Environmental control system for poultry houses

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further including operating enclosure ventilating fans and heaters in accordance with the values determined for the selected interior temperature, said system operating to select the rate VH whenever VH is equal to or greater than VT, and selecting the rate VT whenever VT exceeds VH.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, further including the step of activating a sufficient number of ventilating fans in said enclosure to attain the selected ventilation rate.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, further including activating said ventilating fans in sequence.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2, further including the step of activating a sufficient number of heaters to maintain the interior temperature of said enclosure when VH exceeds VT.

Claim 7

The method of claim 2, further including the step of determining a 24-hour average relative humidity value for air inside said enclosure; periodically comparing said target relative humidity to said 24-hour average relative humidity and determining the difference therebetween; and

Claim 8

establishing said ventilation rate VH at a value which will produce a very high relative humidity within said enclosure as long as the current 24-hour running average relative humidity is less than said target relative humidity.

Claim 9

establishing said ventilation rate VH at a value which will produce a very high relative humidity within said enclosure as long as the current 24-hour running average relative humidity is less than said target relative humidity.

Claim 10

The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of determining the ventilation rates VT and VH for feasible temperatures and of selecting one of said ventilation rates are repeated at regular short control intervals.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7, wherein the qualitative assessment of the relative moisture content of said litter and the establishment of a target relative humidity value are performed periodically.

Claim 12

The method of claim 7, further including determining, from the selected ventilation rate an anticipated interior air temperature; comparing the anticipated interior air temperature with said measured interior air temperature to obtain a difference temperature; correcting individual fan delivery rates to reduce said difference temperature; and providing an alarm if said difference temperature exceeds a predetermined value. .Iadd.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10, further including: assessing qualitatively the current conditions of variable parameters including moisture conditions in the enclosure; determining, for each of a plurality of feasible interior relative humidities, a moisture ventilation rate VH required to maintain that feasible interior relative humidity which, when combined with the said enclosure configuration, thermal characteristics and variable parameters, will result in the desired moisture conditions within the enclosure; and selecting and maintaining the one of said feasible interior relative humidities which will produce the desired relative moisture conditions for the animals in said enclosure by operation to at least one of said ventilation device and said heater, to produce the required moisture ventilation rate VH. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. Method of claim 11, further comprising: assessing qualitatively a relative moisture condition of the enclosure floor and any covering material within said animal enclosure, to determine if said floor or covering material is too dry or too wet; establishing a target relative humidity value in response to said qualitative assessment; determining, for said target humidity, for each of a plurality of feasible interior temperatures and for each of a plurality of feasible interior relative humidities, the ventilation rate VT and the moisture ventilation rate VH required to maintain that feasible interior temperature and that feasible interior relative humidity which, when combined with the said enclosure configuration, thermal characteristics and variable parameters, will result in the maximum economic return; selecting and maintaining the one of said feasible interior temperatures and the one of said feasible interior relative humidities which will produce the maximum economic return for the animals in said enclosure by operation of at least one of said ventilation device and said heater, to effect the ventilation rate VT and the moisture ventilation rate VH, within said enclosure which will result in the maximum economic return. .Iadd.13. A method of controlling environmental conditions in an animal enclosure to provide a maximum economic return from the growth of animals housed therein, said enclosure including at least one controllable ventilation device, comprising: determining the configuration and thermal characteristics of the animal enclosure; determining the number and type of animals to be housed in said enclosure; determining current values of variable parameters, including current weight, heat production and market value of animals in said enclosure, air infiltration into said enclosure, and prices of electricity and feed; determining, for each of a plurality of feasible interior temperatures, a ventilation rate VT required to maintain that feasible interior temperature which, when combined with the said enclosure configuration, thermal characteristics and variable parameters, will result in the maximum economic return; selecting and maintaining the one of said feasible interior temperatures which will produce the maximum economic return for animals in said enclosure by selective operation of said ventilation device, to effect the ventilation rate VT within said enclosure which will result in the maximum economic return. .Iaddend.