Articles
NEW INTERFERENCE FILM FOR CLIMATE CONTROL
The Kool Lite Plus film contains a new type of pearlescent pigment, founded on the same principle of interference as for the pigments used in the Kool Lite/Astrolux film that is already commercial.
The new pigments have especially been designed to reflect solar heat (NIR), in combination with an improved light transmission (PAR).
The new film has been tested amongst others in the South of Tunisia during the winter and spring 1997, on a tomato crop grown under classical tunnels used in this region.
During this trial, temperatures and productions were registered under a reference tunnel covered by a standard thermic film, as well as under Astrolux and the new Kool Lite Plus film.
The Kool lite Plus film induces a more moderate climate than the reference film.
On hot days, the new interference film reduces the maximum temperatures by 1–2°C. Furthermore the effect of Kool Lite Plus is much stronger in the early afternoon, when the temperature in the test tunnel is 4–5°C cooler than the reference tunnel.
During the night and on cool and cloudy days the temperature in the Kool Lite Plus tunnel is equal to the reference tunnel.
These results are also confirmed by a test run in the South of France during the summer 1997 on a tomato crop grown under classical tunnels used in this region.
As in the previous test, temperatures and productions were registered.