Optimising dietary energy and amino acid levels in the diets of naked neck broilers for growth,nutrient utilisation and immune response in a hot climate

The need for a critical amino acid (AA) profile for growth, immune response and N utilisation of naked neck broilers during summer was studied. Day‐old naked neck chicks (n = 198) from a single hatch were distributed into 24 groups (four dietary regimens (DRs) with six replicates each) having eight birds in each replicate. The first diet was based on crude protein (CP) and metabolisable energy (ME) (13.40 MJ) as per NRC recommendations (DR1). In the second diet, the CP content was reduced through supplementation of synthetic AAs to achieve critical AA contents as suggested by NRC with 13.40 MJ ME (DR2). In the third diet critical AAs were supplemented to achieve their level at 108% of NRC with 12.6 MJ ME (DR3), while in fourth diet critical AA concentration was reduced to 94% (DR4) of NRC with 12.6 MJ ME to match the ratio of ME to AA concentration as that of NRC (1994). Diets were formulated separately for starter (0–3 weeks) and finisher (3‐6 weeks) phases. A metabolism trial was conducted at the third week of age. At 3 and 6 weeks of age eight birds (four of each sex) per treatment were killed to study the growth of immune organs (Bursa of Fabricius, thymus and spleen). Immune response was studied at the fourth week of age. During the starting phase, the birds fed DR1 and DR2 having 13.40 MJ ME kg^?1 diet had higher body weight (P < 0.044) gain (P < 0.048) and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.001) as compared to DR3 and DR4 (12.6 MJ ME kg^?1 diets). However, better (P < 0.001) CP efficiency (CP intake kg^?1 gain) and lower feed cost kg^?1 gain (P < 0.001) was recorded in DR4. A similar trend was also observed during the finisher phase. Dietary regimens had no effect on dry matter (DM) metabolisability, N intake or output and N retention. There was no difference in the weight of immune organs (bursa, thymus and spleen) between dietary treatments at either 3 or 6 weeks of age. The cell mediated and humoral immune response was also not different between the NRC and modified NRC levels. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Performance and optimization analysis of a constructal T-shaped fin subject to variable thermal conductivity and convective heat transfer coefficient

In the present study, an exercise has been devoted to establish an analytical model for thermal performance and optimization of a constructal fin subject to variable thermal conductivity of fin material and convective heat transfer coefficient over the fin surface. For the adaptation of these considerations, the governing energy equation for the stem as well as the flange becomes nonlinear. A new analytical scheme based on the Adomian decomposition method has been established for the solution process. As the present study is an analytic, it can be extended to the analysis for determining the optimum dimensions of fins satisfying either the maximization of rate of heat transfer for a given fin volume or the minimization of fin volume for a desired heat transfer rate. From the results, it can be highlighted that the present model predicts the fin performance always an under value in comparison with that the published results whereas the optimum heat transfer rate determined by using the present analysis gives an over value. The effect of different geometric and thermophysical parameters on both the fin performance and optimization has been studied. For a comparative study, the present and published results are executed for a wide range of thermogeometric parameters.     

Thermal analysis of a constructal T-shaped porous fin with radiation effects

This paper presents an analytical technique based on the decomposition method to determine the temperature distribution and thermal performance parameters of a constructal T-shape porous fin. The effect of radiation on natural convective heat transfer is considered in the analysis. The governing energy equations of the stem and flange part of this T-shaped porous fin for the aforementioned conditions are highly nonlinear. The adopted decomposition solution gives an explicit expression of temperature distribution in the fin as a function of a coordinate expressed by infinite power series from which fin performance parameters and heat transfer rates can easily be calculated without the need of linearization. The effects of different geometric and thermophysical parameters on the dimensionless temperature distribution and fin performances are studied. Finally, the increase in heat transfer is noticed by selecting porous medium condition in the fin.