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Degradation Characteristics of the Optical Constants of PE-LD Film-Covered Greenhouses in an Arid Climate

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Abstract

This study is to describe the degradation behavior of the optical constants (refractive index \( \bar{n} \) and extinction coefficient \( \bar{\sigma } \)) of PE-LD sheets during exposure to an arid climate. Values of \( \bar{n} \) and \( \bar{\sigma } \) are used to determine the solar radiative properties of any PE-LD cover at any time without the need of measurements. Different greenhouse models were covered with PE-LD films and exposed for 1 year to an arid climate, and values of \( \bar{n} \) and \( \bar{\sigma } \) were investigated. Exposing films to the arid climate for 1 year increased the values of \( \bar{n} \) from 1.58 to 2.86 and \( \bar{\sigma } \) from 3.86 to 8.1 mm−1, resulting in a decrease in transmittance from 0.42 to 0.12. Two correlations for predicting the degradation rate of \( \bar{n} \) and \( \bar{\sigma } \) for PE-LD covers were developed.

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Abbreviations

CSR :

Cumulative integrated solar irradiance (MJ·m−2)

DSR :

Daily integral of solar irradiance (MJ·m−2)

d :

Film thickness (mm)

n :

Refractive index of the model cover film (−)

\( \bar{n} \) :

Average refractive index of the four models’ covers (−)

R :

Total reflectance of the model cover (−)

R s :

Total reflectance of the cover sample (−)

R m :

Average reflectance of the four models’ covers (−)

RLT :

Relative loss in the cover transmittance (%)

S λ :

Spectral distribution of direct beam solar irradiance (W·m−2·nm−1)

SR :

Global solar irradiance on a horizontal surface (W·m−2)

T :

Total transmittance of the model cover (–)

T m :

Average transmittance of the four models’ covers (–)

T new :

Total transmittance of the new cover film to direct beam solar irradiance (–)

T s :

Total transmittance of the cover sample to direct beam solar irradiance (–)

\( \rho_{\lambda } \) :

Spectral reflectance of the film sample to direct beam solar radiation (–)

\( \rho^{*} \) :

Interface reflectance between the film surface and air (–)

σ:

Extinction coefficient of the model cover film (mm−1)

\( \bar{\sigma } \) :

Average extinction coefficient of the four models’ covers (mm−1)

\( \tau^{*} \) :

Transmittance of the film due to absorption only in the film thickness (–)

\( \tau_{\lambda } \) :

Spectral transmittance of the film sample to direct beam solar radiation (–)

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding of this research through the research group no. RG-1435-074.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P O Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    A. M. Abdel-Ghany, I. M. Al-Helal, A. Al-Rebeh & M. R. Shady

  2. University of Basilicata - SAFE School, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano n. 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy

    P. Picuno

  3. Department of Mech. Power Eng, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan, 81528, Egypt

    A. M. Abdel-Ghany & M. F. Cidek

Authors
  1. A. M. Abdel-Ghany
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  2. I. M. Al-Helal
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  3. P. Picuno
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  4. M. F. Cidek
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  5. A. Al-Rebeh
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  6. M. R. Shady
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Correspondence to A. M. Abdel-Ghany.

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Abdel-Ghany, A.M., Al-Helal, I.M., Picuno, P. et al. Degradation Characteristics of the Optical Constants of PE-LD Film-Covered Greenhouses in an Arid Climate. Int J Thermophys 40, 62 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-019-2528-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-019-2528-y

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