Optimization Design of Spray Cooling Fan Based on CFD Simulation and Field Experiment for Horticultural Crops

Abstract

In recent years, horticultural plants have frequently suffered significant heat damage due to excessive temperatures. In this study, a horticultural spray cooling system was designed, consisting mainly of a jet fan and spraying system. CFD simulation technology and response surface methodology were used to optimize the design of the jet fan, which improved the thrust of the fan. The length of the inlet section was 300 mm, the length of the outlet section was 300 mm, the length of the cone section was 450 mm, and the diameter of the outlet was 950 mm, where the thrust of the jet fan was 225.06 N. By establishing the CFD model of spray cooling in a tea field and designing a L₉ (3⁴) orthogonal experiment, the effect of the spray parameters on the maximum temperature drop and effective cooling distance was studied, and the best parameters were selected. The simulation results show that the optimum parameters are a spray flow rate of 4.5 kg/s, a droplet diameter of 15–45 μm, a droplet temperature of 298.15 K, and a nozzle double circle layout. Based on the simulation results of the optimized jet fan and spray parameters selected, a spray cooling test bench was established. Field test results show that when the initial ambient temperature was 310.05 K–310.95 K, the maximum temperature drop of the spray cooling fan was 9.1 K, and the cooling distance was approximately 36.0 m. The temperature drop decreased with increasing distance from the fan. This study is of great significance to protect horticultural plants from extremely high temperatures.