Greenhouse Thermal Insulation Screen with Capillary Vapor Permeability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional thermal insulation screens in greenhouses are impermeable to water vapor, leading to condensation issues that can damage crops, and existing solutions like micro-perforated films or textile screens are costly or ineffective in managing humidity and heat loss.
Innovation Solution
A textile structure with a reinforced plastic film using polyester threads and a multi-strand binding thread mesh, allowing for water vapor permeability through capillary action while maintaining air impermeability, produced using a RACHEL-type knitting machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional plastic film is used for thermal insulation, then heat loss prevention is improved, but water vapor permeability deteriorates leading to condensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines plastic film with hydrophilic textile fibers (polyester, polyamide, or acrylic) to create a composite insulation screen. The textile component provides hydrophilicity for water vapor permeability while the plastic film provides thermal insulation, resolving the contradiction between heat loss prevention and condensation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the insulation screen: the plastic film portion provides thermal insulation while the textile fiber portion provides hydrophilicity and water vapor permeability. This local differentiation of material qualities allows simultaneous achievement of both heat loss prevention and condensation control.
2Stress or pressure
If micro-perforated plastic film is used to evacuate air pressure, then air pressure control is improved, but water vapor evacuation deteriorates due to hydrophobic nature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines hydrophobic plastic film (good for air pressure control) with hydrophilic textile fibers (good for water vapor evacuation). The textile component absorbs and transports condensed water vapor away from the plastic film surface, preventing water droplet formation while the plastic film maintains air pressure control through its micro-perforations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If textile or textilo-plastic screens are used for climatic regulation, then climate control is improved, but manufacturing cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin plastic film as the base material for the insulation screen, which is then reinforced with textile fibers. This approach maintains the flexibility and climatic regulation capabilities of textile screens while significantly reducing manufacturing cost by using a simpler plastic film substrate instead of expensive woven or knitted textile structures.
4Ease of operation
If plastic film is made lighter and thinner for ease of folding, then ease of operation is improved, but mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where thin, lightweight plastic film is reinforced with strong textile fibers (polyester, polyamide, or acrylic). The textile reinforcement provides the necessary mechanical strength and rigidity to handle and fold the screen, while the thin plastic film maintains ease of folding and operation. The combination allows the screen to be both lightweight and mechanically robust.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides effective thermal insulation, reduces manufacturing costs, and prevents condensation damage to crops by allowing water vapor transfer while retaining air, enhancing climate management in greenhouses.
Implementation Method 1
the implementation of a multi-strand binding thread, ensuring the joining of the technical reinforcing threads to the plastic film, induces the crossing right through of the thickness of the said plastic film during the production of the mesh, by the needles of the knitting machine, defining a certain number of through holes within the plastic film, ensuring the screen thus defined the wettability required to ensure permeability to water or water vapor due to the the wicking effect or the capillarity generated by the binding yarns
Implementation Method 2
the field of market gardening and horticultural crops. More specifically, it relates to a thermal insulation screen, of the type traditionally installed in greenhouses, and intended to allow the protection of the contents of said greenhouses against the cold, and therefore of the crops, against heat loss
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
This thermal insulation screen consists of a textile structure incorporating a film (301) made of a plastic. The plastic film (301) is reinforced by means of textile reinforcing yarns (304, 305) that are fastened to said film by means of a multistrand binding yarn (303) meshing said reinforcing yarns by knitting on either side of the surface formed by the plastic film.