New ideas in rooftop ventilation don’t come along that often, but a Saskatchewan company thinks it has one.
Mackay Equipment of Saskatoon and SKOV A/S of Glyngøre, Denmark, have worked together to create a new ceiling vent for the worldwide market.
Bringing fresh air into livestock barns sounds easy enough, until extremely cold weather is introduced. That’s because the 80 percent humidity and potentially 70 C temperature differential between outdoor and indoor conditions can add up to ice.
Michael Tækker of SKOV told the recent Western Canadian Livestock Expo in Saskatoon, where the new vents were introduced, that frozen condensation stops most ceiling vents from closing.
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Mackay and SKOV tested the vent designs at a Hutterite colony near Sovereign, Sask., and this year they had to wait for cold weather.
“But it came in February,” Tækker said. “Our latest versions worked no matter how cold it gets.”
In the past, infinitely controllable vents, which were often computer controlled, were made of polyurethane, wood or metal. The new SKOV vents are injection moulded plastic filled with Styrofoam insulation.
Disengaging hinges prevent the vent doors from jamming if ice builds up. They also prevent winch motors from breaking control strings or failing because of doors freezing into place.
The vents were designed to fit into North American rafter system building roofs and spread air widely without creating downdrafts in the centre of barns.
Eldon Mackay said next year’s research will examine the vents’ heat efficiency.
“We know so far that they move more air, but we were somewhat surprised to see the lower heating costs in the barn compared to the control.”
Mackay said the new vents’ higher capacity will allow producers to install fewer of the units than they had in the past. He expects the vents will be installed in new construction, but “some will find their way into retrofits as well.”
Tækker said he expects the design will be welcomed in most cold weather climates and should see strong sales in Russia, Norway and Sweden and northern North America.
