Porous Tube Nutrient Delivery SystemBill KalinowskiDecember 1, 1999Space Hardware Design Final ProjectPlants in Space•Life support•Basic science•Applied science•MoraleCurrent Technologies•Astroculture substrate•Zeoponics•PTNDS•Trades– Sustainable growth– Biomass production– Crop cyclingPorous Tube SystemTechnology Issues: Hydrostatic Pressure P=ρghh1h2h3h4Porous Tube Cross-SectionTechnology Issues: Surface Moisture Control•Bubble pressure: •Moisture controlled with syringe pump•Surface moisture vs. Pressure calibration•Pressure feedback control system•Reduced gravity calibration is requiredrPσ2=Porous Tube Technology Demonstration DesignChallenges:– System priming– De-aeration– Moisture controlValve 3Circulation PumpNutrient Res.Priming PumpFine Control pumpPorous TubeDe- AeratorValve 2Valve 1ReferencesPicture of plant soil packets were taken from: http://www.colorado.edu/engineering/BioServe/Lee syringe pump picture taken from: http://www.theleeco.com/EFSWEB/PUMPS.htmGeneral Sources:Tsao, D., M.R.Okos, and J.C. Sager. 1996 Controlling the Water Availability from a Ceramic Tube System Subjected to Non-Standard Gravities. Mimeo. Paper #961505 presented to the 26thInternational Conference on Environmental Systems, The Society of Automotive Engineers, Monterey, C.A.Levine, H., W.C. Piastuch, and T.W. 1998 Dreschel. Development of a Microgravity-Rated Hydroponic Plant Culture Apparatus. Dynamic Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, FL.Levine, H., B. Wells, K. Anderson, W. Piastuch, J. Moyer, W. Knott, G. Etheridge. 1998 Microgravity Plant Nutrient Experiment MPNE-01 Flight Report. Kennedy Space Center, FL.Koster, J, Sani R., Low-gravity Fluid Dynamics and Transport Phenomena. Washington, D.C.:American Institute for Aeronautics and
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