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Proper sizing of evaporative cooling pads is a critical factor in maintaining effective environmental control in modern poultry houses. Instead of relying on building area alone, the cooling pad surface area should be calculated based on the total airflow capacity of tunnel ventilation fans.

In tunnel-ventilated poultry systems, air velocity through the cooling pad is a key design parameter. A commonly recommended design standard is approximately 350 feet per minute (ft/min) across the pad surface. This ensures sufficient air exchange while maintaining effective evaporative cooling performance.

When the cooling pad area is undersized, air velocity increases beyond the optimal range. This leads to higher static pressure inside the house, reduced fan efficiency, and a significant drop in overall airflow rate. As a result, the evaporative cooling effect becomes weaker, and indoor temperature control may be compromised, especially during hot weather conditions.

Conversely, properly matched cooling pad area helps maintain balanced system resistance, stable airflow, and efficient heat removal. The design should always be coordinated with total fan capacity, ensuring that air entering the house is evenly distributed and effectively cooled.

Therefore, the correct engineering approach is to size cooling pads based on total tunnel fan airflow (m³/h or CFM) rather than poultry house floor area. This system-based calculation improves thermal comfort, reduces heat stress in broilers, and enhances overall production efficiency.

In modern poultry engineering, integrating ventilation and cooling pad design is essential for achieving stable environmental control and optimal bird performance.