Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD

A CFD model was presented to simulate the distribution of air velocity and temperature in a greenhouse adopting the fan-pad cooling system in summer. The Boussinesq hypothesis was applied for the simulation of gravitation; the k-ε turbulent model and discrete ordinates model were selected to predict...

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Main Authors: Jiaoliao Chen, Yanwen Cai, Fang Xu, Haigen Hu, Qinglin Ai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2014-01-01
Series:Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/712740
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author Jiaoliao Chen
Yanwen Cai
Fang Xu
Haigen Hu
Qinglin Ai
author_facet Jiaoliao Chen
Yanwen Cai
Fang Xu
Haigen Hu
Qinglin Ai
author_sort Jiaoliao Chen
collection DOAJ
description A CFD model was presented to simulate the distribution of air velocity and temperature in a greenhouse adopting the fan-pad cooling system in summer. The Boussinesq hypothesis was applied for the simulation of gravitation; the k-ε turbulent model and discrete ordinates model were selected to predict the distribution of air velocity and temperature inside greenhouse using the commercial software Fluent. The differences between simulated and measured air temperature varied from 0.9 to 4°C and the differences of air velocity were less than 0.15 m/s, which proved that the CFD method can estimate the distribution of air velocity and temperature in the greenhouse rationally and effectively. The validated CFD model was then used to evaluate the cooling effect and design the installment of fan and pad in terms of the crop size. The results implied that Case 3 and Case 5 should be chosen when the height of crop canopy varies from 2 m to 3 m. When it varies from 1 m to 2 m, all the cases can be effective except Case 1. When the canopy height is below 1 m, all the cases can be selected. This paper suggested that the CFD model can be used as an optimal tool for fan-pad evaporative cooling system in the greenhouse.
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spelling doaj.art-a63d84b720c64e26a6f632a82e557c162022-12-22T02:00:32ZengSAGE PublishingAdvances in Mechanical Engineering1687-81322014-01-01610.1155/2014/71274010.1155_2014/712740Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFDJiaoliao Chen0Yanwen Cai1Fang Xu2Haigen Hu3Qinglin Ai4 Institute of Manufacturing Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China Key Laboratory of E&M, Zhejiang University of Technology, Ministry of Education and Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, China Key Laboratory of E&M, Zhejiang University of Technology, Ministry of Education and Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, China Key Laboratory of E&M, Zhejiang University of Technology, Ministry of Education and Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, China Key Laboratory of E&M, Zhejiang University of Technology, Ministry of Education and Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaA CFD model was presented to simulate the distribution of air velocity and temperature in a greenhouse adopting the fan-pad cooling system in summer. The Boussinesq hypothesis was applied for the simulation of gravitation; the k-ε turbulent model and discrete ordinates model were selected to predict the distribution of air velocity and temperature inside greenhouse using the commercial software Fluent. The differences between simulated and measured air temperature varied from 0.9 to 4°C and the differences of air velocity were less than 0.15 m/s, which proved that the CFD method can estimate the distribution of air velocity and temperature in the greenhouse rationally and effectively. The validated CFD model was then used to evaluate the cooling effect and design the installment of fan and pad in terms of the crop size. The results implied that Case 3 and Case 5 should be chosen when the height of crop canopy varies from 2 m to 3 m. When it varies from 1 m to 2 m, all the cases can be effective except Case 1. When the canopy height is below 1 m, all the cases can be selected. This paper suggested that the CFD model can be used as an optimal tool for fan-pad evaporative cooling system in the greenhouse.https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/712740
spellingShingle Jiaoliao Chen
Yanwen Cai
Fang Xu
Haigen Hu
Qinglin Ai
Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
Advances in Mechanical Engineering
title Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
title_full Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
title_fullStr Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
title_full_unstemmed Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
title_short Analysis and Optimization of the Fan-Pad Evaporative Cooling System for Greenhouse Based on CFD
title_sort analysis and optimization of the fan pad evaporative cooling system for greenhouse based on cfd
url https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/712740
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