Numerical investigation of the north wall passive thermal performance for Chinese solar greenhouse

Abstract

The fully passive solar energy utilization system of Chinese solar greenhouse is efficient for ensuring year-round cultivation of vegetables, owing to the high amount of heat charge and discharge characteristic of the north wall enclosure. In the present research, the thermal performance is investigated using CFD. A 3-D mathematical model has been established to evaluate the wall thickness, layered configuration and material property. The predicted thermal environments are in good agreement with the experimental measurements, indicating the reliability of the established numerical model. The results showed that the increase of north wall thickness could cause the waste of resources due to the thermal masses mainly concentrate in the superficial layer. Constructing layered configuration is rec-ommended for the north wall which uses Styrofoam in the outer layer to reduce heat loss. Nevertheless, the property of north wall material has little effect on the thermal environment. The research results, thus obtained, will give good guidance for completing the Chinese solar greenhouse engineering database and optimizing the solar energy utilization.