2. Equipment Configuration and Purpose:
A total of 32 MACON cascade high-temperature heat pump units MAHRW250ZB/S (H2) specially designed for breeding are equipped for this project, and backup electric auxiliary heating is provided to meet the heating needs of the chicken coops in winter and enable continuous breeding throughout the year. The main units are centrally arranged on the open space outside the chicken coops, with smooth air circulation around. The ground is solidified with cement to ensure it is flat and stable. Meanwhile, channel steel foundations are erected and shock absorption measures are taken to reduce the operating noise of the units.
3. Commissioning Time and Operation Cycle:
The MACON high-temperature cascade heat pump system of this breeding farm was put into use on February 8, 2020, and has been in operation for 5 years and 3 months. During this period, with its efficient and stable performance, the system has provided reliable heating support for the breeding farm.
4. Requirements of the Party A and Design Scheme:
The Party A requires that the calculated indoor air temperature of the chicken coops is between 35°C and 36°C, and the temperature fluctuation should be controlled within ±0.5°C. To meet this requirement, a centralized energy system is adopted in the project. One set of air source heat pump system is shared by every 2 chicken coops, and each chicken coop serves as a separate control unit. The system uses an insulated water tank for indirect heating. The air source heat pump units heat the water in the insulated water tank (primary cycle), and the terminal uses warm air for heat dissipation to heat the chicken coops. The main units and the control cabinets are placed between two chicken coops, and the PID control system is installed inside the operation room of the chicken coops.
5. Design Parameters:
The meteorological parameters for heating design are as follows: The atmospheric pressure in summer is 995.8 hPa, and in winter is 1017.2 hPa; the calculated dry bulb temperature for air conditioning in summer is 35.1°C, and in winter is -8.8°C; the calculated wet bulb temperature for outdoor in summer is 26.8°C, and the calculated temperature for heating in winter is -6.2°C; the average daily temperature for air conditioning in summer is 30.0°C, the calculated temperature for ventilation in winter is -2.3°C; the calculated outdoor ventilation temperature in summer is 30.8°C, the calculated relative humidity for air conditioning in winter is 55%, the calculated relative humidity for ventilation in summer is 60%, the average outdoor wind speed in winter is 1.8 m/s, and the average outdoor wind speed in summer is 1.7 m/s, and the average wind speed of the most frequent wind direction in winter is 2 m/s.
According to the production requirements of chicken coop breeding, a strict temperature control scheme has been designed for the project. The average breeding cycle of chickens is 42 days. Chickens at different growth stages have greatly different requirements for the environmental temperature. The determined scheme for this chicken coop is as follows: From the 1st to the 3rd day after the chickens are introduced, the room temperature is maintained at 36°C. Then, the temperature drops by 1°C every day. After two weeks, it drops to 23°C to 25°C and remains constant until the chickens are slaughtered at 42 days old.
6. Operation Costs:
This heating system has been operating stably for more than 5 years. Through the calculation of operation data records, it is obtained that the electricity cost per chicken from January to October 2022 is 0.12 yuan, from January to October 2023 is 0.11 yuan, and from January to October 2024 is 0.09 yuan.
7. System Design and Operation Characteristics:
Due to the particularity of chicken coop production, the calculated outdoor temperature is -8.8°C, and the indoor target temperature is 36°C. Therefore, factors such as the defrosting cycle and duration must be considered for the heat pump. In this design, it is considered that the total extreme defrosting time accounts for 13.3% of the total operation time. Through design calculation, the heating load index of the chicken coop is 127 w/m². One set of heat pump system is shared by two chicken coops, which can achieve rapid heating and preheating in batches when chickens are introduced. The systems can serve as backups for each other. A 3-ton insulated water tank is designed for the system. The water tank is at the highest point of the system, which can increase the water capacity of the system and avoid large fluctuations in water temperature during the defrosting of the heat pump units. An electric auxiliary heating device is installed in the water tank as a backup heat source, which can timely supplement heat when the main units frequently defrost in extremely cold weather or high humidity weather (especially in the early morning in winter) or when the heat pump main units malfunction, ensuring the normal production of the chicken coops.
The chicken coop has strict requirements for the temperature uniformity of the overall space. Two temperature sensing probes are respectively set in the front, middle, and rear parts of the chicken coop. The data is collected by the environmental control system. The maximum temperature difference at each point is not more than 1°C, and the average temperature difference between each zone is not more than 0.5°C. Therefore, the selection and arrangement of the heating terminals in the coop are very particular. In this project, special water heating air blowers for breeding are used as the heating terminals. These terminals are equipped with air outlet louvers, and the blowing direction can be adjusted. The waterproof motors can meet the disinfection requirements of the chicken coop. The welded threaded fins can resist the flushing of high-pressure water guns without deformation. The push-pull primary dust-proof and anti-feather filters can effectively isolate feathers and feed dust and are easy to flush, meeting the epidemic prevention requirements. The large-diameter fan blades enable rapid forced convection heat dissipation and quick temperature adjustment response. The waterway system adopts a double same-path middle return water design, which ensures hydraulic balance and supplements heat in the middle of the chicken coop through pipeline heat dissipation.
The heat source adopts cascade double-stage high-temperature heat pump units, mainly to meet the requirement of high-temperature water for the special hot air blowers for breeding.
8. Market Application and Product Characteristics of MACON Heat Pumps:
MACON heat pump products are popular in 76 countries and regions, including North America, the European Union, Russia, Australia, the Middle East, South America, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. In China, as a leading brand that has been deeply engaged in the northern heating market for many years, MACON low-temperature heating heat pump products entered the domestic market in 2010 and are widely used in household and large-scale centralized heating places. In the "Coal-to-Clean Energy" campaign in northern regions, MACON actively participated in projects in Pinggu, Tongzhou, Huairou, Shunyi, Changping, Yanqing, Fangshan, Miyun in Beijing, as well as Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shandong, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and other regions. More than 350,000 heat pump devices have been installed, and some projects have withstood the test of more than ten heating periods. Its super strong low-temperature heating performance and stable and reliable product quality have won wide recognition from users.
MACON heat pumps respond to the "Clean Air Action" with practical actions, promote the use of energy-saving and environmentally friendly heat pump equipment to replace traditional boiler heating equipment, and reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants, contributing to the haze control and clean energy heating. Currently, MACON has set up 8 offices in China, established more than 600 sales outlets and more than 300 after-sales service centers, and built the most complete sales channels and service system in the heat pump industry. With the core values of "Professionalism, Innovation, Standardization, and Excellence", the company provides high-quality products and services for customers.
The MACON high-temperature cascade heat pump has performed outstandingly in the heating project of the breeding farm in Dezhou City, Shandong Province. It not only meets the strict temperature requirements of the chicken coops but also achieves energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and stable operation effects through efficient heat pump technology and optimized system design. With its excellent product performance and complete after-sales service system, MACON heat pumps provide reliable clean energy solutions for the agricultural breeding field and help breeding farms achieve sustainable development.
