Abstract
Soil steam disinfection (SSD) has emerged as a highly promising substitute for methyl bromide fumigation in the management of soil-borne pathogens, nematodes, and weed seeds. In the present study, an innovative steam boiler driven by Helmholtz-type pulse combustors was meticulously engineered to meet the requirements of SSD in horticultural greenhouses. The water within the boiler was partitioned into discrete zones, and a total of 80 temperature sensors were strategically positioned to precisely monitor the temperature fluctuations at specific locations. Leveraging the Natural Neighbor Interpolation method, a comprehensive model of the temperature field within the boiler was developed. The experimental findings demonstrated that at the initial stage, the temperature in the vicinity of the pulse combustors escalated rapidly, while the regions located farther away exhibited a relatively sluggish heating rate. As the heating process progressed, the area of high temperature expanded progressively. After 35 minutes of operation, the majority of the water within the boiler reached temperatures exceeding 89 °C, signifying the generation of saturated steam. Notably, distinct temperature gradients were discerned along different axes and planes, offering valuable insights for the structural optimization of the boiler. In comparison with other steam boiler models, the designed boiler boasted a relatively compact volume, a lightweight empty weight, and an impressively favorable fuel consumption rate per unit steam production, registering at 0.06867 L·kg⁻¹. These results unequivocally highlight the potential of this boiler for efficient SSD applications, thus laying a solid foundation for further research and development in this field.