The "CLUNNEL" wind funneling - soil drying - mobile cloche

[no_akira]

This is a design I've been working with the last few years and I think this is the final version.



Design features
+ Funnels the wind across your clump of soil drying it out (warming the soil) Feb to March.
+ Protection & a mini greenhouse for your Sown Outdoors seedlings
+ Perfect size for "Clump" rather than Row sowing
+ On raised pedestal feet (6") so batten wood not dragging in soil
+ Lighter weight design so easily movable & liftable for watering.
+ More durable materials and stronger but simpler construction
+ Lower profile design
+ The Pedestal legs means the structure can be angled from "wind catching" to "sun catching" by pushing the back or front set of legs into soil.
+ Once seedlings are established the "Clunnel" can be angled 90 degrees to act as wind break using long stakes allowing any rainfall to naturally water our hardening young plants

Dimensions
30" inches x 5' ft

Requirements
- 30" Section of Heras panel
- x2 6'(ft) battens (30x19mm)
- x4 TurboScrews long (100mm)
- x4 Pedestel (6") square section wood

* The batten is placed on top of the tube section of the heras panel and the pedestal leg is placed below. A "V" shaped grove is cut in the top of the pedestal. The long turboScrew (self taping) is then driven through the batten - heras tube - into the pedestal, sandwiching the Heras tube section. This creates a sturdy cloche frame that will last a few seasons

** Position the battens as close to the ends of the cut Heras panel tubes as possible to maximise the space available under the "Clunnel"

[Scarlet]

What would you use that for?

[veggiechicken]

You've omitted to say what the cover is made from..........and its "batten" not "baton" though nothing would surprise me!!

[quanglewangle]

Funnels the wind across your clump of soil drying it out (warming the soil) Feb to March.

I can't figure out how wind though the structure would warm the soil. On the contrary the latent heat of evaporation as the soil dries would cool it down. This principle (of evaporative cooling) has been used for millennia to make ice in the desert in structures called Yakhchāls. Google it.

[no_akira]

Wet soil = Cold soil

Our Clumbrella is covering the soil so stopping futher drenching and very quickly the wind is drying our soil over the l.winter (l.feb - e.march)

Also the low profile overall height means any radiant heat on those sunny mornings gets trapped.

Will spend a few days taking soil temps & report back

[quanglewangle]

There goes 10 minutes of my life I will never get back.

[no_akira]

[QUOTE=veggiechicken;1692354]You've omitted to say what the cover is made from........../QUOTE]

Yes theres 2 parts to design, Frame & Cover.

Its polytunnel grade sheeting so 1000 gauge thickness. Ive plastic welded pole guide seams into a 34" x 68" using a bespoke tool (long story) and hole punched 1/2 inch holes for the scaffold ties. The pole guides will accept any tube upto 30mm in diameter so 20/25mm MDE water pipe; discarded broom handles, Gardman stakes, bamboo canes, metal tubing from mini green house kits.

I've tried cheaper lower guage sheeting but it isn't as durable.

Not all of us live in sunny cornwall unfortunately...

[quanglewangle]

OK, I'll rise.

The design is comprehensively flawed.

• If it "funnels wind" over wet soil the soil *will* cool down as the wind dries it out. Evaporative cooling is a consequence of the laws of nature I am afraid.
• The design is quite wide and low so it will catch less of the low-angle winter sun than a higher structure. Indeed, for much of the day the sun will strike the sheet at more than the critical angle (google it) and so bounce off rather than going through. Conventional higher tunnel cloches with steeper sides do not exhibit this behavior.
• "Traps radiated heat" How, when it is funneling wind? You can either funnel wind, or trap heat. I am afraid you can't do both. Conventional tunnel cloches trap heat precisely because they are sealed against the wind.

Certainly the structure will prevent the soil from getting any wetter and will probably allow the soil to dry out. Once the soil is dry it will be free of evaporative cooling effects and so will warm up; whether is will do so any faster or slower under the structure remains to be seen.

[no_akira]

[

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks"

Think you missed the bit about the pedestals allowing the "Clunnel" to be ANGLED by pushing either the front or rear set of pedestals into the soil...

All I know is they've become more usefull the last few years with these very "Wet" late winters when your plot is Essex clay.

But hey each-to-their-own

[SarrissUK]

I think with the weather we have had since September, October time, this is a useful way to keep water away from the soil, to allow it to dry out and then to help warm it up especially if you at that point can close the openings at the ends.

[Angeldon]

I love your inventions no akira, please keep 'em coming and don't be put off by nay-sayers..... Mr Dyson made over 100 cleaners before he perfected his theory - and look at him now!!

[no_akira]

Cheers for "Thumbs up" Ladies, I don't have many fans on this website... but sometimes its good for "Character building" to have your dreams smashed...makes you try harder.

allow it to dry out and then to help warm it up especially if you at that point can close the openings at the ends.

If you Angle the leading Clunnel into the sun, the opening is reduced and then if you "chain" the clunnels together to create a catapiller of clunnels there is only one opening at the rear for ventilation, maybe...

Wet Soil temp


Clunnel covered "Overwintered Broadbeans"


A "Herd of Clunnels", last years design (foreground) vs this years (background)

[Jungle Jane]

I don’t think I’ve got any fans here,I don’t get any fan mail a lot of gardeners browse this forum & instead of using plastic,you can get the same result using a bit of scavenged glass on top of a few bricks,it’ll last longer,won’t blow away & wont end up in landfill or the ocean.

[Logunner]

Keep on keeping on...

It’s meant to be fun, a hobby that feeds body and soul.

Some just can’t seem to enjoy life without getting all technical and derogatory of a bit of heath robinson.

I know who I’d rather share a few pints with

[Scarlet]

I don’t think I’ve got any fans here,I don’t get any fan mail a lot of gardeners browse this forum & instead of using plastic,you can get the same result using a bit of scavenged glass on top of a few bricks,it’ll last longer,won’t blow away & wont end up in landfill or the ocean.

That's exactly what I use - I've been using the same pieces of glass for 20 years.