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Modeling conductive cooling for thermally stressed dairy cows
Kifle G Gebremedhin1, Binxin Wu1, K Perano1
1Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.
Journal of Thermal Biology
|February 10, 2016
Summary
Conductive cooling effectively reduces heat stress in dairy cows by transferring heat to a cooled surface. This novel technology shows promise for more efficient cooling, using less energy and water than traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Thermal Engineering
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- Dairy cows experience heat stress, impacting their well-being and productivity.
- Current cooling methods can be resource-intensive (energy and water).
- Conductive cooling offers a novel approach using direct contact with a cooled surface.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a 3D conduction model simulating conductive cooling for heat-stressed dairy cows.
- To analyze heat transfer dynamics between cows and cooling surfaces.
- To identify key environmental factors influencing heat loss.
Main Methods:
- Developed a 3D conduction model incorporating computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
- Solved continuity, momentum, and energy equations for airflow and heat exchange.
- Validated the model against experimental temperature data, achieving high accuracy (4.4% average error).
- Performed sensitivity analyses on heat loss parameters.
Main Results:
- The 3D conduction model accurately simulated heat transfer in dairy cows.
- Heat flux was most sensitive to air temperature and skin wetness.
- Relative humidity had a lesser impact on heat flux compared to other factors.
Conclusions:
- Conductive cooling is a viable technology for mitigating heat stress in dairy cows.
- The validated model provides a tool for optimizing conductive cooling strategies.
- Understanding parameter sensitivity aids in designing effective heat abatement systems for livestock.
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