Autonomous Greenhouse Factory

(Please keep in mind: This is my first instructable, and my first essay-like thing I ever post online, and my first time coding with arduino)
This is my impulsive side when I let go of its leash. I normally go and do something crazy such as this. I got an idea while browsing through instructables. Why not build a greenhouse? I remembered a movie about an autonomous house, so why not do something like that? 
I looked up instructables on greenhouses and I saw an instructables on automatic plant watering with an Arduino. That's great, I finally have a permanent use for my arduino. After brainstorming a little more I thought of using some kind of tank to hold the water, kind of like the ones they use in our city but smaller (way smaller). This would let me use gravity as my source of energy for water movement and leave no need for a water pump. 

This instructable is custom for anyone, there is no exact dimensions since this is more of a "factory" of arduino workers which interoperate and keep the greenhouse in order.

I'll stop with the background/rambling and start with the steps

I forgot to mention this instructable is for the robots contest, and im 16

Step 1 Step one, Materials, materials, materials

For this watering (I will add more things, such as ventilation when i finish) system you will need:

-PVC pipes
    -Depends on your design, you mainly need one tube with an end sealed with holes through the tubes to let water to the sprinkler.
-Sprinklers, such as these, or you can buy small clear plastic tubes and cut little holes to make this project more DIY-er (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100128340/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 )

-Arduinos
   -One per Tray to control watering and reporting humidity
   -One 'Main' Arduino that other arduinos report to
   -One Arduino to control how much water is in the water container and to refill it

In total you need about 10 arduinos, or if you are able to simplify the code and make it usable in less Arduinos please do. I know this might get a little expensive but It leaves you with limitless posibilities in expansion.

-Cables (20mts or more) Or get some of that phone wire it works great in these projects.
-4 pressure sensors
-Servos (one per tray)
-Hot glue & hot glue gun
-Nails (2 per tray)
-LEDs (red, green, yellow)
-A valve for each tray to water (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100183126/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 ) this picture is just for reference, you could probably find something.
-Pipe glue (or whatever its really called) It will help you make this stronger
-Wood or an structure to hold the water container


I think this is it, I will probably revise this to include all the other materials, Lets get on the building

Comments

[Varenberg]

Hi, I'm impressed by your drawing in the first place, allthough i can think of many things that will make automatisation easyer. The solenoid valves are indeed a good suggestion... I would make the main line for watering a PE Tube in a circuit, from ther on, cappilary tubes with drippers. The capillary tubes should be as short as possible. You'll have to add a pump of about 6000 liters/hour to get the pressure you need for the drippers. Moisture sensors are indeed good, but you will have to "train" the roots by letting the ground run dry every other watering session.

Then, i've been thinking a lot of this lately. To make the work you have to add/remove soil in your trays, i would suggest growing on gravel, or other soilless system like rockwool or lava balls. I personally have used gravel, rockwool and lava balls... For the moment rockwool is for me the best, but in spring I'm going to try and grow strawberry's on gravel with drippers.

I am allso very interested in the arduino part, since i'm no programmer but more a builder/designer...

[jeramee]

Give him some credit guys, he is 16 and perhaps does not have the money for materials to build this in the first place. I am impressed that someone his age has enough vision to foresee such a concept in the first place. Perhaps, if his parents could help him with the materials he could complete this project, and if not I do not think that this should bar him in anyway from say participating in the micro-controller contest.

[yammer]

I agree, I only had two things on my mind when I was 16 one was football and the other was girls. We had no Computers and only 4 TV channels. So, yeah give him a break. Kids like this make think we may survive a bit longer on this planet! Go for it Pablo! If I had the money I would buy the materials for you!

[dmarsh55]

Pablo, this is a good start. I'm not a techno person, but it looks like you're trying to sprinkle/spray the water - don't. This will promote problems when the plants develop a canopy, such as mildew, sunspotting at the water droplets, and a general waste of water. Wasted water running on the floor or other surfaces promotes 'moss' growth, which harbor insect pests. I'd suggest a drip system. Allow for timers - it's best to water early in the day. Also, include water sensors - multiples due to the fact differing plants' needs are different, and the location within the GH can cause varying degrees of water usage. Also, plants need to be deeply and thoroughly watered to promote healthy root systems, while alternately allowing for the roots not to continually sit in water. In other words, a certain amount of drying should occur.

Refilling water container - perhaps a system of capturing rainwater from gutters when possible, then just filling from the tap via a water hose. Remember to keep the top of the barrel covered w/screen, to keep out mosquitos. Also, the darker the barrel, the less algae growth will happen. Unfortunately, this can overheat the water - a temp sensor here will be helpful to know when to shade the barrel.

Solar panel - GREAT idea! Make sure you generate enough juice to power at least a gable fan; the larger the GH, the more circulating fans you'll need too. A good suggestion would be the Harbor Frieght website - you may even have a store locally. There are also a few good greenhouse supply catalogs on-line.

You will need constant monitoring of temperatures, and if you want to go so far, an alarm system for when the electricity doesn't work, the temps are at +\- extremes, or there is no water available - to generate human intervention.

All GH's in full sun will need shading at some time - I have no idea how you'd monitor this. Also, in temperate zones, a GH will NOT be in production year round - without heat (a whole 'nother discussion) in the winter, you will have hard killing freezes, and in the summer, the GH will need to be 'solarized' - a method of sanitizing the interior, since it's too hot anyway to house plants.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[bsnob]

you could always just use solenoid valvs instead of buying valves at homedepot and then worrying how to connect servos to the valves mthat are hard to turn i bet ,and plus then you have to worry about making the servo moto operate in clockwise and counterclockwise and for how ong of a duration , with the solenoind it is an electromagnet and the valve is either open, magnet on , or closed,magnet off , i thinkg you can get them at grainger for cheap , and that is another thing servos are much more expensive than solenoinds, servo+ a valve is too expensive , but a hydroponic system is better anyways , either a simple ebb and flow sustem or a drip system or an aeroponic system ,i saw one that uses one solenoid and a demand pump and a 5 gallon pressure tank and mist nozzles in pvc pipes, the solenoid is on a timer and opens up to let water be supplied to the mist nozzles by having the solenoid valve connected to the pressure tank to mist the roots hanging in the pvc pipes ,which drain back to a resovior and supply the demand pump , when the pressure in the tank gets low the demand pump kicks on and replaces the pressure and water in the tank ,and nutrient solution ,the solenoid is timed like 1 min on and 4 off etc..

[lemonie]

Build it first, taking photographs, then publish it, I'd like to see the finished thing.(The site is for projects that have been completed).

L

[kelseymh]

I think that's a bit restrictive. There are many "design-only" Instructables here, both in the form of slideshows as well as fully described and documented concepts.

Having said that, yes, this I'ble needs some work. Better drawings, including details of components or subassemblies. Proper designs on the "missing" steps. And so on.

[lemonie]

They changed the button to "I made it" (briefly) didn't they?
That is the site-philosophy isn't it?

L

[pablopeillard]

Im still working on the instructable but I published it to get some feedback. I need to add more steps and code which are my priority, I will add the source files along with a link to the autodesk website where there is a viewer for the CAD files (free)