Browse > Article

Improvement of Cooling Efficiency in Greenhouse Fog System Using the Dehumidifier  

Nam Sang Woon (Department of Bioresources Engineering, Chungnam National University)
Kim Kee Sung (Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, University of Arizona)
Giacomelli Gene A. (Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, University of Arizona)
Publication Information
Journal of Bio-Environment Control / v.14, no.1, 2005 , pp. 29-37 More about this Journal
Abstract
In order to provide fundamental data on utilization of dehumidifier in greenhouses, a condensing type dehumidifier using ground water as a coolant was developed and tested dehumidification performance. The developed dehumidifier was applied to greenhouse with fog cooling system and effect of dehumidification on improvement of evaporative cooling efficiency was analyzed. Results of the dehumidifier performance test showed that dehumidification using ground water as a coolant was sufficiently possible in fog cooling greenhouse. When the set point temperature of greenhouse cooling was $32^{\circ}C$ and as temperatures of ground water rose from $15^{\circ}C\;to\;18^{\circ}C,\;21^{\circ}C\;and\;24^{\circ}C$, dehumidification rates decreased by $17.7\%,\;35.4\%\;and\;52.8\%$, respectively. As flow rates of ground water reduced to $75\%\;and\;50\%$, dehumidification rates decreased by $12.1\%\;and\;30.5\%$, respectively. Cooling efficiency of greenhouse equipped with fog system was distinctly improved by artificial dehumidification. When the ventilation rate was 0.7 air exchanges per minute, dehumidification rates of the fog cooling greenhouse caused by natural ventilation were 53.9%-74.4% and they rose up to 75.4%-95.9% by operating the dehumidifier. In case of using the ground water of $18^{\circ}C$ and flow rate of design condition, it was analyzed that whole fog spraying water can be dehumidified even if the ventilation rate is 0.36 exchanges per minute. As a utilization of dehumidifier, it is possible to improve cooling efficiency of fog system in naturally ventilated greenhouses.
Keywords
포그냉방시스템;자연환기;제습;증발랭각효율;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Boulard, T., A. Bailie and J. Lagier. 1989. Water vapour transfer in a plastic house equipped with a dehumidification heat pump. J. Agric. Engng Res. 44: 191-204   DOI   ScienceOn
2 Brusewitz, G.H. and M.L. Stone. 1987. Microcomputer controlled desiccant dehumidifier. Transactions of the ASAE 30(2):459-463   DOI
3 Yanadori, M. and M. Hamano. 1994. Dehumidification in the greenhouse by the ventilation type dehumidifier with heat-flow controllable heat exchanger. Solar energy 53(1):117-123   DOI   ScienceOn
4 Yun, N.K., M.K. Kim and S.W. Nam. 1998. Dehumidification and evaporative cooling efficiency by water pipes in greenhouse. J. Bio. Fac. Env., 7(3):237-245 (in Korean)
5 Kwon, H.J. 2002. Development of CFD model to control humidity in greenhouse. M.S. thesis. Seoul National University (in Korean)
6 Arbel, A., O. Yekutieli and M. Barak. 1999. Performance of a fog system for cooling greenhouses. J. Agric. Engng Res. 72:129-136   DOI   ScienceOn
7 Hellickson, M.A. and J.N. Walker. 1983. Ventilation of Agricultural Structures. American Society of Agricultural Engineers. p.323-344
8 Seginer, I. and D. Kantz. 1989. Night time use of dehumidifiers in greenhouses. J. Agric. Engng. Res. 44 :141-158   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Kim, M.K., K.S. Kim and H.J. Kwon. 2001. The cooling effect of fog cooling system as affected by air exchange rate in natural ventilation greenhouse. J. Bio. Env. Con. 10(1):10-14 (in Korean)
10 Kittas, C., T. Bartzanas and A. Jaffrin. 2003. Temperature gradients in a partially shaded large greenhouse equipped with evaporative cooling pads. Biosystems Engineering 85(1):87-94   DOI   ScienceOn
11 Holman, J.P. 1990. Heat transfer seventh edition. McGrow-Hill Pub. Co. pp. 493-596
12 Arbel, A., M. Barak and A. Shklyar. 2003. Combination of forced ventilation and fogging systems for cooling greenhouses. Biosystems Engineering 84(1): 45-55   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Campen, J.B., G.P.A. Bot and H.F. de Zwart. 2003. Dehumidification of greenhouses at northern latitudes. Biosystems Engineering 86(4):487-493   DOI   ScienceOn