Liquid Farm: Difference between revisions
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==Liquid Farm Design Principles== | ==Liquid Farm Design Principles== | ||
'''1.) Spatial and material efficiency''' | |||
*minimize distances | |||
*3.) | *co-locate production and use of a resource | ||
*also minimize needed infrastructure (e.g. use same pool for [[tilapia]] and [[duckweed]] but with barrier in-between) | |||
*6.) | '''2.) Resource efficiency''' | ||
*try to minimize resource losses (e.g. heat losses, nitrogen losses, water losses, etc.) | |||
*8.) | *channel resources to most productive use | ||
'''3.) Expandability''' | |||
*keep options open for future expansion | |||
'''4.) Resilience''' | |||
*create buffers | |||
*storage (e.g. cisterns, dry biomass storage, wood, water, etc.) | |||
*backup mechanisms (e.g. use muscle-powered pump if solar fails) | |||
'''5.) Interconnectedness''' | |||
*the more connections between sub-systems, the more flexibility, resilience, responsiveness to market demands | |||
*interface with outside farms and outside world | |||
'''6.) Easy accessibility''' | |||
*for monitoring | |||
*for potential repairs to infrastructure | |||
*have ability to tap into resources at every step (for sale) | |||
'''7.) Flexibility''' | |||
*multi-use of the infrastructure (e.g. drain [[azolla]] pool and then plant wheat or corn in the mud) | |||
*favor products with multiple uses (e.g. duckweed which can be fed to various animals) | |||
*ability to quickly ramp up or down production of intermediates or finished products (e.g. | |||
'''8.) Data richness''' | |||
*monitor all resource flows | |||
*use predictions to channel flows in order to maximize yields and economic benefits | |||
'''9.) Monitoring''' | |||
*microbial monitoring (and capability to sterilize liquids if needed; bioconversion towards beneficial microbes) | |||
*pathogen monitoring (see [http://www.appropedia.org/Low-Cost_Diagnostics Low-Cost Diagnostics) | |||
*heavy metal monitoring | |||
*mineral monitoring | |||
*nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) | |||
*temperatures, microclimatic conditions | |||
*ambient gases: CO2, methane, nitrous oxide | |||
Revision as of 19:31, 4 March 2016
Not a “farm for liquids” but a concept in which bulk products are transported all over the farm in liquid or gaseous form, moved either by electric pumps or by a gravity differential. This may require quite an elaborate system of pipelines but once this infrastructure is set up, it can save labor, time, energy and costs. It provides extra security and independence. It can make use of otherwise stranded solar, wind and biomass energy. Liquids are easy to measure and monitor.
Transported liquids and gases
- freshwater, hot water, greywater
- liquid manure (from cows, pigs)
- wastewater from fish farming (to grow duckweed, azolla and cattails
- compost leachate, silage leachate
- slurry from biogas production
- steam, superheated steam
- Compressed Air
- CO2-rich air (from compost, used for CO2 enrichment/fertilization)
- biogas, methane, pyrolysis gas (“wood gas”)
- pyrolysis oil
Needed Technologies
- Pipes: polyethylene, terracotta, steel pipes, copper pipes (for wood gas), cement/lime+fabric composite
- Electric motors (for pumps and fans), wind-driven pumps
- ferrocement for bulk storage of liquids
- useful: Solar Sludge Drying system
Examples
- liquid manure => duckweed => cattails => irrigation or (bio-)filter and return to cycle
- aquaponics (e.g. fish culture then duckweed/azolla)
- compressed air => aerate compost => capure CO2-rich, hot off-gas => greenhouse
- methane => synfood
Liquid Farm Design Principles
1.) Spatial and material efficiency
- minimize distances
- co-locate production and use of a resource
- also minimize needed infrastructure (e.g. use same pool for tilapia and duckweed but with barrier in-between)
2.) Resource efficiency
- try to minimize resource losses (e.g. heat losses, nitrogen losses, water losses, etc.)
- channel resources to most productive use
3.) Expandability
- keep options open for future expansion
4.) Resilience
- create buffers
- storage (e.g. cisterns, dry biomass storage, wood, water, etc.)
- backup mechanisms (e.g. use muscle-powered pump if solar fails)
5.) Interconnectedness
- the more connections between sub-systems, the more flexibility, resilience, responsiveness to market demands
- interface with outside farms and outside world
6.) Easy accessibility
- for monitoring
- for potential repairs to infrastructure
- have ability to tap into resources at every step (for sale)
7.) Flexibility
- multi-use of the infrastructure (e.g. drain azolla pool and then plant wheat or corn in the mud)
- favor products with multiple uses (e.g. duckweed which can be fed to various animals)
- ability to quickly ramp up or down production of intermediates or finished products (e.g.
8.) Data richness
- monitor all resource flows
- use predictions to channel flows in order to maximize yields and economic benefits
9.) Monitoring
- microbial monitoring (and capability to sterilize liquids if needed; bioconversion towards beneficial microbes)
- pathogen monitoring (see [http://www.appropedia.org/Low-Cost_Diagnostics Low-Cost Diagnostics)
- heavy metal monitoring
- mineral monitoring
- nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)
- temperatures, microclimatic conditions
- ambient gases: CO2, methane, nitrous oxide