Vegetable production facility as a part of a close

Abstract•Proposeddesignofconveyor-typeplantgrowthfacility(PGF)comprisedof4-modules.EachmodulehasacylindricalplantingsurfaceandspiralcylindricalLEDassemblytoprovideahighspecificproductivityrelativetoutilizedonboardresources.•Thesystermcouldprovide10–25%ofessentialmineralsandvitaminsofgroupB,andabout20%offoodfibers.1.Introduction•In2004–2005severalcountries-partnersdeclaredtheirintentiontolaunchamannedexplorationmissiontoMarsinthefirsthalfofthiscenturyandthetotallengthofthemissioncouldbeapproximately500days.•SomepublishedarticlesshowstheclosedbiologicalLSSwouldbeappropriateformissionsnoshorter1.5–2years(Choochkinetal.,1975;JagowandThomas,1966)1.Introduction•Accordingtopreviousstudies,wemaintainitthatLSShavingavegetableproductionfacilityasacomponentmaybemoreeffectivethanthepresentdayspaceLSSwithfoodreserves,whichcouldbespecifiedforeachmissionscenariointermsofequivalentsystemmass(ESM).•TheplantgrowthfacilitywillincreasetheMTVLSSreliability.•ExperimentsontheInternationalspacestationdemonstratedthatcultivationofvegetableshadapositiveeffectoncrewemotionalstatus;itwasjustifiedbytheMIRcrewmembersresponsibleforoperationofgreenhouseSvet.2.AdvantagesoftheLSSwithavegetableproductionfacility2.AdvantagesoftheLSSwithavegetableproductionfacility•IntegrationoftheplantgrowthfacilityintoMTVLSSwillimprovethequalityofnutritionandenhancethecrewfunctionalreliability(Naturalvitaminsconsumedwithfoodinabundancewillbeexcretedfromorganisminthenaturalway.Foodvitaminsenterorganismtogetherwithbioflavonoids,organicacids,phytoncidesandsomeothersubstancesfavorabletovitaminassimilation.).Fig.1.LayoutofthePGFmodulesinsidethePilotLaboratorycompartmentoftheMartiantransitvehicle:1–leafycropmodule;2–carrotmodule;3–tomatomodule;4–peppermodule.3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVLayoutofthePGFmodules3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVThecropincludedleafyvegetables–cabbage,lettuce,spinach,chard,etc.(100g/crewmemberday),carrot(70g/crewmemberday),pepper(50g/crewmemberday)andtomato(100g/crewmemberperday),ThesevegetablesaredistinguishedbyhighnutritivevalueandESM‘‘goodness”(from2.1forcarrotto3.6forlettuce)proposedbyA.Drysdale(2001)fora600-dayspacemission.3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVConveyor-typeplantgrowthfacility‘‘Vitacycle”Table1PGF‘‘Vitacycle”technicalparameters.Fig.2.Conveyor-typeplantgrowthfacility‘‘Vitacycle”ThepropercharacteristicsforfourmodulesoftheconveyorcylindricalPGFarepresentedinthetable,whichshowstheMaximaltotalpowerofthePGFlightfluxisratedas1.16kWandtotalpowerconsumptionisratedas10kW.Table2PGFmodulesstructureandperformancedata.3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTV3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVexperimentalChinesecabbagefreshbiomassinsideconveyer-typecylindricalPGFondifferentplantconveyerstepsFig.3.Chinesecabbageconveyerbiomassgainontheflatandconvexcylindricalplantingsurfaces.xexperimentalChinesecabbagefreshbiomassinsideconveyer-typecylindricalPGFondifferentplantconveyersteps;barsareconfidenceintervalsatp=0.053.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTV•Thisfigureshowsthatthecylindricaldesignoftheconveyor-typePGFmoduleincreasedyieldbyalmost30%incompareoftheflatplantingsurfacePGFwiththeenergyinputsforlightingbeingidentical.•Computermodelingofthephotosyntheticproductivityshowedthatcropsontheconvexsurfaceutilizelightbetter.Analysisofthefig.3•Anotheradvantageofthecylindricalplantgrowthmodulesisanearlydoublereductionofthevolumeoccupiedbythecropyieldingsamebiomassasthecropontheflatplantingsurface.•Incylindricalplantgrowthchamberscropisgatheredinarotary-lineconveyorwithonepositionforalloperations,whichsavescrewtimeandallowsmechanizationoftheseoperations.3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVAnalysisofthefig.33.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVFig.4.Cross-sectionsofthePGFmodules:A(leafycrop),B(carrot),C(tomato),andD(pepper).Theconfigurationsofthecross-sectionswerecalculatedusingaveragedfunctionscorrespondingplantheightonplantage.3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVTable3Predictedproductionofsomenutrientelements•ThePGFdesigncouldwellprovidesixmembersoftheMTVcrewwithassimilablevitaminsCandAand,partially,withvitaminsBandessentialminerals.Thetotalediblemassperadaywillmake1.92kgwiththecaloricvalueofapproximately690kcal.•Freshcropwastemayweighsomethinglike630g,anaveragecropharvestindexisestimatedas0.75.•ThatistheproposedPGFwillcloseLSSintermsofvitaminsAandC;theclosurewillbeabout10–15%completefortheBvitaminsandessentialmineralsandabout20%forfoodfibers(cellulosemostly).3.VegetableproductionfacilityontheMTVAnalysisBasedonpredicteddatainTable3Conclusions•Theconveyor-typePGFmadeofcylindricalmoduleswillraiseby30%thespecificyieldcapacityperaunitofpowerconsumption,almosttwiceperavolumeunit,andwillsignificantly.•Proposed4-modulePGFcoulddailyaddtothecrewmealsfreshvegetablescontaining100%oftherecommendedandwell-assimilatedvitaminsAandC,etc.Conclusions•PlantgrowthfacilityasapartofthelifesupportsystemontheMartianTransitVehiclecouldimprovethequalityofcrewdietandthuswillbefavorabletothecrewfunctionalandhealthstatus.•SpaceGreenhouses:ThePresentandtheFuture.S