Experiments on Energy-Efficient Evaporative Cooling Systems for Poultry Farm Application in Multan (Pakistan)

Khawar Shahzad, Muhammad Sultan, Muhammad Bilal, Hadeed Ashraf, Muhammad Farooq, Takahiko Miyazaki, Uzair Sajjad, Imran Ali and Muhammad I. Hussain
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Khawar Shahzad: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad Sultan: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad Bilal: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Hadeed Ashraf: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Muhammad Farooq: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 39161, Pakistan
Takahiko Miyazaki: Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
Uzair Sajjad: Mechanical Engineering Department, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
Imran Ali: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Muhammad I. Hussain: Green Energy Technology Research Center, Kongju National University, Cheonan 122324, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: Poultry are one of the most vulnerable species of its kind once the temperature-humidity nexus is explored. This is so because the broilers lack sweat glands as compared to humans and undergo panting process to mitigate their latent heat (moisture produced in the body) in the air. As a result, moisture production inside poultry house needs to be maintained to avoid any serious health and welfare complications. Several strategies such as compressor-based air-conditioning systems have been implemented worldwide to attenuate the heat stress in poultry, but these are not economical. Therefore, this study focuses on the development of low-cost and environmentally friendly improved evaporative cooling systems (DEC, IEC, MEC) from the viewpoint of heat stress in poultry houses. Thermodynamic analysis of these systems was carried out for the climatic conditions of Multan, Pakistan. The results appreciably controlled the environmental conditions which showed that for the months of April, May, and June, the decrease in temperature by direct evaporative cooling (DEC), indirect evaporative cooling (IEC), and Maisotsenko-Cycle evaporative cooling (MEC) systems is 7–10 °C, 5–6.5 °C, and 9.5–12 °C, respectively. In case of July, August, and September, the decrease in temperature by DEC, IEC, and MEC systems is 5.5–7 °C, 3.5–4.5 °C, and 7–7.5 °C, respectively. In addition, drop in temperature-humidity index (THI) values by DEC, IEC, and MEC is 3.5–9 °C, 3–7 °C, and 5.5–10 °C, respectively for all months. Optimum temperature and relative humidity conditions are determined for poultry birds and thereby, systems’ performance is thermodynamically evaluated for poultry farms from the viewpoint of THI, temperature-humidity-velocity index (THVI), and thermal exposure time (ET). From the analysis, it is concluded that MEC system performed relatively better than others due to its ability of dew-point cooling and achieved THI threshold limit with reasonable temperature and humidity indexes.

Keywords: poultry farms; air-conditioning; evaporative cooling systems; temperature-humidity index; temperature-humidity-velocity index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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