Section design of a hydroponic cultivation vessel using topology optimization

Vertical farms are gaining interest as a solution to food shortages in the future by increasing food production relative to land area. In vertical farms, hydroponic cultivation frames are stacked for space efficiency. Thus, a cultivation vessel with structural reliability needs to be developed. In this study, the cultivation vessel was designed using optimization processes to improve the specific stiffness. Topology optimization is performed for the sectional area of the cultivation vessel and to obtain an approximate sectional shape. The cultivation vessel was designed with a constant cross section to allow manufacturing by extrusion. Then, the design of experiment (DOE) and response surface method (RSM) were performed to determine the detailed dimension of the vessel. Finally, the prototypes for the original and optimal designs were made using a three-dimensional printer, and the specific stiffness values for both models were measured. The mass was reduced by 16, and the specific stiffness was increased by 119 in the optimized design.