Variation patterns of soil wall temperature and heat flux in sunken solar greenhouse

From December 2011 to March 2012, a consecutive test was conducted on the temperature and heat flux of different thickness of the soil backwall of sunken solar greenhouse in Shouguang of Shandong Province, East China, aimed to analyze the variation patterns of soil wall temperature and heat flux of the sunken solar greenhouse and to confirm the suitable wall thickness. In winter, the temperature and heat flux of the wall inner surface and outer surface varied over a wide range, which was in accordance with the variation trend of indoor and outdoor air temperature. Overall, the wall temperature decreased from the inner to the outer surface, and the layers of the inner wall with higher variation range of temperature and heat flux were more than those of the outer wall. The variation range of temperature and heat flux decreased gradually from the shallow layers to deep layers of the wall. In successive cloudy days, the temperature of each layer of inner wall decreased to different degrees, and the layers releasing heat to the indoor deepened constantly, whereas the heat in the layers of outer wall was mainly released to the outdoor. According to the variation patterns of temperature and heat flux in the wall, the wall from inside to outside could be divided into heat storage layer, transitional layer, and cold resistant layer, and their thickness was 0.8-1.0 m, 2.2-2.6 m, and 0.4-0.6 m, respectively, under the condition of the outer surface being covered. Without considering the transitional layer, the suitable thickness of the soil wall in Shouguang solar greenhouse would be 1.4-1.6 m.