A MODEL FOR THE HEAT PUMP BROODING OF BROILERS

ABSTRACT A mathematical model was developed to describe air-to-air heat pump performance for floor raised broilers inside a 20,000 bird house (122 x 12.2 m) (Ibrahim, 1988). A subroutine was used to predict the performance of air-to-air heat pumps used to supply the supplemental heat for the broiler house in a January flock. Three heat pump sizes were studied in these simulations (61.53, 82.63, and 94.93 kW). From the simulations, the most economical combination of heat pump size and its auxiliary electrical resistance was chosen based on minimum total cost. The 61.53 kW heat pump was the most economical of the three sizes studied. The cost was 1.1 times greater for heat pump brooding compared to the conventional LP-gas brooding system. The 61.53 kW heat pump would be economically viable when the price of LP-gas is greater than $0.89/gallon.