Comparative experiments and effectiveness evaluation on vertical blowing fans (VBF) for frost protection

Authors

  • Hu Yongguang 1. School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • Wu Wenye 1. School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • J. Paulo De Melo-Abreu 2. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1349-017, Portugal
  • Tom M. Shapland 3. Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, Davis 95616, California, USA
  • Zhang Hong 1. School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • Richard L. Snyder 4. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis 95616, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v8i5.1419

Keywords:

frost protection, thermal inversion, weather modification, wind machines, vertical blowing fans (VBF), temperature

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of vertical blowing fans (VBF) for frost protection in a vineyard on a steep slope near Napa Valley in Northern California, USA, and a tea plantation located on undulating terrain in Zhenjiang, China. Minimum temperature comparisons from within the grape vineyard on nights with and without VBF operation with control station minimum temperatures exhibited no temperature benefit. Profile measurements from the test in China indicated that there was an increase in temperature when the VBF was first started, but that benefit was lost over time. No clear benefit from using the VBF was observed. Observation of frost deposition and thermal imagery also showed no benefit except for within about 5 m of the VBF. Based on this work, the effectiveness of the VBF for frost protection was not validated. Keywords: frost protection, thermal inversion, weather modification, wind machines, vertical blowing fans (VBF), temperature DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20150805.1419 Citation: Hu Y G, Wu W Y, De Melo-Abreu J P, Shapland T M, Zhang H, Snyder R L. Comparative experiments and effectiveness evaluation on vertical blowing fans (VBF) for frost protection. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2015; 8(5): 36－42.

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Published

2015-10-28

How to Cite

Yongguang, H., Wenye, W., De Melo-Abreu, J. P., Shapland, T. M., Hong, Z., & Snyder, R. L. (2015). Comparative experiments and effectiveness evaluation on vertical blowing fans (VBF) for frost protection. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 8(5), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v8i5.1419

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 5 (2015): IJABE

Section

Power and Machinery Systems

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