Volume 5: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part IV

Wind Tower Integration With Evaporative Cooling for Greenhouse Humidity and Temperature Control Khadije El Kadi, Isam Janajreh, Chaouki Ghenai, Sherien Elagroudy

Abstract

Wind tower is well-known traditional Arabic architectural element that creates passive ventilation in buildings for human comfort in hot and arid regions. Meanwhile, greenhouse agriculture has been a profitable technology despite the large energy and water need. Integrating these technologies can result in substantial energy and water saving. Still, sensible cooling proved to be unsustainable operation with depletion in relatively short time period. This suggests utilization of very high specific heat materials or integration of trans-evaporative cooling. The latter is simulated by developing a high-fidelity 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model governed by the non-isothermal Navier-Stokes flow in conjugated heat and turbulent flow regime. Effect of mist flow rate, and seasonal ambient conditions on the greenhouse parameters, i.e. temperature, relative humidity and vapor pressure deficit, are assessed and compared. Results are favorable and show to bring the needed ideal cooling for typical greenhouse crops. It is estimated however on the average 2,102 L/m2 /year of water is needed to bring the temperature, relative humidity and vapor pressure deficit to their optimum ranges in the summer weathering of Abu Dhabi city.

Keywords wind tower, evaporative cooling, greenhouse control, CFD, vapor pressure deficit