Written by Reggie Ellison an 11th grade student at Napa New Technology High School.
Introduction
Living in Napa all my life, a city that is based on agriculture, I have seen first hand how much space we use to grow crops, as vineyards stretch across most of the valley. With the ever increasing rise of commercial agriculture and the even larger swathes of land it takes, so too does the land get more and more hacked up in exchange for more crops. How can we combat this efficiently for the long term?
Hydroponics & 3D Printing
When I tried to face that question with the concept of using my 3D printing skills, one thing that kept coming back to me was the topic of Hydroponics. Hydroponics is the unique practice of growing plants without soil as a growing medium. Instead, the plants are typically grown suspended in a nutrient-rich water mixture. The key ‘no-soil’ component of Hydroponics means that you could theoretically grow plants in all sorts of custom pots, and one great thing that has come out of that is a surge of 3D-printable hydroponic towers, which is perfect for me to experiment with.
Why 3D Print pots?
As I was experimenting with various designs online, the one thing that was clear to me was how great function-wise 3D printed pots were. The plastic is recyclable and biodegradable. This is great, because if my design doesn’t pull through or breaks off pieces that I cannot find, it will not harm the environment if they are placed outside. Additionally, they can be made extremely quick. The first designs I chose were made overnight, or in 1 day for the more complex pieces. While the vulnerability to heat is one prominent disadvantage of choosing to print plastic pots over purchasing stone, or ceramic ones, with an educated guess you can deduce which type of 3D printing filament will work best.
First Creations
I first had to repair some of the 3D printers that were left around our school and hadn’t been used in at least 3 years. After I moved them to a new spot, tuned the gears with some grease, and requested other supplies from the school, I began making some of the first parts of the project. The design of the Hydroponic tower is modular – meaning that the tower is broken down into individual sections called “modules” that can be moved and arranged however you like. That feature alone makes the design notable, but what truly makes it spectacular is how many unique pieces and sections you can pick from. The variety allows you to have a tower of your own design, and function. My tower has a specific order in the modules to ensure the plants will have enough space apart from each other, and to maximize plant cover.
Conclusion
Reflecting on this journey of exploring hydroponics and 3D printing, I can confidently say that the project has been immensely educational and enlightening. From understanding the principles of hydroponics, which is revolutionizing traditional agricultural practices by allowing crops to thrive without soil, to utilizing my 3D printing skills to create sustainable and innovative hydroponic systems, this experience has expanded my knowledge and skills in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Through this project, I learned not only about the efficiency and sustainability of hydroponics but also about the practical applications of 3D printing in solving real-world problems. The ability to design and produce customizable, biodegradable pots rapidly has shown me the potential of combining technology with traditional farming techniques to reduce our ecological footprint. Additionally, repairing and optimizing 3D printers at school taught me valuable mechanical and technical skills that will be beneficial in any future projects.
