The effects of pen partitions and thermal pig simulators on airflow in a livestock test room

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of pen partitions and heated simulated pigs on airflow in a slot ventilated test room and to evaluate computer fluid dynamics (CFD) as a tool to predict airflow in livestock rooms. To obtain two-dimensional flow in the occupied zone, four guiding plates were mounted beneath the ceiling in the test room. Experiments were carried out in three arrangements: (a) the room with guiding plates; (b) the room with guiding plates and eight heated pig simulators; and (c) the room with guiding plates, eight heated pig simulators and 0.8 m high partitions which divided the room into four equal-sized pens.

The guiding plates beneath the ceiling were efficient in creating two-dimensional how in the occupied zone, but they increased the differences between measured and simulated air velocity close to the ceiling and close to the floor. Both measurements and CFD simulations showed that the introduction of pen partitions and thermal pig simulators reduced the air velocities in the occupied zone of the test room. Detailed geometric modelling of the animals might often be unnecessary for simulation of airflow in livestock rooms. This will especially be the case when the animals are located close to pen partitions or other large obstacles in the occupied zone.

Poor ability to predict recirculating zones limits the expected precision of CFD calculations with the k-epsilon turbulence model in livestock rooms where recirculating zones often occurs. (C) 2000 Silsoe Research Institute.