Variable thermal cell array greenhouse envelope for energy-efficient food production

用于节能食品生产的可变热电池阵列温室外壳

• 批准号: 486842-2015
• 负责人: Whitehead, Lorne
• 金额: $ 9.11万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Idea to Innovation
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=585807
• 关键词: Variable; thermal; cell; array; greenhouse

It is widely accepted that the global food supply problem can be alleviated by building greenhouses on non-arable land near the communities where the food is needed. Traditional transparent greenhouse structures, however, are not practical in hot or cold climates, because the energy required to provide thermal control is prohibitive and it is economically unfeasible to electrically illuminate crops inside non-transparent insulated structures. To address this problem, we have developed a high-performance variable insulation system that can be switched from a daylight transparent window to a highly thermally insulated panel, making greenhouses practical in most climates and seasons. The high insulation characteristic of our system arises from our novel thermal cell array system, a construction of highly compressible gas-filled pockets contained within a stack of lightweight polymer film layers contained within a sealed window panel. In its expanded state, the thermal cell array has the same insulation value as a solid Styrofoam wall, and in its compressed state, the insulation material virtually disappears and the panels essentially act as a traditional transparent greenhouse wall. While the method of expanding and compressing the array can easily be done using a motor, this design also lends itself to a new form of electrostatic actuation, whereby the array can be compressed simply by applying a voltage to inexpensive, vacuum-deposited thin films, thus eliminating mechanical motor parts. In this project, we will demonstrate and quantify the performance of this system to manage the internal temperature of a greenhouse within a range that is desirable for plant growth, without the use of energy for heating or lighting. The development work described in this proposal is required to prove this potential to prospective commercialization partners within the Canadian greenhouse industry.

人们普遍认为，全球粮食供应问题可以通过在需要粮食的社区附近的非耕地上建造温室来缓解。然而，传统的透明温室结构在炎热或寒冷的气候中是不实用的，因为提供热控制所需的能量是令人望而却步的，而且在非透明的绝缘结构中用电照亮作物在经济上是不可行的。为了解决这个问题，我们开发了一种高性能的可变隔热系统，可以从日光透明的窗户切换到高度隔热的面板，使温室在大多数气候和季节都实用。