IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
TEAM 15091 PROJECT SUMMARY
Class ABE 498 A/B
Sponsor UA Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Sponsor Mentor/Advisor Russ Abney
Project Mentor Peter A. Livingston
Team Members Nicole Xuan Bui Patrick William Bush Brooke Christine Conrardy Ashley C. Hanno Victoria Alexandra Karlsson Claire Kristin Tritz BE = Biosystems Engineering
108
(BE) (BE) (BE) (BE) (BE) (BE)
The purpose of this project is to design and install an irrigation system for a greenhouse built inside a shipping container. This system needs to provide sufficient quantity and quality of water to plants in a nutrient film technique system and in deep-flow hydroponics trays. A closed, self-sustaining system, with an ultraviolet filter on its exit pipes, was designed to allow reuse of irrigation water. The team chose a one-tank design to save space and water. When the deep-flow hydroponics trays are filling, no water is running through the nutrient film technique system. When the trays are full, the pump switches to circulating water through the nutrient film technique system. Shelf and outlet height are adjustable to accommodate different plants, which are fertilized by depositing nutrients directly into the water. A water outlet is provided for humidifiers.