Innovations : Ventilation and Fans
Fancom
Fancom recently introduced the F35, a new climate computer, designed especially for naturally ventilated poultry houses. The F35 is suitable for all forms of natural ventilation and can also work in situations with a combination of both natural and mechanical ventilation. When used in conjunction with Fancom’s Minimum Transitional Tunnel (MTT) Natural system, the F35 can control the minimum ventilation with controllable fans in combination with air inlet or curtains and provide efficient cooling by tunnel ventilation, with or without pad cooling.
Fancom’s MTT Natural ventilation system features very accurate minimum ventilation. The system is based on a gradual transition from minimum to maximum ventilation without interrupting the airflow. Intelligent wind correction with storm protection avoids wind influences on the house climate. The system provides the right conditions to increase occupancy rates and to limit the heat stress suffered by the animals. The result is a controllable production climate throughout the entire growth process from one-day old chickens to adult birds.
- Extra features of the system include:
- Energy saving light control with dim and dusk function
- Energy saving Optisec™ heating control
- EasyFeed™ control for accurate dosing and registration of feed and water
- PC link to farm management and analyzing software
www.fancom.com or 604-504-7296
Berg Equipment Corporation
Berg has introduced a new line of ventilation fans called the B Series, featuring redesigned bracing to minimize the flex of the fan frame. This added rigidity helps to decrease vibration and noise while increasing the life of the fan, adding value and reducing overall ventilation costs for the producer.
B Series fan models include:
• The 48B Basic unit, which features a galvanized, four-wing blade heavy steel frame, and eyebolts for hanging with chains. It can also be mounted to a building column.
• The 48B Wall Box Fan unit, featuring a heavy galvanized steel square wall box with shutters and aluminum louvers plus a welded wire mesh inlet and side outlet guards. The high efficiency unit can be used for tunnel ventilation exhaust.
• The 48B Cone Fan, which comes with all the features of the 48B Wall Box Fan plus a galvanized diffuser cone.
All units are available in an optional six-wing blade design, which provides quieter operation and high efficiency at low speeds.
www.bergequipment.com
Northwest Envirofan
The Agrifan ceiling fan continuously circulates the air in dairy and poultry operations. Designed with a heavy-duty motor, the fan can move and mix air at up to 330 RPM, 43,500 CFM, virtually eliminating heat stratification. The warm dry air that naturally rises is forced down to floor level in a continuing circular process.
When used with an existing ventilation or heating system, the company states Agrifan can increase the efficiency of that system by 30 percent.
In summer, Agrifans create a wind chill effect that helps to cool livestock and poultry. Vertical airflow blows down on, and between, the animals to break up the heat halo.
The continuous air movement generated by Agrifans also speeds the drying of floors, bedding, walls and ceilings, helps prevent condensation and dissipates ammonia and gasses.
Agrifans feature triple neoprene rubber seals to make them dust and spray proof. A one-way condensation plug on the bottom of the motor housing keeps moisture from accumulating and corroding the motor components.
www.envirofan.com
Better Air Ventilation Systems
Better Air produces the Aircool Centrifugal Cooling System, an evaporative cooling unit that utilizes a centrifugal spraying system without nozzles, high-pressure pumps or compressors. Using normal water pressure, a spinning disc creates ultra-fine particles that evaporate as they disperse into the air. Using water flow adjustment, livestock and poultry producers can regulate the amount of water to each unit and lower the temperature of the air. When cooling is not required, the water-dispersing unit can be shut off and the fan can be used alone to circulate room air only. Aircool is available as a cart-mounted or hanging system. The hanging system has two options: a 90-degree rotator to increase coverage by 25 percent, and a water recirculation kit to minimize water usage and shut off the water in case of a power interruption. The system can be used for cooling, humidifying, ventilating, disinfecting and controlling dust and odor.
www.betterair.ca
F.I.T. Ventilation
A F.I.T. Ventilation system is designed for years of service and manufactured from non-corrosive materials. The patented design grabs air from in front and on either side to create a wall of air. The system merges two air streams into a singular mass of air, allowing for increased efficiency by displacing a greater volume of air. The airflow is constant and spreads into a 160-degree (80-foot) wide pattern. The F.I.T. fan system is available with variable speeds, allowing the producer flexibility to control the environment to meet animal demands, plus optional misting. It is available as a floor, pole or wall-mounted system and is made from high-density plastic. It features a 0.5 HP, 115/230-volt, single-phase, electric motor with 1165 RPM, 11,310 CFM. Self-contained units with a generator are also available if electricity is an issue.
www.fitventilation.com
Canarm Agri Products
Canarm’s 50-inch panel fans are ideal for dairy cooling and can be post or ceiling mounted through an innovative design. The simple, low cost design provides 28,000 CFM and requires little maintenance. The blades are cast from aluminum and are powered by a one HP, 230/460 volt three phase motor or a 1.5 HP, high/low two-speed 230 volt single phase motor.
Canarm also produces ceiling mounted, 36-inch Poly Round (PR) fans that can be hung quickly and point anywhere. The blades are covered with a strong, powder coated steel guard and are powered by a 0.5 HP, 115/230 volt single phase motor.
www.canarm.com
Chore-Time
Chore-Time's high-capacity 52-inch (132.1 cm) diameter Turbo® Fan with HyFlo® Shutter delivers 29,700 CFM at 0.05 inches of static pressure in independent wind tunnel tests. The HyFlo Shutter minimizes obstructions during fan operation and seals tighter when not operating, delivering up to 10 percent more air with 75 percent less opportunity for air to leak through compared to a traditional louver shutter. The HyFlo doors do not suffer loss of efficiency and air speed overtime, which can occur with louver-style shutters, so air speed is maintained over time.
Additional features include:
- A sturdy, corrosion-resistant fiberglass housing with cast aluminum blade and corrosion-resistant components
- One-piece, impact-resistant, polyethylene cone with 64-inch (162.6 cm) outside diameter that can be compressed for 60-inch-on-center (152.4 cm) installation
- Automatic belt tensioner for consistent belt tension
- Heavy-duty, cast iron, air-handler type bearings that are self-aligning, pre-lubricated, and include a zerk fitting, as well as being shielded from moisture and dust
- The HyFlo Shutter consists of only two moving parts for greater reliability and easier cleaning
The fans, which are only available in 52-inch diameters, are shipped fully assembled, including shutter doors. At installation, simply attach the fan to the house sidewall, add the one-piece cone, and snap the grill in place. Units install flush on the inside of the house.
The fans were selected as an AE50 Outstanding Innovations Award winner for 2006 and are backed by Chore-Time’s extended warranty, including limited lifetime coverage for the housing and blade, and a bonus year on motors.
www.ctbinc.com
Big Ass Fans
If you have a large space that needs a cost-effective way to stay cool in summer and warm in the winter, Big Ass Fans may have the solution. According to the company, a Big Ass Fan can supply 25 times the airflow of a standard industrial ceiling fan, ultimately blowing the competition away.
During the summer, Big Ass Fans provides a steady, gentle breeze, improving cooling by increasing the rate at which perspiration is evaporated from the skin’s surface. During the colder months, the fans help to gently drive ceiling-level hot air down to the floor.
Big Ass Fans feature 10 light-weight airfoils that slowly revolve, creating a massive – but gentle – movement of air in all directions. The company reports the fan can cover up to 20,000 square feet of area. This high volume/low speed operation, powered by a one- to two-HP motor and a variable frequency drive, results in a quiet and high efficiency fan. The fans use an in-line helical gear reducer to provide almost frictionless power transmission, meaning smoother operation and less wear and tear.
www.bigassfans.com
Prairie Pride
Prairie Pride has been serving the hog, poultry and dairy industries’ ventilation needs for more than 30 years with its fan and air inlet products.
The company produces wall and roof exhaust plus recirculation fans using rugged components to reduce maintenance and operating costs. Prairie Pride wall exhaust fans are mounted flush on the inside barn wall to eliminate alleyway obstruction. The polyfan is available in 12- to 48-inch sizes with energy efficient motors matched to provide the most effective airflow. The company’s roof exhaust fans allow the fan to be placed anywhere within the barn to draw air efficiently. The fans work with the thermal effect and the wind to create an efficient exhaust system. It is available in various sizes and CFM outputs. Prairie Pride’s recirculating fans mix fresh, contaminated and heated air to provide consistent air quality. They are available in various panel fan sizes and poly-T transitions and easily fit in the company’s poly recirculation ducts.
Prairie Pride’s air inlet products are manufactured from durable plastic, smooth surface materials that allow easy cleaning and maintenance-free service. The company’s pre-heat inlets are actuator controlled to provide accurate control for proper directing of the airflow pattern. They are available in 900 and 1200 CFM models. Prairie Pride’s ceiling inlets are designed to fit between 24-inch centers and allow fresh airflow from the attic into the animal space. The company’s wall inlets operate either mechanically or as a self-positioning inlet, according to the room’s negative pressure.
www.prairie-pride.com
Phason
Phason Electronic Control Systems recently updated its Supra 16-stage environmental controller. Version 2.0 is now available and features:
- A startup timer that allows users to delay the startup of the Supra’s loads when the control returns from a power failure, allowing the distribution of the initial startup load the backup generator must handle.
- Temperature setback that allows users to automatically change the temperature set point for a specific period during the day.
- Variable DC Expansion Kit that allows the user to connect equipment that requires a zero to 10-volt input (variable frequency drives, etc.). The kit installs in seconds and has four outputs that can be configured for cooling or heating.
- Tunnel ventilation mode that can be configured to close inlets and/or curtains, switch off relays and set variable stage output to zero when the zone temperature is at or above the tunnel set point.
- An improved status display that includes relay run durations and the day’s high and low temperatures.
- A daily log that lists the high and low zone, outside temperature and humidity, total water usage and total relay on durations.
Osborne Industries
Osborne’s Agri-Aide Ventilation System provides ventilation solutions based on more than 40 years of practical experience creating comfortable, productive livestock environments in all types of farm buildings. The company offers equipment options to match any ventilation requirement and its engineering and manufacturing systems meet ISO 9001 international quality standards.
Whether farmers are managing pigs, poultry, dairy, or other livestock, fresh air is vital to the health of the animals, the operation’s staff, and the financial health of the farming business.
The Agri-Aide system can provide an integrated combination of exhaust fans, fresh air inlets, circulation fans, and automatic controls that match each operation’s building and the animals being managed.
Osborne Industries operates its own demonstration farm, including an air movement laboratory. The company also collaborates with universities, allowing product developers to harness the latest technology and offer livestock producers different combinations of ventilation components.
www.osborne-ind.com
