Energy Design and Optimization of Greenhouse by Natural Convection

This study addresses the pressing need for energy-efficient greenhouse management by focusing on the innovative application of natural ventilation.The primary objective of this study is to evaluate various ventilation strategies to enhance energy efficiency and optimize crop production in agricultural greenhouses.Employing advanced numerical simulation tools,the study conducts a comprehensive assessment of natural ventilation’s effectiveness under real-world conditions.The results underscore the crucial role of the stack effect and strategic window positioning in greenhouse cooling,providing valuable insights for greenhouse designers.Our findings shed light on the significant benefits of optimized ventilation and also offer practical implications for improving greenhouse design,ensuring sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.The study demonstrated energy savings in cooling from November to April,with a maximum saving of 680 kWh in March,indicating the effectiveness of strategically positioning windows to leverage the stack effect.This approach enhances plant growth and reduces the need for costly cooling systems,thereby improving overall energy efficiency and lowering operational expenses.

Performance Evaluation of an Evaporative Cooling Pad for Humidification-Dehumidification Desalination

The perfect combination of renewable energy and desalination technologies is the key to meeting water demands in a cost-effective,efficient and environmentally friendly way.The desalination technique by humidificationdehumidification is non-conventional approach suitable for areas with low infrastructure(such as rural and decentralized regions)since it does not require permanent maintenance.In this study,this technology is implemented by using solar energy as a source of thermal power.A seawater desalination unit is considered,which consists of a chamber with two evaporators(humidifiers),a wetted porous material made of a corrugated cellulose cardboard and a condenser(dehumidifier).The evaporation system is tested with dry bulb temperature and relative air humidity data.The results of numerical simulations indicate that higher inlet air velocities(from 0.75 to 3 m/s)lead to a decrease in theΔT,ΔRH,and effectiveness.With the air remaining within the evaporator for 30 cm,the temperature differential increases to 5.7°C,accompanied by a 39%rise in relative humidity contrast.These changes result in a significant enhancement in humidification efficiency,achieving a remarkable efficiency level of 78%.However,a wettability value of 630 m^(2)/m^(3)leads to a smaller reduction of these parameters.Increasing the pad thickness,particularly to 0.3 m,improves performance by boostingΔT,ΔRH,and effectiveness,especially for pads with a wettability of 630 m^(2)/m^(3),for which superior performances are predicted by the numerical tests.

A Methodology to Reduce Thermal Gradients Due to the Exothermic Reactions in Resin Transfer Molding Applications

Resin transfer molding(RTM)is among the most used manufacturing processes for composite parts.Initially,the resin cure is initiated by heat supply to the mold.The supplementary heat generated during the reaction can cause thermal gradients in the composite,potentially leading to undesired residual stresses which can cause shrinkage and warpage.In the present numerical study of these processes,a one-dimensional finite difference method is used to predict the temperature evolution and the degree of cure in the course of the resin polymerization;the effect of some parameters on the thermal gradient is then analyzed,namely:the fiber nature,the use of multiple layers of reinforcement with different thermal properties and also the temperature cycle variation.The validity of this numerical model is tested by comparison with experimental and numerical results in the existing literature.

Numerical Simulation of a Granular Flow on a Smooth Inclined Plane

Unlike most fluids,granular materials include coexisting solid,liquid or gaseous regions,which produce a rich variety of complex flows.Dense flows of grains driven by gravity down inclines occur in nature and in industrialprocesses.To describe the granular flow on an inclined surface,several studies were carried out.We can cite in particular the description of Saint-Venant which considers a dry granular flow,without cohesion and it only takes into account the substance-substrate friction,this model proposes a simplified form of the granular flow,which depends on the one side on the angle of inclination of the substrate with respect to the horizontal plane and on the other side on the thickness of the substance H.The numerical simulation we have developed is first based on the Saint-Venant model,it allowed us to visualize the variation of the speed according to the thickness of the substance(from 0 to H)and to deduce the average speed of the substance on an inclined plane.However,this restrictive model does not take into account the effect of particle friction on the flow and considers that the thickness H is constant.To make our simulation more realistic,we opted for the Savage-Hatter model.We took into account the variation of the thickness on the particles speed,in addition we have studied the effect of the variation of many parameters on the granular flow,namely the temperature and the roughness of the substrate,the density and the compactness of the substance,we found that the speed of the particles increases and the treatment time decreases with an increase in temperature.

Numerical Study on the Resin Transfer Molding Curing Process for Thick Composites Materials

The successful manufacture of thick composites is challenging since the highly exothermic nature of thermoset resins and limited temperature control make avoiding the onset of detrimental thermal gradients within the composite relatively difficult.This phenomenon is mainly caused by exothermic heat reactions.The so-called Michaud's model has been largely used in the literature to reduce the gap between experience and simulation with regard to the effective prediction of the temperature cycle in these processes.In this work,another solution is proposed to simulate the curing process for thick composites,namely preheating the resin to activate the curing reaction before resin injection into the mold.A good agreement between the experiment and the simulation is found.Moreover,in order to minimize the thermal gradient in the final composite,the thermophysical properties of the fiber and the torque(temperature,time)of the Plate have been varied leading to interesting results.