{"id":134,"date":"2009-02-01T20:08:15","date_gmt":"2009-02-01T20:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/informatech.energir.com\/?p=134"},"modified":"2021-04-15T15:33:55","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T20:33:55","slug":"infrared-for-more-productive-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/informatech.energir.com\/?p=134&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Infrared for more productive agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Agriculture is an important engine of the Québec economy. Livestock production sales in Québec reached $3.8 billion in 2006.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span> At the time, these sales represented 62% of total agricultural sales. Different means of heating space with natural gas can result in operational savings and assist the produc-tivity of this major sector for Québec.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/span>
\nT<\/span>he poultry sector includes different types of bird production: chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.  They are also distinguished by the type of end product: meat (broiler, roaster, grain-fed), table eggs, hatching eggs. Broiler production is the most important in terms of the number of farm businesses and flock size.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, sales from the poultry sector totalled $575 million in 2006. Of this amount, 72% came from chicken production. The remaining 28% is attributed to sales of turkeys, table eggs and hatching eggs.<\/p>\n

From the energy consumption standpoint, space heating represents the biggest expenditure by far, followed by lighting and ventilation. Producers must heat and ventilate all year round to ensure the comfort of their livestock and obtain good growth. Ventilation is necessary to discharge the ammonia vapours generated by droppings, general aeration of the building and discharge of combustion products in some cases.<\/p>\n

When one-day-old chicks arrive on the farm, the indoor ambient temperature must be 32°C. Moreover, this temperature is reduced gradually as the chicks grow. Adequate temperature control ensures optimum growth and food conversion.<\/p>\n

Brooders<\/p>\n

Traditionally, Québec producers make more use of brooders (Figure 1). The combustion products released directly into the ambient air increase the CO<\/span>2<\/sub> and humidity level when they are used. According to some producers, brooders are inefficient and have a limited life cycle because they are very sensitive to the dust constantly present in the hen houses due to the agitated activity of the chickens in the wood chips. The slightest draft extinguishers the burner flame, causing reliability problems. Electric radiant heating systems are sometimes used but necessitate just as much maintenance and remain expensive to operate.<\/span>
\n <\/span>
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Figure 1: Brooder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Figure 2: Low-intensity radiant tube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Infrared<\/p>\n

It is found that infrared heating equipment (low or high intensity) is used very widely in Ontario; the situation in Québec is completely different. The valorization of this equipment in the Québec agricultural sector thus represents a major challenge. Currently, heating equipment often is selected according to the availability of the products offered at the retailer, who keeps units in stock that the producers “traditionally„ buy. The high acquisition costs of infrared units make them uncompetitive at first glance. This cycle must be broken. In fact, this type of equipment has many operational advantages.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Ontario experience, the manufacturers must review the promotion of their products in Québec and now offer products adapted to the specific context of the poultry sector.<\/p>\n

Experience shows that low-intensity radiant tubes (Figure 2) are a choice alternative in some agricultural sectors, such as hen houses. Thus, low-intensity infrared radiation technology generally suits well-insulated buildings with low ceilings, where the drafts are limited. Their radiation efficiency exceeds 40%. They have the advantage that they can be supplied directly with outdoor air for combustion. Moreover, the combustion products can be discharged outside the building, thus reducing the ventilation needs and the negative effects of these discharges on the ambient air.<\/p>\n

Table 1 – Comparison of the radiation efficiency of different technologies<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n
 <\/td>\nConvection brooder<\/td>\nRadiation brooder<\/td>\nRadiant panel (high-intensity)<\/td>\nRadiant tube (low-intensity)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Radiati<\/span>on efficiency<\/span><\/td>\n25-30%<\/td>\n35-40%<\/td>\n55%
\nand over<\/td>\n		40-4<\/span>5%<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Table 2 – Advantages and disadvantages of various technologies<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Natural gas brooder<\/td>\nNatural gas radiant tube<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Advantages<\/td>\nAdvantages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • low cost of purchase<\/li>\n
  • simple technology that can be maintained by the farmer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • combustion products discharge outdoors<\/li>\n
  • stable combustion (sealed burners)<\/li>\n
  • no manuel adjustement required<\/li>\n
  • better radiation efficiency than brooders<\/li>\n
  • uses outdoor air<\/li>\n
  • reduced diseases propagation risks<\/li>\n
  • longer equipment life cycle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disadvantages<\/td>\nDisadvantages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • necessitates a lot of maintenance<\/li>\n
  • unstable combustion<\/li>\n
  • manual height adjustment (floor temperature)<\/li>\n
  • low radiation efficiency<\/li>\n
  • combustion products released in the building<\/li>\n
  • uses ambiant air<\/li>\n
  • shorter equipment life cycle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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