WO2018127859A2

WO2018127859A2 - System for hydropinc cultivation on the sea

Info

Publication number: WO2018127859A2
Application number: PCT/IB2018/051932
Authority: WO
Inventors: Héctor POVEDA; Eduardo PEREZ DENADAI; Rossana DE LA FUENTE
Original assignee: Ingeniería Aplicada, S.A.
Priority date: 2018-03-14
Filing date: 2018-03-22
Publication date: 2018-07-12
Also published as: WO2018127859A3

Abstract

Floating system for plants cultivation on the seawater comprising a seawater deposit and a container surrounded by a transparent closed structure which accommodates the plants to be grown. The deposit has a seawater desalination device arranged at a side thereof. The system is also provided with water discharge pipes which avoid the excess of water in the crops, and it preferably comprises anchoring points which allow forming an array of floating devices. Preferably, the system includes an automatic device regulating the nutrients for the crop which does not use electric power. Furthermore, it allows measuring the crop condition remotely by means of a sensor.

Description

SYSTEM FOR HYDROPINC CULTIVATION ON THE SEA

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers to the technical field of hydroponic cultivation systems. More particularly, the object of the invention refers to a floating system for hydroponic cultivation on the seawater which uses desalted water for irrigation thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The people living in islands or coastline areas do not usually find it easy to grow their own food for reasons of space, appropriate conditions of the soil for growing the crop and lack of water sources which allow irrigation. Some floating cultivation systems are known which use hydroponics and allow overcoming problems of lack of space and soils for cultivation. However, these systems are used on freshwater bodies and at the coastline areas the presence of these freshwater bodies is usually very limited. In order to fight the challenge of the unusual presence of freshwater in the coastline areas, scientists have proposed solutions which allow growing plants which can tolerate seawater and can be irrigated with it. However, most terrestrial plants and, above all, those producing food do not tolerate salinity levels in water, so the presence of freshwater becomes necessary.

In the document US2005/044788A1 , the authors propose a floating system for plant cultivation using seawater. This seawater is passed through a desalination process, thus reducing significantly the salinity levels. However, this floating system uses soil for cultivation, which can be a limitation at coastline areas.

Unlike the above invention, the present invention does not require the use of soil, since it is based on a hydroponic system which overcomes the limitation of lack of soil for cultivation in coastline areas. Furthermore, the use of hydroponics allows a greater amount of crops per square metres, thus providing more space for cultivation. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a system for hydroponic cultivation in the sea characterized in that it comprises a floating structure consisting of:

a) a sea water deposit,

b) a container closed by a transparent cover comprising inside thereof:

b1 ) a plurality of channels arranged parallel to each other and configured for accommodating plants, and

b2) a nutrient deposit located at the beginning of each one of the channels and configured for releasing nutrients by means of dripping into said channels. c) a pipe connecting the seawater deposit with the container and wherein said pipe is configured for directing the water contained in the deposit towards the container channels.

d) at least one water discharge pipe, located at the end of the channels at the opposite side of the nutrient deposit, and configured for draining excess water from said channels, and

e) a device configured for desalinating the water contained in the seawater deposit. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises at least two anchoring points configured for coupling another system for hydroponic cultivation on the sea.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises at least one sensor integrated in the transparent cover of the container in order to measure the state of the crop. More preferably, the system comprises a radio transmitter coupled to the sensor. Thus, the sensor allows monitoring the state of the crops remotely.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a mechanical or automatic nutrient regulating device configured for regulating the amount of nutrients that come from the nutrient deposit to the channels. This regulating device does not use electric power.

The system described in the invention allows using seawater for crop irrigation, preferably food crops, since it includes a device for seawater desalination by sun light evaporation. The use of a floating body makes it possible to obtain a space in the sea for terrestrial plants cultivation. Using a hydroponic method provides a solution to the lack of cultivation soils for sea cultivation. Furthermore, the closed structure is intended to protect the crops from birds and other animals, and from the effects of the wind and the seawater.

The water discharge pipes avoid the excess of water in the crops. Furthermore, the device is provided with anchoring points which allow forming an array of floating devices, thus increasing the number of crops or diversifying the type of plants being grown.

This invention is also provided with an automatic device for regulating the nutrients for the crop, which does not use electric power, thus giving autonomy and self-sufficiency to the plant cultivation floating device. Furthermore, it is provided with at least one sensor capable of measuring the crop condition and with a radio-frequency transmitter which transmits this condition to a receptor located at another point. This allows monitoring the condition of the cultivated plants.

Therefore, the present invention provides a device for self-sufficient cultivation of a high density of plants on the seawater by means of a hydroponic cultivation method no requiring cultivation soil.

Furthermore, the system of the invention comprising a floating body, allows using areas for cultivation in the sea.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures represent, with an illustrative and non-limiting purpose, the following:

FIG. 1 .- It shows an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the system described in the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The following is a detailed description, with the help of the attached figure referred above, of an exemplary preferred embodiment of the floating hydroponic greenhouse system on the seawater of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a system (1 ) for hydroponic cultivation on the sea which can float in the sea water and comprising a seawater deposit (10) used as water reservoir, a container used as greenhouse, said container being closed by a transparent cover (6) that let the sun light pass through. In the container closed by the transparent cover (6) there is a plurality of channels (8) through which the water flows and where plants (9) are placed. The water enters the container through a pipe (1 1 ). The nutrients required for the plants (9) growth are provided by a nutrient receptacle (7) which releases them by means of dripping. The level of water is regulated by water discharge pipes (3) which allow keeping a constant level of water. The condition of the plants inside the greenhouse structure is monitored by at least one sensor (4) which is connected to a radio transmitter (5) which sends information about the crop condition. In the side sections of the container there is a plurality of tiedown points (2) so as to join other systems being similar to that of the invention.

The operation of the system is described below:

Firstly, water coming from the deposit (10) enters the container closed with the transparent cover (6), its role in the module being to let sun light pass through, work as a greenhouse, protect against waves, animals and the environment. Secondly, once the water enters the container it constantly runs through irrigation channels (8) that get flooded until the water level reaches the water discharge pipes (3) inlet, thus keeping the maximum water level constant. The nutrients the plants need are diluted in the water through the nutrient receptacle (7) which releases said nutrients by means of dripping into the water running in the channels (8). Inside the container closed with the transparent cover (6) there are a set of sensors (4) monitoring the condition of the growing plants and transmitting this information by means of a radio transmitter (5).

Claims

C L A I M S

1 . System for hydroponic cultivation on the sea, characterized in that it comprises a floating structure consisting of:

a) a sea water deposit,

b) a container closed by a transparent cover comprising inside thereof: b1 ) a plurality of channels arranged parallel to each other and configured for accommodating plants, and

e) a device configured for desalinate the water contained in the seawater deposit.

2. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least two anchoring points configured for coupling another system for hydroponic cultivation on the sea.

3. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor integrated in the transparent cover of the container in order to measure the crop condition.

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a radio transmitter coupled to the sensor.

5. System according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a nutrient regulating automatic device configured for regulating the amount of nutrients arriving from the nutrient deposit to the channels.