Conditions for the Effective Use of Air Curtain on Objects of Agricultural Production

Abstract

Creating and maintaining a microclimate in animal housing is an energy-intensive technological process that consumes up to 70 percent of the thermal energy consumed on cattle farms. Improving heating and ventilation systems aimed at reducing energy consumption is an urgent task. (Research purpose) The research purpose is to analyze the theoretical models for calculating air curtains and evaluate the possibility of their use for agricultural production facilities and to identify promising directions in the design solutions for thermal air curtains aimed at rural consumers. (Materials and methods) The article considers the theoretical justification and calculation of air curtains. The authors studied the physical model of interaction of air jets in openings, which serves as the basis for mathematical calculation of air curtains in engineering practice. The article describes the features of using the models for calculating air curtains for agricultural objects and the energy parameters of the curtains depending on the design characteristics and external environmental factors. (Results and discussion) The effect of the air curtain on the energy characteristics of the room has been studied. It was found that it is necessary to determine the type of air curtain that is optimally suitable for protecting the gate opening, with or without heating the air curtain. Authors have found that the engineering methods of calculation are based on different experimental data, which leads to a discrepancy in the results of evaluating the effectiveness of the designed curtain, overestimating its energy intensity and power. The calculation of heat curtains, operating modes should be carried out taking into account the variable effects of external physical factors, the equipment should correspond to a specific room. (Conclusions) The use of air curtains reduces or eliminates the penetration of external cold air into the room through the openings of external gates, requires a smaller volume of air supplied by the curtain, compared to the mass of the incoming air flow.