Analysing the local climate in a plant factory in CFD by simulating the heat and mass transfer of the plants using a realistic plant model

Maintaining the ideal environmental conditions for plants is essential in vertical farms and greenhouses.
Achieving this optimal climate can be achieved through the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), allowing for the comparison of various ventilation techniques, among other benefits.
Previously, plants were modeled as a porous zone, in which additional source terms are added to the energy or transpiration transport equation.
In this study, a more realistic plant geometry is used to model the plants inside this enclosure.
A single plant is being ventilated sideways using a uniform flow.
This realistic plant geometry consists of multiple leaves and is modeled after a basil plant.
For the first time, the heat and mass transfer of the plant is accurately incorporated at the boundaries of the leaves.
For each face of the leaf, the heat and mass balances are closed, giving a realistic representation of the temperatures and humidities through the canopy.
A uniform velocity-inlet was used to ventilate the leaves.
A left to right temperature gradient was witnessed during the night, when there was no radiation and a more constant leaf temperature when radiation was included.
The heat and mass transfer exchange were clearly a function of the boundary layer of the leaves.
This model can in the future be used to simulate other ventilation methods and to make assumptions on the VPD levels near and in the plant canopy.

International Symposium on New Technologies for Sustainable Greenhouse Systems: GreenSys2023

W. Plas, T. Demeester, M. De Paepe

basil, CFD, vertical farming, ventilation system

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1426.58