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. Fan and Pad Greenhouse Evaporative Cooling Systems

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 CIR1135

Fan and Pad Greenhouse Evaporative Cooling Systems1

R. A. Bucklin, J. D. Leary, D. B. McConnell, and E. G. Wilkerson2

Temperatures can easily exceed 100 °F in Florida green- thermometers exposed to the same airstream. The end of
houses during the summer if they are not equipped with one thermometer is covered by a wetted wick. As the water
cooling systems. Such high temperatures reduce crop in the wick evaporates, the temperature of the thermometer
quality and worker productivity. Evaporative cooling is the decreases to the wet bulb temperature. The other ther-
most common method for reducing the temperature inside mometer is exposed directly to the airstream and measures
a greenhouse. Air conditioning or refrigeration systems the dry bulb temperature. The difference between a sling
can be used, but their installation and operating costs are psychrometer and an aspirated psychrometer is the way the
usually prohibitive. airstream is provided. A sling psychrometer is mounted on
a swiveled handle and whirled rapidly, while an aspirated
EVAPORATIVE COOLING psychrometer uses a small fan to provide air movement.
Evaporative cooling is a process that reduces air tempera- A more common term for measuring the amount of
ture by evaporation of water into the airstream. As water moisture in the air is relative humidity. Hand held elec-
evaporates, energy is lost from the air causing its tempera- tronic humidity meters that display relative humidity are
ture to drop. Two temperatures are important when dealing more convenient than wet bulb psychrometers. However,
with evaporative cooling systems – dry bulb temperature wet bulb temperature is a more useful measurement for
and wet bulb temperature. Dry bulb temperature is the evaporative cooling systems because it directly determines
temperature that we usually think of as air temperature. the temperature to which air can be cooled by evaporative
It is the temperature measured by a regular thermometer cooling alone. Some electronic humidity meters do have an
exposed to the airstream. Wet bulb temperature is the option to display wet bulb temperatures. Even if a humidity
lowest temperature that can be reached by the evaporation meter does not display wet bulb temperature, tables and
of water only. It is the temperature you feel when your graphs known as psychrometric charts are available to
skin is wet and is exposed to moving air. Unlike dry bulb calculate wet bulb temperature based on the dry bulb
temperature, wet bulb temperature is an indication of the temperature and relative humidity. Software packages are
amount of moisture in the air. also available to calculate wet bulb temperatures. It should
be noted that electronic humidity meters frequently drift
Wet bulb temperatures can be determined by checking with
out of calibration and they should be checked against
your local weather station or by investing in an aspirated
standards on a regular basis.
psychrometer, a sling psychrometer, or an electronic
humidity meter. Wet bulb psychrometers consist of two

1. This document is Circular 1135, one of a series of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Florida Cooperative Extension Service,
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: December 1993. Major Revision November 2004. Reviewed April
2010 and January 2013. Please visit the EDIS website at http:edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. R. A. Bucklin, professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; J. D. Leary, lecturer, Department of Agricultural and Biological
Engineering; D. B. McConnell, professor, Department of Environmental Horticulture; and E. G. Wilkerson, graduate assistant, Department of Agricultural
and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0570.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place , Dean
The best time to measure wet bulb temperature to calculate are important they can be the best method of evaporative
the potential cooling performance of the evaporative cooling.
cooling system is in the afternoon. This is when dry bulb
temperature is at its peak because solar radiation and
outside temperatures are highest. This is also when the
FAN AND PAD EVAPORATIVE
difference between dry bulb temperature and wet bulb COOLING SYSTEMS
temperature is greatest and there is maximum potential for Fan and pad systems consist of exhaust fans at one end of
cooling. Weather data collected by the weather bureau for the greenhouse and a pump circulating water through and
many years show that afternoon wet bulbs temperatures over a porous pad (Figure 2) installed at the opposite end of
during the summer in Florida are about 79-80 °F. With the greenhouse.
an efficient, well-managed system it should be possible to
reduce the temperature of the air entering the greenhouse
to within 3-4 °F of the wet bulb temperature. Remember,
this will not be the temperature in all areas of the house.
As the air moves across the house to the exhaust fans, it
will pick up solar heat so that the exhausted air will likely
be 7-8 °F higher than the entering air. In a poorly managed
system, the temperature of the exhausted air could exceed
the ambient air temperature by even more.

The basis of any evaporative cooling system is the evapora-

tion of water into an airstream. The most common way of
accomplishing evaporative cooling in a greenhouse is with a
fan and pad system (Figure 1).

Figure 2. Evaporative cooling pad. Water flows along the distribution

pipe and drains down into the pad material. The sump should be
large enough to hold all run-off when the pump is turned off.

If all vents and doors are closed when the fans operate, air
is pulled through the wetted pads and water evaporates.
As each gallon of water is evaporated, 8,100 BTUs of heat
energy are absorbed from the air by the water during the
change from liquid to vapor. Removing energy from the air
lowers the temperature of the air being introduced into the
greenhouse.

The air will be at its lowest temperature immediately after

passing through the pads. As the air moves across the
Figure 1. Typical fan and pad greenhouse arrangement. The coolest
house to the fans, the air picks up heat from solar radiation,
area of the greenhouse is adjacent to the evaporative cooling pads.
As this cooled air moves along the width of the greenhouse it picks up plants, and soil, and the temperature of the air gradually
heat so that the exhaust air is warmer than the inlet air. increases. The resulting temperature increase as air moves
down the greenhouse produces a temperature gradient
across the length of the greenhouse, with the pad side being
High pressure fog systems are also used to cool green- coolest and the fan side warmest.
houses. These fog systems can be designed and operated
to maintain more uniform temperatures and humidities in
greenhouses than are possible with fan and pad systems.
TEMPERATURE GRADIENT
Fog systems are more expensive than fan and pad systems, The temperature rise across a greenhouse is hard to
but when uniform temperatures and high humidity levels predict because it is affected by many variables. These
include bench arrangements, physical obstructions to the

2
movement of air across the house, percentage of floor area Twb=wet bulb temperature of the outside air.
covered by plants, and whether the floor is bare soil or
concrete. The roof configuration can also have an influence A well designed, properly installed and operated evapora-
on the temperature increase. Experience has shown that tive cooling system may have an efficiency of up to 85
air may heat up as rapidly as 1°F every 10 feet as it moves percent. Figure 4 shows the temperature of the cooled air
across the greenhouse on sunny summer days. The slower exiting an 85% efficient evaporative cooling pad as a func-
the air movement, the more the air heats up, and the greater tion of the outside air for several relative humidity values.
the temperature increase. With an outdoor relative humidity of 50% and temperature
of 90 °F, this evaporative cooling system reduces the
The temperature rise across the house at plant level is most temperature to 76.5 °F.
important. In most systems, the air tends to diverge upward
at an angle of about 7° above horizontal, or roughly 1 foot The difference between dry bulb temperature and wet bulb
in 8 feet. The upper layer of cooled air rises toward the temperature is referred to as the wet bulb depression. If
peak of the building above the crop zone and thus does the efficiency of your system is 85 percent, then the air
little cooling of the plants. In a cross-flow arrangement of entering the greenhouse is the outside dry bulb temperature
gutter-connected houses, the gutters serve as baffles and minus 85% of the wet bulb depression. Figure 5 shows what
tend to keep the cool air at crop level. In longitudinal flow happens to air with a dry bulb temperature of 95 °F and
arrangements where the airflow is lengthwise down the with a wet bulb temperature of 80 °F that is cooled using
house baffles should be installed that extend from the roof an evaporative cooling pad. If the pad is 85% efficient, the
down to just above the top of the crop. The baffles should air is cooled to point A or 82 °F. If the pad is 70% efficient,
be transparent and spaced about 30 feet apart mounted in a the air is cooled to point B or 84.5 °F, and if the pad is 50%
fixed position (Figure 3). efficient, the air is cooled to point C or 87.5 °F.

Figure 3. Fan and pad arrangements in greenhouses. In cross-

flow systems, the gutters tend to deflect flow of air downward. In
longitudinal-flow systems, baffles are necessary.

Figure 4. Cooling potential of 85% efficient evaporative cooling

systems.
SYSTEM EFFICIENCY
If the efficiency of the evaporative cooling system is known,
the temperature of air exiting a cooling pad can be calcu-
lated by the following equation.

Tcool=Tout - (% efficiency)(Tout - Twb)

where: Tcool = temperature of air exiting cooling pad;

Tout = temperature of the outside air;

3
 very susceptible to algae infestation that leads to rotting
and compaction. This makes it difficult to keep a system
operating efficiently without frequent and costly pad
replacements.

Other pad materials are also on the market, but none have
seen wide acceptance. Among these are pads fabricated
from aluminum and from plastic fibers. Both these pads
types are expensive and show no advantages over cor-
rugated cellulose. However, an operator planning to replace
an old pad system or install a new one should check out
completely all the pad materials available. Compare costs,
life expectancy claims, cooling efficiencies, and probability
of maintenance problems before selecting the one that is
best for your operation.
Figure 5. Effect of operating efficiency on entering air temperatures.
Cooling Pad Area
The amount of pad area needed depends upon several
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FAN factors including the type of pad material used. The pads
AND PAD EVAPORATIVE COOLING should be continuous along the entire length of the wall.
If aspen pads are used, it is recommended that one square
SYSTEMS foot of pad be provided for each 140 cubic feet per minute
Operational Considerations (CFM) of air moved by the fans. The fan capacity should
It is very important to keep the building as tight as possible be based on total CFM delivered at 1/8 inch static water
so entering air will be forced through the pads. Make sure pressure (for additional information about fan sizing see
that all doors and other openings are kept closed except “Fans for Greenhouses” IFAS publication AE12). Cellulose
when in use and that any gaps in the greenhouse coverings pads can be used with airflows of up to 230 cubic feet per
are sealed. If not, air will be pulled through these openings minute per square foot of pad. The higher airflow rates of
rather than through the cooling pad. The efficiency of a fan cellulose pads, means that fewer square feet of pad area are
and pad cooling system depends on air moving through the needed than if aspen pads are used.
cooling pads.
Water Flow Rate
House Location and Orientation To maximize operating efficiency, you must have adequate
Orientation of the greenhouse relative to other buildings pad surface area and an adequate water supply and
or structures and in relation to prevailing summer winds distribution system. The amount of water needed will vary
influences the efficiency of operation. Fan arrangements with the type of system used, but, normally, complete pad
and locations of the fans and pads should be determined by surface wetting occurs when about 1/3 gallon of water per
greenhouse location and orientation. foot of pad length is recirculated. A valve should be placed
in the line from the pump so the water flow through the
Type of Cooling Pad distribution pipe can be adjusted. You do not want a sheet
of water flowing down the pad surface. This would increase
The most widely used type of pad material is corrugated
resistance to air flow and cause transfer of free water into
cellulose that has been impregnated with wetting agents
the house. You do want the pad surfaces covered with a
and insoluble salts to help resist rot. These pads are expen-
water film. If in doubt about the correct quantity of water
sive but, when properly maintained, do an excellent job
flow, check with the pad manufacturer. The water collected
of cooling air. With proper maintenance, corrugated pads
by the bottom gutter is returned to a sump from which the
should have a lifetime of ten years.
water is pumped to the upper distribution pipe or gutter.
Aspen pads were commonly used in the past and some If water distribution pipes are more than 75 feet in length,
are still in service. However, under Florida conditions the sump should be located near the center of the line. The
the life of an aspen pad is usually short. Aspen pads are sump should have a capacity of 1 to 1¼ gallons for each

4
linear foot of pad in order to hold the water that drains
back to the sump when the system stops.

Problems With Cooling Pads

Evaporative cooling pads have severe problems in Florida.
They lose efficiency due to clogging from impurities in
the water, algae growth and decay. If the pad material is
clogged or decomposed its ability to function as designed is
impaired. Air exhausted by the fans will enter the building
at the point(s) of least resistance. If a pad area is totally or
partially clogged, very little if any air will pass through that
portion of the pad. If the pad has holes, the air will move
directly through them. This means less contact between air
and water and much less cooling. When a pad has decayed,
the only alternative is to install a new pad.

Airflow through Cooling Pads

The required face velocity of the air will depend upon the
pad material. Follow manufacturer’s suggestions. This
velocity will determine the number of square feet of pad Figure 6. Ventilation and cooling fans should be equipped with anti-
area needed for a house of a given configuration. Locate back draft shutters.
the pad so that all air entering the house will have to pass
through the pad. Provide a method of closing off the pads b) If it is necessary to face fans into the prevailing winds,
during the winter when heating, not cooling, is required. increase fan CFM capacity 10 to 15 percent and cor-
respondingly increase fan motor horse power and add
Fans shutters or back draft dampers.
Regardless of the type of pad material used, the fans
should have the capacity to provide a minimum of one air c) The exhaust fans should not discharge toward the pad of
change per minute in the greenhouse. Equip the fans with another house unless the houses are separated by at least 50
automatic shutters to eliminate back drafts when a fan is feet.
not operating (Figure 6).
d) When fans from two adjacent houses close to each other
exhaust into a common area between the houses, they
Location of Fans and Cooling Pads should be offset from each other to avoid the air from one
The best distance between the pad and exhaust fans blowing directly against the other (Figure 7).
is a tradeoff between the optimum dimensions of the
greenhouse (based on efficiency, function, and operation) e) The maximum practical distance in the greenhouse
and the tolerance of the crop to higher temperatures. The from pad to fan should never exceed 200 feet. Distances of
greater the range of the crop’s temperature tolerance, the 150 feet or less reduce the amount of temperature increase
greater the distance between pad and fans can be. It is not across the greenhouse. For most greenhouses, about one
practical to separate the pad and exhaust fans by more than foot of pad height is required for every 20 feet of pad to fan
200 feet. A distance of 150 feet or less is preferred. distance.

Location of pads and fans will be influenced by several f) In very long houses, it is more efficient to locate pads at
factors. Keep in mind: both ends with the exhaust fans at the center of the house
using sidewall fans. Cooled air then flows in from each
a) When possible, locate pads on the prevailing summer end and is exhausted at the midpoint of the house. All fans
wind side and locate the fans on the downwind side of the should have automatic shutters for weather protection and
greenhouse. If the pads are sheltered by another house to prevent back drafts when not in use.
within 25 feet, the wind effect is negligible and can be
ignored.

5
g) Fans should be properly screened and guarded to protect required to optimize response to outdoor climate changes
personnel from coming in contact with moving parts (fan and maintain more uniform greenhouse temperatures with
blades, pulleys and belts). lower operating costs. Thermostats should be checked each
spring and fall against an accurate thermometer to insure
h) A correctly designed and installed pad system is essential proper operation.
to achieve maximum cooling performance. The evaporative
pad must be a continuous section along the entire side or A humidistat can be used to control pumps and fans of the
end of the greenhouse and must be the correct size and cooling pad system to help prevent excessive greenhouse
thickness. A blank space in the pad, such as a doorway, will humidity. However, humidistats are much less reliable
cause a hot spot through the house for a distance of 6 to 8 than thermostats. If it is desired to use a humidistat to
times the width of the blank space. Exhaust fans should not control humidity, it is recommended that the humidistat be
be spaced more than 20-30 feet apart (Figure 1). checked at least weekly to make sure that it stays in calibra-
tion. Humidistats should be checked against a psychrom-
eter. Thermostats and humidistats must be located at plant
level to function properly and should never be located on
an outside wall.

Exhaust fans should be uniformly spaced not more than 20

to 30 feet apart. The fans may be wired so that the thermo-
stats will turn on alternate banks of fans in sequence as the
temperature demands. Some greenhouses are equipped
with 2-speed fans which should be controlled with 2-stage
thermostats. It is important that, during the time of year a
thermostat controls the heating system, the cooling ther-
Figure 7. Acceptable multiple greenhouse facility layout. There
mostat should be set 5-10°F above the setting of the heating
are several factors to consider when designing evaporative cooling
systems for multiple greenhouses in close proximity. thermostat to avoid having the heating and cooling systems
on at the same time.

A thermostat should be used as the main pump control.

FAN AND PAD COOLING SYSTEM The thermostat should be set to stop the pump before all
OPERATION the fans go off so that the pad can dry out. If evaporative
cooling water pumps are controlled by humidistats and
Watch the pad condition carefully. If you notice bare spots
thermostats, the humidistats should be wired in series with
or thin areas in the pad, you can be sure that much of
the thermostats. This will help maintain more uniform
the air entering the house is coming through these areas
temperatures and avoid excessive humidities. It will also
causing hot spots in the house. To operate efficiently, the
help conserve power and water.
pad, pump system, fan system, and control systems must
be designed to operate as a unit. They must be checked
Each thermostat and humidistat should have a manual
frequently to be sure all parts are functioning properly.
control switch wired in parallel with it so that manual
Doors of the greenhouse should be opened only when
control can be used when desired. A safety disconnect
necessary to move people or plants and equipment in and
switch should be located near each fan and pump. All
out. An open door can reduce the effectiveness of a pad
controls and instruments, including thermostats, humidi-
cooling system significantly. A house with the best possible
stats and thermometers, should be shielded from the direct
equipment and sophisticated controls can be a big loser
rays of the sun to avoid being influenced by solar radiation
without good management.
and to provide more accurate readings and control set-
tings. Sensing elements should be mounted so that air can
Controls circulate freely around them and they should be located
The evaporative pad cooling system must have adequate where they represent the average greenhouse conditions at
controls for the operator to be able to adjust the house envi- plant level. Aspirated thermostats at plant level are the best
ronment to provide the best growing conditions for plants choice. Do not locate thermostats near heating lines, near
and a comfortable environment for workers. Thermostats air inlets or on outside walls. This will distort the readings
are usually used to turn fans and pumps on and off as

6
from the desired environmental conditions for plants in the
greenhouse.

Computers and Microcontrols

Thermostats and humidistats are reliable and inexpensive
but are limited to simply turning pieces of equipment on
or off in response to a change in temperature or relative
humidity. Simple on-off controls cannot regulate environ-
mental conditions exactly because they cannot sense how
far the temperature or relative humidity is from the set
point, or how rapidly the temperature or humidity is chang-
ing. Computers and microcontrollers can use software or
hardwired circuits that incorporate logic to make decisions
about the exact amount of heat or airflow required to
produce desired environmental conditions.

Computers and microcontrollers are rapidly decreasing in

cost, while at the same time increasing in reliability and so-
phistication. They are now important tools that growers can
use to improve crop quality and increase profits. Computer-
based control systems can be linked to phone systems or
to the Internet to allow operators to closely monitor green-
house conditions from any location. Computer systems
can also keep continuous records of greenhouse conditions
and can be used to send messages or alarms to greenhouse
operators when environmental conditions are out of range
or when equipment fails. The increased control provided by
these devices results in greenhouse conditions that provide
a better environment for crop growth.

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