Abstract:
Embodiments of a vertical aquaponic micro farm are described. The vertical aquaponic micro farm is designed to support and incorporate a variety of food growing and alternative energy devices, and can be used to grow plants, fish, and other similar organisms. The system incorporates a biologically active grow mat and filter system and combines a biological filter system with aquaculture, hydroponics, solar, wind, and battery technologies. The vertical aquaponic garden/farm represents a self-sustaining micro farm that can be set up in any area with exposure to sunlight and/or wind. It can be used in exterior locations, or interior applications with the addition of appropriate lighting systems. Depending on application, the system uses significantly less water that required for traditional farming. Water is recycled through the grow mat media bed (bio-mat) and a biologic filter, which can be inoculated with a culture of nitrifying bacteria in combination with the plant roots. This system eliminates nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. If fish are present, the system converts the effluent from the fish pond into plant mass. The overall system then returns clean water back to the fish pond.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The current application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/069,447 entitled “Vertical Aquaponic Micro Farm” and filed on Mar. 14, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in it entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments of the invention relate generally to food growing systems, and more specifically, to a vertically-oriented, closed-loop aquaponic micro farm. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In many areas of the world, access to arable land and fresh water is significantly restricted. Such areas typically suffer from very low standards of living given the limited ability of people to grow food and the often harsh environmental conditions. Even in areas with relatively good levels of arable land and water, efficient food growth may be a challenge due to oversaturated growing conditions and/or seasonal land constraints. In all food growing environments the presence of weeds, vermin, pests, insects, and other parasitic organisms is a constant threat. 
     Variations in climate, soil conditions, and other factors generally limit the types of food crops that can be grown in any particular area. The advent of greenhouses has allowed the growing of certain crops in many regions of the world and times of the year that normally would not be optimal. Greenhouses, however, are typically large-scale, extensive structures that utilize expensive materials and can be costly to operate. Small-scale greenhouses have also been developed, but these structures are often expensive, complex and rely on heavy, expensive glass panels. This limits their portability and applicability to use in poor and developing regions. Another disadvantage associated with greenhouse systems is that they still require near normal amounts of water, soil nutrients, and space to grow crops in any significant amount. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a food growing system that provides an improved way to grow food where access to arable land and fresh water is restricted. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of a vertical aquaponic (or hydroponic) micro farm are described. This invention can be set up on the sides of buildings and on roof tops or places where arable land is not available. A large variety of plants, crops, and even fish can be cultivated in a relatively small area with minimal external energy use. Design and deployment aspects limit the ability for weeds, vermin, and insects to gain access to the growing environment, thereby minimizing or even eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides and traps. In areas where water supply is scarce and or distant, the vertical aquaponic micro farm allows for the recycling of locally available water, and or grey water when conditions permit. 
     The vertical aquaponic micro farm is designed to support and incorporate a variety of food growing and alternative energy devices, and can be used to grow plants, fish, and other similar organisms. The system incorporates a biologically active grow mat and filter system and combines a biological filter system with aquaculture, hydroponics, solar, wind, and battery technologies. The vertical aquaponic garden/farm represents a self-sustaining micro farm that can be set up in any area with exposure to sunlight and/or wind. It can be used in exterior locations, or interior applications with the addition of appropriate lighting systems. Depending on application, the system uses significantly less water that required for traditional farming. Water is recycled through the grow media bed (bio-mat) and a biologic filter, which can be inoculated with a culture of nitrifying bacteria in combination with the plant roots. This system eliminates nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. If fish are present, the system converts the effluent from the fish pond into plant mass. The overall system then returns clean water back to the fish pond. 
     Embodiments include a system to cycle a stream of water in a continuous loop through a fish pond and then through a hydroponic subsystem. In this fashion, the effluent from the fish pond provides nutrients for the roots and microorganisms of the hydroponic system. This effectively fertilizes the plants and clears the toxin out of the water for the fish. Grey and other recycled water sources can be cycled through this, thereby reusing water that might otherwise have been wasted. 
     Embodiments of the aquaponic micro farm include power generation components to sustain or support the system. These power generation components may include wind turbines, water turbines, solar panels, fuel cells, and other similar power sources. The power accumulated by these devices can be stored in battery banks, capacitors, or other electrical power storage devices. If desired, the stored DC energy may be converted to AC power by an inverter. Alternatively, a local power supply may be used. Such power support can be used to run an electric circulation pump, ultra violet filter, laptop computer, telecommunication system, radio, lights, electric controllers, or other electrical circuits. Certain items, such as the pumping system may be directly driven by certain types of power. For example, wind energy can be used to directly drive the pumping system. 
     Advantages of embodiments of the system include both health and economic benefits resultant from enhanced ability to cultivate fresh produce, herbs and fish in a reduced footprint. The ability to configure the system in a vertical orientation such as mounting the on a wall or the roof of a building, allows for deployment in a wide variety of environments and can be used by individuals, households, small businesses, and so on, for the creation of a new income base from any number of crops, such as fruits, herbs, vegetables, flowers, and fish. 
     Another advantage of the disclosed system is that the harm associated with many traditional pest and animals is dramatically reduced because the growing beds are set vertically and are isolated from the ground, in certain embodiments. Therefore, access to certain pests (e.g., rodents and other non-flying pests is minimized). This can result in a minimization of the uses of pesticide, herbicides, or traps. 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     Each publication, patent, and/or patent application mentioned in this specification is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication and/or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a first perspective view of a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed side profile elevation view of a parabolic arched truss scaffolding, wind turbine, and inverter for a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed rear elevation view of the scaffolding structure of  FIG. 2 , with a fish pond, power storage/management system, and pump housing, under an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed elevation view of a biological system for the hydroponic and aquaculture systems of a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a hydroponic vertical garden and a bio-mat grow media system, under an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of process flows in a fishpond-based a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of a vertical aquaponic micro farm are described. In the following description, numerous specific details are introduced to provide a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, embodiments of the system. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will recognize that these embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other components, systems, and so on. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown, or are not described in detail, to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosed embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a first perspective view of a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the vertical aquaponic micro farm comprises a scaffolding parabolic arch support structure with power systems, grow systems, and power storage/management unit, and certain communications capabilities provided through a telecommunication mast. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a vertical aquaponic micro farm structure  9  under cultivation with actively growing plants  31  growing in or on a hydroponic garden bio media. Also shown as a grow product are fish within fish pond  20  that may be coupled to the farm structure  9 . The micro farm  9  essentially comprises a parabolic or other shape scaffolding  10  having attached two vertical masts  21  and  22  for supporting a wind turbine  17 , a telecommunication mast  18 , and a weather station  19 . As shown, two sets of parabolic scaffolding structures are separated by a certain distance and coupled together through a series of horizontal beams. The separation distance and the height of the scaffolding generally defines the size of the microfarm structure, and this can be set to many different dimensions, depending on needs and size constraints. A series of solar panels  16  and electrical storage bank  12  provide power for the fish pond pump and ultraviolet (UV) filter system. Details of the pump and filter system are shown more clearly in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , discussed in greater detail below. 
     The weather station  19  can include one or more devices for measuring certain environmental conditions. These conditions can include wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and other relevant conditions. The telecommunications mast can support a radio antenna aerial, or other communications device, as well as other systems, such as a GPS (global positioning system) device. 
     The micro farm system  10  incorporates a biologically active grow mat and filter system and combines a biological filter system with aquaculture and hydroponics technologies. Centrally positioned on the parabolic scaffolding  10  is a substantially vertical hydroponic plant growing system. In one embodiment, plants  31  are planted into a series of vertically set, vegetable fiber or food grade fiber bio-mats, which may additionally include activated carbon filtration mats. Alternatively the fiber bio mat substrate may be replaced with stones, glass or brick fragments, or any combination thereof. 
     In a general implementation, water is recycled through the grow media bed (bio-mat) and a biologic filter, which can be inoculated with a culture of nitrifying bacteria in combination with the plant roots. For an embodiment in which a fish pond is present, water from the fish pond  20  is pumped out of the pond through an intake vent and then passed through the ultra violet filter for the purpose of sterilizing the water from free floating bacteria, parasites, and algae, through a return pipe and into an upper irrigation reservoir. The water flows through an irrigation distribution head and sediment filter, which evenly distributes water and filters out large particulate, onto the top edge of the bio-mats. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the water passes through three bio-mats that have been inoculated with beneficial bacteria (e.g., Nitrosamines and Nitrobacteria) that convert ammonia into nitrite, and then nitrite into nitrate, so that plants  31  can metabolize. As the water passes through the bio-mats, effluent and nutrients are metabolized by the plant roots and the beneficial bacteria. The water is collected in the irrigation catchment trough  25 , then returned to the fish pond  20  through the outflow pipe  24 . The water is returned to the fish pond clear of materials harmful to the fish and at the same time provides a food source for the plants. The water in system  9  is run on a closed, continuous recirculation loop. 
       FIG. 2  is a side profile elevation view of the vertical aquaponic micro farm of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the parabolic truss scaffolding  10  supports several system components and is provided in a shape and size appropriate for specific crop growth and environmental conditions. In one embodiment, the scaffold structure  10  supports a wind turbine  17  that produces electricity from wind power. This power is sent to a voltage regulator  15  and then sent the electrical storage bank  12 . The scaffold can also be configured to support one or more solar panels  16 . The power generated from the wind turbine  17  and solar panels  16  is stored in the electrical storage bank  12 , which can be a battery bank or similar storage unit (e.g., capacitor). The system can also be powered by conventional AC power source where available. The power is used upon demand by the recirculation pump and the ultra violet filter, and any other electrical device in the system. In one embodiment, the scaffold structure  10  also supports a rock grow media  32 . 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed rear elevation view of the scaffolding structure of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  shows in more detail, the configuration and placement of the fish pond  20 , electrical storage bank  12 , power management circuits, recirculation pump housing  29 , and other units of micro farm  9 . Attached to the rear frame of the parabolic scaffolding through a mounting on the back brace is a power inverter and management unit  13 , telecommunication system  14 , voltage regulator  15 , and a weather station/anemometer  27 . All electrical devices are wired to the circuit breaker box  30  for power control. Power is supplied to and from the power sources and electrical devices to the storage bank  12  through power cable  49 . 
     The entire parabolic scaffolding may be set on a steel foundation brace  26  for added stability. Alternatively, the scaffolding posts be set in concrete or equivalent foundations for permanent or semi-permanent deployment. In a further alternative embodiment, the scaffolding structure may be placed on wheels or movable pallets for mobile or temporary deployments. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fish pond  20  can include a guard or other type of lid  23  to prevent vermin from having access to the pond. A potting table  28  may also be provided within the structure of scaffold  10 . 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed elevation view of a biological system for the hydroponic and aquaculture system, under an embodiment.  FIG. 4  also provides a diagram of a recirculation flow chart, according to the operation of the micro farm system. As shown in  FIG. 4 , fish, which may be used as a human food source, are raised in the fish pond  20 . The water in the fish pond collects waste from the fish, dead plants, uneaten fish food, and other biological residue. These are passed as part of the nutrient load in the water incorporating ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and nitrogen. The water and both soluble and solid wastes are sucked up from the floor of the fish pond  20  and recycled through a biological filter system. In embodiment, the biological filter system comprises a set of bio-mats  38 ,  39 , and  40  on which plants are grown. The water flows down through the set of bio-mats  38 ,  39 , and  40 , which can be mats comprised of vegetable fibers and activated carbon. The bio mats have are inoculated with the beneficial bacteria and nutrients (e.g., nitrobacteria and nitrosamines) for the purpose of breaking down the ammonia and nitrite load in the water and converting components in the effluent into nitrate, a plant food. 
     For the system of  FIG. 4 , water is taken from fish pond  20  through a pond water intake vent  33  by recirculation pump  34 . The water is fed through tube  42  which comprises the plumbing for the irrigation system to an ultra violet filter/sterilization unit  35 . The water is then fed out of water return pipe  36  through an upper irrigation reservoir  37 . The water then passes through vegetable fiber bio-mat  38 , secondary vegetable fiber bio-mat  39 , and activated carbon filter  40 . The water then flows through irrigation catchment trough and out of the outflow pipe  24  back into the fish pond  20 . 
     The bio-mat and filter system  38 ,  39 , and  40  are illustrated as three separate mat like components of the same size deployed in a sandwich array. It should be noted, however, that this filter and plant substrate system can be composed of mats and/or filters of any appropriate size, shape and material depending upon configuration and needs. For example, any practical number of bio-mats (e.g., 1-4) may be used, and the filter  40  may be separate or integrated within the one or more mats. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the bio-mat and filter structure is disposed proximate to an area  41 , which represents space for the plant roots. The embodiment of  FIG. 4  also shows a wall garden housing  47  for deployment of the bio-mat/filter structure in a vertical orientation as mounted on a wall, hanging from a frame, or mounted on a scaffold structure, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a hydroponic vertical garden and a bio-mat grow media system, under an embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 5 , a plant  45  is planted substantially perpendicularly into the vegetable fiber or food grade plastic mats  38  and  39 . The plant is held in place by the first bio-mat  38  and the roots pass through and grow through the second bio-mat  39  and continue growing into the third bio-mat  40 , which may be an activated carbon filter or additional bio-mat layer. The bio-mat/filter assembly is held in place by a bio-mat holder frame  48 . The activated carbon filter  40  helps filter the water supply, adds a carbon nutrient for the plant roots and provides a surface area for microorganism colonies that aids in the bio digestion of the nitrogen load in the water supply and helps with filtering hydrocarbons from the air that are breathed in through the plants leaves and xylem by the photosynthesis and evapo-transpiration cycle. After passing through the bio-mat/filter structure and the plant roots  46 , the water is collected in the irrigation catchment trough  25  and passed back to the fish pond  20 , through the outflow pipe  24 . The recirculation pump  35  in trough  25  pumps the water back up plumbing to continue the water cycle in a closed loop. In an embodiment, water from the outflow pipe  24  is passed through an irrigation distribution head and sediment filter  44  which is disposed within an upper irrigation reservoir  37 . 
       FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of process flows in a fishpond-based a vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment. The flow diagram illustrates the closed-loop process of flow between the fish pond  62  and vertical hydroponic garden  64 . In this process flow, water is pumped from fish pond  64  through pump  66  to a biological filter  68 . The water is then passed to a settling tank and pump  70  through an ultraviolet light  72 . Water from the vertical hydroponic garden  62  also passes through ultraviolet light  72  and to the fish pond  62 . 
     The vertical aquaponic garden allows a form of farming or gardening that is suitable for virtually any size flat or vertical surface. The biological systems can be mounted on a parabolic or other shape scaffolding  10  for better placement of components and to support an aquaponic food production system  9 . For example, the parabolic scaffolding could be a square scaffolding support structure or a dome shaped scaffolding structure. Alternatively, no scaffolding may be used and the system may instead be flat mounted on a vertical (wall) or horizontal (ground) surface. Thus, the biological recirculation system can be wall mounted, as shown in  FIG. 5  with wall mounting housing  47 . For flat farming options, the housing  47  can be placed horizontally rather than vertically and run on a hydroponic growing system. 
     The scaffolding can be designed as a parabolic arch shaped structure, or any similar shape that is suitable to position the bio-mats in a vertical orientation, or at any angle desired. The scaffolding may be made of any number of materials, such as steel, aluminum, plastic, wood, bamboo, and carbon fiber, or any other suitable material depending upon cost, location, and environmental factors. 
     Other alternative embodiments of the vertical aquaponic micro farm are possible. For example, it is possible to run the vertical garden system without the aquaculture component  FIG. 5 . In the absence of the aquaculture component, nutrients and microorganisms can be added to the water system  37  by pouring a mixture of nutrients and microorganisms directly into the water supply or the irrigation catchment trough  25 , as needed. 
     The bio-mats  38  and  39  could be built from many different fiber materials and mesh designs. The bio-mat structures can comprise baskets of stone, glass, charcoal or other locally available substrates. 
     Embodiments include one or more electrical circuits, but are not so limited. Such embodiments can be powered by many different power sources, including wind, solar, AC power, fuel cell systems, internal combustion engines, human powered generators, and so on. Wind power can be provided by a wind turbine  17  mounted on a mast  21  directly connected to the scaffold structure  10 , or any similar fan or prop that can be used to harness wind power. 
     The system can be installed indoors with the addition of an appropriate light system or out doors with natural sun light. The bio-mats can be seeded directly as is conventionally done with soil-based plants. The bio-mat system can also be pre-seeded, sprouted and placed into a vertical garden, as seasonal conditions permit. 
     The system may include certain environment monitoring devices to optimize deployment in certain regions and conditions. These can include a wind speed gauge  19  and certain weather station devices or radio aerials provided on a telecommunication mast  18 , and or a mast  22 . 
     An embodiment is directed to an apparatus comprising a support structure, a plurality of bio-mats placed on the support structure in a substantially vertical orientation, the bio-mats supporting the growth of one or more varieties of plants, a water source coupled to the bio-mats through a pump and plumbing system, wherein the plumbing system is configured to draw water from the water source through the bio-mats and back to the water source in substantially closed loop aquatic system, and one or more power generation components providing electrical energy to the pump and plumbing system. The apparatus of claim  1  wherein the support structure is a parabolic arch support structure. The parabolic arch support structure may comprise two sets of interlinked scaffolds coupled to each other by a plurality of horizontally disposed beams, and the support structure may be constructed of a material such as steel, aluminum, plastic, wood, bamboo, or carbon fiber. 
     In an embodiment, the bio-mats are inoculated with beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia into nitrite, and then convert the nitrite into nitrate to allow plants seeded thereon to metabolize. The apparatus may further have an irrigation catchment trough to collect water passing through the biomats for return to the water source. The water source can be a fish pond including one or more live fish. The water provided to the plants contains impurities and nutrients from the fish pond, and the plumbing includes one or more filter components to filter the water from the biomats to provide water back to the fish pond clear of materials harmful to the fish. At least some of the filter components can be in the form of a biomats, and the biomats may consist of a material such as a fibrous mesh material, and a basket of stone, glass or charcoal. A guard structure may be placed over the fish pond to prevent intrusion by vermin and pests. 
     The apparatus can include a weather station mounted on a mast coupled to the support structure, with the weather station including devices for measuring certain environmental conditions such as wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity. A radio system or antenna may be mounted on a second mast coupled to the support structure. The power generation components can include wind turbines, water turbines, solar panels, AC electrical power, human-powered generators, batteries, and fuel cells. 
     Embodiments are also directed to a closed-loop aquatic and closed-loop electrical system for growing plants comprising: a support structure, a plurality of bio-mats placed on the support structure in a substantially vertical orientation, the bio-mats supporting the growth of one or more varieties of plants, a water source coupled to the bio-mats through a pump and plumbing system, wherein the plumbing system is configured to draw water from the water source through the bio-mats and back to the water source in substantially closed loop aquatic system, and one or more power generation components generating power from non-electrical grid-based power sources, and a power storage system storing power generated by the power generation components and providing electrical energy to the pump and plumbing system to provide power in a substantially closed-loop electrical system. In this system, the plumbing system comprises one or more water pumps and filters, and the power generation circuits may include wind turbines, water turbines, solar panels, and human-powered generators. 
     Independent of any particular structure, embodiments are also directed to a method of growing plants comprising: providing a plurality of biomats in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the ground, seeding the biomats with plant matter, providing a water source coupled to the biomats through a pump and plumbing system, the water source including water enriched with nutrients and impurities, pumping enriched water through the biomats from the water source, filtering the enriched water from the biomats to produce clean water, and returning the clean water to the water source in a substantially closed-loop aquatic system. 
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. 
     The above description of illustrated embodiments of the vertical aquaponic micro garden is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form or structures disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the micro farm are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the described embodiments, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. 
     The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the location-based social network manager process in light of the above detailed description. 
     In general, in any following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the described system to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all operations or processes that operate under the claims. Accordingly, the described system is not limited by the disclosure, but instead the scope of the recited method is to be determined entirely by the claims. 
     While certain aspects of the vertical aquaponic micro farm, according to an embodiment are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the methodology in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the described systems and methods.