Livestock Cooling Misters
Mist Cooling Solutions for Piggeries & Poultry Sheds
OZmist is an Australian company based in Wangaratta, north east Victoria. Since 1999 we have specialised in the manufacture and supply of high pressure mist cooling solutions.
Livestock misting systems are ideal for cooling piggeries and poultry sheds and have been used for over 40 years. No area is too big, running costs are very low and installation is relatively quick simple, as is ongoing maintenance.
How an OZmist Misting System Reduces the Heat!
As the temperature inside the shed rises above 28°C the mist pump is switched on, either by a thermostat controller or the existing shed controller.
As the mist leaves the nozzle it evaporates and absorbs the latent heat in the air which in turn cools the hot air. The cooler air falls to ground level, displacing the hot air. This continuous cycle of natural convection ensures an even spread of temperatures from the mist lines down to ground level without any mechanical circulation.
To avoid the risk of the humidity rising to unacceptable levels the side curtains will need to be lowered on either side of the shed. How far the curtains need to dropped differs from shed to shed but lowering the curtains 500mm would be a good start.
The idea is to get the mist to evaporate and do its job without ‘clouding’ up inside the shed. If the mist ‘clouds up’ inside the shed you will need to open the curtains a little more; if it evaporates too quickly you should reduce the opening to get the most from the system.
Water Filtration is critical to the systems performance.
OZmist has a range of products to ensure that the livestock misting system operates with minimum fuss and disruption.
How It Works!
Misting systems use the basic principle of evaporative cooling to reduce inside temperatures by up to 10°C in a wide range of environments.
The OZmist system comprises a high pressure pump module, nylon distribution lines and either lengths of pre-cut and machined stainless steel tube or stainless steel misting rings which are fitted to the face of high velocity fans.
The high pressure pump module pressurises the supplied water to 1,000 psi producing ultra-fine droplets averaging 10 microns in size when forced through the ultra-fine misting nozzles. The mist “flash evaporates” and cooling is achieved without wetness accumulating on the animals, floors, equipment or people.
A typical piggery misting system consists of stainless steel misting lines being run from one end of the shed to the other end. Mist lines are made up of 1,200mm lengths of stainless steel tube with a machined groove on each end.
Nozzle unions join the tubes and nozzles hand screw into these fittings. The nozzles alternate from side to side along the length of the tube. The tube is cabled tied to stainless steel cable or to the underside of the roof trusses.
The misting lines are spaced out across the width of the shed at around 6 meter intervals. For example an 18 meter wide shed would have 3 mist lines. This ensures a comprehensive coverage of the shed without ‘hot spots’.
Livestock misting fans are another option to provide extremely good cooling in large spaces. Stainless steel misting rings with six nozzles are cable tied to the face of high velocity fans and connected to our high pressure pump modules.
Our Equipment
OZmist manufactures and stocks the largest range of quality misting equipment in Australia. We keep a large stock holding all year round and dispatch custom build systems in under 2 weeks.
Pump Modules
Built by OZmist and supplied in a stainless-steel cabinet, pump modules are available with single and three phase motors. We also have inverter models that have distinct advantages when operating more than one shed.
Our pumps are equipped with inlet solenoid valves to control incoming water, a low pressure switch that registers water flow and stops the pump if the flow and pressure drops outside its range, a high pressure industrial pump featuring a cast brass head and ceramic pistons. Coupled to a heavy duty motor we have what we believe to be the most reliable pump on the market.
The internal components of the pump are machined from stainless steel and ceramic and can be rebuilt multiple times. Modules also have twin 10” water filters fitted to the rear of the cabinet. 5 micron and 10 micron sediment cartridges are included.
Carefree Water Conditioner
Essential if operating on bore, dam or channel water.
The Carefree unit has proven itself beyond doubt in helping to keep misting nozzles clear of calcium and other minerals which can build up and cause blockages.
C50 Trimline Bag Filters
Essential on systems using dam, channel or bore water.
The C50 has a removable, washable filter bag. Filtering with a C50 helps protect and add longevity to the 10” cartridge filters on the back of the pump module.
Thermostats / Humidistats / Timers
Digital displays and fully programmable to control your misting system. The OZmist pump module may also be controlled by an existing controller that sends a 240v signal.
Dosing Modules
To combat insects and for aerial disinfection.
Designed as an add-on to an OZmist Pump Module, the Dosing Module dispenses measured amounts of water soluble products into the water supply before the pump. An inbuilt timer is programmed to start and stop at pre-set intervals for set periods of time. The enclosure has all of the plumbing and non-return valves plumbed into the dosing pump and the timer wired to a plug ready to go.
Quick Fit Misting Lines & Fittings
Quick Fit misting lines are fabricated from 304 grade stainless steel tube. For ease of shipping and installation, the tubing is supplied pre-cut with each end machined to fit inside one of the large range of Quick Fit fittings. Tube lengths vary depending upon the application. 1,200mm is the accepted length of tube for animal cooling.
Quick Fit fittings are machined from solid brass then chrome plated. They have an internal O ring that seals on to the tube and a grub screw that is tightened to lock into the machined groove on the end.
Nozzles
Our standard size nozzle is 0.2mm with a flow rate of 0.056 litres per minute.
If we say that a pump is an Oz125ci this indicates that it is capable of running 125 x 0.2 nozzles at 70 bar or 1,000 psi. We also have a 0.15mm nozzle, a 0.3mm nozzle and a 0.5mm nozzle. The higher on the number on the nozzle, the higher the flow rate. Standard nozzles are chrome plated brass with a stainless steel face.
We also stock full 316 grade stainless steel nozzles for corrosive environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of temperature reduction can I expect?
- The short answer is 10 degrees on the outside ambient. If you control the curtain openings correctly you may get up to 12 degrees.
Are pumps single phase or 3 phase?
- All size pumps up to the Oz270 are available in Single Phase. Pumps from the Oz125 to the Oz320 are available in 3 Phase. 3 Phase are a better choice if available, especially if you have an unstable power supply.
Why do Ozmist use stainless steel tube when other suppliers use nylon tube?
- Ozmist made the decision to use stainless steel back in 2010 when our main supplier offered us the Quick Fit system. At the time we were not happy with the Push Lock fittings available.
- After extensive testing we found that the stainless steel was very easy to use, was leak free, self supported over 2.5m without sagging and is not affected by sunlight. Nozzles will never twist as the Grub Screw locks the fitting in place and the cost between systems is very similar.
- Push Lock fittings on the other hand regularly twist with the pressurizing and depressurising of nylon misting lines, sag when not fixed every 500mm, will often leak when first installed and can come apart over time.
Isn’t stainless steel more expensive?
- Not really. A Quick Fit system will work out around the same price but it will be there forever. It won’t sag and the fittings will not twist.
What are Quick Fit fittings?
- Fittings are machined from solid and cast brass and then chrome plated.
- They have an internal o ring to seal onto the tube and the grub screw tightens into the groove to lock the fitting into place
What do you mean by Mist Line support?
- We support most of our systems on 3mm stainless steel cable which is then fixed to the building structure and tensioned at either end. We then cable tie the tube to the cable and support the weight as required.
- If the roof trussed are low enough you can fix to the underside. The Quick Fit stainless steel lines will self-support over 2.5 meters.
- Droppers can also be made from a 5mm gal coated rod with a bend at each end.
Can multiple sheds be connected to a single pump module?
- Yes, as long as the internal ambient temperatures are similar as you can only use one temperature controller in one shed to run the system. The other consideration is the pump capacity.
- The largest pump that we build is 3 phase and will supply 320 x .2 misting nozzles. The largest single phase pump is 270 nozzles.
What happens if we want 3 sheds connected to one pump but I want to turn one line off? Will this damage the pump unit?
- As with any positive displacement 3 piston pump there needs to be a minimum water flow going through the pump to ensure that the head doesn’t overheat, and seals are damaged.
- Ozmist recommends 60% of the maximum discharge. Ozmist now builds “VFD Inverter” pump modules.
- The inverter series are single phase in to the inverter which runs a 3 phase motor. A Transducer is built into the system to restrict pump pressure to 70 BAR.
- If lines are shut down in the system, the Transducer restricts the motor RPM to maintain 70 BAR. We can reduce the flow rate down to 30% of maximum with no overheating issues or risk of damage to the pump motor.
What is the minimum water pressure and flow rate required at the pump module?
- Our pumps require a minimum in flow pressure of 20PSI and a flow rate greater than the maximum output of the pump.
- Gravity pressure is rarely great enough to satisfy the pressure requirement and a transfer pump will be required.
Can Bore, Channel or Dam water be used?
- Water quality is our biggest problem but can overcome it with a series of filters and water conditioners. Where bore / channel water is used we always recommend that the customer fit a Trimline C50 Bag Filter with a 25 micron filter weave.
- We also recommend that a Care Free Water Conditioner is built into the system to protect from calcium and dissolved minerals in the water.
How do I know how many litres of water per hour my system will use?
- Our standard nozzle is known as the 0.2 and has a flow rate of 0.056 litre per minute.
- Once you know how many nozzles you have in the system multiply this by 0.056 to find your Litre Per Minute.
How many misting lines will be required?
- When designing a misting line system we aim for a 6 meter minimum spacing between lines.
- The outside lines closest to the side of the building are set in at least 3 meters. An example is a 18 meter wide shed. We would place the two outer lines 3 meters off either wall then a line at 9 meters and another at 15 meters.
- This would be 3 lines in total. Nozzles are normally spaced at 1,200mm apart.
Will the humidity build up in my shed?
- Yes, it can. Each shed is different and getting the maximum benefit out of the system will be determined by the operator onsite. Where normally the curtains will close completely on very hot days, with an Ozmist system you will need to open the side with the prevailing breeze up say 500mm.
- On the other side you may have to drop the curtain 1 meter. By opening the curtains you are allowing fresh air to be sucked through the shed and mix with the treated air keeping humidity levels down.
- The height to which you open the curtains will need to be experimented with onsite but you will quickly know what works best.
Who installs the system?
- The system can be installed by virtually anyone with no trade required unless you are connecting to the electrical system for the pump power supply.
- Tools required - cordless drill and some screws, a 3mm allen key to bolt the tube and fittings together and a pair of shifters for the nylon tube connections.
- You won’t need much more than that in most cases.
What is the warranty?
- All items supplied by Ozmist are subject to a 12 month warranty. On Industrial pump modules we offer a 2 year warranty (providing services are completed every 500 hours).
Anything else I should be aware of?
- DON’T OVER COMPLICATE!
- There is no need to over design what is a naturally occurring process. Ozmist has supplied hundreds of systems for cooling anything from alfresco dining areas, factories workshops and agricultural buildings.
- We have provided dozens of systems for piggeries and duck growing sheds and the same principles apply.