Method and apparatus for controlling temperature within poultry houses and the like

A facility for use in housing animals and providing a well ventilated and temperature controlled climate for said animals, said facility comprising:

• a structure for defining an inside of said facility, said structure including:
• a first side wall having at least one opening and a second side wall having at least one opening;
• first curtain means for controllably covering said at least one opening in said first side wall;
• a first fan disposed in said at least one opening in said second side wall for exhausting air from said inside of said facility;
• a first end wall and a second end wall;
• a second opening disposed in one of said first side wall, said second side wall or said second end wall;
• second curtain means disposed over said second opening for controllably covering said second opening;
• a third opening disposed in one of said first side wall, said second side wall or said end wall so as to be at an opposite longitudinal end of said facility from said second opening;
• temperature sensing means disposed within said facility for sensing a temperature within said facility and generating a corresponding electrical output indicative of said sensed temperature;
• a second fan for generating a cooling air flow longitudinally along substantially an entire length of said inside of said facility;
• controller means for controlling operation of said first curtain means, said second curtain means, said first fan and said second fan, said controller means being responsive to said temperature sensing means and including:
• an enclosure defined in part by a front panel;
• a microprocessor disposed within said enclosure in electrical communication with said first curtain means, said second curtain means, said first fan and said second fan, said microprocessor providing a first cooling mode of operation in which said first fan is turned on while said first and second curtain means are each closed and said second fan is turned off to thereby provide a minimum degree of ventilation of said facility, a second mode of operation in which said first fan is turned on, said first curtain means is opened and said second fan is turned off to thereby enable natural cross ventilation of said facility, and a third cooling mode of operation in which said first curtain means is closed, said first fan is turned off, said second curtain means is opened and said second fan is turned on to thereby cause a cooling air flow to be generated through substantially an entire longitudinal length of said inside of said facility which provides a wind-chill like cooling effect, to thereby help cool said animals housed within said facility;
• at least one manually engageable switch on said front panel in electrical communication with said microprocessor for enabling a user to define at least a first stage temperature and a second stage temperature;
• a first mode transition switch in electrical communication with said microprocessor accessible from said front panel for enabling said user to select at which one of said user-defined stage temperatures said first cooling mode of operation is to be exited and said second cooling mode of operation is to be entered;
• and
• a second mode transition switch manually accessible from said front panel and in electrical communication with said microprocessor for enabling said user to select at which one of said user-defined stage temperatures said second cooling mode of operation is to be exited and said third cooling mode of operation is to be entered.

A method for controlling ventilation and temperature within a facility for housing animals, wherein said facility includes first and second side walls and first and second end walls, said first side wall having an opening with a controllably openable and closable curtain disposed thereover, said second side wall having an opening with a first fan disposed therein, one of said side walls or one of said end walls having another opening over which a second controllably openable and closable curtain is disposed, and one of said side walls or said first end wall having an opening in which is disposed a second fan for generating a longitudinal air flow through substantially an entire length of an inside of said facility when said second curtain is opened, said method comprising the steps of:

• using an electronic controller system having at least one manually engageable switch readily manually and visually accessible by a user to define a plurality of preselected temperature levels within said facility;
• using at least one mode transition switch manually and visually accessible by said user for enabling said user to manually access one of said preselected temperature levels at which said at least one mode transition switch switches from a first cooling mode of operation to a second mode of operation, and from said second cooling mode of operation to a third cooling mode of operation;
• using indicia with said at least one mode transition switch to provide an immediate visual indication as to the temperature level within said facility.

For a facility for use in housing animals, said facility having a first side wall having an opening over which a first electronically controllable curtain member is disposed, a second side wall having an opening in which a side wall fan is disposed, a temperature sensor disposed within said facility, an electronic controller system for controlling said curtain member and said side wall fan in accordance with at least first and second cooling modes of operation, said electronic controller system comprising:

• an enclosure having a front panel;
• a microprocessor disposed within said enclosure;
• a plurality of independent relays electrically responsive to said microprocessor for controlling said curtain member and said side wall fan;
• a stage temperature selection switch readily manually and visually accessible by a user from said front panel and in electrical communication with said microprocessor for enabling said user to define a plurality of stage temperatures;
• a stage temperature set switch in electrical communication with said microprocessor and readily accessible from said front panel for enabling said user to define a precise temperature level for each one of said stage temperatures;
• a first mode transition selection switch readily manually accessible by said user from said front panel for enabling said user to select one of said stage temperatures at which a transition is to be made by said electronic controller system from said first cooling mode wherein a minimal degree of ventilation is provided to said facility by said side wall fan, to said second cooling mode of operation, wherein said curtain member is caused to be opened by said electronic controller system to permit natural cross ventilation of said facility.

For a facility for use in housing animals such as poultry, said facility having a first side wall having an opening over which an electronically controlled sidewall curtain is disposed, a second side wall having an opening within which at least one side wall exhaust fan is disposed, first and second end walls, an opening in one of said side walls or said second end wall over which an electronically controllable tunnel curtain is disposed, and an opening in one of said side walls or said first end wall at an end of said facility opposite to that of said tunnel curtain within which at least one tunnel fan is disposed, an electronic controller system for providing control over ventilation and a temperature within said facility, said electronic controller system comprising:

• an enclosure including a front panel;
• a microprocessor disposed within said enclosure;
• a plurality of relays electronically controlled by said microprocessor and associated with said side wall curtain, said tunnel curtain, said side wall exhaust fan and said tunnel fan;
• a temperature stage selector switch readily manually and visually accessible from said front panel by a user and in electrical communication with said microprocessor for enabling said user to define a plurality of temperature stages;
• a temperature adjustment set switch in electrical communication with said microprocessor and readily manually accessible by said user from said front panel for enabling said user to set a precise temperature level for each one of said stage temperatures;
• a first mode transition selection switch readily manually accessible from said front panel and in electrical communication with said microprocessor for enabling said user to select one of said stage temperatures at which said electronic controller system causes a first cooling mode, in which said side wall exhaust fan is turned on and said side wall curtain is closed, to be exited, and a second cooling mode, in which said side wall curtain is opened, to be entered;
• a second mode transition selection switch in electrical communication with said microprocessor and readily manually and visually accessible from said front panel for enabling said user to select one of said stage temperatures at which said second cooling mode is to be exited and a third cooling mode, in which said tunnel curtain is opened and said tunnel fan is turned on to induce an air flow longitudinally through said facility, is entered.