LEAFLET 96
July 1978
POULTRY HOUE
9U~E
- r
R. N. BREWER and C. A. FLOOD
1
,
2
E FFICIENT PROUCION of flolltix
meat aiid eggs r eqires a cheap and plenl-
tifldl so)urce of' heat for brooding and~
growig s 000 g I)oiiltr) . At present, fossil
fuiels, especially LP gas, fun ish most of'
this cnergx . Predicted short supplies and
high prices of' these products hav e
pointed up thc oeed for dev elopment of'
alteroate energ\ sources.
'A\ssociate Professor , lDcpartinent of'Ponltr\
Scicncc, aiid Assistanit Professor, Decpartmnt
of Agri cult oral LEngineerin g.
2(jtb cito 111 IIII 5r of the solar ree car 
ch team
are J . L. Loon, Department of' Agricultural
Lilginceling; Morris W\hite, Depadrtmnt of
Agi 1 ni~tui 
al L ciiom11ics 
an d Ru ral 
S oci ologys
G. RA. M Ici an iel, I )par tiocit of Poiltrs Sci-
enice, R. 1. Vachont, iDepaitioit of\lcallical
Eiigillelilng and S. E. Tas br and Roger
Getz, LEnviIirental Studies Servsice iCnter.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT
R. DENNIS ROUSE, Director
The sirnmnar\ objectiv e of the research
beiog conid~uctedl at the s(lar facilit, (If
the Auiburn Uis ersitN Agricultural Ex-
perimnlt Station is to adapt solai energy
to poultr\ prodluctioui programs, and( to
findl ss~as s to mak e it anr acceptable forio
(of' heat energs . A niulti-phase research
prgramn is be inig coniducted to ac-
com~pl ish tliis ob~jectiv e. The priinarN
title if the prograin is ''Potential for Con-
s ersioii aind Utilization of Solar Ll1'iergx
in Poultr\ Piiducttioi.-
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Specific, long termn ol~jectis es of the
re seairclh pi oject ar e:
1. 1(o ev aluate solar heated poultr,
broodiing sN Steil) (Itsignl cr iteiria (lesel-
STATION/AUBURN UNIVERSITY
AUBURN, ALABAMA
o~ther iiieteolrilogitdl paraint(IX. e% alti-
Iallictt(IX. alit integrate thes~e filliligX
XX'lit f it( so lr s iiii.llthe iliu htot x te
t 3. ITo (Iate riiltt l e i Xc c olill iciI "TitX or
plosfti ga1) oilig I)dlltitt ilX. cliie
real lugp i t sot l arh Iiodii iiiiil'1-
rdililtisX still~ dtiepltiX o iloot fc
tivg tX dte id Xhtii tkelX( usoiiiiaiuuii
XiIIII (e bod et.ltelatuiuig theis
111i wohii eriiio 
hh~o' aiXi Xpcriei
heatii iL X pratics L I ' le llodeleu X, ot Xatr-
I tia i it ilit. idii ot l dpi idi oilX bro d-
that cc of, heatt ii lte r l\liXIIk te
l)Iil(ig x\ ith aLi asebtaoers hiu iof \aic
rdiwi iet rfre i fiia a
XsatXif gie tl XX ritbt itX i itil Pim i -id
lgiireal ti aIIOX t oi d l)ill- dlii td t-
isae OURI fXenX Xtlodlii XwdX wlipl toli-
billedX ithd anlii ldtitiule form of't Xiliar X
li111C ("WaIX fil lit ISTi~ tilt.i
RESEARCH BUILDINGDEIG
XIX Aar' t1fol reeach failliX\ \as de- .
signed to allow X or il rctical mid astaa3t~2( istit
(oXtiutiol i's t\ icial of tilit ltiiill-
broiler hoinig. It iX of' pole allil trussX
tcllistI Ili in IIIigl" roiugh tclt 6- 6-ili
Jj)ii ll)X 01 tlel truss~es plaedi It) feet il
telitti . 131o11anit ouiter XXalls are p)Iillttl
6 iefi fibel tdasX lbattX. Ins~ide\ll) XXMI Ie
12 ith j)IX XX 00dl. l11illhtioll at (tililig
guilX ooi bard. Pen paltitiioli XX if I are
XdiidiXXel paiiiels. Fiiiil f diiitgI illo 2 x
4's. whilel thet Xkin isI 1/2-i j )k wIXXXod1.
-1-lit pallts alle fillet
1 
withl 3i 2-ilith fiblwu
glasX 1)att Iiisilatjoli. AttceXs doorsl to
4
Sub-metering Ot circuits tor tans, lighting, and
outlets in each pen provides data on energy use
ifl test pens.
-ad
-***Wrl
t(
(
Pn Ventilation is provided by two tans mounted on the north wall, controlled by two-stage thermostat
and percentage timer. An LP gas meter is located to the right of the tans.
each pci arc located ahong the xouth
xidlc\vall.
Thle 401-alinp electrical serv ice to the
hilisi ix xlit into txxo 200(i) p teed-
ers, each serinlg one-half'of the build-
ing. Iniidua i~ud (istibution boxs serve
each peni. A K~in cir cuit, a li Thti og circuit,
aind ai i ouitlet circuit ar-e xul) metel ed ini
each Pen. SIbIiieterilig ill tihe equlipmIent
rooin ii p1i-oiieli ti o.each p)uin p an d each
auxiliarx heating unit.
Pliih~~~and mieter, lolr LP gas ser-
vice ai-C prov idled in each pen.
T he x entilation x\ stei com xi t s of txx 0
12 SOLAR COLLECTORS.
BASFIH SOLAHRNHAIGSSE
NETE I,0 CN S T OALECTANS ANSTRE
txx o-xpeecd fliix niouiited oii the north
\x all iiieach p~el anid at halled-xlot ilet
on the soltll xx all. Ciontrol of the fauxs is
I) twvo stage thei ioxtat alld peCrcentage
tinier. Elapsed tHine iiieterx ohi each
xpeed of each1 fani \\ ill p~ci. oit cleteriilia-
tioll of' total \ olilme of' ventilation air.
Light xcreens oil hoth fanl di xcharg4e and
slot inlet xx ill permit restricted lighIlt
stuies to he c.arlicil out.
SOLAR SYSTEM
De1ktails of thl xx steml are xio\vii in tile
si cmatic ITher e are threce idenitical x\ s-
0155P R CTONINC ACE
Operation ot the Auburn solar heating system is illustrated by this schematic.
AILXILIAE1
STORAGE /HEXTER
The 36 couble glazed copper plate solar collec-
tors comprise a collector area of about 700
square feet. Access doors to research pens are
located in the south wall.
tillS \\ ithl C(, II (1(\ U)tt,( to t\\ ) the
reseatc ub pns. Each sx stei has 12 doni
lWe Olazedl elupper plIate collectors loan-
tlaietuired Ibx Rex cr Copper- andi Brass
Colnpauts . The 36 tnoits compjrise a c-
lect or are a of al oltt 700t squpiare feet. Col)-
1 ec-tors arec t iio toted iii angle iron frat ies
s bit-b 1h01( g4roupjs of' six c-olletctors.
FraniCs are at tobored to redwvood 4 x 4's,
xx blob ar e int turn anchored to 2 X 65 roof
pitis. Pitt entitiet-tiotis perm11it tiltinqg
fi aloes to an\ angle xx ith the borizonital.
Cutrretttl\ tbex are tilted to ani angle 4f45
degrees.
'ate, hete b- the so panels isstored in three 1,000-gailon ' ,ja*e steel tanks. Auxiliary heat is
provided by 82-gallon commercial electric water heaters.
T'he sx ste iII uses \\ ater as thile heat
transfer medium with comniplete inter-
connection of collector, storage, andt de-
livery sxstems. No heat exchangers are
used to separate contpoinents of the s s-
tent. Operation as a drain tlowni s stem ill
which water tdrains Iback into storage
xhen solar energ cannot le collected
removes the ieed for freeze point
depressants. Collector pump operation is
controlled b\ a differeiitial therinostat
with a fixed 27F differential on start up
and 3F differential on shut tlown.
Storage is held in three 1,000-gallon
insulated steel tanks. Adjustment of
plunbingx will permit operation of each
atless than fill capacitx . InterconnectionI
of the tanks would perntit operation of a
storage s\ stem at greater tham 1,000 gal-
lons.
An attempt is made to take aldvaitage
of aini temperature stratification which
may occurt in storage. WVater going to col-
lectors is poumped from the botton of'
storage while hot water froti collectors is
rtitued to the top of storage. flot water
to~~1
pci
I
41
dl1 ~c
A
-p
C
I
\~
delivered to rescacl penlls is puliped
froii the top of storage aind cold water
returns to bottom of storage.
Auxiliarx heat for each sx stein is by
82-gallon colitiercial electric water
heaters. Auxiliary heat ma operate as
either 4.5 or 9 kx. Switching between
storage and auxiliarx is bx means of
twxo-position, three-xwa piineumatically
actuated bronze valves. Switching oc-
curs whenever storage temperature
dlrops belowx a preset nininuin.
Continuous flow of conistant tempera-
ture water to the load (research pens) is
provided via pnteumtical1I actuated
three-wax mixing valves. 'These valves
inix return water fromn the load with
water front storage to provide a coinstant
teiiperature water for deliver> to load.
Water flow througlh the delivery sy s-
tein in each pen is coitrolled by a propor-
tioninig valve. A iiajor portioii of the re-
search wxill involve developntent andt
evaluation of dlixvery (brooding) sys-
tems.
Two dcliver s sNsteins have been iin-
;';it
2 , li
f~~ II j
C i
4t~r
~-/ *v/
4/ 4 -- CI s J 3 4
One heating system being evaluated uses 1 -inch diameter finned tubing. Two 30-foot engtqrs (arrow)
are installed at 12- and 18-inch heights above the floor to transfer heat from water into the chick
brooding area.
It ti.;
xt 4I
,--J
4" / ri
; "
7
I
.,
,r
* 1'
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1
117
A second delivery syster- beinrg tied invoie y e use of concrete slab brooders (arow) having a total
area about half the size of the pen. Circulating heated water warms the slab to keep the chicks warm.
leidx Ii4ttdi On se d c dttiOiiitil lieIte
fi1/cd(fli tiiot ii iF~oii 4(legits are
instlled( )iui t (uo meit \\ i] ii()I, oti t xxiiir
i)ens tixtio dx tl\ 1 txtroci ini 18i)
iiine xx(\ looifrieiitxl. ,\. iiooli r
hxiti fluri t(ill if iaxjt oiiateo ulgtiti
xti li (If fit 1.1i iiooiitot ioo i it O r.i lini
fbli xx it( l iii tii i des i ii (ii x
(viL xx l( ikd d u-t
DATA SYSTEM
Iai (u((tioi coniists i (it(d
poinits ill thei xx dtti x\ xteuin. air ttlipiitr
tilres inofl the rseach pcnx xi~l-liilit
tilii O\\ cdtli I L dl (-doll ipca r 00011 Incasxi -i
di rit xx Ldt r I it (Ii\it (' ti)dxe-
11(iii xlil I Ctiti r( iiilnOildit \\ iti triOlxx
tx pc fluixx iietftrx. \\ahe tdt it ([ltd OiiLcte
dli xx fil x Lioit\ adli xx inl spf)L itill-
ietit (lix IuoIIhI n dill (lxx)()iiif toiitd-
tlii din ii I lx i [ i lii i ii ii lilIiliiii nrx
b)iub " dl . dxia1tion )n it o izoni tal
lou sirifwo oold lborooolil radliation Sll-
xiril ( di itii ii pei odilldl IO d),\i 118-
po11it id iii )ie. I )iltil iii( I 10001011( ol
iigifii Iliudgiletic tdtj)( areL ritci
iitit x~itiiigetlii iodtix /( ,,i oiixiii bi
iiiiu riixtx dali \,dllilL h
1fiilati o0LLO (OIOI'I lOta ll" henwl t" avii /l/I Lo aI// It abouti IL (LI /(,L eLOLL (((0 olo i(oinatona i/Li! Li L
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* .