Performance evaluation of greenhouse ventilation strategies based on a wireless sensor network system

Traditional ventilation control decisions for Chinese Solar Greenhouses (CSGs) rely primarily on farmers’ empirical judgment. With the development of a novel ventilation system (comprising bottom vents, top vents, and back roof vents), farmers lack adequate practical experience in operating such systems. To evaluate the cooling performance of the new ventilation system in CSGs, a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system was established using multiple wireless temperature and humidity sensors. The Ordinary Kriging (OK) interpolation method, which was developed in LabVIEW, was employed to visualize and monitor the real-time air temperature distribution under various ventilation opening configurations and vent combinations. Additionally, the cooling amplitude and temperature uniformity were comparatively analyzed. The results indicated that the synergy of multiple vents could enhance the chimney effect, achieving efficient cooling in summer. The cooling amplitudes of the dual-vent combination (bottom vent+top vent) and the three-vent configuration were 7.1°C and 10.4°C, respectively. Increasing the ventilation area improved both the cooling effect and temperature uniformity, with more open vents and a larger top vent area offering additional benefits. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical reference for farmers to optimize greenhouse ventilation management and offer data support for the application of novel ventilation systems.