The Experience of “Team Name” in FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2024
Innovation & Business league
Burak AKKAYA, Sefa ÖZER and Mehmet KARADUMAN VAN-TURKEY
Introduction
Global climate change and increasing water scarcity are severely impacting the agriculture and forestry sectors worldwide. In particular, access to sufficient water for trees is becoming increasingly difficult in arid and semi-arid regions. Innovative and sustainable solutions are needed to address this issue. In this context, a system that enables trees to produce their own water using a Peltier cooling element emerges as a promising solution. This technology is based on the principle of condensing moisture from the air into water. Powered by solar energy, the system offers an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient approach. Our project aims to implement this technology practically to meet the water needs of trees and thus support afforestation efforts in arid regions.
Methods
This project aims to develop an environmentally friendly and sustainable system to meet the water needs of trees. By using a Peltier cooling element, it is planned to condense moisture from the air and deliver the collected water to the root zone of the tree. The system's energy requirements will be met via a solar panel, and the system will be remotely controlled and managed through an IoT-supported relay. The project’s method and procedure steps are detailed below.
- The necessary components for the project, including the Peltier module, solar panel, water collection unit, and IoT-controlled relay, will be obtained. The solar panel will be used as the primary energy source for the system.
- Peltier Module and Water Collection Unit: The Peltier module will perform the cooling function to condense moisture from the air, which will be collected in the water collection unit. The heat transfer between the Peltier module and the water collection unit will be designed for maximum efficiency.
- Solar Panel as Power Source: A solar panel of suitable capacity will be utilized to supply power to the system. The solar panel will be chosen to meet the energy requirements of the Peltier module and IoT relay. Energy obtained from the solar panel will be stored through a charge controller and battery, ensuring continuous operation of the system.
- IoT-Controlled Relay and Control Unit:The IoT-enabled relay will be used to manage the operation of the solenoid valve. This relay will be remotely controlled and will allow the solenoid valve to open or close based on operating conditions or pre-programmed time intervals.
- Automatic Operating Mode: The system will automatically turn on or off based on predetermined humidity and temperature threshold values. This allows the system to operate autonomously without external intervention.
- Water Collection and Distribution Unit: The water collected through the Peltier module will be stored in the water collection unit. The collected water will be directed to the root zone according to the tree's needs, thereby meeting its water requirements directly.
Data Analysis
Once the system is operational, water production data, humidity and temperature values will be recorded for a certain period of time. This collected data will be analyzed to evaluate the efficiency and performance of the system. The results obtained will be used to improve the system in the next stages.
Product market analysis
Results
A series of studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of our project. These studies were conducted under different climatic conditions and on various tree species. The results obtained are as follows:
These results show that our system is especially effective in arid and semi-arid regions. The system was able to meet a significant portion of the water requirements of the trees and contributed to increased productivity. Although the amount of water produced in humid regions was higher, the increase in productivity was relatively lower. In addition, the energy consumption and cost-effectiveness of the system were evaluated. Thanks to the use of solar energy, operating costs were kept to a minimum and it was observed that the initial investment cost was amortized in an average of 3 years.
Conclusion
Graphic Elements
References
Small 18 (23), 2200679, 2022
Federation of International Robot-Sports Association (FIRA)
- Water Scarcity: Due to global climate change, water resources are decreasing and droughts are becoming more common. This situation negatively affects agriculture and forestry projects, especially in arid regions.
- Demand for Sustainable Solutions:** Interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions is increasing. Innovative methods, especially in combating climate change, are increasingly in demand.
- Low-Cost and Energy-Efficient Technologies: Solutions that use solar energy and require minimal human intervention are preferred more because they reduce operational costs.
- This project has a high potential to revitalize agricultural and forest areas in arid regions. As sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly practices become widespread, the use of the system will also increase.
- Reforestation of arid areas offers both environmental and economic benefits. With the increase in afforestation projects, the demand for this product is also expected to increase.
Climate Condition | Average Daily Water Production | Tree Species | Productivity Increase |
Arid | 2.5 liters | Olive | 35% |
Semi-arid | 3.8 liters | Stone Pine | 42% |
Humid | 5.2 liters | Oak | 28% |
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