Study of a novel front-roof-back natural ventilation system for Chinese solar greenhouses

Abstract

A Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG) is a highly efficient and energy-saving horticultural facility. Ventilation is significantly important for crop production in the greenhouse, and the vent configuration is the basis of the greenhouse design. Current CSG ventilation structures mostly include front bottom vents and top vents to create a suitable temperature environment for the normal development of crops. However, the ventilation capacity and efficiency are limited. In the present study, we proposed a comprehensive front bottom + top + back roof (FTB) ventilation configuration. The greenhouse ventilation was investigated during the summer season by means of field testing and simulation, and the performance of three ventilation structures—front bottom + top (FT), front bottom + back roof (FB) and FTB—was compared. The results showed that FTB stabilized the greenhouse temperature for 20 s less time than FT and FB. The cooling rate of FTB showed a 24.84% and 5.52% improvement over FT and FB, respectively, and the average temperature showed a 13.81% and 3.65% decrease, respectively. Moreover, the ventilation performance of the side walls was investigated in order to determine if they might serve as auxiliary structures for FTB ventilation. Nevertheless, the improvements of cooling rate, wind speed and average temperature were only 0.52%, 2.09% and 0.11%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the novel FTB ventilation proposed in the present study significantly improved ventilation efficiency and uniformity compared with conventional ventilation structures. The results presented herein provide theoretical support for the use and design of greenhouses suitable for China's special climate.

Intelligent Regulation of Temperature and Humidity in Vegetable Greenhouses Based on Single Neuron PID Algorithm

“…The use of solar greenhouses has significant advantages in improving crop growth efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing environmental impacts, hence attracting increasing global interest [1,2]. In Northern China, the sloped solar greenhouse, with its unique structure and energy-saving characteristics, has become an integral part of facility agriculture [3][4][5]. However, traditional solar greenhouse management relies heavily on manual operation, which is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also challenges the precise control of the crop growth environment [6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…Based on satisfying the conditions outlined in the aforementioned equations, we can derive the mathematical model for the temperature and humidity decoupling stage, G P21 (s), as indicated in Equation (5). Similarly, the mathematical model for the humidity to temperature decoupling stage, G P12 (s), is represented by Equation (6).…”

“…Step (5): Control Output Calculation. Based on the updated weight coefficients, calculate the control outputs for temperature and humidity at the current moment.…”