In multi-tier systems for broiler chicks, the animals live on a conveyor belt covered with paper and litter material. At the end of the growth period, the animals and manure are transported to the end of the barn, where the animals are automatically separated from the manure. In this system, particular emphasis was placed on air conditioning at the level of the animals.
During the climate optimisation process for the animals, a research programme was initiated to study various possibilities for generating the required air movement. It was necessary to keep air speed as constant as possible, as poultry are extremely sensitive to differences in air speed and temperature.
Experimental investigations involved the construction of a single-tier test facility. Air movement at animal level was determined using numerous speed measurements. To determine the influence of geometric structural changes on velocity distribution, FlowMotion conducted parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Analysis of the numerical results revealed that the flow field depends strongly on the size of the animals and environmental conditions.
The relationships determined between the large number of influencing variables in the CFD calculations allowed for the development of new geometric approaches, which are also transferable to multi-tier systems. In a subsequent development stage, flow simulations were carried out for these systems as well, to ensure an optimal climate for the animals in these installations.
