Influence of Wind on Air Movement in a Free-Stall Barn During the Summer Period / Wpływ wiatru na ruch powietrza w oborze wolnostanowiskowej w okresie letnim

Use of natural ventilation in the barn should lead to optimal microclimatic conditions over the entire space. In the summer, especially during hot weather, higher air velocity cools cows, which helps to avoid heat stress. The paper presents the results of studies on the evolution of air movement in a modernized free-stall barn of the Fermbet type with the natural ventilation system during the summer period. Based on measurements of velocity and direction of air flow (inside and outside the barn) and observations of smoke indicator, the movement of air masses in different parts of the barn was identified. Significant variations of air flow at different levels of the barn were found. These differences deviate from the accepted patterns of natural ventilation, which can be found in the literature. The range of a draught and stagnant air along with the conditions in which they are built was determined. On this basis, recommendations regarding the location of barns on the plots and the improvement of ventilation in summer were made.