Thermal performance of aviary located in the semiarid region of Pernambuco based on computer simulation¹

Desempenho térmico de aviário localizado no semiárido pernambucano a partir de simulação computacional

HIGHLIGHTS:

The EnergyPlus software package can assist in designing facilities with better comfort environmental conditions.

The relative humidity values of the air simulated in the aviary were the same for all types of tiles.

To promote thermal comfort at the most critical times, it is necessary to make secondary changes in the aviary environment.

ABSTRACT

For studies of thermal performance, computational modeling has been presented as an important decision-making tool to solve complex and everyday problems in poultry production and research. Thus, the present study aimed to validate computational models developed using the EnergyPlus software package and, based on these, evaluate the thermal performance of a poultry house with different types of tiles (thermoacoustic, ceramic, fiber-cement, and metal). The research consisted of two stages: an experimental phase and another phase in which the climatic conditions in four aviary models are numerically simulated, considering different types of tiles. The experimental phase was conducted in two climate seasons, winter (2019) and summer (2020), where air temperature and relative air humidity data were measured and recorded using six HOBO model H12 data loggers distributed inside an aviary located in the semiarid region of Pernambuco state, Brazil. For the computer simulation, a virtual model of the house was developed using the OpenStudio graphical user interface in Sketchup, and the thermal performance was calculated using the EnergyPlus software package. The models were validated, showing a strong correlation between the experimental and simulated data, with Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) values greater than 0.95. The simulations demonstrated the influence of the roof tiles on the thermal performance of the evaluated building. For the climatic conditions of the semiarid region of the Pernambuco state, thermoacoustic roof tiles presented the best thermal performance, followed by ceramic, fiber-cement, and metal roof tiles.

Key words:
thermal comfort; rural facilities; energy simulation software