Abstract
Supplementing fossil fuels with solar air tempering for brooding young livestock could reduce energy use and improve indoor air quality. Metal transpired solar collectors (TSC) are effective but too expensive for heating livestock buildings. An inexpensive 12.7 m2 dark grey landscape-fabric-based transpired solar collector (fTSC) was evaluated in a swine nursery with two herds of pigs. A fraction of the fTSC area was underlain with phase change material (PCM) to store excess heat. The Test room with the fTSC was compared with an adjacent identical Control room, each with 120 piglets. The fTSC provided supplemental heating, e.g., with a suction velocity (Vs) of 0.027 m/s during a 9 h period, air temperature was increased by 11.6 °C (mean irradiance of 592 W/m2). Between 4 pm and 9 pm that same day, the PCM increased air temperature by 3.9 °C. The fTSC did not reduce propane use or improve pig performance. Higher Vs, operational changes and controller modifications could improve system performance and reduce cost. Modeling could be used to optimize PCM use. Hence, this very low-cost fabric-based solar air heater offers potential for considerable reduction in heat energy use in livestock barns.
Highlights
Since young animals do not produce enough body heat and cannot regulate heat losses, they require supplemental heating to maintain homeothermy
When the transpired solar collector (TSC) is placed at the inlet of the ventilation system it is known as a transpired solar wall (TSW) (e.g., [4])
While a stand-alone transpired solar duct (TSD) only provides direct heating, the TSW can provide indirect heating by recovering heat lost through the building envelope portion it covers
Summary
Since young animals do not produce enough body heat and cannot regulate heat losses, they require supplemental heating to maintain homeothermy. Fossil fuel prices are increasing and volatile, and their combustion affects indoor and ambient air quality. Since one liter of propane combustion produces 0.81 kg of water vapor and 1.48 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) [1], unvented propane heaters degrade indoor air quality. Solar energy use could solve several energy-related environmental problems, provide significant financial benefits [2], and improve barn air quality. When the TSC is placed at the inlet of the ventilation system (e.g., as a façade) it is known as a transpired solar wall (TSW) (e.g., [4]). When the TSC forms part of a duct through which tempered air is drawn and pushed into a building, it is known as a transpired solar duct (TSD) (e.g., [5]). While a stand-alone TSD only provides direct heating, the TSW can provide indirect heating by recovering heat lost through the building envelope portion it covers
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