Nutrient film device and nutrient film technique hydroponic system

A method for cultivating plants in a hydroponic system, the method comprising:

• providing a growing tower having a cylindrical sidewall at least partially defining a hollow interior, a tower axis extending axially through the hollow interior, an inlet into the hollow interior at an upper end of the growing tower, an outlet from the hollow interior at a lower end of the growing tower, and a plurality of planting ports in the cylindrical sidewall, wherein the plurality of planting ports are below the inlet and open to the hollow interior;
• supplying nutrient liquid from a reservoir to the inlet of the growing tower;
• generating a nutrient film within the growing tower by accelerating the nutrient liquid tangentially and inducing the nutrient liquid to flow axially and radially, relative to the tower axis, along an inner surface of the cylindrical sidewall as a nutrient film;
• and
• collecting runoff nutrient liquid that exits from the outlet of the growing tower within the reservoir.

A nutrient film technique hydroponic system for cultivating plants comprising:

• a growing tower having a tower sidewall at least partially defining a hollow interior, an inlet into the hollow interior at an upper end of the growing tower, and a plurality of planting ports in the tower sidewall, wherein the plurality of planting ports are below the inlet and open to the hollow interior;
• a tower axis extending axially through the hollow interior;
• a pump configured to supply nutrient liquid to the inlet of the growing tower;
• and
• a nutrient film generator at the upper end of the growing tower that converts a flow of nutrient liquid into a nutrient film flowing along an inner surface of the tower sidewall of the growing tower, the nutrient film generator comprising:
• a casing having a nutrient liquid inlet, an upper wall extending radially from the nutrient liquid inlet, and a casing sidewall extending downwardly from the upper wall, wherein the tower axis passes through the nutrient liquid inlet;
• and
• a swirler configured to induce a swirl on the nutrient liquid passing through the swirler to turn a flow direction of the nutrient liquid from being substantially axial along the tower axis to including a tangential component;
• wherein the casing has a concave inner surface where the upper wall meets the casing sidewall to transition the flow direction of the nutrient liquid from including the tangential component to a helical swirling flow stream that flows along the inner surface of the tower sidewall.