Journal of Bio-Environment Control ISSN:1229-4675(Print) 2765-3641(Online) 생물환경조절학회지

This study aimed to analyze thermo-keeping and economic feasibility by utilizing silica aerogel, which has been attracting attention as a new material, complementing the disadvantages of the conventional multi-layered thermal screen, and producing and installing multi-layered thermal screen. The multi-layered thermal screen used in the experiment was produced in two combinations using a non-woven fabric containing silica aerogel and measured and compared the temperature and fuel consumption changes due to differences in practice with the multi-layered thermal screen being sold and used on the market. Experimental results show that the temperature and relative humidity changes due to the differences of the multi-layered thermal screens in the single-span greenhouse and the multi-span greenhouse were small but remained almost the same temperature and relative humidity. It is judged that this shows that the multi-layered thermal screen using silica aerogel is not inferior to the conventional multi-layered thermal screen. As a result of a comparative analysis of heating energy, the aerogel-based multi-layered thermal screen reduced fuel consumption by about 15% in the single-span greenhouse and about 20% in the multi-span greenhouse compared to the conventional multi-layered thermal screen. It is clear that heating energy is saved as a greenhouse size and duration increase. It was found that the silica aerogel-based multi-layered screen was more breathable and warmer than the conventional multi-layered thermal screen, but It was found that the multi-layered screen used in the multi-span greenhouse was heavier and stiff compared with the conventional multi-layered thermal screen, indicating less workability and operability. Therefore, improvements were applied to the multi-layered screens used in the single-span greenhouses. It was confirmed that the replacement of internal insulation materials reduced thickness and improved stiffness so that there could be sufficient possibility for farmers to use.