Low Carbon Technologies

Heat Recovery: Our Innovative Solution for the Commercial Poultry Industry

Heat recovery is the process of capturing and reusing heat that would typically go to waste. It involves reclaiming a portion of the energy lost through heating and ventilation systems. One effective method of heat recovery is through the use of a thermal wheel, also referred to as a heat recovery wheel. This device is strategically placed within the supply and exhaust air streams of air-handling units, rooftop units, or industrial processes' exhaust gases to recapture heat energy.

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Carbon Focus Engineering Ltd has undertaken the development of a heat recovery system using a thermal wheel to address a specific challenge faced by the commercial poultry industry.

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The primary challenge revolves around airborne dust entering the thermal wheel. This dust can accumulate on the thermal wheel's foils, hampering its performance. Given the prevailing conditions in the UK, including weather and air quality in poultry sheds, we calculated that the dew point is reached approximately 84% of the year. This condition can lead to excessive condensation, which, when combined with dust, can form a stubborn layer on the foils, making it challenging to clean. Consequently, this results in reduced heat transfer rates, leading to inefficiency and diminishing the thermal wheel's effectiveness. There is also the potential for blockages that can impede the flow of air both into and out of the shed.

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One important factor is to evaluate the whole system efficiency, taking into account the parasitic loads associated with running the system. Initial modelling indicates that the heat recovery system can achieve an average temperature increase of approximately 80%. As a result, the boiler's workload is reduced by 65%, resulting in significant energy conservation and associated fuel cost savings. Moreover, the reduced demand for boilers has positive environmental implications, including lower particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide emissions.

The proposed system extracts air from the poultry shed at a high temperature, passes it through a rotating thermal wheel, and then supplies heated fresh air back into the shed. To address the unique challenges of poultry shed conditions in the UK climate, CFE  have integrated a preliminary dust suppression chamber  system to reduce the dust loading and hence increase the efficiency.

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