Modeling and experimental verification of a novel vacuum dust collector for cleaning photovoltaic panels

Composition identification and UV-C irradiation growth inhibition effect of green shading on the greenhouse cover

Greenhouse cover pollution with green shading composed of dust, microalgae and bacteria is a severe problem in tropical areas. The shading results in lower greenhouse indoor light intensity reducing the yield and quality of protected horticulture crops. However, few studies have focused on environmentally efficient ways to remove green shading to increase greenhouse production. In this study, five purified microalgae were isolated from the green shading of three greenhouse roofs and were identified using morphological and molecular assessments. The effects of Ultraviolet-C irradiation (UV-C, 254 nm) at doses of 100, 200 and 300 mJ cm^-2 on the growth of GLY-1 microalgae were investigated. The results indicated that five purified microalgae all appeared to belong to the genus of Jaagichlorella. The purified microalgae cell density and chlorophyll content decreased respectively by 26.89-74.44 % and 42.02-77.31 % at 1-3 d after UV-C treatment with doses ranging from 100 to 300 mJ cm^-2. The inhibition of the growth rate of microalgae was significantly positively correlated with the UV-C irradiation dose and significantly negatively correlated with treatment time. In summary, UV-C irradiation treatment at 300 mJ cm^-2 and 3 d could substantially inhibit microalgae growth in green shading on greenhouse covers. UV-C irradiation could be an effective method for solving the problem of greenhouse cover pollution with microalgae.

Numerical Study of Factors Affecting Particle Suction Efficiency of Pick-Up Head of a Regenerative Air Vacuum Sweeper

The influence of variable operational conditions affects the performance of particle collection and separation of a regenerative air vacuum sweeper. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to numerically investigate the factors affecting the particle suction efficiency of the pick-up head. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a model of an integrated pick-up head was developed based on the particle suction process to evaluate the particle removal performance. The realizable k-ε and discrete particle models were utilized to study the gas flow field and solid particle trajectories. The particle structure, sweeping speed, secondary airflow, pressure drop, and distance between the particle suction port and the road surface, as factors that affect the particle removal efficiency, were investigated. The results indicate that the particle suction efficiency increases with decreasing sweeper speed. Furthermore, the particle overall removal efficiency increased with a reduction in the distance between the suction port and the road surface as well as the control of the secondary airflow in the system. By increasing the airflow rate at the suction port, high efficiencies were achieved at a high sweeper speed and high particle densities. At a sweeper speed of 6–10 km/h, the results showed that the secondary airflow recirculation varied between 60 to 80 %, while the high-pressure drop ranged from 2200 to 2400 Pa, and the particle suction efficiency recorded was 95%. The numerical analysis results provide a better understanding of the particle suction process and hence could lead to an improvement in the design of the pick-up head.