| Title |
Development of CFD-based Microclimate Simulation Model around Crops Considering Transpiration |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.6110/KJACR.2025.37.9.409 |
| Keywords |
전산유체역학; 미기후; 열환경 균일성; 증산작용; 수직농장 Computational fluid dynamics; Microclimate; Thermal environmental uniformity; Transpiration; Vertical farm |
| Abstract |
This study develops a CFD-based simulation model to evaluate microclimate conditions in vertical farming environments, specifically accounting for crop transpiration. Conventional simulation tools like EnergyPlus and TRNSYS rely on zone-level models that lack the spatial resolution necessary to capture microclimate variations near crops. Additionally, traditional CFD models often overlook transpiration, a crucial physiological process that affects energy and moisture exchange. To address these limitations, we created a CFD framework using STAR-CCM+, where crop canopies are modeled as porous media, and transpiration is applied at the cell level through a user-defined function (UDF). Leaf surface temperature is determined by solving coupled energy balance equations that incorporate radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat fluxes. The resulting heat and moisture sources are integrated with the airflow solver. Simulation results under varying inlet relative humidity (30% to 90%) indicate that higher humidity levels decrease transpiration, resulting in increased leaf and air temperatures. Conversely, lower humidity levels enhance transpiration, creating a cooling effect. The model effectively captures spatial heterogeneity in heat and moisture distribution across vertical farms. This transpiration-coupled CFD model serves as a valuable tool for analyzing plant-environment interactions and has practical applications in energy-efficient climate control and the development of smart farming systems. |