Analysis of Air Circulation in Oyster Mushroom Farm

Oyster mushroom farm which could not meet optimum temperature range yields non-uniform sized, low quality products. Thus, this study, utilizing STAR CCM+, one of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programs, analyzed the impact of air circulation and temperature distribution. Methods: After we visited numerous mushroom farms, we measured the temperature at the discharge ports of heaters, fan capacity, and the locations of the air circulators in the farms. According to the data, most mushroom growers installed the heaters near the entrance and discharge ports of the heaters at the third growing bed on the same height as the heaters in the entrance. The temperature at the discharge port of heater was $1,26^{\circ}C$, and the fan capacity was 4,500 $m^3$/hr. The air circulator was placed in the center of the mushroom farm 50cm above the ground, and its capacity of inlet port was 1,100 $m^3$/hr and discharge port 1,600 $m^3$/hr. The mushroom farm was insulated. Results: According to the analysis of the temperature distribution in the vertical plane of the entrance side, no air circulation causes the high temperature zone of 296~299K at the discharge port of the heater to take up 34% of area while the operation of air circulators causes it to occupy only 9%. This means that not using air circulators leads to a concentration of high temperature at the discharge port near the entrance. In addition, with the results of the analysis of the temperature distribution in the vertical planes of the center, no air circulation causes the temperature zone of 295~298K at the discharge port of the heater to take up 48% of area while the operation of air circulators causes it to occupy 80%. This shows that the high outlet port temperature disseminated to the center. Conclusions: After ninety minute operation of both heater and air circulator, the interior temperature became stabilized in the mushroom farm. Air circulation made the high temperature at the discharge port disseminate to the center and exit in the farm and equalize the temperature distribution.