Characteristic of heat transfer for active heat storage wall with different structures in Chinese solar greenhouse

Abstract: Chinese solar greenhouse(hereafter CSG) is an efficient energy-saving greenhouse, and plays an important role in Chinese protected horticulture development. Active thermal storage back wall of CSG has excellent effect of energy storage. However, the hygrothermal performance of active thermal storage wall should be studied further. In this paper, heat transfer characteristics of active heat storage wall with different structures were studied. The CSG with traditional active heat storage wall (hereafter G1) and CSG with backfill-assembled active heat storage wall (hereafter G2) was introduced for experiment based on the operation experiments of heat loss of CSG. The humiture of inlet and outlet, the surface heat flux, temperature and humidity of experiment CSG had been tested. And the heat transfer characteristics were also studied. The results showed that the wind speed at outlet of G1 was 2.82 m/s, significantly higher than that of G2. However, the wind speed of inlet of G1 was smaller than that of G2. Under continuous sunny conditions, the average temperature difference between inlet and outlet of G1 and G2 were 10.2, 11.6 ℃, respectively, in the case of active thermal storage conditions; and the average temperature difference between inlet and outlet of G1 and G2 were 3.2 and 3.0 ℃ respectively, in the case of heat release conditions. Under continuous cloudy conditions, the average temperature difference between inlet and outlet of G1 and G2 were 1.8 and 2.3 ℃ respectively, in the case of heat release conditions; and the exothermic heat flux of G1 and G2 were 7.48 and 5.66 W/m2, respectively. The heat transfer characteristic of heat storage circulation system of active thermal storage wall were be analyzed. Research shows that the average heat exchange amount of G1 and G2 were 120.36 and 215.27 MJ, respectively, under continuous sunny conditions. And the energy efficiency ratio of G1 and G2 were 15.48 and 49.83, respectively. Therefore, the heat storage amount of G2 had a dramatic improvement compared to G1. The G2 had a better energy saving effect. Under continuous cloudy conditions, the G2 released more heat compared to G1. In the typical sunny day, the passive heat storage amount of back wall of G2 was 46.9% higher than G1 during the heat storage process and it was similar for both G1 and G2 during the heat release process. In the typical cloudy day, the passive heat storage amount of back wall of G2 was 46.4% higher than G1 during the heat storage process while the passive heat release amount of back wall of G2 was 26.2% lower than that of G1. In typical sunny day, the heat storage contributions of G1 and G2 were 30.02% and 34.32%, respectively and the heat release contributions of G1 and G2 were 27.38% and 39.35%, respectively. In typical cloudy day, the heat release contributions of G1 and G2 were 36.41% and 44.01%, respectively. Our study showed that the G2 had higher long-term heat storage capacity, and G2 would facilitate to maintain inner humiture stability of CSG under the long-term low temperature and cloudy conditions. This paper can provide a theoretical and practical guidance to thermal load design of CSG with active thermal storage system.