Simulation and validation of the airflow inside a naturally ventilated greenhouse designed for tropical conditions

Reynafarje X.; Villagrán E.A.; Bojacá C.R.; Gil R.; Schrevens E. · Acta Horticulturae (2020) · DOI: 10.17660/actahortic.2020.1271.8

Resumen

In the Colombian high-altitude tropics, protected horticulture is carried out under passively ventilated greenhouses. Still, nowadays, the current knowledge about the performance of these structures in the commercial areas under tropical conditions is scarce. The present work presents a combined methodology for the study of the natural ventilation through 3D computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation and 2D sonic anemometry. The experimental work was developed in a multi span greenhouse conformed by five spans with a ground covered area of 3025 m2 located in the Bogota savannah. This methodological approach obtained the airflow patterns in the experimental greenhouse under the prevailing wind and temperature conditions of the study region. Measurements and simulations were made for the daytime period (6 to 18 h) in which the following three ventilation configurations were considered: side ventilation, roof ventilation and a combination of both. The results showed high efficiency of the combined wall and roof ventilation for low-speed wind conditions (<1.5 m s-1). The airflow pattern simulations showed a high correlation with the wind direction and speed measured through sonic anemometry.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina