Design and Development of Automated Hydroponic System

Agriculture, by far, is the greatest consumer of fresh water. Fresh water used in agriculture is almost 100 times greater than that used for domestic purposes. United Nations considers water scarcity a greater threat than terrorism. Traditional approaches of agriculture are exacerbating an already s

Project Title

Design and Development of Automated Hydroponic System

Project Area of Specialization

Internet of Things

Project Summary

Agriculture, by far, is the greatest consumer of fresh water. Fresh water used in agriculture is almost 100 times greater than that used for domestic purposes. United Nations considers water scarcity a greater threat than terrorism. Traditional approaches of agriculture are exacerbating an already serious situation of water scarcity. This is because of the highly inefficient use of water. A huge amount of water is lost to evaporation.

An alternative to this is to use hydroponic system which is cultivation without soil. When a plant is grown in soil, it's roots continuously search for nutrients, which consumes energy. On the other hand, when it is directly grown in water, it does not have to consume any energy in developing roots and all the energy can be directed towards flowers and leaves.

Water flows in open channels made from PVC pipes and all water is recirculated, resulting in almost zero loss through evaporation. Also, environmental conditions like temperature, pH and nutrient availability to plants is controlled, giving plants exactly what they need and when they need it.

Sensors are used to measure important plant parameters, a microcontroller processes data and controls those parameters using appropriate actuators. 

Project Objectives

Following would be the objectives of this project

1. To build a basic Hydroponic System that can be manually operated
2. To design and build an automation system for the hydroponic system
3. To test the system by growing actual vegetables

Project Implementation Method

Basic frame is built using angle irons and PVC half cut pipes acting as open channels. Water would be pumped to the highest point of the system and then it would flow automatically due to slope in pipes.

Raspberry pi would be used to sense data and process it. Output pins of Raspberry pi would control pumps, relays which would control valves and Grow Light etc. It would also be used to display information on display panels and send that data to remote location.

Benefits of the Project

• Conservation of fresh water
• Energy efficiency
• Higher nutrient agriculture produce
• Pesticide free vegetables and fruits
• Vegetables and fruits can even be grown indoors, even in flats

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

A fully functional automated hydroponic system would be developed using locally available parts making it inexpensive. The system would be able to provide required vegetables for a single small home.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Agriculture

Other Industries

Food

Core Technology

Internet of Things (IoT)

Other Technologies

Sustainable Development Goals

Zero Hunger, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com