OPTIMIZATION OF A WASTE HEAT SYSTEM FOR A GREENHOUSE HEATED BY WARM WATER FROM AN OIL REFINERY

A .41 ha experimental greenhouse with an outdoor design temperature of -30°C has been built adjacent to the Consumers Co-operative Oil Refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan.
This experiment will examine the predicted optimum relationship of waste heat to natural gas from the standpoint of commercial feasibility.
It is not intended to attempt to heat the greenhouse 100% with just waste heat because the capital cost of the system would be too high.

Warm water for this experiment comes from a vacuum bottoms cooler located 460m from the greenhouse.
It will be transported in a polybutylene pipeline.
Initially 32°C water will be pumped to the air handlers.
At this point the air is heated, ducted to the floor and distributed in perforated polyethylene tubes.
Under Regina climatic conditions use of 32°C water will only be successful if a special feature such as a mobile blanket can be incorporated to reduce night time heat loss during winter.
Since the warm water only started to flow in March, 1983, experiments to fully test the heating system will begin in September 1983.

Besides evaluating this approach to heating gutter-connected and separated structures at Regina, observations will be made on:

1. plant growth in gutter-connected and separated structures,

2. plant productivity (cucumbers and tomatoes), and

3. evaluation of this approach for large scale vegetable production in Saskatchewan.

III International Symposium on Energy in Protected Cultivation

E.A. Maginnes, G.H. Green

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.148.27