Energy Gain Research Articles

Non‐lunge feeding behaviour of humpback whales associated with fishing boats in Norway

AbstractTop marine predators, such as odontocetes, pinnipeds, and seabirds, are known to forage around fishing boats as fishermen aggregate and/or discard their prey. Recently, incidents of humpback whales interacting with fishing boats have been reported. However, whether humpback whales utilise discard fish as a food source and how they forage around fishing boats is unknown. This study reports, for the first time, the foraging behaviour of a humpback whale around fishing boats. Three whales were tagged using a suction‐cup tag containing a video camera, and a behavioural data logger in the coastal area of Tromsø, Norway. Video data from one tagged whale showed that the whale remained in close vicinity of fishing boats for 43 min, and revealed the presence of large numbers of dead fish, fish‐eating killer whales, fishing boats, and fishing gear. In waters with large numbers of dead fish, the whale raised its upper jaw, a motion associated with engulfing discard fish from fishing boats, and this feeding behaviour differed markedly from lunge‐feeding observed in two other whales in the same area. This behaviour was defined as “pick‐up feeding”. No lunge feeding was seen on the data logger when the whale foraged around fishing boats. This study highlights a novel humpback whale foraging strategy: low energy gain from scattered prey but also low energy costs as high‐energy lunge feeding is not required.

Kinetic constraints for the formation of microniches for microaerophilic Fe(II) oxidation

Oxidation of Fe(II) by oxygen (O2) at circumneutral pH occurs abiotically or is mediated by microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria. Abiotic Fe(II) oxidation(s) compete with microbial processes and the relative contribution of abiotic reactions depend on the chemical conditions, e.g. PO2, pH and the presence and identity of ferric (oxyhydr)oxide mineral surfaces, catalyzing the heterogeneous reaction. At circumneutral pH, abiotic Fe(II) oxidation proceeds rapidly, which raises the question how and to which extent neutrophilic microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria can compete with chemical reactions and gain metabolic energy from microbial Fe(II) oxidation. In this study, we have investigated the environmental constraints for microaerophilic Fe(II) oxidation in a film layer characterized by diffusive supply of both atmospheric O2 (from the top) and dissolved Fe(II) (from the bottom) by use of a numerical model. A coupled diffusion–reaction model was tested at different chemical (pH and alkalinity gradients) and physical (film layer thickness) parameters to investigate their effects on the relative contributions of different reactions (abiotic homogeneous, heterogeneous and biological Fe(II) oxidation) to the overall (net) Fe(II) oxidation. A first order rate constant for biological oxidation was derived from experimental data from simplifcation of a Monod rate law to be 0.06 h−1. The simulations demonstrate distinct spatial oxidation rate patterns for all of the considered reactions. Microaerophilic Fe(II) oxidation is predominant at a uniform pH 6 and a film thickness z of 1 mm with minor importance at pH 7. Maximum biological rates were on the order of 7∙10-10 mol L−1 s−1 and are in the range of experimentally observed values. Minimum rates were close to the thermodynamic limit. In the presence of a pH gradient and z ≤ 1 mm, two distinct zones were observed: an upper zone dominated by abiotic Fe(II) oxidation (pH ∼ 7) and a lower zone dominated by microaerophilic Fe(II) oxidation (pH < 6.3), while the position and extent of the zones depend on the alkalinity. Such separation is strongly amplified for thinner films (z = 0.2 mm). The importance of heterogenous oxidation depends both on the pH and the amount of ferric (oxyhydr)oxides formed which increases with decreasing diffusive O2 supply at z > 1 mm. In combination with high resolution imaging of pH values in a biofilm, our simulations underpin the importance of pH gradients in allowing for the formation of microniches. The conditions suitable for microaerophilic Fe(II) oxidation can be predicted based on reaction time scales and three factors were identified to be especially important: i) a pH low enough (<6.3) to outcompete abiotic processes; ii) sufficiently fast diffusive supply of Fe(II) (e.g. by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria or chemical processes) with O2 concentrations below 150 μmol L−1; iii) sufficient energy gain from Fe(II) oxidation reaction considering the thermodynamic factor FT. We end by discussing strategies that Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms can employ to enhance their competitiveness against abiotic reactions.

A novel technique for measuring position resolution of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM)

Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors are widely used for tracking and imaging applications due to their excellent position resolution and high efficiency, among other factors. The present study aims to assess the position resolution by employing a novel method that utilizes a high-precision instrument for source movement. The results demonstrate that the double GEM can accurately determine positions with sigma values of up to 36.8 μm and 54.6 μm in the x and y directions, respectively. Additionally, other standard characterizations, such as energy resolution, gain uniformity, and charge spread, were evaluated experimentally and found to be consistent with existing literature. A Garfield simulation was also performed to validate the experimental charge spread results.

Electron acceleration by low order axisymmetric modes of Hermite-Cosh-Gaussian laser pulses in vacuum

Hermite-Cosh-Gaussian (H-ch-G) laser pulse is proposed for effective electron acceleration and energy gain by exploring its low order axisymmetric modes in vacuum. The intensity distribution of H-ch-G laser is influenced by the TEM(m, n) modes ordered Hermite polynomial, decentered parameter (b) controlled Cosh function and Gaussian beam function. The increase in decentered parameter b associated with Cosh function, changes its properties from fundamental Gaussian(b = 0) to more complex Gaussian types with ring-shaped (b ∼ 2) forms. As a result, it operates well enough to quickly accelerate electrons to exceedingly high energies in a short period of time. The laser pulse order TEM00, TEM01 or TEM10 are the low order axisymmetric modes of H-ch-G laser beam. The analytic results show that altering the mode indices (m, n) and decentered parameter (b) combination leads to a remarkable rise in electron energy with laser intensity (∼) to the order of GeV in vacuum.

Establishment of oxidative stress biomarkers in oocytes from healthy and bleached scleractinian corals

Corals have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates associated with the host's tissue, those responsible for most of their daily energy gain. Warming ocean water breaks down symbiosis, leading to a phenomenon known as bleaching. Without their primary nutritional source, corals depend on heterotrophy to survive, which can stagnate the reproductive cycle. There are corals, however, that manage to maintain gametogenesis even when bleached. However, the physiology of these gametes in such a situation is unknown. Our study is the first to evaluate the effects of bleaching on the oocytes of a scleractinian coral, as well as the strategies of these cells to maintain the balance of the antioxidant system and cellular homeostasis. We evaluated and quantified markers of oxidative balance in oocytes released from colonies of Mussismilia harttii with different physiological conditions: bleached and healthy. Healthy and bleached coral oocytes were collected considering a post-spawning time curve (0, 5 and 10 h) and frozen to evaluate the relationship between oxidative balance markers and the physiological conditions of coral colonies. Total protein levels, the activity of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and the levels of lipoperoxidation (TBARS), a marker of lipid damage, were measured. The oocytes presented a significant difference between 0 h and 5 h after spawning for all the parameters regardless of the colony's health. Health status modulated SOD activity and TBARS levels, with oocytes from the bleached colony suffering the most lipid damage. These organisms seem to preserve the quality of female gametic cells even 10 h after spawning in both colonies, suggesting a robust antioxidant system capable of prolonging their lifespan and, possibly, their fertilization capability. This response may be related to an intensification of heterotrophy, ensuring nutritional support and thus reproductive effort and quality of gametes even in bleached corals.

Optimization of sub-relativistic co-propagating accelerating structures.

In this paper, novel optimization methodologies of sub-relativistic guided interaction structures for dielectric laser particle acceleration (DLA) are presented. In particular, we focus on co-propagating geometries based on slot waveguides in continuous wave (CW) operation, where the particle flow and the direction of propagation of the accelerating field are co-linear. Since the velocity of sub-relativistic particles varies along the acceleration path, proper tapering of the waveguide geometry is required to achieve an extended acceleration region, and, thus a large energy gain. The design of an optimal taper ensuring particle-wave synchronicity and maximum energy gain is pursued through a physics-based approach, and these results are compared, for validation, with the outcomes of a downhill simplex method searching algorithm. Additionally, the application of a simplified 2D model of the accelerating slot waveguide is investigated and profitably used to get qualitative results useful for fast structure optimization. Indeed, this approach can hold significant potential for the development of novel accelerating structures, as it enables a thorough and fast exploration of the design space.

Thermal and Electrical Analysis of N-PVT-FPC Hybrid Active Heating of Biogas Plant

Abstract In order to increase biogas production during winter months/cold climatic conditions, a self-sustained N-photovoltaic thermal and flat plate collector (PVT-FPC) hybrid active heating biogas plant has been analyzed in terms of thermal energy and electrical energy. A general analytical expression for thermal and electrical energy of the biogas plant has been derived as a function of climatic and design parameters from one order coupled differential equations. Various photovoltaic thermal and flat plate collector (N-PVT-FPC) configurations have been considered for optimizing maximum electrical and thermal energy gain for a given total number of N-PVT-FPC collectors. Based on mathematical computation for Indian cold climatic conditions, it has been found that the N-PVT-FPC combination is always better than the flat plate collector-photovoltaic thermal (N-FPC-PVT) collector for maximum electrical and thermal energy. Overall exergy analysis of hybrid active heating of biogas plants has also been carried out.

Competition and Cooperation for Multiple Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles under Static Soaring

This work examines the competition and allocation of multiple solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) to a single thermal since multiple SUAVs often demonstrate superior mission performance compared to a single SUAV. Additionally, they can harvest extra energy from thermal updrafts. This work considers two conditions, a non-cooperative competition and a cooperative allocation of thermal. In each case, corresponding objective functions and constraints are established, and assignment schemes are derived by solving these objective functions. The allocation results are simulated and integrated with the dynamics and solar energy model. The numerical results show that, in the non-cooperative mode, the first vehicle to reach the thermal can occupy it for soaring, while the remaining SUAVs will fly towards the destination directly. But in the cooperative mode, the multiple SUAVs will allocate the thermal to the SUAV with the highest energy gain through soaring, to maximize the overall electric energy storage of the SUAV group.

19 Formulating U.S. Swine Diets in a Time of High Energy Costs

Abstract The cost of dietary energy has greatly increased in the last few years and this trend of historically higher prices is expected to remain in the future. This has led to shifts in diet formulation and a need to reevaluate pig responses to changing dietary energy density. As part of the evaluation, nutritionists should review whether energy loadings for their ingredients are accurate. Is the relative change in dietary energy reflected accurately by changes in feed efficiency? If there is not a 1:1 relationship between dietary energy and feed efficiency, dietary energy is not being accurately represented. Because of the linear relationship between diet energy and feed efficiency, that portion of the economic equation is easy to measure. However, the impact of dietary energy on growth performance is more difficult to predict. Does daily gain increase linearly over the entire range of possible energy levels or, if not, when does it plateau? This relationship must be known or estimated to determine the value of changes in energy density. Furthermore, if alternative ingredients with high fiber content are used, at what point does fiber content prevent pigs from increasing feed intake to maintain energy intake? Another key practical concept with energy is how fast the pig adjusts feed intake to changes in diet energy density. Over the long term, pigs adjust their level of consumption to the energy density of the diet; however, it takes time for pigs to make this adjustment. Thus, in the short term, pigs consume the same amount of total feed resulting in increased energy intake and gain if dietary energy is increased or reduced energy intake if diet energy is reduced. When changing dietary energy, the lysine:calorie ratio and phosphorus:calorie ratio should be adjusted to maintain proper amino acid and phosphorus intake to support optimum growth. The high cost of energy has increased the search for other methods to increase pig performance. The ratios of several key amino acids to Lys should be reviewed to take advantage of their impact on feed intake (e.g., Trp, Val, etc). From a practical standpoint, the rise in energy costs has led to the removal of added fat from most pig diets unless essential to maintain pellet quality. Alternative ingredients are being used wherever economical. The use of lower energy diets has also highlighted the importance of genetic improvement, health status, weaning age, and feeder design to allow for high energy intake and resulting growth rates to achieve market weights within space constraints in modern production systems.

Enhancing Thermal Performance of Evacuated Tube Solar Collector using Novel Graphene Oxide Nanofluid

The research article investigates the thermal performance of heat pipe-based evacuated tube solar collector (ETSC) experimentally using graphene oxide (GO) and deionised (DI) water as working fluid with a mass flow rate of 0.5 lit/min, 0.75 lit/min, and 1 lit/min. The different volumetric concentrations of 0.001%, 0.002%, and 0.003% graphene oxide nanofluid samples were prepared in the deionised water. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the structural properties of graphene oxide and the morphology of graphene oxide was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). To evaluate the stability of nanofluid samples, the Zeta potential analysis was carried out which showed that prepared nanofluid samples remain stable for up to 30 days. The effect of different nanofluid concentrations on various thermo physical properties of nanofluid was studied and discussed. The thermal performance of ETSC was investigated by considering the effect of volumetric concentrations of nanofluid and mass flow rates. According to the findings, there is a significant increment in temperature difference and energy gain by using nanofluid samples, and the maximum thermal efficiency of ETSC was found to be 37.1% for a volumetric concentration of 0.003% at 1 lit/min mass flow rate as compared to water.

Study on the Effect of Hydrothermal Carbonization Parameters on Fuel Properties of Sewage Sludge Hydrochar.

In the wake of economic and population growth, increased wastewater production poses a challenge related to sewage sludge treatment, which is problematic given its high moisture content, amount, and hazardous characteristics. This study focuses on the hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge to produce carbonous material-hydrochar, which may be an alternative to fossil fuels. The effect of process parameters, namely, temperature (180, 240, 300 °C) and duration time (30, 90, 180 min), on hydrochar properties (proximate and ultimate analysis, heating values) and process performance were studied. Obtained results indicate and confirm that hydrothermal carbonization, especially temperature increase, improves the fuel properties of carbonized sewage sludge. The highest low heating value was obtained for hydrochar derived at 300 °C in 180 min (~23 MJ × kg-1). The highest energy gain was noted for hydrochar derived at 240 °C in 180 min (~23%). As well as relatively high mass and energy yield in comparison to other hydrochars, these parameters are considered the most favorable for sewage sludge hydrothermal carbonization. However, high energy consumption (over 1300 kJ × g-1) suggests that more research on the process's economical efficacy is required.

Bumblebees negotiate a trade-off between nectar quality and floral biomechanics

How and why pollinators choose which flowers to visit are fundamental, multifaceted questions in pollination biology, yet most studies of floral traits measure simple relative preferences. Here, we used vertically and horizontally oriented slippery-surfaced artificial flowers to test whether bumblebees could make a trade-off between floral handling difficulty and nectar sucrose concentration. We quantified foraging energetics, thereby resolving the rationale behind the bees' foraging decisions. The bees chose flowers with either a high handling cost or low sucrose concentration, depending on which was the energetically favorable option. Their behavior agreed with the critical currency being the rate of energy return (net energy collected per unit time), not energetic efficiency (net energy collected per unit energy spent). This suggests that bumblebees prioritize immediate carbohydrate flow to the nest rather than energy gain over the working lifespan of each bee. Trade-off paradigms like these are a powerful approach for quantifying pollinator trait preferences.

Symmetric Adaptive Higher-Order Energy-Preserving Methods for a Charged Particle System and Guiding Center System

We propose higher-order adaptive energy-preserving methods for a charged particle system and a guiding center system. The higher-order energy-preserving methods are symmetric and are constructed by composing the second-order energy-preserving methods based on the averaged vector field. In order to overcome the energy drift problem that occurs in the energy-preserving methods based on the average vector field, we develop two adaptive algorithms for the higher-order energy-preserving methods. The two adaptive algorithms are developed based on using variable points of Gauss–Legendre’s quadrature rule and using two different stepsizes. The numerical results show that the two adaptive algorithms behave better in phase portrait and energy conservation than the Runge–Kutta methods. Moreover, it is shown that the energy errors obtained by the two adaptive algorithms can be bounded by the machine precision over long time and do not show energy drift.

Energy Efficiency Analysis in the Case of Sustainable Lighting Design Butterfly Valley Park (Konya)

The concept of lighting is of great importance in providing the security that people need so that they can have a quality of life and in meeting their aesthetic needs. Lighting design is related to the physical structure and the environment, and thanks to the lighting design, the aesthetic and functional needs of people will be met and the quality of life will be increased. The need to reflect the historical, cultural and aesthetic values of the city has brought the issue of urban lighting to the agenda. Lighting systems, which are applied without paying attention to the necessary lighting standards and criteria, cause some problems in urban spaces. One of these problems is light pollution; It is generally defined as the use of light in the wrong place, in the wrong amount, in the wrong direction and at the wrong time. Light pollution adversely affects the natural life and daily lives of people, and it is necessary to take various measures to eliminate such negativities in human life, to detect and eliminate these problems. In this study; The standards for the lighting of the city parks obtained by the literature studies were determined, the current lighting situation of the Butterfly Valley Park and the recommended lighting design produced by the Relux software in accordance with the standards. According to the findings; In the current lighting project, the total power consumed as a result of the lighting of all the lamps of the area has been calculated as 96 005.0 W. In the proposed lighting project, the total power consumed as a result of the burning of all lamps was calculated as 27 630.0 W. The obtained energy gain was found to be 96 005.0 W – 36 700.0 W = 68 375.0 W. As a result of working in the light of this information, energy savings of 1 in 3 have been achieved.

Thermal performances of a bioclimatic building in hot and dry tropical climate

This paper is concerned with the thermal comfort of a double-walls seven stories bioclimatic building built with local construction materials. First of all, we use a numerical code to investigate the construction materials thermal inertia effects on the optimization of the building envelop. Second, the outer and inner surface temperatures are determined utilizing the TRNSYS code. A system of trap is then design to evacuate during nighttimes, the stored daily heat. The conditioned air thermal load differences between the double and simple walls are also investigated. Similarly, the linear thermal loss coefficients and the thermal bridge losses are computed utilizing respectively the ‘Heat’ software and the Degree Day method. The results show a difference of 6 to 7 oC between the outer and the inner maxima surface temperatures. The computation of the conditioned air thermal load indicates a net energy gain of the order of 5.8 % in the office spaces and 12.1% in the bedrooms, respectively for the double and simple walls. The double-walls thermal bridge losses amount to 16.46 % of the total building losses and 20.77 % for the 20 cm thick simple wall. The building envelop optimisation process continues with the study of the effects of the addition of a garden roof on the thermal comfort.

Structure I methane hydrate confined in C8-grafted SBA-15: A highly efficient storage system enabling ultrafast methane loading and unloading

Confinement of water and methane in mesopores of hydrophobized SBA-15 is demonstrated to promote methane hydrate formation. In comparison to as-synthesized SBA-15, hydrophobization by C8 grafting accelerates the kinetics of methane storage in and delivery from the hydrate. C8 grafting density was determined at 0.5 groups nm−2 based on TGA and quantitative NMR spectroscopy. Multinuclear 1H-1H DQSQ and 1H-1H RFDR NMR provided spectroscopic evidence for the occurrence of C8 chains inside the mesopores of SBA-15, by showcasing close spatial proximity between the grafted C8 chains and pore-intruded water species. X-ray diffraction demonstrates formation of Structure I hydrate on SBA-15 C8. At 7.0 MPa and 248 K, the water-to-hydrate conversion on hydrophobized SBA-15 C8 reaches 96% as compared to only 71% on a pristine SBA-15 sample with comparable pore size, pore volume and surface area. The clathrate loading amounted to 14.8 g/g. 2D correlation NMR spectroscopy (1H-13C CP-HETCOR, 1H-1H RFDR) reveals hydrate formation occurs within pores of SBA-15 C8 as well as in interparticle volumes. Following the initial crystallization of SBA-15 C8-supported methane hydrate taking several hours, a pressure swing process at 248 K allows to desorb and re-adsorb methane from the structure within minutes and without thawing the frozen water structure. Fast loading and unloading of methane was achieved in 19 subsequent cycles without losses in kinetics. The ability to harvest the gas and regenerate the structure without the need to re-freeze the water represents a 50% energy gain with respect to melting and subsequently recrystallizing the hydrate at 298 K and 248 K, respectively. After methane desorption, a small amount of residual methane hydrate in combination with an amorphous yet locally ordered ice phase is observed using 13C and 2H NMR spectroscopy. This effect offers an explanation for the enhanced hydrate formation kinetics in adsorption-desorption cycles. These findings open new perspectives for clathrate hydrate-based methane storage.

Optimization of a novel drive mechanism approaching the ideal cycle for beta type Stirling engines

Stirling engines are capable in the renewable energy gain and the recovery of waste heat, both of which are important issues today. Existing studies revealed that the piston trajectories convergent to the Stirling cycle provide more power than traditional crank mechanism. In this study, a hypocycloid drive mechanism not used in the literature was optimized on the ideal piston trajectories for beta type Stirling engines. Optimization was realized to improve the isochoric heating and cooling processes as well as the isothermal compression and expansion. The cyclic work was treated as another objective succession. The optimal results taking into account these five objectives were obtained with the gear ratios of 5 and 4 for displacer piston and power piston, respectively. The piston dwells provided the enough objective succession not only for the both isochoric processes but also for the isothermal compression process, while failed in the isothermal expansion. In comparison with crank mechanism, a cyclic work increment of 10% was achieved in the near-ideal piston trajectories, but the maximum increment of 14% eventuated in some out of ideal.

Coherent nanophotonic electron accelerator.

Particle accelerators are essential tools in a variety of areas of industry, science and medicine1-4. Typically, the footprint of these machines starts at a few square metres for medical applications and reaches the size of large research centres. Acceleration of electrons with the help of laser light inside of a photonic nanostructure represents a microscopic alternative with potentially orders-of-magnitude decrease in cost and size5-16. Despite large efforts in research on dielectric laser acceleration17,18, including complex electron phase space control with optical forces19-21, noteworthy energy gains have not been shown so far. Here we demonstrate a scalable nanophotonic electron accelerator that coherently combines particle acceleration and transverse beam confinement, and accelerates and guides electrons over a considerable distance of 500 μm in a just 225-nm-wide channel. We observe a maximum coherent energy gain of 12.3 keV, equalling a substantial 43% energy increase of the initial 28.4 keV to 40.7 keV. We expect this work to lead directly to the advent of nanophotonic accelerators offering high acceleration gradients up to the GeV m-1 range utilizing high-damage-threshold dielectric materials22 at minimal size requirements14. These on-chip particle accelerators will enable transformative applications in medicine, industry, materials research and science14,23,24.

Explorative behavior allows the successful finding of ephemeral food resources in the wild

AbstractThe repeatable among-individual variation in behavior (animal personality) is considered to affect fitness. The variation in personality traits is shaped by complex evolutionary mechanisms involving energy allocation and resource acquisition. However, an association between personality and individual performance in energy gain in the natural environment still seems underexplored. The aim of our study was to test a hypothesis that consistent individual variation in behavior affects the energy acquisition of unpredictable food resources. We predicted that more explorative individuals would be finding ephemeral food resources with higher probability than those less explorative. The quasi-experiment with ‘random-walking-feeders’ was performed to assess the use of unpredictable food resources in the natural habitat occupied by free-ranging arboreal rodents — edible dormice Glis glis. A repeated open field test at laboratory conditions was conducted to assess whether male dormice show consistent among-individual variation in behavior. The open field test analysis indicated two main components of dormice behavior: exploration and boldness, from which only the first one was repeatable and thus considered as a component of animal personality. The probability of finding a feeder increased with exploration, independently of dormice age and body size. The results indicate that exploration can be considered an adaptive trait that improves energy acquisition. We suggest that the behavioral among-individual variation within populations persists due to the usage of distinct foraging strategies in the face of fluctuations in food resources availability.

Investigation on the control strategy of new spray cooling system based on PV/T and heat recovery in sow houses: As a case study in Nanchang, China

The uncertain cooling effect and additional huge primary energy consumption caused by humidity regulation are currently the main problems of traditional air-conditioning systems in sow houses. In order to address the above problems, a new spray cooling system is proposed based on PV/T and heat recovery in sow houses in this paper. Compared with traditional spray cooling systems, the cooling efficiency of new system can be improved and its energy consumption can be reduced due to solar dehumidification and heat recovery. Meanwhile, the mathematical models are established for its key equipment and their reliability is verified according to literature data. The results show that the maximum error is less than 7.2% for the models. The main operating parameters affecting the system characteristics are determined through simulation. The results show that with the changes in the set inlet temperature of second heat exchanger (IHET), the set subcooled temperature (SCT) and the set superheated temperature (SHT) of sensible heat exchanger, the total energy consumption and gain of new system are changed by 2%–11.9%, while they are changed by 54.5%–86% with the changes in the set inlet relative humidity of rotary dehumidifier (IRH) and the set inlet temperature of spray device (ISDT). In other words, the total energy consumption and gain of new system are slightly affected by IHET, SCT and SHT, but significantly affected by IRH and ISDT. The annual control strategy is further proposed for the new system. In cooling season, supply air of sow house will be dehumidified, heat exchanged with exhaust air and cooled, and the optimal setting ranges of operating parameters are IRH = 70%, SCT = 18 °C, SHT = 26 °C and ISDT = 22–24 °C. In heating season, it will be heat exchanged with exhaust air and heated, and the optimal setting ranges of operating parameters are SCT = 19 or 20 °C, SHT = 26–28 °C and IHET = 22–24 °C. The above research will provide guidance for the improvement of traditional spray cooling systems and the operating control of new system.