System for solar thermal collector based heating for livestock structures

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the environment of a broiler poultry structure interior utilizing a transpired solar collector and controllable vents, fans and sensors. In an embodiment, the average or instant incident angle of the transpired collector is adjustable by either the manufacturer prior to installation, the installer, or a solar panel controller. In an embodiment of the system the Environmental Optimization System (“EOS”) provides a system for the intelligent control and monitoring the broiler poultry livestock structure environment through the utilization of a variety of environmental and livestock behavior sensors, apparatus for controlling the thermal collection and existing interior heating/air conditioning/ventilation (“HVAC”) systems, and Internet or cloud based intelligent control and monitoring capabilities of the system. In various embodiments central sensor data aggregation is utilized to provide improved optimization control for individual structures based on data from multiple structures.

I claim: 
     
         1 : A system for controlling the heating of a poultry broiler livestock structure comprising:
 a control unit comprising a solar panel controller and an HVAC controller;   at least one interior temperature sensor located in an interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure;   at least one exterior temperature sensor located in an exterior of the broiler poultry livestock structure;   at least one solar thermal collector sized according to a size of the broiler poultry livestock structure, wherein the broiler poultry livestock structure houses broiler poultry livestock, wherein the at least one solar thermal collector comprises a transpired solar collector and an enclosed collection chamber;   at least one controllable vent and at least one controllable fan between the at least one solar thermal collector and the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure, wherein the operation of the at least one controllable fans and the at least one controllable vent are adjustable;   wherein the incident angle of the solar thermal collector to the sun is modifiable by at least one of: a manufacturer, an installer, the control unit or an operator.   wherein the control unit optimizes environmental conditions in the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure by controlling the amount of the heated air collected by the at least one solar thermal collector which is vented into the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure to provide dynamic adjustments of the interior temperature.   
     
     
         2 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of audio sensors installed within the broiler poultry livestock structure. 
 
     
     
         3 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of audio sensors installed within the broiler poultry livestock structure; 
 wherein a plurality of audio sensor data captured within the broiler poultry livestock structure is communicated to a computing device; 
 wherein the computing device utilizes digital signal processing to determine stress conditions of the broiler poultry livestock housed in the broiler poultry livestock structure based on known or calibrated broiler poultry livestock stress correlated audio characteristics; 
 wherein the operation of the at least one controllable fan and the at least one controllable vent are adjusted according to measured broiler poultry stress conditions. 
 
     
     
         4 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising: at least one ammonia sensor. 
     
     
         5 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising: at least one video camera. 
     
     
         6 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising: a means for sensing the behavior of the broiler poultry livestock housed in the broiler poultry livestock structure. 
     
     
         7 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising: a central server hosting data received from one or more sensor inputs from the broiler poultry livestock structure. 
     
     
         8 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising: a central server hosting data received from one or more sensor inputs from the broiler poultry livestock structure and data received from an environmental control from the broiler poultry livestock structure. 
     
     
         9 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a central server hosting data received from one or more sensor inputs from the broiler poultry livestock structure and data received from an environmental control from the broiler poultry livestock structure, 
 wherein said data received from the one or more sensor inputs and said data received from the environmental control is aggregated over time. 
 
     
     
         10 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a central server hosting data received from one or more sensor inputs from the broiler poultry livestock structure and data received from an environmental control from the broiler poultry livestock structure, 
 wherein said data received from the one or more sensor inputs and said data received from the environmental control of the broiler poultry livestock structure is aggregated over time and wherein said environmental control may be operated by a user remote system 
 
     
     
         11 : The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a thermal storage volume; 
 wherein the heated air collected by the at least one solar thermal collector is directed from the at least one solar thermal collector to the thermal storage volume and redirected at a later time to the broiler poultry livestock structure by a system controller. 
 
     
     
         12 : The system of  claim 1  wherein during period when a measured exterior ambient temperature is above a threshold, the at least one solar thermal collector functions as an exterior insulator to shade a portion of the broiler poultry livestock structure from direct sunlight by absorbing a portion of the heat radiation which would have otherwise been absorbed by the structure; 
     
     
         13 : A method for controlling the heating and ventilation of a poultry livestock structure comprising:
 sensing an exterior structure temperature, an interior structure temperature of the broiler poultry livestock structure and an interior temperature of a solar thermal collector attached to the broiler poultry livestock structure with sensors, wherein the solar thermal collector comprises a transpired solar collector and an enclosed collection chamber, wherein the incident angle of the solar thermal collector to the sun is modifiable by at least one of: a manufacturer, an installer, a solar panel controller, or an operator;   controlling one or more vents and one or more fans for regulating a movement of air between the solar thermal collector and the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure with an HVAC controller;   controlling one or more vents and one or more fans for regulating a movement of air between the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure and exterior of the broiler poultry livestock structure with the HVAC controller;   optimizing a control operation of the one or more vents and the one or more fans based upon initial system settings which are modified based upon feedback from the sensors;   adjusting the operation of the one or more fans and the one or more vents with the HVAC controller;   wherein the HVAC controller optimizes environmental conditions in the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure by controlling the amount of heated air collected by the at least one solar thermal collector which is vented into the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure to provide dynamic adjustments of the interior temperature.   
     
     
         14 : The method as in  claim 13  wherein during periods when a measured exterior ambient temperature is high, the at least one solar thermal collector functions as an exterior insulator to shade a portion of the broiler poultry livestock structure from direct sunlight by absorbing a portion of the heat radiation which would have otherwise been absorbed by the structure. 
     
     
         14 : The method as in  claim 13 :
 wherein during periods when livestock is absent from the broiler poultry livestock structure the accumulated detritus on the floor of the broiler poultry livestock structure is dried by a heated air vented from the solar thermal collector to the interior of the broiler poultry livestock structure.   
     
     
         15 : The method as in  claim 13  further comprising:
 communicating audio sensor data captured within the broiler poultry livestock structure to a computing device 
 
     
     
         16 : The method as in  claim 13  further comprising:
 communicating audio sensor data captured within the broiler poultry livestock structure is to a computing device; 
 wherein a computing device utilizes digital signal processing of the audio sensor data to determine stress conditions of the broiler poultry livestock housed in the broiler poultry livestock structure based on known or calibrated broiler poultry livestock stress correlated audio characteristics. 
 
     
     
         17 : The method as in  claim 13  further comprising:
 aggregating data received from the sensors in the broiler poultry livestock structure over time; 
 providing remote access for users to access data received from the sensors in the broiler poultry livestock structure. 
 
     
     
         18 : The method as in  claim 13  further comprising:
 aggregating data received from the sensors in the broiler poultry livestock structure over time; 
 providing remote access for users to access data received from the sensors in the broiler poultry livestock structure; 
 providing remote control access for users to control the one or more fans and the one or more vents of the broiler poultry livestock structure; 
 optimizing an environmental control of the broiler poultry livestock structure by the adjustment of the one or more fans and the one or more vents operation based on feedback of the aggregated data received from the sensors. 
 
     
     
         19 : The method as in  claim 13  further comprising:
 receiving weather prediction information from an online source about the location of the broiler poultry livestock structure by a central server; 
 adjusting the operation of the one or more fans and the one or more vents to predictively modify the environmental conditions of the broiler poultry livestock structure in advance of predicted weather events.