A Dynamic model development of the effect of installed fan speed on temperature, humidity, and weight of agricultural products in greenhouse

Abstract

Solar greenhouse drying is a widely used method for preserving and drying agricultural products. However, maintaining optimal conditions within the greenhouse can be challenging due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity in and outside the greenhouse. This research aims to develop a dynamical model that incorporates the effect of installed fan speed on temperature, humidity, and the weight of agricultural products in a greenhouse. The model is tested using data collected from the case study: banana drying. Collected data include air temperature, air humidity, irradiance, product weight, and product temperature. A system of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) is used to describe the dynamics of the system, and unconstrained optimization is used to estimate the parameters that give the best-fit model for the collected data. The model's performance is tested using statistical analysis. Research findings show that the model can effectively predict temperature and humidity changes in the greenhouse as well as product weight loss over time. The outcome of this research is a mathematical model that can effectively predict the weight of the finished products given the speed of the installed fan.