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Variable speed fans for poultry - Michael Czarick

Published: April 18, 2018
Michael Czarick (University of Georgia) explained the advantages of using variable speed fans, including the reduction of power costs, during IPPE 2018 in Atlanta, USA.
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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
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Kapil Manwal, Martin Rishoj
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Dr. Ashraf Ali Qureshi
25 de junio de 2018
Very good explanation on variable fans. Variable speed fans are good to save energy when working on lower speed, but if not capable to achieve specific static pressure of the house to take inlet cool air in the center of the house and to mix it with hot air mixed with gases and to throw it out within 0.75 - 1 minute. Few fan types are not efficient to open their shutters completely when operated on low speeds.
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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
25 de junio de 2018

Ashra Ali Qureshi.  When high air exchange rates are required, hot weather, market age birds, the fans can operate at full speed and therefore static pressure is not an issue. The power savings come from all the times when all the fans are not required.

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mehboob elahi
25 de junio de 2018

Very interesting to listen. I want to ask Michael Czarick which fan they have used in study?
Although by reducing fan's speed energy cost may be reduced but if we want to keep the same speed of air exchange with variable speed fan at less speed weneed to install more number of fans. I think by increasing number of fans to keep same air exchange the energy cost will increase? Need your opinion..

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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
25 de junio de 2018
mehboob elahi We are currently testing the Skov Blue Fan (breeder farm) and a Multifan tunnel fan on a broiler farm. You don't necessary have to add more fans. It is important to realize that on hot days the fans are running at 100% and you are saving a little power because the fan is energy efficient. But at night, or with younger birds, or at all other times when all the fans are not required you are saving 60 to 40%.
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mehboob elahi
25 de junio de 2018

Dear Sir when you have results, could you please share them.
Normallywe operate fans in a way that as temprature rises other fans turns on, e.g, fan 1 at 21 C, fan 2 at 22 C .....fan 8 at 28C. as temperature drops in night than fans start to turn offf from higher temp to lower, Maybe, I'm not sure but one fan turns off we save 2.5 Amp current. but when speed of all fans decrease we may have little benefit?
On the basis of your research if it will be beneficial than we will voluntarily test at one of our farms.
Regards

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Christopher Hettiarachchi
25 de junio de 2018

Application of this technology in broiler evap. cooling system can be a bonus to the industry. I am sure Dr. Michael Czarick must have considered all the important parameters such as concentrations of carbon dioxide, ammonia, oxygen and RH in addition to the temperature. If not, these parameters could also be integrated into the system.

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Lokman Omer
26 de junio de 2018

It is good point in poultry production, I just want to say the increased and decreased speed of fans has advantage and some disadvantage, even I have not like you experiences the increased air speed physically may produce heat and decreased air speed may lead to accumulation of dangerous gases like ammonia, co and co2, and also insincere dust in house.

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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
26 de junio de 2018
Lokman Omer Variable speed fan systems move the same amount of air as conventional fan systems. The only difference instead of turning on a fan that moves 20,000 cfm you would turn on a fan that is capable of moving 30,000 cfm but you slow it down to move the 20,000 cfm. You are moving the air that you need but you are savlng a lot of power.
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Roland C. Sare
27 de junio de 2018

Variable fan is used during brooding period since you can slow it down to your target windspeed required. Thus helps in the step up minimum ventilation.

The cost of electrical savings depends on the rise and fall of ambient temperature on a positive and negative pressure.

You might enlighten on this? Thanks.

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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
27 de junio de 2018
Roland C. Sare We in a way using the variable speed fans as fixed low speed fans most of the time. We turn on the fans in this manner Fan 1 60% Fan 2 60% Fan 3 60% Fan 4 60% Fans 1,2,3,4 70% Fans 1,2,3,4, 80% Fans 1,2,3,4 90% Fans 1,2,3,4, 100%. So most of the year the fans are operating at 60 to 70% which means they are moving around 20,000 cfm and saving a lot on our power bills.
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Aoun Khan
17 de julio de 2018

Hello, Dr. Mike. In areas where temp is 48, 50c and the R.humidity is above 85% outside. The variable speed fans wl work good but in the evening and during night variable speed fans wl compromise on b.wts because variable speed draws less air in the farm. On the other side, timer wd these variable fans doesn't work efficiently.

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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
17 de julio de 2018

Aoun Khan Climate will have an effect on the payback of variable speed fans. For instance, if I have a breeder or layer house in a hot climate where generally the fans run 24 hours a day for weeks on end, then the variable speed technology would not save much because the fans would be operating at 100% nearly all the time. In contrast, if the fans only operated at 100% a few hours a day, but the rest of the day they would be running at lower speeds, then the variable speed technology could significantly reduce power usage.

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Syed Farjad Zaidi
25 de julio de 2018

Do we need a different type of controller to operate variable speed fans?
Or can we go for a combination of fixed RPM and variable speed fan when the difference of day and night temperature is we.

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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
26 de julio de 2018
Syed Farjad Zaidi Yes, you generally need a different type of controller...though some modern controllers can do both single speed and variable speed fans. When you have variable speed fans there needs to be a speed controller on each fan. You can have a combination of both fans.
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Opticon Agri-Systems
OPTICON Agri Systems
4 de septiembre de 2019

Syed Farjad Zaidi We have a special intelligent fan control unit. This unit can be installed and needs an input signal from the excising climate controller. The signal must be 0-10Vdc related to the calculated ventilation capacity.

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Tim M. Asbridge
Rose Acre Farms
Rose Acre Farms
26 de julio de 2018

There are several ways, in my opinion, where variable drives can be very helpful. What I don't hear a lot of discussion about is multiple fans on individual drives, which can greatly reduce cost and the ability to correct deficiencies or stratification of air by using drive adjustments.

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Md.akhtar-uz-zaman, Zaman
CVASU: Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
30 de julio de 2018
Electric cost by speed can only be reduced by reducing electricity requirements in variable speed.
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Mike Czarick
University of Georgia
University of Georgia
30 de julio de 2018

Electricity costs can be reduced by installing energy efficient fans
or
using fans less...which will not help bird performance
or
keeping fans properly maintained
or
using variable speed technology

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Tim M. Asbridge
Rose Acre Farms
Rose Acre Farms
4 de septiembre de 2019

Dr. Mike Czarick, thanks for bringing this topic to the forefront. I think variable fan control is underutilized in the poultry and other animal industries. There is so much variability and savings to be had in several area's. Just the use of soft start capability and off the shelf equipment savings are well worth the look. VFD's are great at solving problems and tracking energy usage. They are becoming very competitive to install price-wise while greatly increasing flexibility and control.

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Ing. Dragan Ionut
30 de julio de 2018

Thank you very much, Dr. Czarick for your articles. Can you explain a little bit about the importance of speed controller in this case? I know two kinds of speed controllers - one with voltage reduction and the other will reduce the frequency. I suppose the tension reduction is totally not useful. All the best.

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Tim M. Asbridge
Rose Acre Farms
Rose Acre Farms
4 de septiembre de 2019

Have one building using all variable speed fans. Cycling between 30% and 100% depending on summer and winter conditions. Ventilation at extremely low temps much more stable and comfortable by elimination of minimum cycling of fans at these temps. Fans are also controllable by automated environmental systems meaning that ventilation can be lowered even during evaporative cooling season increasing cooling efficiency. Another positive is that variable speed fans can be adjusted throughout the building to overcome problems or ventilation deficiencies. I have had no problems with ammonia increases in winter due to the fact that air is always moving and being replaced. There is some negative as far as shutters not fully opening at reduced speeds but not a major issue.

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Syed Farjad Zaidi
4 de septiembre de 2019
When we discuss issue of forced ventilation in EC houses with different type of fans currently we talk about we assume cone fans with shutters instead of butter fly.Most discussed are broiler flocks.;what is the effect of all this on broiler breeders as in adult heavy birds wind chill effect is much different;in different geographical regions temp humidity ratio is higly variable. Currently we in Pakistan plains area facing a very different situation compared to near past high humidity with high temperature not as high as is use to be temp at 5 am is about 30C with ,75% humidity and at 5pm 39~40C with 60~65% humidity.trief pads of 10 and ,15 cm thickness with 45X45 Deg and ,,,45X15 deg fluting angle.Pads with 45X15°and 10 cm work better with timer on water supply but still the temp cross 32° inside house increasing air velocity donor work well plz advice some remedy
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Syed Farjad Zaidi
4 de septiembre de 2019
Its 11.30 pm in Multan Pakistan temp is 34°C humidity 68%
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