Fan for use in agriculture
AssigneeMunters Corporation
InventorsChristopher A. Hause, Ross L. Demerly, Daniel G. Hansen, Chistopher B. Witt, John Van Camp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fan for use in agriculture which has a BLDC motor which allows for varying the speed of the fan to vary the airflow rate of the fan and vary the efficiency of the fan. A ventilation system for use in a livestock confinement building to maximize a rate of growth of the livestock. A process for maximizing the growth of livestock in a livestock confinement building by controlling the airflow in the livestock confinement building.
Claims12
A method for controlling airflow through a livestock confinement building having air inlets and outlets, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a ventilation system having a plurality of BLDC fans in the livestock confinement building;
- and
- b) controlling each of the BLDC fans to be selectively operable in different control modes including a high efficiency mode and a constant airflow rate mode,
- wherein in the high efficiency mode the speed of at least one of the BLDC fans varies but energy consumed by the at least one BLDC fan remains substantially constant, and in the constant airflow rate mode the airflow rate remains substantially constant but energy consumed by the at least one BLDC fan varies, and
- wherein further in step (b), each of the plurality of BLDC fans is controlled without any external feedback sensors.
A process for maximizing growth of livestock in a livestock confinement building having air inlets and outlets, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a ventilation system having a plurality of BLDC fans in the livestock confinement building;
- b) monitoring environmental conditions in the livestock confinement building;
- and
- c) controlling each of the BLDC fans to be selectively operable in different control modes including a high efficiency mode and a constant airflow rate mode,
- wherein in the high efficiency mode the speed of at least one of the BLDC fans varies but energy consumed by the at least one BLDC fan remains substantially constant, and in the constant airflow rate mode the airflow rate remains substantially constant but energy consumed by at least one BLDC fan varies, and
- wherein further in step (c), each of the plurality of BLDC fans is controlled without any external feedback sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.