Internal Design of a Hydroponics Greenhouse for Tri Cycle Farms

Hydroponics is the agricultural technique of growing plants without soil, using other growing media and added nutrients in a solvent. It is an attractive agricultural method over conventional agriculture because it is more water efficient, is less labor intensive, yields higher quality crops in less time, and is easier to control. According to the Digital Journal, “hydroponics crop value is anticipated to grow to USD 27.29 Billion by 2022 at an estimated CAGR of 6.39% from 2015 to 2020” (Sawant, 2016). Alongside this growing market acceptance for hydroponics, there is also a local demand that requires only a small transportation cost. For the past several years, Tri Cycle Farms - a 501-(c)(3) non-profit urban farm in Fayetteville - has dreamt of building a hydroponics greenhouse because it would provide a source of sustainable financial income, a location for educational programming, and a means of battling food insecurity. Since August 2017, I have been working with Tri Cycle Farms to help make the hydroponics greenhouse project a reality. The objectives of this section of the overall project are 1) to determine desirable crops to be produced, 2) design the internal layout of the chosen greenhouse, and 3) design one hydroponics system using engineering design and fluid mechanics. This thesis report outlines the process of fulfilling these objectives, the justification behind the design decisions, and a discussion of the potential implications moving forward.