Performance of positive pressure fan-pad cooling system and cooling load model for Chinese solar greenhouse

Year-round and efficient production for crop products of high yield, quality and cleanliness is the development trend of the Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG). However, this is limited by unfavorable climate conditions inside the CSG, such as high air temperature in warm seasons. The fan-pad cooling system, normally adopting negative pressure ventilation, has been widely used for greenhouse cultivation. But it generates a large air temperature gradient in greenhouse, limits the greenhouse dimensions. Above deficiencies are more serious in the CSG. Because CSG always has a long distance between the sidewalls, fans and gaskets are installed separately on the sidewalls. In order to overcome the limitations of negative fan-pad cooling system and improve ability of the CSG in coping with high temperature, a positive pressure fan-pad cooling system (PPFPCS) was designed in this study. By using this system, the cold and humid air enters the CSG from bottom of south roof, and then hot air leaves the CSG through roof vents. Performance of the PPFPCS was tested in a CSG without crops in Beijing area during summer. Results showed that in typical summer hot days, the PPFPCS cooperating with external shading net could decrease mean air temperature of the CSG experimental area to 30.7-33.4 ℃, which was lower than that in the CSG contrast area using natural ventilation combination with external shading net by 5.4-11.1 ℃. Air temperature of the CSG experimental area was also lower than that outside the CSG with a temperature difference of 2.4-5.4 ℃. Nevertheless, both natural and mechanical ventilations were tested to have limited cooling capacity to meet climate requirement for CSG cultivation. The PPFPCS could also decrease the CSG air temperature at night, but had a poorer performance in comparison with daytime cooling due to the smaller vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The contrast area of CSG encountered an extreme low air humidity state with mean VPD of 3.4-6.1 kPa. PPFPCS could effectively alleviate low humidity stress: the average relative humidity in CSG experimental area was between 49.8% and 62.3%, which was 13.6% - 21.2% higher than that in CSG control area and 13.6%-24.6% higher than that in outdoor area. Wind velocity inside the CSG experimental area ranged from 0.35 to 1 m/s, which indicated a relative uniform air flow distribution. Cooling efficiency of the PPFPCS was about 91%, which was over 10 percentage points higher than that of the traditional negative pressure fan-pad cooling system. Low temperature of the PPFPCS circling water contributed to the high cooling efficiency. Average water consumption rate of the PPFPCS used for CSG cooling was 0.035-0.079 g/(m2•s) during the test. It had a positive linear correlation with VPD of outdoor air, that is drier outdoor air anticipates larger water consumption and better cooling performance. Both cooling load model of the CSG and selection method for fan-pad cooling system were derived. Cooling load model is the basis for capacity calculation of cooling equipment to be installed. Cooling load of the CSG in summer was 299.1 W/m2. Contribution ratios of convective heat transfer between north wall and indoor air, convective heat transfer between greenhouse floor with indoor air, hot air infiltration, as well as heat transfer between indoor and outdoor air though south roof, north roof and side walls were 11.0%, 73.3%, 1.3% and 14.4%, respectively. The maximum specific ventilation rate of the PPFPCS used for CSG cooling was recommended to be 0.067 m/s. This study can provide technical support for the application of PPFPCS in CSG cultivation and provide theoretical basis for the climate control of CSG production in summer.