Comfortable barn climate thanks to INDICO cooling system
South Korean pig company Farmsco recently built the completely new GGP farm Hapcheon. This 3-story complex integrates Inno+’s INDICO cooling system. The innovative system cools and dehumidifies the incoming barn air in the summer and preheats the incoming air in the winter. Hapcheon thus creates an optimal living environment for the pigs year-round.
Vertical approach reduces stress
The pig farm is a not just a standard pig farm. The three-story pig barn contains all phases of pig farming. The top floor houses the pregnant sows, gilts and boars. The middle floor houses the farrowing sows and piglets, while the first floor is for the meat pigs. Due to the fact that land in Korea is incredibly expensive and this location is also built in a mountainous area, building in tiers offers great advantages here. By applying cooling, it was possible to achieve substantial savings in construction costs (air intake and exhaust ducts) because with INDICO cooling the maximum ventilation flow rates could be reduced by a factor of 2 to 3.
Conditioned air for increased well-being, better growth and no more heat stress
The INDICO system ensures that incoming air in summer (can reach 40°C and 50% RH) is cooled back to 18°C while also condensing moisture from the outside air. In Korea, summer is very hot and humid (tropical climate). This tropical climate is changed to a mild European climate by the INDICO system. With the INDICO system, it no longer matters where in the world the barn is located, the climate is always the same and always optimal. In the winter it gets cold in Korea, down to -10°C. In winter, the INDICO concept ensures that incoming air is pre-heated to +12°C.
The INDICO System
Our team successfully integrated the heat exchangers on the sides of the stables near the air intakes. On the roof of the building are the heat pumps/chillers. In winter the heat pumps/chillers produce hot water for heating the incoming air and in summer the heat pumps/chillers produce cold water for cooling. On the roof, a technical room houses the central SKID with pumps and controls, as well as the buffer tank. Insulated pipes transport the water (hot or cold) to the heat exchangers on both sides of the barn. The temperature of the incoming air is regulated per floor by the Inno+ control system.
The implementation of the INDICO concept at Hapcheon is a major advancement in pig farming in this region. This state-of-the-art system optimizes resource utilization, improves animal welfare and enhances overall operational efficiency. Meanwhile, animals benefit from the optimal climate control and comfort of the INDICO system. This “game changing” concept is set to make great inroads in Asia.