Poultry automation

Automation system in poultry units can be provided to farmers as a tool to further control and monitor environmental conditions. Ventilation, as one of the most effective factors in poultry breeding, has certain complexities and delicacies. Proper calculation of ventilation and how to apply it properly requires sufficient information in the field of poultry and, most importantly, constant monitoring and conditions of the hall. This makes the use of automatic ventilation control systems inevitable.

From the point of view of controlling an automation system, ventilation consists of the following main components
1- Ventilation program
2- Automation system
3- Structures and equipment

Ventilation program

As you can see, the first and most important part is having a well-written program based on the principles of ventilation. In addition to providing bird comfort conditions, this program should pay attention to the capabilities of the automation system and the type of structures and equipment. Usually in the documents related to environmental conditions in different breeds of poultry, information about the temperature and humidity required by the bird, minimum ventilation rate, maximum amount of gases and pollutants, time and number of shutdowns, transition ventilation limits, tunnel ventilation conditions, how to use Evaporative coolers, etc. are provided.
All of these cases are affected by various parameters such as herd age, outside temperature, etc. A proper ventilation program should consider all of these requirements and limits properly. But the most important point is how to apply and implement these calculations in the hall. How to implement calculations related to ventilation is completely affected by the type of structure and equipment of the hen house. For example, suppose that calculations at a certain age and given a certain outside temperature take the number 25000m3 / h as the minimum ventilation. This amount of ventilation can be implemented in different ways. For example, by operating a 140 cm fan for about 2 minutes in a period of 5 minutes, this amount of ventilation can be achieved (2 minutes on, 3 minutes off)
This number can also be reached for 4 minutes of operation of a 1 meter fan every 5 minutes. In addition, if you have an inverter, you can run a 1-meter fan at a frequency of about 40 Hz and get the same amount of ventilation. The frequency of 32 Hz for a large fan and the operation of 3 minutes in 5 minutes leads to the same result.
As can be seen, the way ventilation calculations are implemented in the hall can be varied. The factor that leads to the right decision about the implementation method is the condition of the hall (structure) and equipment. The size of the hall, the type and number of inlet windows, the type and number of fans, the location of the fans, the type and distribution of the heating system, the length and width of the hall, climatic conditions, etc. can all be effective in choosing the right method of ventilation.
In addition, the movement of the methods mentioned in the simple example above has its own disadvantages and advantages, and none of them can be absolutely superior to other methods. Another example is the method of supplying moisture using a sprayer.
Assume that 50% humidity is considered in the hall. The simplest way to implement is to use a humidity sensor and control the outlet of the sprinkler off / on. That is, when the humidity was below 50%, the misting operation command is issued and when the humidity number reaches 55%, the misting is turned off. This method may not have a problem with moisture supply, but it can lead to wetting of the substrate. In addition to overcooling the hall is another problem of using a sprayer on the above. Using a combination of temperature and humidity at the same time can solve the problem of reducing the temperature of the room due to the use of sprayers.
For example, if the target temperature in the room is 28 ° C, the sprayer will only work when the humidity is less than 50% and the temperature is higher than 27 ° C. The maximum operating time can also be used for the problem of wetting the bed. That is, if the humidity and temperature conditions of the hall are suitable (Hnm <50% & temp> 27), the sprayer will work for only 30 seconds in a period of 2 minutes. The number of 30 seconds in 2 minutes of the bed can vary according to the size and height of the nozzles, pump pressure, etc.
One step beyond this
The time of the sprayer operation in the interval of 2 minutes depends on the outside temperature.
For example, at an outdoor temperature of less than 50 ° C, the sprayer should not work; at 10 ° C, 20 seconds in 2 minutes; Work for 2 minutes. The above condition helps to use the sprayer in the cold season does not lead to a decrease in temperature and excessive fuel consumption, and in the hot season it can be used as a coolant..
The sprayer can be operated during off hours. It is even possible to work in addition to all the above conditions. Adjust the mist with a master of the PID controller to stabilize the humidity of the room at 50% (or another number). The age of the herd can even be considered in the spraying operation. Additional conditions can also be considered in mist control.
As shown in the example above, the control of simple and less important equipment such as a sprayer has considerable detail. The important question, then, is how complex the ventilation control program should be. To answer this question, it is necessary to mention one point.
Ventilation control in poultry due to the nature of bird sensitivity is inherently a complex process. The notion that the involvement of manpower in control can not be minimized using simple methods. For example, if the room temperature condition is not included in the mist control, in certain circumstances, the hall operator will have to turn off the mist manually, and if you have too much confidence in the system and automation or forgetfulness, etc., reducing the room temperature will lead to consequences in Process.
Therefore, due to the inherent complexity of the process of cultivating control methods, several conditions must be considered. But to what extent?

Two basic factors are effective in determining the complexity of the control system.
1- Capability of controller (automation system)
2- Operator perception of clear control function

The capabilities of the automation system are one of the limitations of clear control. The more flexible the automation system is in the control method, the more complex and possibly more efficient the methods will be.
But assuming that you have a highly automated automation system, you still have to pay attention to the limitations created by the operator. In order to better understand the correct operation of an automation system, it is necessary for the operator to have an understanding of the overall performance of the control. This is necessary in order to quickly eliminate possible defects, equipment, etc. Of course, understanding the overall function of the control method certainly does not mean knowing the details of the control method. What is important is that in the event of a possible failure of any of the equipment, the operator will be able to detect the failure of the equipment for decades and not confuse it with automatic operation.
For example, in the case of a sprayer, the operator must be able to correctly interpret the long-term shutdown of the sprayer. Either the long-term shut-off of the nozzle is related to high humidity and low memory of the hall or low temperature outside, or a defect in the electrical equipment or the sprayer itself has caused the nozzle not to turn on.
As a result, as long as the complexity of the control method does not prevent the operator from correctly interpreting the performance of the equipment, the use of more efficient and naturally more complex control methods can be effective in achieving better results. more..