Algenix is a concept design for an alginate-containing hydrogel food manufacturing system developed for the ISS based on the Space Farming Initiative. Through the integration of a food printer, cultivation capsules, and a cultivation rack, it ensures the production of edible and appealing algae-based foods while guaranteeing operational safety in the microgravity environment.
/ Group Work /
Role: Group Leader / Printer Design / Capsule Concept Deisgn / Render / Animation
First, We looked into the reason why we want grow algae in the space, and what kind of algae should we grow. Meanwhile, we gathered some issues people may face to when they try to grow algae in space, and bring up our new process to complete this task.
The entire system consists of three components: a food printer, planting capsules, and planting racks. Together, they enable food printing, the printing of planting structures, and the provision of a safe growing environment.
For making the algae can growing in micro-gravity environment, a holistic, semi-solid structure is needed for fixing the algae and creating contact surface for algae to grow, by processing the sodium alginate with algae and nutrition inside, the new fixture can be printed into this kind of structure through vacuuming and extruding.
Combining liquid calcium lactate & sodium alginate can produce materials with extrudability.
Through the top interface, capsules containing printing materials and algae can be installed and connected to the printing unit. A vacuum mechanism at the bottom of the capsule creates a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the capsule, enabling the contents to be delivered to the print head through the draft tube.
After remove the capsule base from the printing plate, structure containing with algae, water and nutrition will be installed to a closed planting capsule for growing algae in micro-gravity environment safely.
For multi-patch growing to keep the volume of algae production steady, and for ensure the food supply is enough for every crew in ISS, the method of stack planting is introduced meanwhile for saveing the precious space.
Because all the material of content is eatable, the capsule can be directly plug in the material import on the printer, Also the printer support maximum 4 type of algae for printing, this can give the final food output lots of possibilities.
