From: c.knight_at_juno.com
Date: 10/02/02
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 22:10:06 -0500 Subject: Re: Omega Garden - High-density gardening for small spaces/urban farming Message-ID: <20021002.221011.1104.2.c.knight@juno.com> From: c.knight_at_juno.com
> system. If you are going to expend energy moving something, it
> makes
> more sense to have a large planting and move the lights. However,
Agreed, to a point. The Omega garden appears to be a flood and
drain hydroponic system, as well...not sure about the combined power
requirements for those two systems vs the power requirements to
rotate the barrel slowly.
My main problem with the Omega garden is the source of the light.
You're right. Artificial light is expensive. Directing natural light
into the
center might be a better solution, and could be easily done with a little
bit of optical engineering.
One of the universities designed an optical concentrator which was
basically a light funnel -- they got concentrations up to 20,000 suns
at the output orifice. Lower concentrations are easy to achieve. In
fact, I can think of a half dozen ways to direct light into a system like
this.
Then funnel that light into a light pipe system that puts the light where
you want it.
You're the closest we have to an expert -- does this sound reasonable?
-- Chuck Knight
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