Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 1/13/12

Researchers at North Carolina State University and West Virginia University have developed a unit that promises to both reduce air pollution emissions from some chicken and swine barns while recovering — and possibly generating — heat, which lowers utility costs.

So far the technology is only in the proof-of-concept stage, according to a release about the research from the two universities, but the research is published in the December issue of Applied Engineering in Agriculture, in an article titled, “Coupled Biofilter – Heat Exchanger Prototype for a Broiler House.”

The technology incorporates a biofilter and a heat exchanger; the first removes ammonia emissions from livestock barns (a major factor in odor complaints) while the second takes the heat from the air leaving the barn and uses it to warm the fresh air that is pumped into the barns.

Furthermore, as the bacteria in the biofilter works on the ammonia in the air leaving the barns, the biofilter produces its own heat which also can be used to raise the temperature of incoming fresh air.

The technology is not applicable to all poultry or swine operations, explained Dr. Sanjay Shah, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research. “The technology is best suited for use when an operation wants to vent a facility that has high ammonia concentrations, and pump in cleaner air in preparation for a fresh batch of chicks or piglets – particularly in cold weather. It is also suitable for use when supplemental heat is required for raising the young animals,” he said.

To work, some conventional cold weather ventilation fans would have to be replaced with higher-pressure fans. The technology is simply not compatible with summer ventilation using tunnel-fans, because of the high cost and choking effect on the fans.

Researchers used the prototype design with a 5,000-bird chicken house. The prototype removed up to 79 percent of ammonia and reduced the energy needed to maintain the necessary temperature in the facility — recovering as much as 8.3 kilowatts of heat.

To read the paper’s abstract, click here. https://