Smart and Solar Greenhouse Covers: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

The examination of recent developments and future perspectives on smart and solar greenhouse covers is significant for commercial agriculture given that traditional greenhouse relied on external energy sources and fossil fuels to facilitate lighting, heating and forced cooling. The aim of this review article was to examine smart and solar materials covering greenhouse. However, the scope was limited to intelligent PhotoVoltaic (PV) systems, optimization of some material properties including smart covers, heat loading and the use of Internet of Things (IoT) to reduce the cost of operating greenhouse. As such, the following thematic areas were expounded in the research; intelligent PV systems, optimization of the Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE), Panel Generator Factor (PGF) and other material properties, heat loading future outlook and perspectives. The intelligent PV section focused on next-generation IoT and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) systems for greenhouse automation while the optimization of material parameters emphasized quantum dots, semi-transparent organic solar cells, Pb-based and Pb-based PVs and three dimensional (3D) printing. The evaluation translated to better understanding of the future outlook of the energy-independent greenhouse. Greenhouse fitted with transparent PV roofs are a sustainable alternative given that the energy generated was 100% renewable and economical. Conservative estimates further indicated that the replacement of conventional sources of energy with solar would translate to 40–60% energy cost savings. The economic savings were demonstrated by the Levelized cost of energy. A key constraint regarded the limited commercialization of emerging innovations, including transparent and semitransparent PV modules made of Pb-quantum dots, and amorphous tungsten oxide (WO3) films, with desirable electrochromic properties such as reversible color changes. In addition to intelligent energy harvesting, smart IoT-based materials embedded with thermal, humidity, and water sensors improved thermal regulation, frost mitigation and prevention, and the management of pests and disease. In turn, this translated to lower post-harvest losses and better yields and revenues.

A study of the dependence between fuel consumption of a heat gas turbine and variation of heat loading of regional consumers having various climatic conditions taking into account determination of structural characteristics of heat exchanging equipment for grid water heating

The aim was to optimize the dependence between fuel consumption and heat loading of regional consumers varied due to climatic conditions, taking into account the determination of structural characteristics of heat exchanging equipment for grid water heating in a heat gas turbine. A heat gas turbine comprising two fuel combustion chambers, a waste-heat boiler and a contact heat exchanger to heat makeup grid water was investigated. Scheme and parametric optimization studies were carried out using a mathematic model of a gas turbine created using a software and hardware system developed at the Department of Heat Power Systems of the Melentiev Energy Systems Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Th turbine operating conditions differing in heat loads in four suggested operating regions were studied. It was found that an increase in fuel consumption in the second combustion chamber was 29%– 84% compared to that in the first combustion chamber. This rise was recorded when the turbine heat loading was increasing in the considered regions. Data analysis of the scheme and parametric optimization studies showed that, for operating conditions with a higher heat loading, it seems reasonable to ensure the maximum possible heating of makeup grid water as the loading rises. It is also recommended to slightly increase the heat surface area of the makeup grid water heater whose structural materials are less expensive than in a waste-heat boiler. It was shown that the suggested technical solution slightly increases specific capital investments while fully providing electrical and heat power to consumers. The obtained results can be used to select optimal technical solutions ensuring competitiveness in the operation of a heat gas turbine in regions with various climatic characteristics.