An ASABE Conference Presentation

Paper Number: ILES12-1394

Implications of increasing ventilation rates of broiler

farms to fulfill European welfare regulations on gas
concentrations

Fernando Estellés, PhD

Institute of Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Camino de
Vera 14, 46022, Valencia (Spain), feresbar@upv.es

Aránzazu Villagrá, PhD

Centro de Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Polígono de
la Esperanza 100, 12400, Segorbe, Castellón (Spain), villagra_ara@gva.es

Salvador Calvet, PhD

Institute of Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Camino de
Vera 14, 46022, Valencia (Spain), salcalsa@upvnet.upv.es

Written for presentation at the

Ninth International Livestock Environment Symposium
Sponsored by ASABE
Valencia Conference Centre
Valencia, Spain
July 8 - 12, 2012
Abstract. Ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations are limited in the EU when rearing density exceeds 33
2
kg/m . Threshold concentrations (20 and 3,000 ppm for ammonia and carbon dioxide respectively), have been
reported to be higher in literature. One of the simplest ways to reduce these concentrations through increasing
ventilation rates, although this technique may lead to higher energy consumption due to ventilation and heating
needs. The aim of this paper is to evaluate this extra energetic cost in a practical case in a broiler house. To
this aim, a broiler house (24,000 places) located in a mild Mediterranean area (Villarreal, Castellón, Spain),
was monitored for gas concentrations and ventilation rates during a whole winter cycle. A sensible heat
balance was developed to determine heat needs during the cycle. Later, gas concentrations during the cycle
were evaluated and when they were higher than the established limits, the extra ventilation rates needed to
reduce these concentrations were calculated. The implication on heat consumption of this extra ventilation was
also determined using a sensible heat balance. On average, ventilation rated had to be increased 9.87% for
the whole rearing cycle. This extra ventilation implied an over energy consumption of 28.61% considering the
whole cycle. Ammonia was the main contributor to these extra ventilation needs since carbon dioxide
concentrations were found to be high only during the first days of the cycle. It should be considered that the
interpretation of some aspects of the regulation may lead to strong modifications of these extra costs.
Keywords. Broiler, ventilation, ammonia, carbon dioxide, welfare
Introduction
European Council Directive 2007/43/EC lays down minimum rules for the protection of chickens
kept for meat production. Among these rules, the regulation establishes a maximum density for
animals of 33 kg/m2. Nevertheless, if certain requirements related with the environmental control
of the building are accomplished, this Directive allows that this density can be increased up to
42 kg/m2. These requirements imply ensuring that the house is equipped with ventilation and, if
necessary, heating and cooling systems designed, constructed and operated in such a way that
temperature, relative humidity and gas concentrations are kept, according to welfare and health
criteria, between certain limits. According to this regulation, ammonia concentrations must be
kept below 20 ppm and carbon dioxide concentrations below 3,000 ppm at the level of the
chickens’ heads.
Atmospheric ammonia in poultry facilities has been recognized as a significant environmental
problem (Beker et al., 2004), as well as detrimental to poultry health, performance and welfare
(Kristensen and Wathes, 2000; Carlile, 1984). As evidenced in the literature, the accumulation
of this gas inside broiler houses is associated to negative physiological responses in the
animals. These responses depend on the concentration of ammonia as well as on the exposure
time. Regarding CO2, problems of high concentrations of this gas can be derived both directly
from this concentration and from the consequent decrease in O2 concentration (McGovern et al.,
2001).
Gas concentrations exceeding the limits established in European Council Directive 2007/43/EC
have been previously reported in commercial poultry houses for both ammonia (Groot
Koerkamp et al., 1998; Wheeler et al., 2006) and carbon dioxide (Tegethoff and Hartung, 1996).
Nevertheless, traditionally poor attention has been paid to control air quality, in terms of
pollutants concentration inside livestock buildings, despite it is known that poor ventilation
design is a major problem leading to most of the worst cases of indoor air quality problems
(ASHRAE, 1995). Therefore, to accomplish the requirements this regulation, it is crucial needed
to reduce gas concentrations inside broiler buildings.
In general terms, two main alternatives can be considered to reduce gas concentrations in
animal buildings: i) to mitigate emissions at the source and ii) to reduce concentration through
dilution (by increasing ventilation rates). In practice, perhaps the most straightforward way a
farmer has to reduce gas concentrations is increasing ventilation rates (Xin et al., 1996). This
option is simple in terms of management and could be easily adapted to farm climate control
systems, despite these devices are normally programmed just to optimize temperatures and
relative humidity in livestock houses (Zhang and Barber, 1995). Although this option is simple, it
must be considered that it may involve extra costs for the farmer, since increasing ventilation
rates, mainly in cold conditions, may alter the heat balance inside the farm, resulting in
additional costs for the farmer (Xin et al., 1996).
Considering these circumstances, the objective of this work was to explore how changes in
ventilation can be applied to accomplish the European Council Directive 2007/43/EC in terms of
gas concentrations, in a Mediterranean broiler farm in winter conditions, as well as the
consequences, in terms of energy consumption, that these changes may imply. To this aim, a
first goal was to identify gas concentrations exceeding the thresholds established by the
Directive. Then, the extra ventilation rate and heating necessary to maintain concentrations at
those thresholds were calculated. Finally the energetic consequences of this regulation will be
discussed.

2
Material and Methods

Environmental conditions and gas concentration measurements

A commercial mechanically-ventilated broiler barn (24,000 places) located in Villarreal (Spain)
was monitored for gas concentrations and ventilation rates during a winter cycle (from 15th
December 2006 to 31st January 2007). The building had 16 lateral exhaust fans: nine of them
larger (V=34,956 m3/h at ΔP=0 Pa) than the other seven (V=12,750 m3/h at ΔP=0 Pa).
Ventilation rate was controlled by a commercial automatic control system (Tuffigo, Saint
Evarzec, France) depending on animal age and environmental conditions. The farm had
installed two heaters system based on propane combustion with a maximum heating capacity of
85 kW each one (Geoss, Systel, France). Total mortality during the growing period was 3.28%,
and the final production was 23,212 animals and 62,534 kg (2.69 kg/bird for 48 days animals),
with a feedstuff consumption of 114,000 kg and a conversion rate of 1.82. Rearing density at the
end of the cycle was 37.05 kg bird/m2.
Gas concentrations and ventilation rates were simultaneously measured from day seven to the
end of the cycle. Concentrations of CO2 and NH3 were measured using a photoacoustic multi
gas monitor (INNOVA 1412, LumaSense Technologies, Denmark) equipped with a gas
multiplexer that allowed sequential measurement in two different points in a two-hour sequence
(15 minutes for each measurement). Four sampling points were placed next to the extraction
fans of the building at a height of 1.2 m to determine exhaust gas concentrations, and two were
placed at the air inlet openings for the characterization of outside air. The remaining two
measurement points were placed in the center of the building (1.2 m height), in order to obtain
further data on the distribution of gas concentrations in the building. Temperature and relative
humidity were continuously recorded, every 5 minutes, both indoors and outdoors, using four
data loggers (HOBO H8-004-002, Onset Computer Corp., Pocasset, Mass.) and a weather
station (HOBO Weather Station, Onset Computer Corp., Pocasset, Mass.) respectively.

Gas balances
When gas concentrations were found to be higher than the limits established in Council
Directive 2007/43/EC, ventilation rates needed to achieve ammonia and carbon dioxide
threshold concentrations were calculated, separately, for each two hours period following
equation 1:
Ei
VGASi = (1)
([GAS ] − [GAS ] )
t i i i

Where:
VGASi = ventilation rate (m3/h) needed to achieve the target concentration for each gas (i)
[GASt]i and [GASi]i = threshold and inside concentrations (ppm) respectively for each gas (i)
Ei = gas (i) emission rate (mg/h).
Emission rates for each gas and two hours period were calculated following a mass balance in
the building.
The maximum value for VGASi obtained for each two hours period (considering both gases,
VGASMAX) was selected to determine the ventilation rate increase need.

3
Ventilation rate increase implications on energy consumption
Increasing ventilation rates has two main constraints in terms of energy consumption: it raises
power consumption of fans and increases heating needs to achieve target temperatures in the
building. The power consumption of fans was determined for measured ventilation rates (PF)
and also when the extra ventilation rates calculated before were considered (P’F). To determine
PF (kW) the information on fan performance and individual power consumption of each type of
fan was used. In order to calculate P’F (kW), it was estimated the extra time of work (expressed
as a percentage of time) of small and large fans needed to achieve the new ventilation rate. The
ventilation system programing constraints were also considered (e.g. only the small fans
operate below 72,500 m3/h).
A sensible heat balance in the building was developed (eq. 2) to determine heating needs for
measured ventilation rates and the extra consumption when increasing ventilation rates.
S a + S h = S v + Sb (2)

Where:
Sa = animal sensible heat production in the building (W)
Sh = sensible heat production of heaters (W)
Sv = sensible heat transmitted by ventilation (W)
Sb = sensible heat lost through building enclosures (W).
Sa was calculated following CIGR (2002) recommendations. Sv was determined as a function of
ventilation rate and temperature difference between the inside and outside of the building. Sb
was calculated following the methodology described by Garcimartín et al (2007). Finally, Sh was
determined by difference in equation 2. The extra heating power (S’h) needed to maintain
temperature in the building when raising ventilation rates to achieve target gases concentrations
was calculated as a function of this ventilation rate increase.

Results

Gas concentrations
Gas concentrations recorded during the whole cycle are presented in figure 1 as well as
maximum thresholds set in Council Directive 2007/43/EC.

Figure 1. Gas concentrations recorded during the whole cycle and maximum thresholds
established by Council Directive 2007/43/EC.

4
Average (± sd) carbon dioxide concentrations recorded during the experiment were
2,561±1,086 ppm inside the building and 484±41 ppm in the outside. If comparing bi-hourly CO2
concentrations with the maximum limit established in Council Directive 2007/43/EC, it can be
observed that these limits are widely exceeded during the first days of the cycle. By contrast,
CO2 concentrations remained below the threshold approximately from the fourth week of rearing
(day 21). For the whole period, CO2 concentrations were over the limit for about 25% of the
measurements. Threshold concentration was exceeded 14 times, being the longest event of 98
hours.
Regarding to NH3 concentrations, average (± sd) concentrations were 18.34±7.88 for the inside
and 0.67±0.31 ppm in the outside. Attending to individual values, these concentrations were
higher than established limits more often than CO2 concentrations (around 46% of the
measurements). Concentrations exceeded the threshold of 20 ppm from day 14 to the end of
the cycle, finding the highest concentrations from days 25 to 30 of the cycle, following a similar
trend to that reported by Fidanci et al. (2010). The concentration of 20 ppm was exceeded
during 29 periods, lasting up to 74 hours (from day 14 to 17 of the cycle).
For both gases, highest concentrations were found during nighttime, increasing the occurrence
of concentrations over threshold values in the period between 22h to 10h.

Gas balances
Weekly average (±sd) values for VGASi and VGASMAX are presented in table 1.
Table 1. Weekly average (± sd) values ventilation rates measured (V), and estimated through
the gas balances to achieve target concentrations for CO2 (VGASCO2), NH3 (VGASNH3), and both
gases (VGASMAX).
Week V (m3/h) VGASCO2 (m3/h) VGASNH3 (m3/h) VGASMAX (m3/h)
2 11,890±4,277 17,974±4,073 11,934±4,317 17,976±4,074
3 29,856±13,899 31,446±12,664 33,647±12,757 34,063±12,220
4 51,045±20,123 51,079±20,085 64,648±18,176 64,648±18,176
5 86,214±32,751 86,214±32,751 93,760±27,551 93,760±27,551
6 127,914±53,728 127,914±53,728 128,845±52,612 128,845±52,612
7 94,419±26,766 94,419±26,766 96,133±25,043 96,133±25,043
As expected once observed gas concentrations in the farm, CO2 was the most restrictive gas
during weeks 2 and 3 while for the rest of the cycle, NH3 was the limiting gas. VGASMAX was
equivalent to VGASNH3 from week 4 to 6 since CO2 concentrations remained below the limits from
day 21 as explained before. For weeks 2 and 3, despite CO2 was the most restrictive gas
VGASMAX present higher values than VGASCO2, since it is a combination of both VGASNH3 and
VGASCO2. On average, for the whole cycle, keeping CO2 concentrations below the threshold of
3,000 ppm implied increasing ventilation by 1.86% over measured values. These needs are
higher when considering NH3 concentrations, being needed an average increase of 7.08% of
current ventilation rates. If considering both gases, the overall increase for ventilation rates was
8.62%.

Ventilation rate increase implications on energy consumption

The daily average values for power consumption of fans considering both, the measured fan
performance (PF), and the estimated performance when increasing ventilation rates (PF’) are
presented in figure 2. For the whole cycle, the increase of power consumption needed to
achieve target concentrations was 9.87%.

5
Figure 2. Total daily energy consumption (kWh/day) of ventilation (a) and heating (b) measured
and calculated once determined the extra ventilation needs for the whole cycle.
Regarding the heating cost, both terms the daily heating measured and estimated cost are
presented in figure 2. For the whole experiment, the extra heating cost (in terms of energy
consumption) represented an increase of 29.1% over the originally estimated heating power
consumption. The major contribution to the extra cost of heating corresponds to the 4th week of
rearing, representing more than 40% of the total over-cost in absolute terms. By contrast, from
day 35 to the end of the cycle, the extra heating cost represents less than 10% of the total
value. It must be considered that these extra costs will always depend on outside temperatures,
being higher when presenting lower temperatures in the outside.
Considering both energy terms (fans and heating), the overall overconsumption for the whole
cycle was estimated at 28.61% (total energy consumption of 4.08 kWh/animal and 5.25
kWh/animal for measured conditions and increased ventilation rates conditions respectively).

Discussion
As observed before, a small increase of ventilation rates (below 10%) leads to high raises of
energy consumption for heating (almost 25%). This fact is strongly related to the nature of the
heat balance. According to this balance, modifying ventilation rates causes a multiplying effect
on relative terms when determining energy costs. It is also expected these costs to be much
higher in colder climates.
To develop this work it was understood that gas concentration should not go beyond the limits
at any moment, if stocking density of 33 kg/m2 was exceeded during the rearing cycle. Stocking
density in broiler barns increases during the cycle and this threshold density is reached normally
during the last weeks (e.g. from day 36 in this study). It could be also understood from the EC
Directive that these extra environmental requirements linked to high stocking densities, should
be accomplished from the moment in which density limits were reached. This interpretation
could have crucial consequences in terms of the parameters studied in this work. Thus, if gas
concentration limits were considered only when animal density is indeed over 33 kg/m2,
ventilation rate should be increased only by 0.62% for the whole cycle. This extra ventilation
would imply an extra energy consumption (considering both terms: heating and ventilation) of
1.76% for the complete rearing cycle.
Moreover, it must be considered that there is a nonlinear relationship between the derived costs
and the threshold concentrations established. According to this work, if the limit for NH3
concentration is fixed at 25 ppm instead of 20 ppm, the extra energy consumption would round
13% for the whole cycle.

6
Conclusions
Using ventilation to reduce NH3 and CO2 concentrations to achieve the limits fixed in European
Council Directive 2007/43/EC for densities over 33kg/m2, leads to an extra energy consumption
of almost 30% considering both ventilation and heating energy, during a winter cycle in a mild
Mediterranean location.
The main contributor to this extra energy cost is heating, mainly during weeks 3 and 4, when
ammonia concentrations remained over the limits more frequently. Carbon dioxide
concentrations had a slight effect on these extra costs.

Acknowledgements
The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Projects GASFARM-2 and AGL2008-04125)
provided support for this study.

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