MRVE Growing Chamber 1

Executive summary:

Space travel is becoming more accessible with a return to the moon by 2020 and lunar
colonization shortly thereafter. For space colonization and settlement to occur, the need for self-
healing, easy-to-erect, self-monitoring and gas-eliminating aeroponic plant growth chambers for
recycling air is much greater than before. The MRVE Chamber allows for a minimal volume
footprint while maintaining a higher crop output than competitive models. Furthermore, the
chamber is completely automated; it can be sent to a colony location and set itself up without
human assistance. The system can be transported completely deflated where one individual unit
takes up less space than a small backpack and one section can be easily connected to multiple
units in order to achieve a “farm-like” setup. The chambers can be used to grow plants for
sustained life, materials (i.e. cotton, linen, etc.) for a sustained lunar economy, and pure, clean air
for a comfortable living environment. The system monitors the nutrient levels within the nutrient
solution and the gases that fill the aeroponics chamber. All of this data can be easily displayed
through a computer system monitored by lunar colony employees. The air and water used in the
system is filtered by reverse osmosis filters and electrically charged plates, respectively. This
ensures a clean growing environment for the plants, which will ensure a full, healthy crop as well
as a healthy source of food and materials for the lunar colonists. All of these are vital to a lunar
colony; the MRVE Growing Chamber provides all of these essentials in one easy to transport
system. The MRVE Growing Chamber utilizes the innovative technology of a modularly layered
set of materials whose major layers include a magnetorheological (MR) fluid that stiffens under a
magnetic field, a viscoelastic (VE) plastic that self-heals punctures, and a chemical sensor layer
which can be customized to detect gas and liquid content. All or some of these layers can be
utilized in many different situations, including large-scale inflatable telescopes, habitats, and the
MRVE Growing Chamber.

Background information:

With Lunar Colonization on the horizon, scientists are constantly seeking a more efficient way to
produce food, materials, and air inside lunar colony habitats. The MRVE Growing Chamber has
solutions to all of these problems and more within one compact system. The MRVE Growing
Chamber is an aeroponic plant growing system that can be used for agricultural ventures in many
types of locations including space station environments, the moon, and on Earth. The system
could easily be used in greenhouses or growing rooms to produce a steady supply of crops for
everyone from a commercial farmers to families looking for an alternative to buying steadily
more expensive, past fresh, and pesticide tainted food. The logistics behind the variety of
application and utilization of the new Magneto-Rheological Visco-Elastic (MRVE) material can
be found in the Concept Details section of this paper. MRVE’s unique applications are
showcased in this presentation of the MRVE Growing Chamber.

3-D Magnetic Field Demonstration. Pasco Scientific. 10 Nov. 2005

<http://store.pasco.com/pascostore/showdetl.cfm?&DID=9&Product_ID=51821&Detail=
1>.
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Corp. 21 Oct. 2005
<http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/mr_materials_010905-1.html>.
 MRVE Growing Chamber 2

Ethylene Power Pellets. 2008. QA Supplies, LLC. 9 Jan. 2009

<http://www.qasupplies.com/etpope.html>.
Fenner, Joel. Personal interview. 3 Nov. 2005.
Genc, Seval. "Synthesis and Properties of Magnetorheological (MR) Fluids." 2002. University of
Pittsburg. 21 Oct. 2005 <http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-08062002-
162348/unrestricted/genc12-20.pdf>
Klingenberg, Daniel J. "Making Fluids into Solids with Magnets." 26 Sept. 2003. 21 Oct. 2005
<http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2003-09-26/labNotesAS/body.html>.
Phillips, Tony, and Patrick L. Barry. Amazing Magnetic Fluids. 23 Aug. 2002. NASA. 6 Oct.
2005 <http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/23aug_MRfluids.htm?list47209>.
Roberto, Keith. How-To Hydroponics. Farmingdale: The Futuregarden Press, 2003
Vankor Technologies. How-to 1-MCP. 2006. Vankor Technologies, LTD. 9 Jan. 2009
<http://www.vankortech.com/how%201-mcp%20works.html>.
Xu, Jennifer C., and Gary Hunter. Personal interview. June-July 2008.
"UVC Sterilization." American Ultraviolet Co. American Ultraviolet Co. 5 Jan. 2009
<http://www.americanultraviolet.com/uvc/faq/index.htm>.

Concept details:

The MRVE Growing Chamber (refer to Figure 10 in the Appendix) is an automated self-
erecting aeroponic growth chamber. The chamber is constructed from Magneto-Rheological-
Visco-Elastic material (MRVE) and is fully automated. This chamber can be given specific
commands and can be compactly packed, stored, and transported to the future site of a lunar
colony ready to be activated and automatically begin to grow plants before astronauts arrive on
the moon. The plants will be completely taken care of by the growing chamber and can be
harvested by the lunar colonists.
The MRVE Growing Chamber is an innovative design that combines the technology of
MRVE material, which was presented and awarded 2nd place honors as an innovative technology
design during the 2007 Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award. The MRVE material is now
applied to an automated aeroponic system that is completely redesigned by this team. This
system was first suggested in 1999 by NASA as Low mass Inflatable Aeroponic System (AIS).
The AIS is similar to the MRVE Growing Chamber in many aspects, however, it contained many
flaws. Primarily, the system lacked a computer system that accurately monitored the nutrient
levels in both the solution and in the air inside the system. Secondly, the system was not
completely sealed like the MRVE Growing Chamber. Without a complete seal, a positive and
sustainable pressure level cannot be achieved. This positive pressure gradient is the key in fast
plant growth. Controlled pressure inside the growth chamber promotes faster water and nutrient
uptake by the plants. This essentially "forces" plants to absorb higher levels of nutrients than
they would in the AIS.
The MRVE Growing Chamber is made up of three distinct sections. The “Hardware
Section”, “Aeroponic Chamber”, and “Hortidome”. The Hardware Section contains all of the
equipment needed to operate the MRVE Growing Chamber. The Aeroponics Chamber will
house the sensors and nutrients that allow the plants to grow in an air environment. The
Hortidome surrounds the plants, but not the roots that are contained in the Aeroponics Chamber,
and senses the gases produced by the growing plants.
 MRVE Growing Chamber 3

Hardware Section
Once the chamber is in its desired location, it will be inflated to its proper shape using small
air tanks stored within the package, and then will be put in the presence of a constant magnetic
field created by an electromagnet that will stiffen the fabric due to the Magnetorheological (MR)
fluid within it. This enables the chamber to remain erect with out the worry of air particles
seeping out of the packaging.
Similar to our air supply, small tanks will be connected to the main chamber package that
will contain premixed nutrient solution as well as a separate container with sub-sections
containing various forms of individual nutrients and minerals.
When the system is fully erected, the computer systems will activate and begin monitoring
different gas levels in the air inside the chamber using chemical microsensor technology that is
embedded on the MRVE hortidome—the sealed cover of the chamber—and ventilation tubing,
as well as nutrient and chemical concentrations in the nutrient solution.
Aeroponics Chamber
The aeroponic portion of this product works simply by filling the bottom of the chamber with
the nutrient solution. Tiny bubblers at the bottom will begin to have air circulated through them.
The result is having the roots of the plants near the surface of the water and having the tiny
bubbles burst at the solution surface, releasing a small amount of mist. This technology will be
coupled with a type of fog machine, which will atomize the nutrient solution further into a light
mist that will constantly coat the roots with the solution. The plants will be in “growing baskets”
flush with the MRVE surface, allowing only the roots (the main part of the plant that actually
needs to be watered) to be coated in the nutrient solution. (The MRVE will be described later in
the portion that describes the MRVE and its use in this product) The roots will penetrate through
the basket. The leaves of the plants will be exposed to a UV light mounted at the top of the
MRVE hortidome.
Nutrient Monitoring System
The lower part of the aeroponics chamber also houses a nutrient sensors system. These
sensors are a layer placed on the MRVE containment, and are connected to a main computer
system that will allow colony staff members to manually monitor the plant chambers. The
sensors will display the various nutrient levels and show a comparison between where various
nutrient levels should be and where they actually are. These levels vary for different plants and
can be overridden by the staff if experimental nutrient concentrations are required.
Hortidome
Ethylene Sensing, Removal and Inhibition
The nutrient levels are not the only item that will be monitored. Plant gas output will also
need to be monitored since every plant emits ethylene. Ethylene makes plants rot prematurely.
Therefore, a sensor to monitors ethylene levels within the chamber is necessary as well as an
ethylene remover and an ethylene receptor inhibitor. The ethylene sensor will be placed
throughout the MRVE hortidome, and their technology is a variant of chemical microsensor
technology (these sensors will be further defined in the section entitled Chemical Mircosensors),
except it is a silicon-carbide (SiC) Schottky diode (Jennifer Xu and Gary Hunter of the NASA
GRC, my internship mentors). That means that this sensor’s sensing layer is a metal oxide, and
in this case, it is tin oxide (SnO2); the Schottky diode is constructed with a top layer of Pt, a
middle layer of SnO2 and a bottom layer of the semiconductor, which in this case is SiC. Probes
need to touch both sides of the sensor, and electricity needs to be added to the system to make it
function properly (Jennifer Xu and Gary Hunter of the NASA GRC, my internship mentors).
 MRVE Growing Chamber 4

This sensor is about half a square centimeter in size, and when connected to an electrical source
and an ammeter, by monitoring the current in the system, one can tell when and by how much
the ethylene levels changing. When the current rises, the ethylene goes up, when the current
decreases, the ethylene levels go down. This chemical sensor can detect ethylene in the range of
parts per million (ppm), and a warning light will begin flashing when the ethylene in the vents
reaches 900 ppm. The warning light will “tell” the colonist that more ethylene removers need to
be added into the vent system, and the old one’s removed. The ethylene remover used is actually
a mineral that is utilized in the commercial food industry when transporting and storing fruits
and vegetables. It is a system similar to that of QA Supplies Power Pellets, and works by
absorbing ethylene into itself, and that creates a chemical reaction which makes this mineral
change color—from purple to brown. These pellets within the ventilation system will prevent
astronaut overexposure to ethylene, as well as significantly decreasing plant exposure. In order
to fully prevent the plants from rapidly rotting in a sealed environment, 1-MCP will be sprayed
into the chamber once every three days. 1-MCP is a chemical that inhibits the ethylene receptors
within the plants preventing them from quickly rotting (Vankor Technologies). The 1-MCP will
be stored in the upper part of the chamber, and will release a puff of gas by applying pressure to
a nozzle that opens the airway and will release the air.
Recycling Air and Water
To ensure a pure water base for the nutrient solution, a reverse osmosis filter will be
employed along with a water recycling system. The filter will operate based on a high pressure
stream of water passing through the tiny pores of an inner filter. This will essentially remove
dissolved substances in the water. Once the water is filtered, it will be mixed with predetermined
amounts of nutrients (as determined by the computer system) and will then be sterilized by an
Ultra-Violet light. The addition of a UV light will help destroy potentially harmful bacteria and
fungi that may be in the water. Extra precautions will be taken in the manufacture of the nutrient
solution to ensure a healthy environment for the plants. As this system will also be used to
recycle air, it is also necessary to include a ventilation system (this ventilation system is simply
like any other ventilation system that is used in commercial industry with fans that constantly
circulate air into and out of the growing chamber. These fans will be connected to air filters with
large filters to remove solid particles like large pieces of dust and will be followed by electrically
charged plates. These plates will pull dust, bacteria, mold, and other contaminants out of the air
to ensure that the air being pumped into the chamber will not contaminate the water and/or the
plants. Of course, these filters will need to regularly be replaced, and the plates cleaned.
Chemical Microsensors
As the colony is established, the aeroponic filtration system will be connectable to the colony
structures to provide fresh air for the colony. This system works at cleaning the air because
humans and other mammals breathe in oxygen, and exhale CO2, while plants "breathe" both CO2
and O2 at different points during the day. Therefore, if these plants survive, there will be a
constant exchange of O2 and CO2 between the humans and the plants will occur. To keep the
recycling process producing at least 21% oxygen for a stable living environment, it is necessary
to monitor the O2 and CO2 concentrations, enabling the team to adjust the air flow rate of the
recycling system. This system would operate in a fashion similar to that of the shutter aperture
system
To enable the sensing O2 and CO2 sensing system that this team described in the previous
paragraph, a chemical microsensor array will be utilised. These half–a-square centimeter
sensors, and are electrochemical cells that, when attached to a power supply and an ammeter, can
 MRVE Growing Chamber 5

measure the current changes. These sensors are small, durable and heat-resistant. They
necessitate chemical films, electrolytes, and metal oxides which each enable chemical reactions
to occur, and thus change the sensor’s output current. In an electrochemical cell, the redox
reactions that occur are essential because the sensing mechanism of these sensors function,
depending on the sensor, on the flow of ions. The sensing mechanism of the sensor circuit—30
μm thick platinum interdigited electrodes with a chemical solid electrolyte on top—will change
in resistance when the analyte, the gas being sensed, is detected (Jennifer Xu and Gary Hunter of
the NASA GRC, my internship mentors). Therefore, when the resistance changes, the output
current, which is the value that is measured with the ammeter, is directly proportional to the
resistance. This functions well because during a redox reaction, an object, which in this case are
the interdigited electrodes, will gain or lose electrons due to the ions that are flowing through the
electrolyte. This gain or loss will change the resistance of the interdigited electrodes, and thus
change the current because an electric current is made up of electrons, and the electrodes will
gain electrons when the analyte reacts with the chemical film.
These sensors do not have a one-time use lifetime. When the analyte goes to one platinum
(Pt) electrode, it gains electrons and becomes an anion. Due to the conductive solid electrolytes
and chemical films that are over the electrodes, the analyte flows from one electrode to another,
where it loses the electron(s) that it gained and is released into the air. This process causes the
circuit to be reusable. Further effort has prevented the sensing mechanism from immediately
becoming saturated and give an unchanging, constant signal no matter the concentration of the
analyte gas that is flowing across it. To sense CO2, the electrochemical cell will have the
chemicals of SnO2 nanomaterial, sodium carbonate-barium carbonate and NASICON
(Na3Si2Zr2PO12, Sodium Super Ionic Conductor) layered on top of the Pt electrodes (This is an
invention by Jennifer Xu of the NASA GRC, my internship mentor). The O2 sensor utilizes
Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia as an electrolyte. If it science allows, this team would like to create a
Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia nanomaterial to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. Information on
their construction is located in the Appendix.
MRVE Material
To make this growing chamber "inflatable", compact for transport, and leak-free, we utilize
MRVE. MRVE is currently a concept product made out MR fluid and viscoelastic plastic. It is a
semi-viscous, self-healing fluid that can become rigid in a magnetic field. MRVE materials can
maintain a specific shape, self-seal punctures, and pinpoint puncture locations. This material is
lightweight, cost efficient, compact, and portable. A MR fluid is capable of solidifying in the
presence of a magnetic field, while a viscoelastic plastic is a self-sealing material that requires no
catalyst. Both materials are currently under development separately. As an addition to last
year’s concept, a layer of chemical sensors will be added to the MRVE. In regards to the MRVE
Growth Chamber, the hortidome will have a layer of sensors (the ethylene, O2 and CO2 sensors)
as well as an electric field running through it to pinpoint the location of a leak through the
disruption of the electric field and a computer program, as well as seal the leaks; and the
aeroponic/ water chamber will have a layer of sensors on it to monitor the nutrients, and prevent
any potential water leaks.
When the MR fluid goes into suspension, the fluid of suspension wicks into the gaps of the
lattice formed by the iron filings that distribute themselves along the magnetic field lines. The
result is that, within a few milliseconds, the material acts like a solid. However, MR fluids do
have a weakness. If they are in a gravity field, the suspended particles gradually sediment out of
the fluid. In a microgravity environment, this does not occur. MR fluids in the off-phase (when
 MRVE Growing Chamber 6

there is no magnetic field) come out of suspension much faster than MR fluids in the on-phase
(when a magnetic field is applied) as the lattice holds them in place longer. The rigidity and
sheer strength of the MR fluid are proportional to the applied magnetic field: the stronger the
magnetic field, the more rigid the lattice. The trade-off is that the stronger the magnetic field, the
faster particles come out of suspension as a stronger magnetic field drags them out of suspension.
This material has yet to be used in space, but without the presence of gravity, the MR fluid will
not come out of suspension at the same rate as it has in Earth’s gravity. MR fluid suspension has
been tested in the Orion rocket by a member of this team. Results from this flight indicate that
there is a relationship between particle number and material rigidity. Currently, researchers are
studying MR fluid and the properties of the small magnetic particles within. The current
technology of viscoelastic plastics can only seal a two millimeter puncture. Research on
viscoelastic plastic and its ability to self-heal has not been very extensive. Thus, knowledge
about this plastic is very minimal—especially regarding the reason the plastic self-heals without
a catalyst. Over time, the types of plastics currently used become weaker due to small cracks
throughout. With viscoelastic plastic, cracking does not occur, as it automatically self-heals.
Current applications of self-healing technology only utilize plastics that require catalysts, and
when those catalysts are applied, the strength of the damaged area reduces to 70% of its original
strength. As this technology will be used in space, further testing is necessary to find the right
plastic combination that will seal even larger holes, while also being movement conducive.
When the MR fluid and viscoelastic plastic combine in liquid form, problems are not
expected to arise, because lattices do not form. The only potential problem that could arise is
that the MR fluid could fall out of suspension when each is in their liquid states. This concern
would self-remedy as the jolts and jerks of the launch will put the iron particles back into
suspension. More testing will need to be done to see how each of the materials act in the other’s
presence. Additionally, a potential conflict may arise when the MR fluid portion goes into
suspension and forms a lattice, as the viscoelastic component does not have a lattice. Most
likely, the viscoelastic plastic will act like another fluid of suspension, and wick into the gaps
that the lattice formed. Further testing will need to be preformed to verify this. The MRVE will
be sandwiched between layers of meshed cloth and foil that will hold it in place. Normally, the
foil will be connected to a circuit that would induce an electric field throughout it, so this foil
will need to be conductive, and an electric field in the layers surrounding the MRVE material
will be used to detect punctures in the material and disturbances in the field via a computer
program. An electromagnet will be used to create the magnetic field needed for the MR fluid to
become rigid. However, considering that MRVE will be holding water, puncture location is not a
viable, but it will still seal punctures, which renders it a leak-free plant growth chamber.
Future
While there may be challenges towards making the MRVE Growing Chamber a reality, this
team believes that the MRVE Growing Chamber cannot only become a certainty, but a highly
useful technology with a variety of applications (space, ocean, famine-stricken parts of the
world), because of the unique breakthrough array of features. Further engineering research and
testing done by entrepreneurial companies will make space settlement an easier endeavor.
 MRVE Growing Chamber 7

Appendix:
e- e-

Figure 1 (left): When oxygen is sensed, it

To air From air
e- e- accepts electrons at the right electrode, and thus
2O2– 4e- 2O 4e- + O2
becomes an ion. This oxygen ion, then goes
2O2-
2
O2 Pt/Ti YSZ cover Pt/Ti
through the Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia (YSZ)
Pt/Ti
electrolyte to the left electrode and loses the
-
electrode O2- O2- electrode Electrodes

Al2O3 Substrate electron and goes into the air. The same thing
Side view, simplified with one pair of electrodes
occurs with CO2 sensing.

Figure 2 (Left):This was the experiment that tested MR fluids. It

was designed by Glenbrook North
High School Students, and was tested
on the Wallops Flight Facility’s Orion
rocket.

Figure 3 (Right): This image is of the

experiment after the flight. The MR
fluid is the blue liquid visible in the
cylinder with the GADGET sticker on
it.
Figure 4 (left): ILC Dover has been
researching viscoelastic plastics and incorporating them in
spacesuits. Currently, their plastic can only seal a two-millimeter
puncture. To the left is an image of what they have been
developing for space suits. Our concept is similar, however, MR
fluid is added into the equation, creating a unique material and
property set

Figure 5 (Right): A space

blanket. The construction of MRVE material will be similar to
this space blanket; the main difference is that instead of Mylar
between mesh, the mesh will be surrounded by MRVE and the
Mylar will be replaced by a conductive foil. Thus the layering
system will be foil, MRVE, mesh, MRVE, foil.
Figure 6
(Left): The conceptual design for MRVE, and
other potential uses in the space flight industry.
MRVE is segmented to package and contain the
MRVE in specific areas, and contains layers of
conductive foil, MRVE, Mesh, MRVE and
Conductive foil. The colors in this portrayal of
 MRVE Growing Chamber 8

MRVE are not accurate. There will be an additional layer of chemical sensors on top of the
material.
Figure 8 (Below Right): A completed sensor array courtesy of the NASA GRC and Makel
Engineering. The sensor array is the size of a postage stamp.

Figure 9 (Below Left): A picture depicting

the layers of MRVE.
Chemical Sensors
Conductive Foil
MRVE
Mesh
MRVE
Conductive Foil

Figure 10 (Below): A model of the MRVE Growing Chamber.

Hortidome
Water pump

MRVE Aeroponics
base bubbling pump
Air filter that
connects to
the air supply
of the lunar
base

Aeroponics Section
Hardware Sections