The Challenge of 50°C Ambient Temperatures
Commercial poultry production in the Arabian Peninsula—encompassing Riyadh, Al-Qassim, Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia, Al Ain in the UAE, and coastal Qatar—faces some of the most aggressive environmental thermal loads on earth. Summer ambient temperatures frequently exceed 48°C to 52°C, coupled with intense solar irradiation reaching 1,000 W/m² and periodic high relative humidity along the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea coasts.
Standard European ventilation configurations designed for temperate climates fail rapidly under these conditions. Birds at peak laying or finishing weight generate 10 to 14 Watts of sensible and latent metabolic heat per bird. In a 50,000-bird house, this represents over 600 kW of continuous biological heat that must be extracted without allowing house temperatures to exceed the heat-prostration threshold of 30°C.
Aerodynamic Design: Airspeed, Tunnel Sizing & Static Pressure
The core mechanism of heat dissipation in modern hot-climate poultry engineering is the convective wind-chill effect. Air movement across bird plumage accelerates sensible heat removal, making an ambient house temperature of 28°C feel like 22°C to the birds, provided air velocity is maintained above 2.5 m/s.
| Design Parameter | Standard European Spec | IXORTA GCC Extreme Spec (KSA/UAE) | Engineering Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target Air Speed at Bird Level | 1.8 – 2.0 m/s | 2.8 – 3.2 m/s | +45% convective cooling; prevents thermal layering |
| Air Exchange Cycle Rate | Once every 60 seconds | Once every 42 – 48 seconds | Rapid heat evacuation before ceiling thermal buildup |
| Static Pressure Operating Window | 20 – 30 Pa | 35 – 50 Pa | Overcomes high resistance of 150mm cellulose cooling pads |
| Exhaust Fan Airflow Capacity | 38,000 m³/h per fan | 46,500 – 52,000 m³/h (50" & 54" Cone) | Maintains volume under heavy pad resistance |
| Cooling Pad Water Circulation | 6 – 8 L/min per meter | 10 – 12 L/min per meter | Prevents dry spots and hot-air tunneling through pads |
Evaporative Cooling Pads: Cellulose Geometry & Water Chemistry
Evaporative cooling pads act as the first line of defense against ambient heat. In dry interior regions like Riyadh or Al-Kharj, where summer relative humidity drops to 12–20%, evaporative cooling can achieve a dry-bulb temperature depression of up to 14°C to 16°C. However, this performance is contingent on proper flute geometry and water management:
- 150 mm (6-inch) High-Efficiency Cellulose: IXORTA utilizes 45/15 cross-fluted treated cellulose pads with high-saturation resin impregnation to maximize wet-surface contact time while keeping static pressure drop below 30 Pa at 1.5 m/s face velocity.
- Water Recirculation Rate: In high-evaporation climates, pad water flow must be engineered at 10–12 liters per minute per linear meter of pad gutter to ensure complete continuous surface wetting. Dry streaks cause uncooled 48°C air to bypass directly into the house, causing localized bird suffocations.
- TDS & Mineral Scaling Mitigation: Ground water across GCC agricultural zones often contains Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) exceeding 1,500 to 3,000 ppm. Automated blowdown bleed valves must cycle 10% to 15% of the water volume continuously to prevent calcium carbonate crystallization on pad flutes, which permanently destroys cooling efficiency.
Environmental Automation: Multi-Stage Climate Algorithms
Modern commercial operations require fully integrated PLC automation with tri-level sensor arrays (inlet, mid-house, and tunnel fan bank). IXORTA climate controllers utilize dynamic heat-index curves rather than simple thermostat triggers:
- Minimum Ventilation Mode: Operates during cool desert nights using ceiling wall inlets with high-velocity air jets aimed toward the house ridge to temper cold night air without dumping onto birds.
- Transition Ventilation: Progressively ramps up variable-speed side wall fans and switches air inlets as ambient heat rises through 26°C.
- Full Tunnel & Evaporative Stage: Locks ceiling inlets, opens tunnel curtains, and brings 50" / 54" fiberglass cone fans online in progressive stages to establish an unbroken 3.0 m/s wind tunnel. Water pumps pulse on duty-cycles matched to current wet-bulb temperature.
- Emergency Fail-Safe Integration: Dual independent mechanical thermostats bypass digital controllers to trigger emergency fan sets and drop backup gravity curtains in the event of power fluctuation or PLC fault.
Why Gulf Operators Source Direct from Konya, Türkiye
Turkey’s industrial hub in Konya provides significant logistical, material, and engineering advantages for GCC poultry investors:
- Heavy-Gauge Galvanization: Cage stanchions, fan frames, and cooling pad gutters are fabricated using 275 g/m² to 350 g/m² hot-dip galvanized steel to withstand corrosive ammonia vapor combined with high humidity.
- Direct Sea & Overland Transit: Fast 12-to-18 day transit times from Turkish ports (Mersin/Izmir) to Dammam, Jeddah, Jebel Ali, and Hamad Port, compared to 35–45 days from East Asia.
- Factory Technical Support: Direct Turkish installation engineers supervise erection, electrical integration, and commissioning on-site across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
To discuss your poultry facility layout, calculate tunnel fan requirements, or receive a turnkey equipment proposal, contact our engineering team at info@ixorta.com or connect directly via WhatsApp at +90 551 280 32 99.