Breaker Chicken With Solar Thermal Storage

The design, construction of a chicken incubator with solar thermal storage, and results of the thermal performance are presented. The heating of the indoor air is by thermal storage with paraffin wax situated inside the incubator. Previously the wax is exposed to solar radiation in order to melt it and then it is inserted into the incubator. The solidification of the wax delivers heat to the air inside the incubator at an average temperature that is approximately constant. The biological and thermal processes of incubation in bird raising require relatively little energy of low temperature. The process needs to maintain the eggs at temperatures around 38°C, during almost 21 days. To achieve a chicken born only requires between 250 to 300 W.h. In an incubator insulated adequately, the thermal energy demand increase during the nights, clouded and cold days, and must not be interrupt during at least the first 19 days. Then it is necessary to have some form of energy storage if we do not want or cannot aid the system with a conventional heat source. Paraffinic wax with a melted point of 57°C at normal atmospheric pressure has been cycled in fusion and solidification to store heat in 6 cm diameter cylinders. The surfaces were blackened in order to absorb solar energy, within a solar insulate cabinet and a glass cover. The disadvantage of wax is poor thermal conductivity. Fins embedded into the wax was used in order to eliminate this inconvenience. The fins are aluminum shaving within the cylinders. The quantitative results shown these characteristics: complete change of phase, delivery of latent heat, repeatable behavior over the melting-solidification cycles, good rates of internal heat transfer, and uniform solidification. The analysis of the stored energy, discharged energy, melting time and solidifying time are included.