- English
Since March last year, Van der Ende Group has started a pilot project at Tomatoworld in Honselersdijk to test its latest innovation, Airmix X-AIR. Airmix X-AIR enables controlled and direct intake of fresh outside air with closed ventilation windows, allowing for improved cooling under a closed screen system. The result is a significantly improved greenhouse climate and increased energy savings.
The purpose of the pilot project is to test the advantages formulated during the design phase in practice. The demonstration greenhouse at Tomatoworld has been equipped with various X-AIR Airmix systems, which are monitored daily by the Let’s Grow team. Together with the crop manager at Tomatoworld, a dehumidification strategy was determined in advance to evaluate interim results.
Analyses of the collected data show highly promising results. Rob van Hulzen from Van der Ende Group indicates that the alternating opening and closing of the outside air valve of the Airmix X-AIR has a positive effect on the temperature above the screen. This allows the temperature above the screen to remain closer to the greenhouse temperature because the roof vents can remain closed. Rob van Hulzen also mentions that the cloth temperature will be higher when the outside valve of the Airmix X-AIR is open, resulting in less heat transfer from the plants to the cloth and thus less cooling of the crop. Furthermore, the data clearly shows that the pipe temperature decreases when ventilation and dehumidification occur through the outside air valve of the Airmix X-AIR. This brings significant energy savings in addition to a greatly improved greenhouse climate.
The pilot project is ongoing for the time being. The market introduction of Airmix X-AIR will take place during Greentech 2023. The market release of Airmix X-AIR is not only based on the results at Tomatoworld but also on earlier results achieved by Dalsem with their version of the X-AIR.
