Design of a Wind Tunnel for Plug Seedlings Production under Artificial Light and Aerodynamic Characteristics above Plug Stand

인공광하의 공정육묘용 풍동 설계 및 공정묘 개체군상의 공기역학적 특성

A wind tunnel consisting of two air flow conditioners with polycarbonate pipes, a plant growth room, a suction fan and fan controller, and fluorescent lamps, was designed to investigate the interactions between the growth of plug seedlings under artificial light and their Physical environments. Light transmissivities in the plant growth room based on the photosynthetic photon flux density and photosynthetically active radiation was appeared to be 96.3% and 96.8%, respectively. Measurement showed a uniformity in the vertical profiles of air current speed at the middle and rear regions of plug trays in wind tunnel. This result indicated that the development of a wind tunnel based on the design criteria of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers was adequate. Air current speed inside the plug stand was significantly decreased due to the resistance by the leaves of plug seedlings and boundary layer developed over and below the plug stand. Driving force to facilitate the diffusion of gas inside the plug stand might be regarded as extremely low. Aerodynamic characteristics above the plug stand under artificial light were investigated. As the air current speed increased, zero plane displacement decreased but roughness length and frictional velocity increased. Zero plane displacement linearly increased with the average height of plug seedlings. The wind tunnel developed in this study would be useful to investigate the effects of air current speed on the microclimate over and inside the plug stand and to collect basic data for a large-scale plug production under artificial light in a semi-closed ecosystem.