Comparison of fuzzy and on/off controllers for winter season indoor climate management in a model poultry house

• Designed controllers could maintain the indoor condition at desired level.
• Fuzzy controller could keep the indoor condition with low errors.
• CO2 concentration for fuzzy controller was higher than that of on/off controller.
• NH3 concentration was same for fuzzy and on/off controllers.
• Energy consumption for on/off controller was higher than that of fuzzy controller.

The aim of this research was to monitor indoor climate management and to compare fuzzy logic and on/off controllers in model poultry house in Iran. For this purpose, three fuzzy logic controllers were developed and tested to maintain indoor parameters (temperature, humidity, CO2 and NH3) at desired values using LabVIEW software. The results showed that the fuzzy controller provides better response for temperature and humidity. For fuzzy controller, the percent of working time in which temperature and relative humidity were maintained in less than ±1 °C and ±5% from the set points were found to be 78.76% and 96.83%, respectively. These percentages for on/off controller were calculated as 31.36% and 68.35%. Results showed that the mean value of CO2 concentration with on/off controller (1124.64 ppm) was lower than that of fuzzy controller (2582 ppm). However, NH3 concentration was the same for both controllers. It was found that the maximum energy consumption was for heating the poultry house. The mean value of total power consumption by the actuators for fuzzy system was found to be 389.59 kJ/h which is 42% lower than that of on/off controller (664.49 kJ/h).