Abstract
Poultry transport represents a significant animal welfare challenge, particularly when birds are exposed to heat stress during travel, a condition that can compromise physiological stability, performance, and survival. Despite the relevance of this issue, research on engineering improvements to poultry transport crates remains limited. In this study, four virtual models of poultry transport crates were evaluated to assess their potential to improve the thermal comfort internal airflow conditions. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted under three transport speeds, complemented by wind tunnel experiments using reduced-scale prototypes fabricated by additive manufacturing. The results demonstrated that the alternative crate 3 (AC3) model presented exhibited superior internal average airflow velocities (IAFV) across all speeds, including a 32.85% increase compared to the conventional crate at 60 km/h. Wind tunnel testing confirmed significant differences among crate designs. AC3 showed lower air temperature than AC1 and reduced relative humidity compared to CC and AC2. Thermal comfort indices supported these findings, with AC3 presenting the lowest THI and enthalpy, indicating a less stressful microclimate. In terms of airflow, AC2 and AC3 achieved higher IAFV (19.27 ± 8.49 m/s and 19.30 ± 4.80 m/s) than CC and AC1. AC3 also had the lowest dynamic pressure, suggesting reduced airflow resistance and more efficient aerodynamics. Therefore, improved crate geometry and increased ventilation surface can enhance airflow distribution, potentially reduce heat accumulation and improve animal welfare. However, further studies involving live birds, realistic stocking densities, and full-scale trailer simulations are required to validate these benefits under commercial transport conditions.