Hydroponic System

A hydroponic system suitable for arid environments having large diurnal temperature fluctuations, comprising:

• (a) a support structure (S1, S2A, S2B) enclosing a plant-growth area (52);
• (b) a nutrient-delivery subsystem comprising:
• (i) a nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• (ii) a circulation pump (15);
• (iii) conduits for delivering nutrient fluid from the nutrient fluid reservoir to the plant-growth area (36, 39) and for receiving nutrient fluid exiting the plant-growth area (45);
• (iv) a first growth factor sensor (46b) positioned to measure one or more growth-promoting properties of nutrient fluid exiting the nutrient fluid reservoir and prior to entering the plant-growth area (52);
• (v) a second growth factor sensor (46a) positioned to measure corresponding fluid parameters of nutrient fluid exiting the plant-growth area (52);
• and
• (vi) a depletion valve (47) configured to selectively route nutrient fluid exiting the plant-growth area (52) either to a return conduit (48) leading to the nutrient fluid reservoir (16) or to a waste conduit (49) leading to a waste area (50);
• (c) a water recovery subsystem (S5) configured to receive nutrient fluid routed through the waste conduit (49), recover water therefrom, and store recovered water in a water reservoir (57);
• (d) a nutrient fluid replenishment subsystem (S6) comprising:
• (i) the water reservoir for storing recovered water (57);
• (ii) a nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58);
• (iii) a manifold (61) fluidically connected to the water reservoir (57) and the nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58);
• (iv) a first replenishment valve (59) located between the water reservoir (57) and the manifold (61);
• (v) a second replenishment valve (60) located between the nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58) and the manifold (61);
• (vi) a replenishment pump (62) fluidically connected to the manifold (61);
• (vii) a mixing chamber (63) located downstream of the replenishment pump;
• (viii) a third growth factor sensor (64) positioned after the mixing chamber (63) and before the nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• and
• (ix) a level sensor (65) positioned to measure an amount of nutrient fluid in the nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• and
• (e) one or more microcontrollers (33, 51, 66) configured to:
• (i) receive first data from the first growth factor sensor (46b) and second data from the second growth factor sensor (46a), and compare the first data and the second data to assess a decline in nutrient fluid effectiveness for supporting plant growth;
• (ii) control the depletion valve (47) to route nutrient fluid to the nutrient fluid reservoir (16) when the compared first data and second data indicate acceptable nutrient fluid effectiveness, and to route nutrient fluid to the waste area (50) when the compared first data and second data indicate a decline in nutrient fluid effectiveness;
• (iii) receive data from the level sensor (65), activate the replenishment pump (62) when the amount of nutrient fluid in the nutrient fluid reservoir (16) reaches or falls below a preset lower volume, and deactivate the replenishment pump (62) when the amount of nutrient fluid in the nutrient fluid reservoir (16) reaches or exceeds a preset upper volume;
• and
• (iv) receive data from the third growth factor sensor (64) and adjust relative amounts of recovered water and nutrient fluid concentrate combined in the mixing chamber (63) by adjusting positions of the first replenishment valve (59) and the second replenishment valve (60;
• wherein recovered water stored in the water reservoir (57) is used by the nutrient fluid replenishment subsystem (S6) to replenish the nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• and
• wherein the one or more microcontrollers (33, 51, 66) comprise either a single microcontroller configured to perform the recited functions or a plurality of microcontrollers collectively configured to perform the recited functions.

A hydroponic system comprising:

• (a) a nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• (b) vertically stacked plant-growth modules (75) having quick-connect ports (77) that fluidically couple adjacent modules;
• (c) a depletion valve (47) fluidically connected to at least one of the vertically stacked plant-growth modules, to the nutrient fluid reservoir (16), and to a waste-water recovery area (S5);
• (d) a first growth factor sensor positioned between said at least one vertically stacked plant-growth modules and the depletion valve (47), the first growth factor sensor being configured to measure one or more nutrient fluid characteristics and transmit corresponding signals to one or more microcontrollers;
• (e) a water reservoir (57) fluidically connected to the waste-water recovery area (S5);
• (f) a nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58);
• (g) a manifold (61) fluidically connected to the water reservoir (57) and to the nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58);
• (h) a pump (62) and a mixing chamber (63) located between the manifold (61) and the nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• (i) a second growth factor sensor (64) positioned between the mixing chamber (63) and the nutrient fluid reservoir (16);
• and
• (j) the one or more microcontrollers being configured:
• (i) in response to signals from the first growth factor sensor, to control the depletion valve (47) so as to direct nutrient fluid either to the nutrient fluid reservoir (16) or to the waste-water recovery area (S5);
• and
• (ii) in response to signals from the second growth factor sensor (64), to control replenishment of nutrient fluid from the water reservoir (57) and the nutrient fluid concentrate reservoir (58) to the nutrient fluid reservoir (16).