Solution for Microclimate Control of Glass Greenhouse Crops via Computational Fluid Dynamics

Glass greenhouse agriculture is becoming increasingly crucial as a sustainable method of food production, particularly because of the effects of extreme climate change on traditional forms of agriculture. However, the current research methods fail to consider the microclimatic conditions of temperature and wind speed within the crop canopy, causing an inadequate assessment of the crop growing environment and subsequently affecting crop growth and yield. In this study, an optimal microclimate scheme for crop growth in a glass greenhouse was designed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) considering the effects of fan position, initial speed, and initial temperature. First, the effects of crop presence and absence on wind speed and temperature in a glass greenhouse were analyzed using CFD. Second, the most effective crop growth strategy was determined by adjusting the heater fan speed and fan position. Finally, based on key factors such as the location of the greenhouse fan, initial wind speed, and initial temperature, the optimal fan control scheme for cucumber growth was developed as an example. The experimental results showed that (1) raising the greenhouse fan to 1.4 m ensured sufficient air flow in the crop canopy at 0.5 m and in the interior area at 0.1 m, (2) increasing the initial speed of the greenhouse fan to 3.5 m/s ensured that the wind speed in the crop canopy and the interior area met the optimal growth requirements of 0.3-1 m/s, (3) adjusting the initial temperature of the greenhouse fan to 300.15 K can reduce the overall temperature to a level more favorable for crop growth. Thus, a detailed optimization analysis of the greenhouse environment and adjustments to fan design to meet the specific growth requirements of the crop provide an effective method for improving greenhouse agricultural production conditions.