REDUCING THE THERMAL DEVIATION INSIDE GREENHOUSES BY USING SOLAR HEATING AND EARTH TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEMS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assoc. Prof., Ag. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Ag., Suez Canal U., 41522 Ismailia, Egypt.

2 Prof., Ag. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Ag., Suez Canal U., 41522 Ismailia, Egypt.

3 Demon., Ag. Eng. Dept., Fac. of Ag., Suez Canal U. 41522 Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

Cucumber crops grow best between 18 and 25ºC of indoor air temperatures. When air temperatures fall below 16ºC or exceed 30ºC for extended periods, growth and yield are usually decreased. Therefore, the optimization of microclimatic conditions in greenhouses is particularly important in crop growth, development, and productivity. In this study, an attempt has been made to analyze the thermal performance of the solar heating system (SHS) and earth-tube heat exchanger (ETHE) during the winter season of 2020 (January to March). The experimental work was executed in the experimental farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt (30.62ºN). Three identical gable-even-span polyethylene greenhouses each have a net floor surface area of 24 m2. The first greenhouse (G1) was equipped with complete solar water heating. The second greenhouse (G2) was equipped with an earth-tube heat exchanger. While the third greenhouse (G3) was used as a control unit. The obtained data showed that the overall thermal efficiency of the earth-tube heat exchanger was 65%. The average overall thermal efficiency for solar water collectorswas 59.6%. The average nightly indoor air temperatures for the three greenhouses (G1, G2, and G3) were 13.2, 11.6, and 9.3ºC, respectively. The total fresh yield of cucumber crop for the three greenhouses (G1, G2, and G3), respectively, 7.5, 6.3, and 3.8 kg/m2.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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