• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.123-132
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• 2016

The importance of energy saving technology for managing greenhouse was recently highlighted. For practical use of energy in greenhouse, it is necessary to simulate energy flow precisely and estimate heating/cooling loads of greenhouse. So the main purpose of this study was to develope and to validate greenhouse energy model and to estimate annual/maximum energy loads using Building Energy Simulation (BES). Field experiments were carried out in a multi-span plastic-film greenhouse in Jeju Island ($33.2^{\circ}N$, $126.3^{\circ}E$) for 2 months. To develop energy model of the greenhouse, a set of sensors was used to measure the greenhouse microclimate such as air temperature, humidity, leaf temperature, solar radiation, carbon dioxide concentration and so on. Moreover, characteristic length of plant leaf, leaf area index and diffuse non-interceptance were utilized to calculate sensible and latent heat exchange of plant. The internal temperature of greenhouse was compared to validate the greenhouse energy model. Developed model provided a good estimation for the internal temperature throughout the experiments period (coefficients of determination > 0.85, index of agreement > 0.92). After the model validation, we used last 10 years weather data to calculate energy loads of greenhouse according to growth stage of greenhouse crop. The tendency of heating/cooling loads change was depends on external weather condition and optimal temperature for growing crops at each stage. In addition, maximum heating/cooling loads of reference greenhouse were estimated to 644,014 and $756,456kJ{\cdot}hr^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.23-32
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• 2019

Increasing crop production with the same amount of resources is essential for enhancing the economy in agriculture. The first prerequisite is to understand relationships between the resources. The concept of WEF (Water-Energy-Food) nexus analysis was first introduced in 2011, which helps to interpret inter-linkages among the resources and stakeholders. The objective of this study was to analyze energy-water nexus in greenhouse cultivation by estimating reference evapotranspiration and heating load. For the estimation, this study used the physical model to simulate the inside temperature of the agricultural greenhouse using heating, solar radiation, ventilated and transferred heat losses as input variables. For estimating reference evapotranspiration and heating load, Penman-Monteith equation and seasonal heating load equation with HDH (Heating Degree-Hour) was applied. For calibration and validation of simulated inside temperature, used were hourly data observed from 2011 to 2012 in multi-span greenhouse. Results of the simulation were evaluated using $R^2$, MAE and RMSE, which showed 0.75, 2.22, 3.08 for calibration and 0.71, 2.39, 3.35 for validation respectively. When minimum setting temperature was $12^{\circ}C$ from 2013 to 2017, mean values of evapotranspiration and heating load were 687 mm/year and 2,147 GJ/year. For $18^{\circ}C$, Mean values of evapotranspiration and heating load were 707 mm/year and 5,616 GJ/year. From the estimation, the relationship between water and heat energy was estimated as 1.0~2.6 GJ/ton. Though additional calibrations with different types of greenhouses are necessary, the results of this study imply that they are applicable when evaluating resource relationship in the greenhouse cultivation complex.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.222-231
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• 1994

The efficient use of solar energy for greenhouse heating is one of the most obvious applications to save the heating energy for greenhouse culture. To increase the efficiency of solar energy utilization in plastic greenhouse, underground heat exchange system was installed. Characteristics of the stored and released thermal enery in plastic greenhouse with underground heat exchange system was analyzed. The average stored and released thermal energy in this system were 1,484 $kJ/m^2$ day and 555 $kJ/m^2$ day, respectively. The average coefficient of performance of heat exchange system was found to be 2.86. Also an attempt was made to predict the air temperature in plastic greenhouse. The agreement between the results of prediction and that of measurement was relatively good.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1996.06c
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• pp.1101-1116
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• 1996

It is desirable to use the renewable energy for the greenhouse heating in winter season, it makes possible not only to save fossil fuel and conserve green farm environment but also to promote the quality of agricultural products and reduce the agricultural production cost. In this study the heat pump system was developed to use the natural energy as thermal energy resource for the thermal environment control of the greenhouse.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.215-235
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• 1996

The thermal analysis by mathematical model simulation makes it possible to reasonably predict heating and/or cooling requirements of certain greenhouses located under various geographical and climatic environment. It is another advantages of model simulation technique to be able to make it possible to select appropriate heating system, to set up energy utilization strategy, to schedule seasonal crop pattern, as well as to determine new greenhouse ranges. In this study, the control pattern for greenhouse microclimate is categorized as cooling and heating. Dynamic model was adopted to simulate heating requirements and/or energy conservation effectiveness such as energy saving by night-time thermal curtain, estimation of Heating Degree-Hours(HDH), long time prediction of greenhouse thermal behavior, etc. On the other hand, the cooling effects of ventilation, shading, and pad ||||&|||| fan system were partly analyzed by static model. By the experimental work with small size model greenhouse of 1.2m$\times$2.4m, it was found that cooling the greenhouse by spraying cold water directly on greenhouse cover surface or by recirculating cold water through heat exchangers would be effective in greenhouse summer cooling. The mathematical model developed for greenhouse model simulation is highly applicable because it can reflects various climatic factors like temperature, humidity, beam and diffuse solar radiation, wind velocity, etc. This model was closely verified by various weather data obtained through long period greenhouse experiment. Most of the materials relating with greenhouse heating or cooling components were obtained from model greenhouse simulated mathematically by using typical year(1987) data of Jinju Gyeongnam. But some of the materials relating with greenhouse cooling was obtained by performing model experiments which include analyzing cooling effect of water sprayed directly on greenhouse roof surface. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The heating requirements of model greenhouse were highly related with the minimum temperature set for given greenhouse. The setting temperature at night-time is much more influential on heating energy requirement than that at day-time. Therefore It is highly recommended that night- time setting temperature should be carefully determined and controlled. 2. The HDH data obtained by conventional method were estimated on the basis of considerably long term average weather temperature together with the standard base temperature(usually 18.3$^{\circ}C$). This kind of data can merely be used as a relative comparison criteria about heating load, but is not applicable in the calculation of greenhouse heating requirements because of the limited consideration of climatic factors and inappropriate base temperature. By comparing the HDM data with the results of simulation, it is found that the heating system design by HDH data will probably overshoot the actual heating requirement. 3. The energy saving effect of night-time thermal curtain as well as estimated heating requirement is found to be sensitively related with weather condition: Thermal curtain adopted for simulation showed high effectiveness in energy saving which amounts to more than 50% of annual heating requirement. 4. The ventilation performances doting warm seasons are mainly influenced by air exchange rate even though there are some variations depending on greenhouse structural difference, weather and cropping conditions. For air exchanges above 1 volume per minute, the reduction rate of temperature rise on both types of considered greenhouse becomes modest with the additional increase of ventilation capacity. Therefore the desirable ventilation capacity is assumed to be 1 air change per minute, which is the recommended ventilation rate in common greenhouse. 5. In glass covered greenhouse with full production, under clear weather of 50% RH, and continuous 1 air change per minute, the temperature drop in 50% shaded greenhouse and pad ＆ fan systemed greenhouse is 2.6$^{\circ}C$ and.6.1$^{\circ}C$ respectively. The temperature in control greenhouse under continuous air change at this time was 36.6$^{\circ}C$ which was 5.3$^{\circ}C$ above ambient temperature. As a result the greenhouse temperature can be maintained 3$^{\circ}C$ below ambient temperature. But when RH is 80%, it was impossible to drop greenhouse temperature below ambient temperature because possible temperature reduction by pad ||||&|||| fan system at this time is not more than 2.4$^{\circ}C$. 6. During 3 months of hot summer season if the greenhouse is assumed to be cooled only when greenhouse temperature rise above 27$^{\circ}C$, the relationship between RH of ambient air and greenhouse temperature drop($\Delta$T) was formulated as follows : $\Delta$T= -0.077RH＋7.7 7. Time dependent cooling effects performed by operation of each or combination of ventilation, 50% shading, pad ＆ fan of 80% efficiency, were continuously predicted for one typical summer day long. When the greenhouse was cooled only by 1 air change per minute, greenhouse air temperature was 5$^{\circ}C$ above outdoor temperature. Either method alone can not drop greenhouse air temperature below outdoor temperature even under the fully cropped situations. But when both systems were operated together, greenhouse air temperature can be controlled to about 2.0-2.3$^{\circ}C$ below ambient temperature. 8. When the cool water of 6.5-8.5$^{\circ}C$ was sprayed on greenhouse roof surface with the water flow rate of 1.3 liter/min per unit greenhouse floor area, greenhouse air temperature could be dropped down to 16.5-18.$0^{\circ}C$, whlch is about 1$0^{\circ}C$ below the ambient temperature of 26.5-28.$0^{\circ}C$ at that time. The most important thing in cooling greenhouse air effectively with water spray may be obtaining plenty of cool water source like ground water itself or cold water produced by heat-pump. Future work is focused on not only analyzing the feasibility of heat pump operation but also finding the relationships between greenhouse air temperature(T$_{g}$ ), spraying water temperature(T$_{w}$ ), water flow rate(Q), and ambient temperature(T$_{o}$).

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2000

Hot air heater with light oil burner is the most common heater for greenhouse heating in the winter season in Korea. However, since the thermal efficiency of the heater is about 80∼85%, considerable unused heat amount in the form of exhaust gas heat discharges to atmosphere. In order to capture this exhaust heat a heat recovery system for plant bed heating in the greenhouse was built and tested in the hot air heating system of greenhouse. The heat recovery system is made for plant bed or soil heating in the greenhouse. The system consisted of a heat exchanger made of copper pipes, ${\Phi}12.7{\times}0.7t$ located in the rectangular column of $330{\times}330{\times}900mm$, a water circulation pump, circulation plastic pipe and a water tank. The total heat exchanger area is 1.5$m^2$, calculated considering the heat exchange amount between flue gas and water circulated in the copper pipes. The system was attached to the exhaust gas path. The heat recovery system was designed as to even recapture the latent heat of flue gas when exposing to low temperature water in the heat exchanger. According to the performance test it could recover 45,200 to 51,000kJ/hr depending on the water circulation rates of 330 to $690\ell$/hr from the waste heat discharged. The exhaust gas temperature left the heat exchanger dropped to $100^{\circ}C$ from $270^{\circ}C$ by the heat exchange between the water and the flue gas, while water gained the difference and temperature increased to $38^{\circ}C$ from $21^{\circ}C$ at the water flow rate of $690\ell$/hr. By the feasibility test conducted in the greenhouse, the system did not encounter any difficulty in operations. And, the system could recover 220,235kJ of exhaust gas heat in a day, which is equivalent of 34% of the fuel consumption by the water boiler for plant bed heating of 0.2ha in the greenhouse.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2023

Hydrogen has gained attention as an environmentally friendly energy source among various renewable options, however, its application in agriculture remains limited. This study aims to apply the hydrogen fuel cell triple heat-combining system, originally not designed for greenhouses, to greenhouses in order to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This system can produce heating, cooling, and electricity from hydrogen while recovering waste heat. To implement a hydrogen fuel cell triple heat-combining system in a greenhouse, it is crucial to evaluate the greenhouse's heating and cooling load. Accurate analysis of these loads requires considering factors such as greenhouse configuration, existing heating and cooling systems, and specific crop types being cultivated. Consequently, this study aimed to estimate the cooling and heating load using building energy simulation (BES). This study collected and analyzed meteorological data from 2012 to 2021 for semi-enclosed greenhouses cultivating tomatoes in Jeonju City. The covering material and framework were modeled based on the greenhouse design, and crop energy and soil energy were taken into account. To verify the effectiveness of the building energy simulation, we conducted analyses with and without crops, as well as static and dynamic energy analyses. Furthermore, we calculated the average maximum heating capacity of 449,578 kJ·h^-1 and the average cooling capacity of 431,187 kJ·h^-1 from the monthly maximum cooling and heating load analyses.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.37-47
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• 2018

The heating performance of a solar thermal seasonal storage system applied to a glass greenhouse was analyzed numerically. For this study, the gardening 16th zucchini greenhouse of Jeollanam-do agricultural research & extension services was selected. And, the heating load of the glass greenhouse selected was 576 GJ. BTES (Borehole Thermal Energy Storage) was considered as a seasonal storage, which is relatively economical. The TRNSYS was used to predict and analyze the dynamic performance of the solar thermal system. Numerical simulation was performed by modeling the solar thermal seasonal storage system consisting of flat plate solar collector, BTES system, short-term storage tank, boiler, heat exchanger, pump, controller. As a result of the analysis, the energy of 928 GJ from the flat plate solar collector was stored into BTES system and 393 GJ of energy from BTES system was extracted during heating period, so that it was confirmed that the thermal efficiency of BTES system was 42% in 5th year. Also since the heat supplied from the auxiliary boiler was 87 GJ in 5th year, the total annual heating demand was confirmed to be mostly satisfied by the proposed system.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.45-52
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• 2009

This study was conducted in the process that the basic plan of the formation of the thermal energy complex in the Iwon reclaimed land of Taean was being made. Targeting for the large-sized greenhouse to be made in this area, it examined the cooling and heating load and the amount of ventilation, and also analyzed the economic efficiency of heating. The research results are as per the below: The minimum ambient temperature of this area was measured on January 7, 2001, which was $-18.7^{\circ}C$, and the maximum ambient temperature of this area was measured on July 24, 1994, which was $36.7^{\circ}C$. The maximum heating load was 39,011 MJ/h, but the date when the maximum heating load was not consistent with the date when the minimum temperature was measured. The maximum cooling load was 88,562MJ/h, It was approximately 2.3 times of the maximum heating load, which was measured at 14:00 hours on September 4, 2000. The maximum amount of ventilation heat was 138,639MJ/h. Assuming the rate of solar heat use as 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100%, the total sum of cost-benefit would be ￦-193,450,000, ￦-634,930,000, ￦-3,372,960,000, and ￦-9,850,420,000, respectively 20 years later. The break-even point of the geothermal heat pump would be about 4 years for 10% use, about 3 years for 20% or 50% use, and approximately 6 years for 100% use. It was found that 50% use would be most advantageous. In case two systems are combined, the break-even point will be 10 years, 8 years, and 11 years respectively.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2012

Purpose: Utilizing air thermal energy during over-heated time in the greenhouse is a necessary component to save greenhouse heating costs for nighttime. However, there is no practical way to implement the related principles. Methods: In this study, a heating and cooling system which utilizes the surplus air thermal energy in a greenhouse was developed. Available air thermal energy and heating load for this experimental glasshouse were estimated based on temperature conditions of the plant growth and weather data. Results: Estimated values were 400 MJ/day for maximum surplus air thermal energy and 340 MJ/day for maximum heating energy which were target values of the design as well. The system consists of a heat pump, fan-coil units and heat storage tanks which are divided into low and high temperature tanks. Moreover, a new control logic was developed for surplus air thermal energy utilization. Conclusions: This paper explains the details of conceptual design process of the system. Results of test operations showed that the developed system performed the recovery and supply of the thermal energy according to design purposes.