Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Ventilation and Hen Environment in Cage-Free Egg Facility

摘要

The goal of this study was to model and evaluate indoor environment for commercial poultry barns to help builders and egg producers accommodate current transitions to cage-free facilities. By modeling, a one-eighth section of a typical cage-free hen house with 2365 individual hens at full-scale, environmental conditions were assessed in terms of important parameters such as temperature, air speed, and static pressure difference. The simulated ventilation rate for the hen house was set at a desirable cold weather ventilation rate at freezing outside conditions. Contours of interior airflow, temperature, and pressure suggested the indoor conditions were maintained within comfortable ranges, especially important as documented at the bird level. Our findings demonstrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is a powerful tool to assess a ventilation system and its impact on the indoor environment for comfort, particularly within the animal-occupied zone of livestock housing.