As soon as the CDF model has been tested, the greenhouse environment
computational can become a powerful climate analysis tool. Currently, it is possible to see, for instance, the wind distribution along the greenhouse when the
income windows are up or down, and the consequent temperature profiles, among
many other possibilities. Although in the last decade research on wind behavior
inside the greenhouse has been enormous, yet, as a fundamental part of the
greenhouse environment modeling process it is necessary to take into consideration the physical verification in order to provide certainty about the results
obtained by numerical simulation. Scale models, water and wind tunnels, and
measurements of the climatic variables are some of the main options for verification of the CFD models of the greenhouse climate.
12.4 CFD Approaches
CFD modeling is used to design facilities that provide suitable climatic conditions
for crops. According to Sase (2006), within a mild climate, appropriate design and
control of ventilation is required to ensure effective cooling and uniformity of the
environment. It is possible to design an optimal greenhouse by calculating the
area, volume, and vents area as well as the material properties of the roof (Impron
et al. 2007).
Rico-García et al. (2006), comparing two different greenhouses, showed the
importance of its geometry and found that the ventilation rate for a greenhouse
with larger vertical roof and windows was better than a multi-span greenhouse.
Omer (2009) describes several designs of low energy greenhouses. In agreement
with Baeza et al. (2008), design changes in the greenhouse, such as size and shape
of vents, can improve air movement in the area of crops. Bakker et al. (2008)
investigated energy balance, determining that the amount of energy used per unit
of output is defined by improvements in energy conversion, environmental control
to reduce energy consumption, and efficiency of agricultural production.
In a study of outdoor areas using the turbulence model Reynolds-averaged
Navier–Stokes equations (RANS), van Hoff (2010) found that small geometric
modifications can increase the ventilation rate by up to 43 %. The performance of
ventilation in enclosed spaces is affected by the flow of outside air, type of cover,
height of the installation, and the ventilation opening (Kim et al. 2010). Computational parametric studies on greenhouse structures can help to identify design
factors that affect greenhouse ventilation under specific climatic conditions (De la
Torre-Gea et al. 2011a).
12 Advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics Applied to Biosystems
347
computational can become a powerful climate analysis tool. Currently, it is possible to see, for instance, the wind distribution along the greenhouse when the
income windows are up or down, and the consequent temperature profiles, among
many other possibilities. Although in the last decade research on wind behavior
inside the greenhouse has been enormous, yet, as a fundamental part of the
greenhouse environment modeling process it is necessary to take into consideration the physical verification in order to provide certainty about the results
obtained by numerical simulation. Scale models, water and wind tunnels, and
measurements of the climatic variables are some of the main options for verification of the CFD models of the greenhouse climate.
12.4 CFD Approaches
CFD modeling is used to design facilities that provide suitable climatic conditions
for crops. According to Sase (2006), within a mild climate, appropriate design and
control of ventilation is required to ensure effective cooling and uniformity of the
environment. It is possible to design an optimal greenhouse by calculating the
area, volume, and vents area as well as the material properties of the roof (Impron
et al. 2007).
Rico-García et al. (2006), comparing two different greenhouses, showed the
importance of its geometry and found that the ventilation rate for a greenhouse
with larger vertical roof and windows was better than a multi-span greenhouse.
Omer (2009) describes several designs of low energy greenhouses. In agreement
with Baeza et al. (2008), design changes in the greenhouse, such as size and shape
of vents, can improve air movement in the area of crops. Bakker et al. (2008)
investigated energy balance, determining that the amount of energy used per unit
of output is defined by improvements in energy conversion, environmental control
to reduce energy consumption, and efficiency of agricultural production.
In a study of outdoor areas using the turbulence model Reynolds-averaged
Navier–Stokes equations (RANS), van Hoff (2010) found that small geometric
modifications can increase the ventilation rate by up to 43 %. The performance of
ventilation in enclosed spaces is affected by the flow of outside air, type of cover,
height of the installation, and the ventilation opening (Kim et al. 2010). Computational parametric studies on greenhouse structures can help to identify design
factors that affect greenhouse ventilation under specific climatic conditions (De la
Torre-Gea et al. 2011a).
12 Advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics Applied to Biosystems
347