The Evaluation of Modular Manufacturing in Controlled Environment Agriculture for Repurposed Urban Spaces

Mikael Borge, Purdue University

Abstract

This thesis aims to evaluate a Modular Manufacturing (MM) technical approach to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for cultivating plant food crops in a repurposed urban space. The specific approach was to fit a modular hydroponic CEA system into an insulated cooler box with environmental control to act as a micro plant factory. The feasibility of the approach was evaluated and a benchmark comparison between repurposed urban space and controlled lab environments was produced.Possessing accessibility and affordability to desired quantitatively and nutritious food is a pillar for a healthy lifestyle, yet food insecurity is a growing problem worldwide, in industrial as well as industrializing nations. Food insecurity is defined as “lacking the ability to meet nutritional needs at one or multiple times during the year.” [1] Though Developing countries tend to score poorly on the Food Security Index [2], the issue is common in developed countries as well, where countries like the U.S. Possess a household food insecurity rate of above 10% [1]. Especially, subgroups of the urban population and university students in developed countries are represented at a higher rate concerning food insecurity [3], due to food insecurity’s dependence on socioeconomic factors such as purchasing power and local accessibility.Bringing production close to the consumers or to the Point-of-Need (PoN) would be a valuable tool for supplementing traditional food crop production and increasing access to highquality food for groups exposed to food insecurity. This is especially attractive in densely populated areas and college campuses, where real estate is prime. Bringing production to the PoN does however carry certain challenges, such as severe resource restrictions, which are not present in traditional agricultural production in rural areas where there is vast access to land, water, and plenty of sunlight. Pushing the boundaries of CEA research, technology, and application areas will be crucial for the utilization of nontraditional agricultural land, agricultural resource optimization, and food security improvements in difficult-to-farm environments to facilitate delivery to PoN.Salient outcomes:The salient outcomes of this research were that a MM platform was proven to be feasible for CEA cultivation of food crops in a repurposed urban space as well as a controlled location. Specimens cultivated in a repurposed urban space were shown to have a lower growth rate compared to a controlled location, but the important comparison is to the currently nonexistent productivity in such spaces.Intellectual merit:The MM CEA platform was designed, prototyped, and tested using components-of-the-shelf (COTS) as recommended by frugal engineering methodology [4]. This manufacturing platform was engineered for a case study for repurposing unused “garage space” on the college campus at Purdue University. The platform was further used for a set of studies to evaluate the feasibility of the MM platform and the production efficiency of the platform not only in a repurposed urban space but also across harsh environments across winter-spring seasons. Romaine lettuce cultivars were used as a sample plant for winter and spring studies due to their property as a popular consumable, nutritious, and relatively short growth time for better productivity.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Malshe, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Agriculture|Nutrition|Agronomy|Economics|Industrial engineering|Sociology|Urban planning

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