Container farming faces significant internal thermal loads, primarily due to artificial lighting. To mitigate the excessive energy consumption associated with mechanical cooling, this master thesis evaluates the potential of Radiative Sky Cooling (RSC) applied to these structures.
The objective is to characterize highly emissive materials and to design a passive cooling system suited to the context of Container Farms, with a view to concrete application on a pilot project at ÉTS. The methodology relies first on the precise optical and microscopic characterization of various coatings. These experimental data then fed into a numerical model developed in Python to simulate the thermal balances of the system integrated into a container farm under real-world conditions, coupled with ideal thermal energy storage.
The analysis of the results highlights the determining impact of the materials' spectral selectivity on the net cooling power. Based on these simulations, plans for a pilot-scale prototype were dimensioned and designed, optimizing both the geometry and the technical integration of the radiative panels onto the container's envelope.
This master thesis evaluates the thermal potential of RSC applied to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), with a specific focus on container farms. By structuring the transition from material characterization to numerical modeling, this work contributes to the development of passive cooling strategies aimed at optimizing the energy balance of CFs.
| Date | 26 May 2026 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Didier Haillot (Supervisor) & Stéphane Gibout (Co-supervisor) |
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Vrielynck, T. (Author),
Haillot (Supervisor) & Gibout (Co-supervisor),
26 May 2026Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Construction Engineering