New fan for pig houses reduces energy bill by 50-70%
Danish pig equipment company MHJ Agroteknik recently launched its new EC-fan. Depending on the type of fan, up to 50-70% of electricity consumption can be saved.
If it is a Triac-controlled fan (a triode – an electrical component for alternating current) the new EC-fan will save up to 70% of electricity consumption. If it is an electronic frequency controlled fan, farmers can save up to 50%.
The novel type of fan has a more optimised wing design, which provides a higher effect at the same rotations per minute. In other words, the EC-fan can move more air, especially at low rotation speed. The electricity consumption reduction is strongest in winter, as the demand to cooling is lower and wing speed is generally low.
In addition, since the EC-fan can provide a higher negative pressure in the livestock section at the same amount of rotations per minute, the wall air inlets can be opened earlier. This means that speed of the wings can be lowered even more, with further energy savings as a result.
In Denmark the average consumption per finisher (30-105 kg) is 10 kWh. Data collected on a Danish farm shows that this can be reduced with 50% if old fans are replaced with the new EC-fan, see Figure 1.
Figure 1. The development in the monthly consumption of electricity on a farm in the years before and after the installation of EC-fans (kWh per month, Y-axis). The EC-fans were installed during March to October 2010.
Noise reduction
Another feature of the novel fan type is the reduction of noise. The motor is silent and there is no whistling in the regulation. A motor protection and an ELCB-relay are incorporated in the fan.
The new EC-fan fits into all existing ventilation systems. Only the motor, wings and the control unit have to be replaced. This means low installation costs. (by Anja Pernille Jacobsen, freelance journalist)
Related website:
• MHJ Agroteknik
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