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Design of a Micro-Plant Factory Using a Validated CFD Model

Author

Listed:
  • Xinxin Chen

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Tengyuan Hou

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Shulin Liu

    (College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yongxiu Guo

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Jianping Hu

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Gaoming Xu

    (College of Intelligent Manufacturing and Equipment, Jiangmen Polytechnic, Jiangmen 529030, China)

  • Guoxin Ma

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Wei Liu

    (School of Agriculture Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

Abstract

The uniformity of the cultivation environment in a micro-plant factory plays a critical role in ensuring the consistent growth of seedlings, and an optimal airflow pattern is the key to maintaining environmental uniformity. This study applied computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to compare the effects of six different ventilation modes on the microclimate within the cultivation space. In cases 1 and 2, the inlet was positioned at the top, while the outlets were located at both the bottom and the top of the side walls. For cases 3 to 6, a side-inlet and side-outlet ventilation system was employed across the three cultivation layers. Case 4 maintained consistent inlet and outlet airflow speeds, whereas cases 3, 5, and 6 featured airflow settings that either increased or decreased progressively from the top layer to the bottom. Notably, case 6 was characterized by a more compact arrangement of cultivation racks within the space, which were positioned closer to the outlet than in the other cases. In case 1, the air inlets were positioned at the top, while the outlets were located on both side walls at the lower layer of cultivation. In contrast, case 6 used a side-inlet and side-outlet ventilation strategy, in which the airflow speed of the inlets decreases progressively from the top to the bottom of the cultivation layers. Additionally, the cultivation racks in case 6 were arranged more compactly and positioned closer to the outlet of the cultivation space. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was used to evaluate the uniformity of the airflow velocity (m/s), temperature (K), and relative humidity (%) within the crop-growing area. The results indicated that, among all the scenarios, case 6 demonstrated the lowest RSD values for the airflow velocity, temperature, and relative humidity, with reductions of 18.34%, 0.12%, and 2.05%, respectively, compared to the control group (case 1). Based on the ventilation design of case 6, a micro-plant factory was developed featuring a bidirectional flow fan, air conditioning, and PWM fans for the coordinated control of air circulation within the seedling cultivation space, along with adjustable cultivation layer heights and shelf spacing. The accuracy of the CFD model for the micro-plant factory was validated with normalized root mean square error (NMSE) for cultivation layer heights of 250 mm, 300 mm, and 350 mm. The NMSE values comparing the simulated and measured results for the airflow velocity, temperature, and relative humidity were found to be 0.032, 0.0020, and 0.0022; 0.031, 0.0021, and 0.0018; and 0.046, 0.0021, and 0.0021, respectively. These findings indicate that the established CFD model can reliably predict the microenvironment within the micro-plant factory.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinxin Chen & Tengyuan Hou & Shulin Liu & Yongxiu Guo & Jianping Hu & Gaoming Xu & Guoxin Ma & Wei Liu, 2024. "Design of a Micro-Plant Factory Using a Validated CFD Model," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-18, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:12:p:2227-:d:1537452
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xuan Gu & Eiji Goto, 2024. "Computational Fluid Dynamics Model with Realistic Plant Structures to Study Airflow in and around a Plant Canopy on a Cultivation Shelf in a Plant Factory with Artificial Light," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Yu Haibo & Zhang Lei & Yu Haiye & Liu Yucheng & Liu Chunhui & Sui Yuanyuan, 2023. "Sustainable Development Optimization of a Plant Factory for Reducing Tip Burn Disease," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Jianhong Shi & Haidong Wang & Jianan Wang, 2023. "CFD Simulation Study on the Cooling Characteristics of Shading and Natural Ventilation in Greenhouse of a Botanical Garden in Shanghai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, February.
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    1. Xuan Gu & Eiji Goto, 2024. "Computational Fluid Dynamics Model with Realistic Plant Structures to Study Airflow in and around a Plant Canopy on a Cultivation Shelf in a Plant Factory with Artificial Light," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, July.

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