 Raven, Peter H., Ray F. Evert, and Susan E. Eichhorn. Biology of Plants. 6th ed.
New York: W.H. Freeman and Worth Company, 1999.728-730. Print.
43

6. Frame Structure
The responsibility of the frame and structure design of HydroTower is one portion of the
mechanical responsibilities of Team HydroTower and specifically falls to Brian DeKock and
Jacqueline Kirkman. The frame and structure design must fit within the objectives of a
modularized unit which is light weight and easily transported when emptied from plants and
water. The frame structure must also be sturdy enough to be operable under safe conditions.
Specific quantities and objectives on the safety regulations for HydroTower have not yet been
quantified but will be addressed once a final design direction has been chosen. Furthermore,
specific requirements on the weight and transportability of HydroTower are estimated thus far
in the design process. This section addresses the specifications of the frame of HydroTower
including the size, safety, mobility, manufacturability and appearance of HydroTower.

6.1. Structure and Size

The structure of the HydroTower is designed to fit in typical housing in urban areas,
thus the standard measurement widths of doors. Some of the more informal requirements of
the HydroTower structure established by the Team were light weight and transportable when
not full of water and plants, small enough to fit through doorways but large enough to grow
plants equivalent to that of a small garden plot, yet robust enough to have a design life of 20
years and sturdy such that the center of gravity is low and the chance of tipping over is low
for user safety as described in Safety/ Stability and Durability section. Initial designs of the
HydroTower structure were composed of circular modularized stackable units to make
HydroTower aesthetically pleasing. Team HydroTower assumed that circular designs were
more visually appealing to consumers and would thus fit well within the marketability of
HydroTower.
However, after the
Hence, while the current working prototype of HydroTower is a circular modularized
unit 2.5 feet in diameter, the next working prototype will be built as a rectangular unit with
the short side a width of 32 inches, based on standard door widths for residential houses. 31
Sizing constraints for HydroTower are based upon usage in a residential setting
(thus, the size of the household or apartment) and the functional aspect of growing plants

31 DoItYourself. What is the Standard Door Fram Width? Nov 30, 2010. <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/what-is-the-standarddoor-frame-width>

44

(overall square meters comparable to an outdoor garden The current height of HydroTower
includes a base unit
1 foot high with each modular growing level 2 feet high. Thus, the maximum height of
HydroTower would be 5 foot.
The modular and stackable design provides the user with adaptability and portability
such that a user may choose how many plants are grown and the overall configuration of
HydroTower. For example, a user may purchase the base unit and one growing level, one
base unit and two growing levels. Many possibilities for base unit and growing levels exist,
but the constraints are that at least one base unit and one growing level are necessary for
function while the maximum is two growing levels supported on one base unit.

6.2. Safety/ Stability and Durability

Safety is a very important aspect of this project for several reasons. First, a
responsible engineering design should not place anyone in danger, thus, HydroTower must
be stable and should not tip over or break through normal usage during the design life.
Since HydroTower prototypes are built from wood and plastics, structural durability
is an issue which will be analyzed further once a final design direction is made and during
second semester of Engr 339/340. A finite element analysis will provide the necessary
information on key parameters to ensure the design stability. All HydroTower components
shall be selected such that durability and cyclical fatigue meet the design requirement of a
design life of 20 years.
Analysis of such durability and fatigue will be completed after a final design selection is
made.

6.3 Mobility
The HydroTower must be mobile enough to be moved by one average-sized adult
person regardless of gender. Mobility of HydroTower is very important to the overall
success of the project. HydroTower will be purchased as a fully assembled base unit with
one growing level. Additional growing levels may be purchased individually. However, all
modular components must be easily moved from the store to the users residence and must
be easily set-up by the user. Initial market research has confirmed HydroTower will need to
produce food for a family but will need to fit in a corner of a room. The final design of
45

HydroTower will determine the overall mobility of the product instead of the mobility
determining the design since the Team has chosen overall function as a higher priority than
mobility. However, mobility is still a factor in design decisions and will be used more during
second semester and final design selections.

6.4 Ease of Build

The relative ease of producing HydroTower for mass production is a high priority for
both the design and prototype of HydroTower. While the measures of success for
HydroTower in May 2011 only define a working prototype, planning for full scale
production of HydroTower is a priority in the design and decision making processes. Hence,
the design of HydroTower must not only meet the direct requirements as established by the
group for success, but must also allow a transfer to an assembly line production method. For
example, each HydroTower will be a modular component off the base unit. Thus, each
growing level will be manufactured the same way. The growing levels of HydroTower will
be stackable via interlocking metal rectangular tubes wherein the tubes for the growing
levels fit within the tubes for the base unit. Figure 10 depicts the exploded assembly version
of the HydroTower. The design must be easily transferred to an assembly line and
consideration of assembly during final design selection will assist the
Team in knowing what methods to employ for manufacturability.

46

Table 10: Full assembly of second HydroTower prototype

47

6.5 Aesthetics
Part of designing in engineering is to make a product that not only serves its purpose,
but also is pleasing to the eye. Marketing for HydroTower is for in-home and residential
usage, thus, the HydroTower will be placed in the house or apartment and will need to
coordinate with interior dcor. Some brainstorming has concluded HydroTower could be
manufactured in several colors or could have some patterns on the exterior such that users
could select the design which best fits their style and dcor. Aesthetics will be a strong
selling point for HydroTower as a product. Successfully blending function and aesthetics
will be a key component in selling the HydroTower. While function of HydroTower is
hierarchically a higher priority than aesthetics, if
HydroTower does not meet the aesthetic appeal to potential customers the overall success of
HydroTower as a product will be lessened.

48

7. Business Analysis
7.1. Market Research
7.1.1. Customer
HydroTower involves minimizing space and maximizing efficiency to grow plants in
a non-commercial environment. The market for this type of product would be anyone who
does not have gardening space to grow vegetables and plants. More specifically, HydroTower
is being targeted at women who have a family at home and need fresh produce for their
children. The table below shows the 2006-2008 statistics from the United States Census
Bureau.
Table 11: Census Bureau 2008 population32

Between the ages of 25 and 39 there are over 30 million women living in the United
States. If only 1% of the population of women in the United States buy at HydroTower within
the first two years over 60,000 units could be sold each year.
Growth in this market could increase as larger questions are raised about the safety of
consumers in commercial food production. Additional growth could be driven by the growing
number of people moving into cities and living in apartments and high rise condominium
towers. HydroTower presents the perfect solution for the consumer who is looking to eat fresh
produce whose quality can be ensured all while reducing the carbon footprint of large scale
food production.

32

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&

qr_name=ACS_2008_3YR_G00_S0101&ds_name=ACS_2008_3YR_G00_
49

7.1.2. Overview of Market

The current hydroponics market is a growing market as perceptions shift towards the
need for new sources of food production. The hydroponic tomato market alone is predicted to
grow by
over 50% from 2007 onward.33 In the past hydroponic gardening has often been associated
with marijuana cultivation. Many people are unaware that hydroponics can be used to grow
many types of herbs and vegetables indoors with incredible efficiency. Some current
hydroponic growers and designs can be seen in the competitor analysis section of this
business plan. The HydroTower creates a distinct and new niche in the market for hydroponic
gardening. First by designing a new type of hydroponic grower with the visual appeal that is
unseen in the market of previous hydroponic gardeners will be attracted to this product. The
second part of the market will attract people who have never been interested in hydroponics
due to the maintenance and complexity of the system. HydroTowers user interface and
scheduling system will now make it easier for an individual to grow many plants comparable
to that of a home garden.

7.1.3. Market Survey Results

An ongoing market research survey is being conducted during the writing of this report.
Currently there are 21 responses to the survey with 10 questions. The questions are listed
below:
1. How often do you buy fresh produce from the grocery store?
2. How much of the produce that you buy is organic?
3. Would you be more likely to buy produce labeled organic?
4. Do you have a garden at home?
5. Pleas list what fruits or vegetables you grow in your garden.
6. Would you prefer to grow more of your own food if you had enough space?
7. Are you familiar with hydroponics?
8. How likely would you be to purchase a hydroponic system for growing
vegetables?

33

Brentlinger,

PRODUCTION

D.J.

2007.

IN

THE

NEW TRENDS
U.S.

Acta

IN
Hort.

HYDROPONIC
(ISHS)

CROP

742:3133.

http://www.actahort.org/books/742/742_3.htm
50

9. Please list what vegetables you would want to grow most in a hydroponic
system?
10. Which of the following would make you more likely to purchase and use a
hydroponic system?
The HydroTower team is currently not ready to fully analyze the results of the online
survey. Before next semester we hope to at least double the amount of responses to the
survey. In addition we hope to increase the variety of people who take our survey from
college students to older adults and our target market, women with families. The following
figure shows two slides from the final semester presentation detailing our results. Results
will be summarized in the second half of our project during Engr 340.

Figure 23: Survey results on likely aspects for purchasing HydroTower

Figure 24: Survey results on customers growing their own food

51

7.2. Strategies to Success

The key strategy to success in the HydroTower business plan is perception. A majority
of people either have no idea what hydroponics is or immediately associate hydroponics
with drug use. In talking with many hydroponic gardeners this perception has slowly begun
shifted to a positive light over the last ten years. Even though many hydroponic businesses
have grown over the past few years the largest source of hydroponic knowledge is still
individuals who post their ideas and projects online.
The second key strategy will be to convince consumers of the tradeoff that they have
when choosing hydroponic gardening options, such as the HydroTower, over other options
for purchasing produce. The key tradeoff for consumers to consider will be that growing food
in their own homes is higher quality and has a greater sustainable/environmental impact over
simply buying from the grocery store. Additionally the HydroTower presents the opportunity
to avoid the growing number of food and produce recalls that have hit multiple regions of the
United States.
7.2.1. Entrepreneurs vision of the company
HydroTowers vision is to Feed people, more efficiently, through hydroponics.
HydroTower will be a standalone unit capable of producing plants for feeding a family of
four. HydroTower will reduce the amount of soil, nutrients and water used in growing plants
while also decreasing the amount of fossil fuels used in transporting produce from the farm to
the market.

7.2.2. Design Norms

The HydroTower Team has chosen three specific design norms that will help drive our
design decisions and ensure a quality product. The first design norm is stewardship. The
HydroTower team strives to be good stewards of Gods creation by decreasing costs of
transportation, fossil fuels, current food processes. Sustainability and environmental impact
will be some of the largest issues in the 21 st century. The second design norm is transparency.
We want to be open and genuine with our customers about the functionality and usability of
this product. The third design norm is trust. Trust is vital in any relationship between a
company and a customer. However the HydroTower Team takes this very seriously given the
past perceptions of hydroponic gardening. The HydroTower team wants to have customers
trust that they can feed families with an efficient and reliable system.
52

7.3. Industry Profile and Overview

7.3.1. Industry Profile
The hydroponics industry is largely based on many small businesses that each
manufactures specific parts for hydroponic gardening. Large commercial hydroponic farms
exist but are currently not feasible for large scale production when compared to traditional
farming methods. However, research on large scale hydroponic farms has been occurring
more prevalently. Articles have been published by university professors have been published
over the past twenty years. A number of textbooks on hydroponics are also available

34 35

Alarge portion of the individual hydroponic gardening industry is based off of the internet
according to both Mud Lake Farms and Horizon Hydroponics. Many individuals have
posted their own builds and recommendations on many websites that cannot be found
commercially.

7.3.2. Major Customer Groups

First and foremost, HydroTower is designed for the individual or family who is
looking for a gardening solution without having a backyard garden. As larger numbers of
people move into cities, growing space will become scarcer.
More specifically HydroTowers customer is going to be families without traditional
outdoor gardening space who are looking for a way to grow the freshest vegetables. An
additional customer group would be individuals who are skeptical of grocery store produce
and are looking for the freshest and highest quality fruits and vegetables.
Future customer groups currently outside the focus of the HydroTower Team include
3rd world applications, schools and high end restaurants. A lower cost application (roughly 10
percent of original cost36) of HydroTower would open up the largest customer group that
number in the millions and possibly billions throughout the developing world.

34 Howard M. Hydroponic Food Production. 6thth ed. Mahwah, NJ: NewConcept,

2004. Print.
35 Dalton, Lon, and Rob Smith. Hydroponic Crop Production. Tauranga, New
Zealand: NZ Hydroponics International, 1999. Print.
53

7.3.3. Regulatory Restrictions

There are currently no direct regulatory restrictions pertaining to hydroponic
growing. Any regulatory restrictions in place will be on safety features of the HydroTower.
The safety concern and regulation will be in design that combines water and electrical
connections. These regulations are set by the UL, FCC, and CE. Organic farming in the
HydroTower will be under the direction of the organic growing standards set by the United
States government. There are additional local and federal regulations on the cultivation of
marijuana that can be grown through hydroponics. However these ordinances and laws
pertain only to the use of marijuana and not to the use of hydroponic gardening.

7.3.4. Growth Rate and Outlook

Over the next five years, the number of tomatoes grown in hydroponic
greenhouses is expected to rise by 50%. Lettuce and herbs are now also increasingly
being grown hydroponically. Microgreens are also being introduced as a valuable
hydroponic crop. High quality hydroponic and organic hydroponic fruits and vegetables
are selling at more than 15% - 50% higher than traditional fruits and vegetables. 37

7.3.5. Key Success Factors

The largest current barrier to entry is the uncertainty of hydroponics. The most
common element in conversations on HydroTower is the question, What is hydroponics?
Many people are initially skeptical about growing plants without any soil indoors. Success
will depend on how willing customers are to try something new. In addition, as with any
emerging and growing market, competitors will be looking to take a share of the market.
Many competing products are able to produce high quality produce. HydroTower will need
an easy to use interface and appealing design to compete where other products have fallen
short. These other products are shown in the competitor analysis below.
36 Smith, Amy. 7 Rules of Design for Low-Tech Engineering. N.p., Oct. 2009. Web.
29

Nov.

2010.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/gonzo/4273680
37

Brentlinger,

PRODUCTION

D.J.

2007.

IN

THE

NEW TRENDS
U.S.

Acta

IN
Hort.

HYDROPONIC
(ISHS)

CROP

742:3133.

<http://www.actahort.org/books/742/742_3.htm>
54

7.4. Business Strategy

7.4.1. Desired Image and Position in Market
The desired image of HydroTower Team is to create a new application in hydroponic
gardening using the fundamental principles of hydroponics combined with automation, easy
to use interface, and strong visual appeal. It is the desire of the HydroTower Team to shift the
perspective of hydroponic gardening away from a complex and commercial product into a
simple and consumer-based product through HydroTower. Specifically HydroTower will
have an innovative low maintenance design along with a new type of nutrient automation
system.

7.4.2. Company Goals and Objectives: Operational

The operational goal of the HydroTower Team is to create a functional semiautomatic stackable system based on the fundamentals of hydroponic gardening which
grows quick and high quality herbs, fruits, microgreens, and vegetables.

7.4.3. Company Goals and Objectives: Financial

The financial goal of the HydroTower Team is to balance the cost of automation with the
cost of usability and appeal. It is the objective of the HydroTower Team to find the balance
between valuable features and cost. The cost of the HydroTower will stay low in cost by
using the most inexpensive microcontrollers while still maintaining the requirements as
established by the Team to control automation and standard parts that can be easily
manufactured and mass produced.

7.4.4. SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Expanding market with many new ideas on hydroponic gardening. People
are more likely to try out ideas and product which are showing up multiple places in different
forms.
Weaknesses: Quality reference research material lacking, not organic, untested ideas for
automation.

55

Opportunities: Many small and startup companies in the industry. This competition
will keep the HydroTower team thinking and working towards the best possible solution.
Threats: Large corporation industrial designs

7.5. Competitor Analysis

7.5.1. Established Competitors
The RotoGro 240 Rotating Garden has an innovative design with timer and rotating motors.
The design is quoted as saying, The effect of gravity on the rotation of plants is amazing.
Its strengths are that the RotoGro is a developed product on the market and it has an
innovative design. The weaknesses of this product are that it costs $5,200 and lacks in visual
appeal. Almost nobody would want to have something like this product sitting in their living
room.38

Figure 25: RotoGro 240 Rotating Garden

The second established competitor is the Desktop Hydroponic System. The Desktop
Hydroponic System is a compact planter that grows small herbs on desk using sunlight or the
artificial light from an office. This product has a strong visual appeal and a low cost of $40.
The weaknesses of the Desktop Hydroponic System are that it has no additional light source
and is not big enough to feed a family. Growing options are limited.

39

38 "RotoGro 240 Rotating Garden." HHydro.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.hhydro.com/RotoGro-240-RotatingGarden.html>.
39 "ThinkGeek :: Power Plant Herb Garden." ThinkGeek. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/b7d7/?cpg=cj&ref=&CJURL>.

56

Figure 26: Desktop Hydroponic system

The AeroGarden Pro 200 Indoor Tabletop Vegetable Garden is a fully automated
system that is capable of growing multiple types of herbs and vegetables. For $200 the
indoor garden provides everything that is needed to start growing. The weaknesses of this
product are that it lacks growing spaces and still does not have a strong visual appeal. 40

Figure 27AeroGarden Pro 200

7.5.2. Potential Competitors

Biosphere home farming concept generates food and cooking gas, while filtering water.
The concept supplements a familys nutritional needs by generating several hundred
calories a day in the form of fish, root vegetables, grasses, plants and algae. Unlike

40 "The Indoor Tabletop Vegetable Garden." Hammacher Schlemmer. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.hammacher.com/publish/75426.asp#?cm_mmc=CJ-_-2617611-_-3682082-_-Save up to 70% on Electronics>.

57

conventional hydroponic nurseries this system incorporates a methane digester than

produces heat and gas to power lights, similarly algae produces hydrogen and the root
plants produces oxygen, which is fed back to fish. CO2 is pumped into the plants. It is a
closed loop interdependent system. The system uses waste water and non-consumable
household matter and delivers food in return. 41 The strength of this idea is that it is backed
by Phillips which is a large company. However the system is larger than most needs for a
family.

Figure 28: Biosphere Home Farming

The Nano Garden is a design concept produced by Hyundai with a strong visual
appeal. The Nano Garden is a vegetable garden for the apartment kitchen, using
hydroponics, so users don't need to worry about pesticides or fertilizers. Instead of the
sunlight, Nano Garden has lighting which promotes the growth of plants. The amount of light,
water and nutrient supply is also controllable, so users can decide the growth speed. It lets
users know when to provide water or nutrients to the plants, and Nano Garden functions as a
natural air purifier, eliminating
unpleasant smells.42

41 "Biosphere Home Farming by Philips." Yanko Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/03/17/the-ultimate-recycle-bin-nourishes-as-well/>.

42 "Kitchen Nano Garden." Fast Co. Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.
<www.fastcodesign.com/idea-2010/kitchen-nanogarden>.
58

Figure 29: Kitchen Nano Garden

59

8. Business Financials
HydroTower has been identified as a potential marketing and business opportunity. The
business financials section contains estimates on costs and revenue possible for HydroTower.
Professor Medema of the Business Department at Calvin assisted the HydroTower Team in
beginning an analysis on HydroTower. However, due to the issues faced in selecting a final
design direction, much of the financial analysis will occur during Engr. 340.
The current outlook for HydroTower is to sell modularized levels, the first of which would
be the base unit. Subsequent stackable units could be purchased and attached to the base unit.
HydroTower will also sell refills of the nutrient concentration bottles.

8.1. Prototype Costs

Throughout first semester, the Team has been exploring alternative design options
through testing and prototyping. Costs of the prototype are listed in the table below.
Table 12: Prototype Costs

Material for
Purchase

# of
Units

Cost
per Total Cost
Unit ($)
($)

Description

Wood (Sheets 4*4ft)

Provided free to Team by Engr

WoodShop

Metal (Sheets 2*6 ft)

Provided free to Team by Engr

WoodShop

Nails

12

Provided free to Team by Engr

WoodShop

Perlite

3.79

3.79

Seeds

60

Provided free to Team by Biology

Dept

Nutrients (in L of
solution)

Provided free to Team by Biology

Dept

Total Prototype Cost

3.79

8.2. Variable and Fixed Costs

Cash flow analysis for HydroTower was completed based upon the Excel file
provided by Professor Medema in the Calvin Business Department. Appendix B contains the
cash flow analysis compiled in Excel. This outlook was used to determine whether or not
60

starting a new business for this product would be feasible. The cost analysis was based on
concepts learned in
Business 357. The BizPlan financial template was used to analyze a three year product
forecast. Based on information from the continuous online survey, there is a predicted
market that is estimated to have sales revenue of $100,000 in the first year. The number of
units sold is based on assuming a small percent of the market will purchase it each year,
gradually increasing as it gains recognition. The fixed cost in the first year is higher than the
second and third years because of repair, replacement and initial purchasing costs. The
depreciation expense fluctuates because the initial purchasing cost and interest is compiled
throughout the next two years. The equipment purchase for the second year and the third are
much lower but still exist because the growth of the company. Interest rates are based on a
pessimistic view of the economy.

Error! Reference source not found.The cash flow

analysis is solely a prediction and only used as a way to assess the start up of a potential
business.

More cash flow analysis will be done in the second semester when more

information can be obtained. In conclusion, based on the assumed number of units sold, the
business will break even around the end of year two and turn a large profit at the end of year
three.
Table 13: Variable and fixed costs estimations for HydroTower

Fixed Costs
Rent on Facility
Renting Equipment for Manufacturing
Taxes
Salaries (manager, 4 employees at
40,000/employee)

Amount
100,000
200,000
50,000
290000
20000

Labor of Design (200 hours)

660,000
Variable Costs (5000 units/ year)
shipping
LED Lights
LCD Touch Screen
Water Pump
Chemicals
Tubing
Temperature Sensors

15

75000

50
100
30
25
10
10

250000
500000
150000
125000
50000
50000
61

Microprocessor
Housing/Build materials
Total
Breakeven Point ($)

30
20

150000
100000
1450000

2,110,000
422

8.3. Cash Flow Analysis

The final design of the HydroTower is an innovative and functional design that offers
a product to the hydroponic market that is not offered on the market. This type of product has
the potential to be profitable. The purpose of the cash flow analysis is to analyze the costs
and profit if a business were formed to design and sell this product to the market.
For this class, the team will be designing a prototype useable in urban residential
housing areas. The cost for the prototype and the final design is expected to differ. During
the prototyping, multiple design considerations cause cost to increase. Designs are perused
but later deemed infeasible. In addition, several components were salvaged from spare parts
in the engineering building to keep the final cost within budget.

62

9. Management
9.1. Project
Since the Team is comprised of two mechanical and three electrical engineering
students, work was delegated to each member according to the strengths each member
provides the Team. Table 9.1.1 shows the work delegated to each Team member. While
multiple members of the Team work together, one member is designated as a Tech-Lead and
is thus responsible for the overall organization of their specific task area.
Table 14: Tech-Lead positions for the HydroTower Team

Task

Tech
Lead

Business
Big Idea Project

Nathan

Elevator Pitch

Brandon

Engineering Business
Plan

Jacqueli
ne

PPFS
Project Requirements

Brenton

Research

Brian

Feasibility

Jacqueli
ne

Design
PCB

Brandon

Power System

Brandon

User Interface

Nathan

Automatic Plant Care

Program

Brenton

Air Quality Controls

Brenton

Water Quality Controls

Nathan

Structure Design

Brian

Air Flow

Jacqueli
ne

Water Piping

Brian

Heating/Cooling

Brian

Chemical Distribution

Jacqueli
ne

63

Specifically, below is a description of each of the Team members responsibilities.

While much work is done in teams, the descriptions below explain individual roles of the
Team and the specific delegation of work.

Brian DeKock was placed in charge of the overall structure and

manufacturing of prototypes. Brian has the most knowledge and passion for
building in the woodshop and finding ways to implement designs using
scraps from the wood and metal shop. Brian was also placed in charge of
the heating/cooling system as well as the water piping. Each of the heating,
cooling and piping systems involve integration of components into a
prototype system. Thus, Brian was the best fit for each of his task
delegations.

Brenton Eelkema was in charge of developing the business overview and

WBS creation. In addition he worked to build and measure preliminary
experiments in hydroponics.

Brenton took Brandons place as the

representative of HydroTower in the Elevator Pitch, a competition put on by

the Business Department and Entrepreneurship Club at Calvin. HydroTower
took third place out of 12 competitors, earning $300 for the Teams budget.

Jacqueline Kirkman was delegated the air flow system and the chemical
distribution system. Jacqueline has the most experience of the group members
in chemical systems and was thus the logical choice. Psychrometrics and air
ventilation were also assigned to Jacquelines responsibilities. Jacqueline has
further acquired the position of Project Manager due to her organizational and
detail-oriented management skills, thus other tasks are delegated to
Jacqueline which fall under team management but are not specifically listed
here.

Nathan Meyer was delegated to manage the software design and

implementation. Nathan is also responsible for the design of the nutrient
control logic.

Nathan presented to the Big Idea Contest judges since

HydroTower was selected in the final four applicants. The Big Idea Contest
was a competition hosted by the Enterprise Center at Calvin; HydroTower
made it to the final four but did not win the grand prize of $200. Nathan has
been assigned to maintain the team website and update it as content becomes
available.
64

Brandon Vonk has the responsibility of designing the power systems and
printed circuit boards (PCBs) along with the lighting system for HydroTower.
Brandon has the most experience with PCBs and thoroughly enjoys working
with power systems, making him the best choice. Brandon has also been
delegated the responsibility of maintaining an updated team budget.

9.2. Work Breakdown Structure and Scheduling

The Team has selected a project schedule such that the project should be
completed by April 26 in order to yield two weeks of leeway to handle unexpected delays
or obstacles in the project. Figure 30 and Figure 31 show the current project schedule that
was made using MS Project. The full project work breakdown structure (WBS) is located
in Appendix A.

Figure 31: WBS Fall Semester

65

Figure 30: WBS Spring Semester

9.3. Budget
Brandon Vonk is responsible for maintaining an updated budget for the team.
Maintaining the budget requires updating both the working budget and the projections for
the budget in MS Excel. Completing the necessary order forms when necessary is also
contained within the responsibilities for maintaining the proper budget. Current expenses
and more cost details are contained in Section 8.

9.4. Website
Nathan Meyer is responsible for both updating and maintaining the team website.
Nathan is the most familiar with programming and the DreamWeaver software and was thus
the most logical choice for the overall upkeep of the website.

9.5. Meetings and Status updates

Team meetings have been established as a weekly occurrence held on Wednesdays
following the conclusion of Engr 339, typically beginning at 3:30pm and lasting for either
one or two hours. Other meetings are called as necessary to ensure the team remains in clear
and focused communication. Meeting agendas are made by Jacqueline Kirkman in advance
66

to the onset of the meetings. Furthermore, meeting agendas are distributed before each
meeting such that all team members can review the agenda and have input on meeting
topics. All meeting topics are prioritized to ensure items of higher importance are discussed
and issues of highest importance can be addressed in the most efficient manner.
Weekly status updates for both the team members and the overall team are sent out
every week to the Teams advisor, Professor VanderLeest. Each team member records the
amount of hours they work individually, and team hours are designated for when all team
members are present for a meeting or for team work. Team status reports are submitted on
Sunday evenings to Professor VanderLeest after each individual member reports their time,
their accomplishments for the week of submittal and their tasks for the next week.
Jacqueline Kirkman organizes the final team weekly status update.

9.6. Resources
Listed below are the key resources contributing to the success of Team 2.

Professor Steve VanderLeest, Team 2 advisor, ensuring the successful

completion of HydroTower tasks and assisting in brainstorming to solve some
design problems.

Professor David Wunder, assisted Team 2 in researching different ideas for

chemical analysis for the water supply.

Professor David Dornbos, taught the Team how to mix Hoaglands solution
and gave access to the Biology departments plant laboratory and gave Team
02 seeds to begin experimenting hydroponic growth. Has been a continuous
resource for knowledge about plant growth and optimization.

Professor Uko Zylstra, connected the Team with Mud Lake Farms (Kris and
Steve Haitsma).

Steve & Kris Van Haitsma, owners of Mud Lake Farm, provided the Team
with information about hydroponic growth and gave the Team a tour of Mud
Lake Farm hydroponic floating system.

David Plant, Werecon: Advanced Water Treatment, assisting the team in

research of electrodal analysis of the water supply and providing more
alternative solutions to nutrient system design.

Professor Robert Medema, Business Department, assisted with cash flow

analysis and was the main contact to SoundOff Signal
67

SoundOff Signal, donated LEDs.

Tim Theriault, Team Industrial Consultant, provided valuable advice to the

team regarding project scope and timeline goals.

10. Design Competitions

10.1. 2011 ASME Innovation Showcase
Deadline: January 10, 2011
Inspiring students to be product innovators and entrepreneurs, the ASME Innovation
Showcase (IShow) provides a platform for top collegiate teams to compete for seed
money to further develop their product. While demonstrating their technical creativity,
winners must prove that they have a sustainable business model to a judging panel of
successful innovators,
industry experts, venture capitalists, and intellectual property specialists. 43

10.2. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Student Design

Competition
Deadline: June 1, 2011
This competition involves designing and building an original device or product
not currently offered on the market that applies engineering principles and
technology to problems in medicine and biology. Other acceptable designs include a
modification of an existing product, and may consist of hardware, software, or a
combination of both.44

10.3.

2011 IEEE Presidents Change the World Competition

Deadline: January 31, 2011

43 "ASME IShow - Programs." American Society Of Mechanical Engineers ASME.ORG.

N.p.,

n.d.

Web.

05

Dec.

2010.

<http://www.asme.org/Communities/Innovates/Programs/Innovation_Showcase_ISh
ow.cfm>.
44 "IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Undergraduate Student Design Competition." IEEE. N.p., n.d. Web.
05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/students/awards/eng_medicine_undergrad_ design.html>.

68

The IEEE Presidents Change the World Competition recognizes and rewards
students who identify a real-world problem and apply engineering, science, computing,
and leadership skills to solve it. The contest offers students the perfect opportunity to
have their ingenuity and enthusiasm for engineering and technology recognized by
prestigious IEEE members
around the globe. 45

11. Conclusions
Overall, Engr. 339/340 and the PPFS concluded that HydroTower: Gardening Solutions as
both a project and product are feasible based upon proven technologies, analysis and testing of
current prototype designs. We have achieved many milestones throughout the course of this
semester such as building a prototype, selecting and obtaining LEDs, upload of the team website,
basic analysis of air flow design, and selection of frame structure as a of a rectangular modular
unit.
Although some aspects of the final design have yet to be fully addressed, they will be
attended to next semester. This includes nutrient system, rectangular prototype, final design
components, and the finalized business plan. The team as identified a few concerns which one
being the cost of the HydroTower in a new and competitive market, another is the integration of
computer/electrical and mechanical systems, but realizing these risks will prove to help the
design process and help in the decision making process. The project is on schedule and the
HydroTower team is confident that is can complete the final design on time and according to
design specifications.
For the second part of our project the HydroTower team plans to accelerate the development
of our design. We are confident that we will be able to move forward at a greater pace due to the
development of our team and the creation of a framework that will enable us to move on from
our mistakes and repeat our successes. The HydroTower team will continue to work through
January in order to hopefully finalize design requirements and ensure that financial and planning
projections are met.
We will continue our work in the second semester in order to insure that requirements
and deadlines are met promptly. We will no longer have the option to make major design
45 "Presidents' Change the World Competition." IEEE. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.ieee.org/membership_
services/membership/students/competitions/change_the_world/index.html>.
69

changes that could fundamentally effect how our product works. Again, fundamental
decisions will need to be made on the nutrient system in order to ensure a viable product.
The HydroTower team hopes that these decisions will help to create a high quality Senior
Design project and overall excellent project.
Appendix A: Work Breakdown Structure/ Milestones

Appendix A: Work Breakdown Structure/ Milestones (Cont)

70

Appendix A: Work Breakdown Structure/ Milestones (Cont)

71

Appendix B: Cash Flow Analysis

72

Appendix B: Cash Flow Analysis (Cont)

73

74

Appendix C: Lighting System Design Calculations (Red

LEDs)

75

76

Appendix C:

(Cont)
Lighting System Design Calculations (Red
LEDs)

77

Appendix C:

(Cont)

78

Appendix C:
(Cont)
Lighting System Design Calculations (Red LEDs)

79

Appendix C:

(Cont)

80

Appendix C:

(Cont)
Lighting System Design Calculations (Red
LEDs)

81

Appendix C:

(Cont)

82

Appendix D: Lighting System Design Calculations (Blue

LEDs)

83

84

Appendix D: Lighting System Design Calculations (Blue

LEDs) (Cont)

85

Appendix D: Lighting System Design Calculations (Blue

LEDs) (Cont)

86

87

Appendix D: Lighting System Design Calculations (Blue

LEDs) (Cont)

88

Appendix E:Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow System

Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow Design of

HydroTower

Assumptions:
Compressed liquid water
Enclosed space
Heat loss only from water to air (enclosed) by natural
convection
<Could add heat loss from sides>
2.0 Inputs
Pressur
e:
P
P_sat_T_ambie
nt

14.696 psia
0.17795 psia
94

<assumed>
<calculated from
T_ambient>

stPSAT

Temperature:
Water
In

70 F
21.11 C

<assumed>
<calculated>

Water
Out

65 F

<assumed>

Ambien
t

50 F

<assumed>

10 C

<calculated>

Diameter of HydroTower and Thickness of

Walls:
Thickne
ss
Thickne

3 inches <assumed>
0.25 feet

<calculated>

89

ss
OD
ID

2.5 feet

<measured>

2.25 feet

<calculated>

1 feet

<measured>

Height
Volume of Water in Base
Unit:
V_gal

3.97607 gallons <calculated>

82

V_m^3 0.015051 m3
09

<calculated>

V_L

<calculated>

15.05109 L
33

Ideal Relative Humidity:

rel_hum

0.5 %

Appendix E:Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow System (Cont)

Properties
<Assumed
Compressed Liquid>
Thermal
Conductivity

Heat Transfer
Coef

Surface Area:
Water

A_s

Density

Characteristic
Length

L_c

kinematic
viscosity

Prandtl Number

Pr

gravity

Volume
Expansion Co
Thermal
Difusivity

0.34889 Btu/hr-ft-F
51

<calculat
ed>

stCDL

<calculat
ed>

stVCL

k*Nu/
L_c
3.9760 ft^2
78
62.308 ft^3/lb
56
m
2.25

ft

0.0006 lbm/ft-s
81
0.1214
45
32.2

<assume
d>
<calculat
ed>

stVISL

ft/s2

0.01428 1/F
6
0.00560
7

<assume
d>
<calculat
ed>

90

Specific Heat

Cp

0.9986 Btu/lbm-F
62

<calculat
ed>

stCPL

Flow Rate of Air

m_dot_
a

12

cfm

<Data Sheets for fans, see Jacq

drive>

Flow Rate of
Water

m_dot_
w

gal/min <Assumed based on the

pump>

2.31E- lbm/s
03
Specific Volume of inlet
water
0.0160 ft^3/lb
49
m

Appendix E:Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow System

(Cont)

91

Appendix E: Psychrometric Calculations for Air Flow System (Cont)

92

Enthalpy of
Water
h_w_1

38.091 Btu/lbm
55

h_w_2

33.097 Btu/lbm
23

Enthalpy of Air
h_a_1

26 Btu/lbm dry air

h_a_2

23 Btu/lbm dry air

omega_
1

0.0078 lb H2O/ lb dry

air

omega_
2

0.0065 lb H2O/ lb dry

air
m_dot_a= (m_dot_w_in * (h_w_1 - h_w_2)) / ((h_a_2 - h_a_1) - (omega_2 omega_1)*h_a_2)

m_dot_a 0.0037 lbm/s

=
97
density of air at 0 ft
altitude
m_dot_a
=

0.07647 lbm/ft3

5.062 cfm

93

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