UPM Institutional Repository

Determination of Greenhouse Time Constant Using Steady-state Assumption


Citation

Janius, Rimfiel and M. Jenkins, Bryan (2004) Determination of Greenhouse Time Constant Using Steady-state Assumption. Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 12 (1). pp. 93-101. ISSN 0128-7680

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the applicability of a steady-state solution in predicting the changes in temperatures of the inside air and thermal mass of a bench-top-heated greenhouse in response to a step change in outside temperature. The steady-state analysis is simpler than that of the transient. However, a steady-state solution would only be appropriate if the time constant of the greenhouse is short compared to the total time under which the conditions outside the greenhouse are considered to be approximately constant. A lumped parameter method based on Albright et at. (1985) was used to estimate the time constant of the bench-top-heated greenhouse. The time constant was found to be very sensitive to the heat transfer coefficient, It.., between the thermal mass and inside air. A high value of It.. results in a longer time constant. For the estimated thermal mass properties, the value of It,. for the temporarily approximately constant outside conditions was calculated to be 0.23 Wm·2 K' for which the estimated time constant was about 0.75 hour. This time was reasonably short compared to the six-hour experimental period; thus the steady-state analysis was appropriate.


Download File

[img]
Preview
PDF
Detennination_of_Greenhouse_Time_Constant.pdf

Download (2MB)

Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Engineering
Publisher: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press
Keywords: Bench-top heating, greenhouse time constant, greenhouse thermal mass
Depositing User: Nur Izyan Mohd Zaki
Date Deposited: 01 Dec 2009 00:37
Last Modified: 27 May 2013 07:10
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3657
Statistic Details: View Download Statistic

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item