Environmental control models for medicinal herb growth

农业和农业食品部门是加拿大重要的经济驱动力，2014年占GDP的6.6%（1081亿美元）。可持续园艺依赖于主动控制温度、湿度、二氧化碳和补充照明，以最小的能源消耗和温室气体排放提供最佳的植物生长条件。在温室中维持最佳条件所需的能源是显著的，大量的能源都花在除湿上。就医用级大麻而言，最佳湿度水平远低于适合蔬菜种植的湿度水平，这意味着更大的能源需求。拟议的模型包括实施新颖的战略要素，包括开发新材料、涂层微结构、紧凑的传热和传质组件、废热和水回收、热能储存、可持续除湿装置和系统集成，这些都是加拿大高科技和农业公司的高需求。这项研究项目的成果可以为温室带来具有成本效益和高效率的热、湿度和二氧化碳管理系统。开发的可持续技术模型将进一步支持一系列可持续能源应用，这些应用采用了新兴的吸附系统，需要可持续的温度和湿度控制，例如住宅建筑和工业厂房，并将显著改善成本、质量和我们的环境足迹。

Agriculture and agri-food sector is a significant economic driver in Canada, generating 6.6% of the GDP ($108.1 billion) in 2014. Sustainable horticulture relies on active control of temperature, humidity, CO2 and supplemental lighting for providing optimum plant growth conditions with minimal energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The energy required for maintaining optimal conditions in greenhouses is significant, and large amounts of energy are spent on dehumidification. In the case of medical grade cannabis, optimal humidity levels are much lower than those suitable for vegetable cultivation, translating into larger energy demand. The proposed modelling encompasses the implementation of novel and strategic elements including development of new materials, coated microstructures, compact heat and mass transfer components, waste-heat and water recovery, thermal energy storage, sustainable dehumidification units and system integration that are in high-demand in Canadian high-tech and agriculture companies. The outcome of this research project can result in cost-effective and highly-efficient thermal, humidity, and CO2 management systems for greenhouses. The developed modelling for the sustainable technology will further support a host of sustainable energy applications where emerging sorption systems are employed, and sustainable temperature and humidity control is needed, e.g., residential buildings and industrial plants, and will lead to significant improvements in costs, quality, and our environmental footprint.