Predicted limits for evaporative cooling in heat stress relief of cattle in warm conditions

Evaporative cooling of ambient air (EC) is a main path for heat stress relief in cattle kept in the shade of semi-confining structures. Evaporative cooling is particularly efficient in hot dry climates. We examined the potential of EC for heat stress relief in cattle in moderately warm and humid climates. The feasibility was examined by the reduction in ambient temperature (T(ac)) produced by EC as a function of ambient temperature (T(a)) and humidity (RH(a)). A data set (n = 139) of temperature and relative humidity (RH) produced by EC over a range of air temperature (25 to 50 degrees C) and humidity (10 to 70% RH) was analyzed by polynomial second order regressions. The analyses produced equations for the relations between ambient air temperature and ambient humidity and between respective conditions in air cooled by EC (T(c), RH(c)). Linear regressions were computed for a narrower temperature range (30 to 40 degrees C). In all equations, R(2) were >0.94 and regression terms were statistically significant. The T(ac) obtained by EC diminished by 0.3 degrees C per degrees C rise in T(a), indicating a reduced efficiency of EC with rising T(a). The T(ac) obtained by EC also was markedly reduced by rising ambient humidity and increased by RH(c). An attempt to sustain T(ac) at greater RH(a) by allowing a rise in RH(c) would only restore 2/3 of the reduction in T(ac) because the coefficient for the RH(a) effect on T(ac) is 1.5 larger than that of RH(c). The T(ac) attained by EC partially depends on the humidity in the cooled environment. Elevated RH(c) may impede animal skin and respiratory evaporative heat loss and lead to moisture accumulation in bedding. If the upper desired limit for RH(c) is 70%, at RH(a) smaller than 45% (typical for hot-dry environments) the T(ac) is larger than 7.5 degrees C, at RH(a) greater than 55% T(ac) is reduced to less than 5 degrees C, and at RH(a) of 57.5 to 60% T(ac) is about 2.5 degrees C. Coupling EC with forced air movement when T(ac) is small may partially assist in alleviation of heat stress by enhancing the smaller convective heat loss at ambient temperatures above 30 degrees C. These indicate a limited role for EC in relief of heat stress in moderately warm and humid conditions when RH(a) is greater than 50 to 55%. Forced evaporation of water from the surface of the animal by sequential hair coat wetting coupled with forced air movement is an alternative little affected by ambient humidity.