The agricultural industry has benefited more than any other from advances in technology and machines. Higher output, better yields, and less waste are just some of the effects of mechanized farming. However, much of this innovation has concentrated on maximizing production. There are other ways that technology can be used to improve efficiency through recycling and better waste management.
The Problem of Inefficiency
It is well known how such simple machines as the tractor and the combine harvester have revolutionized farming. Where a farmer could milk only one cow at a time, machines can milk thousands simultaneously. However, these machines run on electricity, and the vehicles run on polluting diesel fuel. While they have undoubtedly refined agriculture, the question of inefficient energy consumption remains.
Farms need to generate heat in the barns where livestock such as poultry are kept. Ventilation in greenhouses as well as in barns is a key factor in energy consumption on farms. Traditional sources of energy for heating and ventilation are rarely renewable. In addition, the equipment used for these purposes is often simply scaled-up versions of the systems used in homes. They are simply not efficient enough.
Recycling Heat To Reduce Energy Consumption
In-house livestock need to be kept in an environment with a controlled temperature. Animals generate a significant amount of body heat. For farms in colder climates, the issue of keeping the animals warm in winter and cool in summer is a major concern. This is in addition to the problem of getting rid of air pollutants that animals naturally produce.
On many farms, agricultural air exchangers are used. These devices work to remove the dirty air and replace it with cleaner air from outside the barn. In the winter, this works against insulation efforts. Studies show that up to 85% of the heat generated by farm animals is drawn out. This raises the need for a supplementary heating system to keep the animals warm.
An Innovative Solution To The Problem
The traditional method of removing dirty air from barns loses a lot of the heat from the farm animals. However, what if this heat was not wasted, even as the dirty air is removed? That is the concept behind the use of heat recovery systems.
A device that transfers heat between two opposing flows of a fluid medium is not a new invention. Air conditioners, car radiators, and refrigerators all work on the same principle. The basic concept is adapted for use on a scale as large as a typical livestock barn.
The device recovers heat by bringing the flow of air out of the barn and the flow of air into indirect contact. The two cannot mix because farm air is dirty and full of contaminants. However, the heat is not lost because there is a temperature exchange. The cool outside air is warmed up significantly and can absorb between 50% and 80% of the heat from the outgoing airflow. This greatly reduces the energy consumption of heating systems by cutting the workload.
