II. DESIGN OF POULTRY INCUBATOR
The block diagram of the proposed solar poultry incubator
is given below in figure 1. It consists of a PV panel which is
used to produce DC power from sunlight and the output
power from the panel is fed into the charge controller and
from there to the battery. The charge controller is used so as to
prevent the battery from getting overcharged and it has got a
blocking diode inside which prevents the flow of current from
battery to panel when the panel is not producing any power.
Relay is employed to interface the circuit with the grid. It is
essential to have grid supply so as to continue the incubation
process even when the panel is not able to produce power due
to lack of solar irradiation. Temperature controller is
employed so as to control the temperature inside the
incubator.
It is very essential to control the temperature inside the
incubator. If the temperature is less or more it will affect the
hatching efficiency. The temperature controller senses the
temperature inside the incubator and puts on the heater or the
fan according to the need.