47 / 2025-03-31 22:58:53

Design of a Photovoltaic-Ice Storage Cooling System for Dairy Cows Based on Cooling Load Demand and Cooling Effect Simulation

Heat stress,Photovoltaic,Ice storage,Cooling load

1. 畜禽集约化养殖与可持续发展 > （5）畜禽养殖业的节能与可再生能源开发利用

Heat stress during summer severely affects the productive performance and physiological health of dairy cows, while conventional cooling methods such as mechanical ventilation, spraying, and wet curtain-fan systems show limited cooling efficiency under high humidity conditions and low energy utilization efficiency. This study proposes a novel cooling approach for dairy barns, utilizing photovoltaic power to drive ice storage cooling system, which provides cool air with low temperature and controllable humidity. Taking large-scale dairy barns in Shandong Province as the research object, thermal balance models based on building envelope thermal resistance were established using DesignBuilder software and manual calculations. The cooling load index was calibrated using measured data (with RMSE < 5% after calibration), ultimately determining the installed capacity of the ice storage cooling system. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to simulate the application effects of the photovoltaic-ice storage cooling system in dairy barns. Results demonstrated that the supply air temperature from the photovoltaic-ice storage cooling system (PISCS) could reach below 15°C, while the indoor relative humidity remained stable at 60%~70%. For a dairy barn with a capacity of 1000 cows, when the designed peak cooling load reached approximately 1424 kW (405 RT) and the total daily cooling load reached approximately 27993 kWh (7960 RTh), the duration of THI exceeding the threshold was reduced by 75%. This study conducted adaptability calculations for PISCS in livestock buildings, providing theoretical support for cooling load prediction and low-carbon cooling system design in agricultural buildings under high-humidity conditions.