Food and Energy – Vertical Farming – a Component to a ......Vertical Farming – ... Re-using water collected from the indoor environment. Significantly reducing use of and dependency

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Food and Energy –

Vertical Farming –a Component to a Sustainable Food Production?

Dr.-Ing. Petra Liedl

Munich School of Engineering, TUM

Vertical Farming Conference

October 8th, 2020

The MSE as an „Integrative Research Center“

The Munich School of Engineering (MSE) connects interdisciplinary research with interfaculty teaching for future engineers. The research focus is on TUM.Energy and bundles various aspects and topics in energy research and „green technology“ embracing a „sustainable energy future“.

TUM | Munich School of Engineering | Dr. Petra Liedl October 8th, 2020

A. Heddergott, TUM, 2017

Source: Prof. H. Mempel/HSWT

FOOD AND ENERGYInterdisciplinary Winter Schools 2019 and 2020

Organiyed by the Graduate Center of the Munich School of Engineering (MSE) at TUM


Energy-Water-Food-Nexus

EnergyIncreased demand 50% by 2030 (IEA)

WaterIncreased demand 30% by 2030 (IFPRI)

FoodIncreased demand 50% by 2030 (FAO)


Indoor farming solutionsFood securityYear-round crop productionNo crop loss from unpredictable and harmful weatherPreventing crop loss due to shipping or storageFresh products for inner-city Better nutrient content

EnvironmentNo agricultural runoffAllowing restoration of damaged ecosystemsRe-using water collected from the indoor environmentSignificantly reducing use of and dependency on fossil fuels Eliminating use of pesticides and herbicidesAdding energy back to the grid

CityMaking use of abandoned or unused propertiesCreating new urban employment opportunities


Indoor Farm at HSWT

Open Field vs. Greenhouse vs. Vertical Farming

Water

Yield

Energydemand

Fertilizer

250 20

70-120

20 l

30-70

l/kg

kg/m2aFootprint5

1,000-1,500 kWh/m2aGrowing area300

%100

50

50 50

DLR Feasibility study, 2015OECD, 2015HSWT, 2019WURC, 2017

0,2-2


Develop an energy optimised vertical farming concept based on all sub-component and an adapted building design.

Goal

Power grid

Building

Water treatment

Air conditioning

Lighting

Plant Growth

Production automation

Waste management

Mega City Farming

Nutrients


GWP Greenhouse vs. Vertical FarmingGlobal Warming Potential

1 kg

Heating w/Natural Gas

Electricity: German Mix increase 15% PV

Students WS 2019/20:

Claudia Rendon Velazquez

Lucas Cesar Franco Pereira


GWP Greenhouse vs. Vertical Farming

3,89 3,87 3,77

11,00

10,00

2,70

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

German Mix German Mixincreased 15% PV

100% PV

kg C

O2-

Eq

/ 1kg

lettu

ce

GF VF

1 kg

Heating w/Natural Gas



Claudia Rendon Velazquez

Lucas Cesar Franco Pereira

Indoor farm at HSWT, Prof. Heike Mempel

Net area: 34,25 m²Growing area: 42 m²4 levels, 3 rows in each containerVolume: 38,69 m3


150 μmol/ m2 s at 25 cm37 W/m2 growing areaTemperature 18°CRelative humidity 70%

Validation of Simulations with Experiments at HSWT

Energy demand Net – Growing area Days of cultivation Energy demand

[kWh] [m2] [d] [kWh/m2*d]Simulation 48.924 42 365 3,19

Experiment 1 2.757 31,21 28 3,15Experiment 2 3.201 31,21 32 3,21

61%20%

10%

6%

1% 2%Licht

Klimagerät

Entfeuchter

Ventilator

Pumpen

Weitere

62%15%

10%

10%

3% Licht

Kühlung

Heizung

Entfeuchter

Ventilator undPumpen

Experiment Simulation

Lighting

Cooling

Heating

Dehumidification

Ventilation, pumps

Lighting

Air conditioning

Dehumidification

Ventilation

Pumps

Others


Cultivation ofPak Choi

Conducted by Sabine Wittmann, HSWT, 2019

Run by students Danneil, Danner, Prinzig, Overhoff w/ IDA ICE

Simulation Variants Container

0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

50.000

60.000

Ener

gyde

man

dkW

h/a

Fans and PumpsAC HeatingDehumidificationAC CoolingLED



Danneil, Danner, Prinzig, Overhoff

Develop a new integrated optimisation:

• with cumulated energy over the whole life cycle being the objective function

• with a certain amount of food production as demand

• with the overall structure including operational schedules as variables

• keeping all technical feasibility and certain financial constraints

Methodological approach at MSE


Vertical Farming Box

Water cooled LED-Moduls

Planting bed as tray

Watering with ebb- and-flow system

Ventilation

Water cooling

0,85 x 0,85 x 1,80m prototype to do research on the optimal conditions for plants growth, focusingon LED-lighting and to teach students

Concept: Dipl.-Ing. H. Kleeberger, ENS at TUM

Heinrich Kleeberger, TUM, 2020


Contact information

Dr.-Ing. Petra [email protected]

Technische Universität MünchenMunich School of Engineering (MSE)Director: Prof. Dr. Thomas HamacherManaging director: Dr.-Ing. Christoph Wieland

Lichtenbergstr. 4a85748 Garching

Tel: +49 89 289 52701Fax: +49 89 289 52799www.mse.tum.de


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.mse.tum.de/

Documents

Food and Energy – Vertical Farming – a Component to a ......Vertical Farming – ... Re-using water collected from the indoor environment. Significantly reducing use of and dependency