3D printed aeroponic tower
Print Profile(2)


Description
I spent a few weeks studying, designing, 3D printing, assembling and setting up an aeroponic tower.
Why - because I have found the idea of growing vegetables with only 5% water consumption and only 5% space requirements versus the traditional methods very exciting. As the population of the planet grows, we will run out of food and water before we run out of petrol :) This is why such ideas have a great potential imo.
Quick examples:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JIlg9FKG_N0
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mjlNXZX2ztM
Long story short: My first two towers are ready, fully running now, filled with various seedlings.
My costs per tower:
5-6kg ABS - bought with 9€-10€ per kilogram.
Water pump - 35€ - https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08LT2PH56?th=1
Repeat cycle timer - 25€ - https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09WYJCXSG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 (it controls the pumps in both towers)
Running costs for printers - 20€.
There are professional aeroponic towers costing thousands of $$$$, there are also “toys” on Amazon in the three figures range, with small tube diameters that would not permit large root systems. I would say under 150€/$ it is a fair price for a good quality tower.
I hope to find colleagues interested in this subject and able to solve a number of challenges - getting medium complexity 3D prints OK, setting relays and water pumps, assembling the towers, learning about nutrients, PH, cycles, turning the seedling in real vegetables etc.
Having 2 weeks experience: the towers need a daily 1.5l water refill - consumption, evaporation, lost drops. The large base tanks can work 2-3 days without refill, the small tanks only one day. I switched both towers on large tanks and I have added a side water tank with 70+l - sufficient for 20 days maintanace free usage. It can be seen in pictures, it uses too a time relay and a small pump to make the automatic daily refill.
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