Development of a Solar Powered Cooling System for Dairy Cattle Housing Structure
Gowtham *
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
K. V. Prakash
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
Devanand Maski
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
Sunil Shirwal
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
J. N. Sreedhara
Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur-584 104, Karnataka, India.
G. V. Srinivasa Reddy
Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
V. Raghavendra
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, UAS, Raichur- 584 104, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A solar powered system was developed and installed to create optimum healthy environmental conditions inside the cattle house. The renewable energy-based gadgets such as solar panel, charge controller, time-controlled switch and accessories were used inside the cattle housing structure to create an optimum healthy environmental condition at University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India. The improved cattle housing structure was capable to shelter for 10 pair cows (HF Deoni crossbred cows) with manger feed trough and urine collection system. The solar panel (74 W) with DC pump, water fogging system, battery (12 V 22 Ah), charge controller, water tank (200 litre) and time-controlled switch were installed inside the dairy house. The solar panel acts as a power source for the operation of DC pump and time-controlled fogger system provides the fogging of water and created the cooling effect for cows. The fogging of water was not allowed to fall on the ground and evaporates in an open atmosphere. The diamond shaped wire mesh provided surrounding the cattle housing structure protected the cows from mosquito bite and other insects. The aim of the study was to maintain atmospheric temperature relatively 4 -50 C was less inside the housing structure and relative humidity at optimum condition was.
Keywords: Solar panel, pump, heat stress, cooling effect