Sun Bin, Wang Hao, Pan Xuemin, Zeng Yaqiong, Hu Bin, Qi Renli, Long Dingbiao, Xu Shunlai
Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences, Chongqing 402460, China.
National Center of Technology Innovation for Pigs, Chongqing 402460, China.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 11;14(24):3580. doi: 10.3390/ani14243580.
Local heating of the activity area for nursing piglets is crucial for piglet health and the energy efficiency of barn climate control. Traditional heating methods using lamps or covers lack precise control, result in significant energy waste, and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to piglet age or changing environmental temperatures. To address these issues, this study designed a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based thermal insulation box for nursing piglets, utilizing a strip heater instead of the conventional round heating lamp. The design incorporates a movable thermal insulation box that dynamically adjusts the heater's power based on the real-time monitoring of environmental temperatures and target temperatures specific to piglet age. First, in a controlled laboratory environment, the study tested and compared the spatial temperature uniformity, temporal stability, and power consumption of the new thermal insulation box versus traditional heating methods. Subsequently, animal trials were conducted in a farrowing barn using eight sows with similar farrowing dates as test subjects. The new thermal insulation box was installed in one group, and the traditional heating lamp in the control group. During the trial, ambient temperature, insulation area temperature, piglet behavior, growth performance, and power consumption were recorded. The results showed that compared to the control group, the new system reduced average temperature fluctuations in the insulation area by 31.6% and spatial temperature variation by 78.3%. During animal trials, the average temperatures directly under the heater for the new system versus the control in the insulation area were 39.7 ± 0.2 °C and 30.2 ± 1.4 °C in the first week, 40.9 ± 0.5 °C and 31.6 ± 0.7 °C in the second week, and 32.3 ± 1.5 °C and 28.6 ± 1.7 °C in the third week-significantly ( < 0.05) higher in the test group. The new system also reduced total energy consumption by 58.3%. The usage rate of the thermal insulation area by piglets in the test and control groups was 47.5 ± 5.3% and 42.1 ± 6.6%. The daily weight gain of piglets in the test group was 9.8% higher than that of the control group, also significantly ( < 0.05) higher. This intelligent thermal insulation box enables precise and dynamic temperature control, reducing heating energy consumption and supporting improved piglet health and welfare.
对哺乳仔猪活动区域进行局部加热对仔猪健康和猪舍气候控制的能源效率至关重要。传统的使用灯具或保温罩的加热方法缺乏精确控制，会导致大量能源浪费，并且无法根据仔猪年龄或环境温度变化进行动态调整。为了解决这些问题，本研究设计了一种基于可编程逻辑控制器（PLC）的哺乳仔猪保温箱，采用带状加热器代替传统的圆形加热灯。该设计包括一个可移动的保温箱，它根据对环境温度和特定仔猪年龄的目标温度的实时监测动态调整加热器的功率。首先，在受控的实验室环境中，该研究测试并比较了新保温箱与传统加热方法在空间温度均匀性、时间稳定性和功耗方面的表现。随后，在一个产仔舍中使用八头分娩日期相近的母猪作为试验对象进行动物试验。试验组安装了新的保温箱，对照组安装了传统加热灯。试验期间记录了环境温度、保温区域温度、仔猪行为、生长性能和功耗。结果表明，与对照组相比，新系统使保温区域的平均温度波动降低了31.6%，空间温度变化降低了78.3%。在动物试验期间，试验组与对照组在保温区域加热器正下方的第一周平均温度分别为39.7±0.2℃和30.2±1.4℃，第二周分别为40.9±0.5℃和31.6±0.7℃，第三周分别为32.3±1.5℃和28.6±1.7℃——试验组显著（<0.05）更高。新系统还使总能耗降低了58.3%。试验组和对照组仔猪对保温区域的使用率分别为47.5±5.3%和42.1±6.6%。试验组仔猪的日增重比对照组高9.8%，也显著（<0.05）更高。这种智能保温箱能够实现精确的动态温度控制，降低加热能耗，并有助于改善仔猪健康和福利。
