TIME INTEGRATED CONTROL VARIABLE TO REDUCE ENERGY INPUTS AND IMPROVE ANIMAL PERFORMANCE

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROPOSES TO DEVELOP ALGORITHMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL WHICH UTLIZIE BOTH A TIME INTEGRATED AND AN INSTANTANEOUS VALUE OF A SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLE. IT IS ASSUMED THAT MAXIMUM ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY WILL BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE SELECTED VALUES FOR INSTANTANEOUS CONTROL STRATEGIES NEGLECT THE THERMAL HISTORY OF THE AIR SPACE AND THE ANIMAL, THUS THERE IS APPARENT EFFICIENCIES TO BE OBTAINED BY USING A CONTROL ALGORITHM THAT UTILIZES DYNAMIC CONTROL OF THE TARGET CONTROL VARIABLE. SIMULATION ANALYSIS WILL BE USED TO PREDICT ENERGY SAVINGS AND CHANGES IN BIRD PERFORMANCE FOR A SERIES OF TIV CONTROL ALGORITHMS AND WILL BE USED TO SELECT THE CONTROL ALGORITHM DEMONSTRATING MAXIMUM INCREASES IN ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY. AN EXISTING MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLER WILL BE ADPATED TO ACCEPT TIV CONTROL FEATURES. FIVE PROTOTYPE TIV CONTROLLERS WILL BE BUILT AND INSTALLED INTO COMMERCIAL POULTRY OPERATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND COMPARED TO CONTROL HOUSES AT THE SAME SITES. STATISTICAL ANLYSIS WILL BE USED TO CONFIRM ANY DIFFERENCES IN ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER, A HEATING/VENTILATION SALES/MANUFACTURING ORGANIZATION AND AN INTEGRATED BROILER FIRM.