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UW Technologies Available for Licensing

Technology Disclosure: 08-085 Vertical Aeroponic Plant Production Apparatus

Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or some aggregate medium. This results in several advantages over more traditional plant growth methods. For instance, because multiple plants do not need to share soil, plant-to-plant contact is eliminated. Therefore, any plants which become diseased may quickly be identified and discarded without fear of disrupting or infecting the surrounding plants. Also, aeroponic systems are normally closed-looped systems using sprayers or foggers to create a fine mist of solution to deliver nutrients to plant roots and that allow for the collection and re-use of any water which is not immediately absorbed by the plant. Because of this, the amount of water used in an aeroponic system is a fraction of that used in a more traditional soil based system. Furthermore, in aeroponic systems plants are suspended in air, rather than soil, so their growth is not limited to the size of a container. This allows for unrestricted growth, at rates which are far higher than that normally observed by traditional growing methods.

Traditionally, aeroponic systems have been focused primarily on horizontal production techniques. However, due to obvious space and efficiency benefits, vertical aeroponic systems hold a greater potential for the future. Unfortunately, current vertical systems have been either impractical, expensive to operate, or inefficient. This is because many of these applications utilize some type of growth medium and/or are designed as stacking pots.

Fortunately, researchers at the University of Wyoming have developed a novel vertical aeroponic system that utilizes no medium (roots are fully suspended in air). This novel system is effective and affordable to manufacture and operate compared to other vertical hydroponic techniques. Our researchers estimate a 60-80% reduction in the amount of growing space required, when compared to conventional plant growth methods.

If you would like to learn more about this novel fuel cell technology and how your company may apply it in commercial situations, please contact the Director of the University of Wyoming Research Product Center, Davona Douglass. We would be please to share further details.