A high-performance ground-based prototype of horn-type sequential vegetable production facility for life support system in space

作者：Fu Yuming; Liu Hui; Shao Lingzhi; Wang Minjuan; Berkovich Yu A; Erokhin A N; Liu Hong

来源：Advances in Space Research, 2013, 52(1): 97-104.

DOI：10.1016/j.asr.2013.03.020

• Ground-based prototype
• Horn-type
• Vegetable sequential production
• Life support system

Vegetable cultivation plays a crucial role in dietary supplements and psychosocial benefits of the crew during manned space flight. Here we developed a ground-based prototype of horn-type sequential vegetable production facility, named Horn-type Producer (HTP), which was capable of simulating the microgravity effect and the continuous cultivation of leaf-vegetables on root modules. The growth chamber of the facility had a volume of 0.12 m(3), characterized by a three-stage space expansion with plant growth. The planting surface of 0.154 m(2) was comprised of six ring-shaped root modules with a fibrous ion-exchange resin substrate. Root modules were fastened to a central porous tube supplying water, and moved forward with plant growth. The total illuminated crop area of 0.567 m(2) was provided by a combination of red and white light emitting diodes on the internal surfaces. In tests with a 24-h photoperiod, the productivity of the HTP at 0.3 kW for lettuce achieved 254.3 g eatable biomass per week. Long-term operation of the HTP did not alter vegetable nutrition composition to any great extent. Furthermore, the efficiency of the HTP, based on the Q-criterion, was 7 x 10(-4) g(2) m(-3) J(-1). These results show that the HTP exhibited high productivity, stable quality, and good efficiency in the process of planting lettuce, indicative of an interesting design for space vegetable production.

• 出版日期2013-7-1
• 单位北京航空航天大学