International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and

Science (IJAERS)
Peer-Reviewed Journal
ISSN: 2349-6495(P) | 2456-1908(O)
Vol-12, Issue-4; Apr, 2025
Journal Home Page Available: https://ijaers.com/
Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.124.2

Numerical modeling of artificial egg incubator efficiency

Mbaya Ilunga Edouard1 and Binda Sombani Mafille2
1Institute of Applied Technologies of Kinshasa, R.D.Congo
2Kiri Higher Institute of Education, DRC

Received: 01 Mar 2025, Abstract— In summary, this work presented the essential points
Receive in revised form: 27 Mar 2025, enabling the process of operating the artificial incubator, having
sought to establish the link between theory and reality, the
Accepted: 04 Apr 2025,
experimental phase was tackled. This involved manipulating the
Available online: 11 Apr 2025 prototype artificial incubator materialized in the mechanical
©2025 The Author(s). Published by AI workshop of the Institut Supérieur de Techniques Appliquées de
Publication. This is an open-access article Kinshasa. The Matlab software was used to run simulations which
under the CC BY license produced results showing the variation in egg hatching rate as a
function of temperature, the variation in internal temperature as a
Keywords— Numerical modeling, efficiency,
function of the incubator's external temperature, and the variation in
incubator, eggs.
humidity as a function of time (days). The results found were discussed
with those found by other researchers.

I. INTRODUCTION ventilation and egg rotation to ensure normal embryonic

Thanks to its nutritional properties, chicken meat is development [2]. While the materialization of these skills
becoming a necessary commodity for humans and many can only take place if there is optimization of the variation
other living species. To obtain it in a renewable way, we of the egg hatching rate as a function of temperature,
resort to the production of chicks, an operation that requires variation of the internal temperature of the function, of the
the presence of a broody hen. Increased consumption of external temperature of the incubator, of the variation of
chicken meat is proving insufficient to meet the needs of the humidity as a function of time. We therefore decided to
entire population, as it is difficult for a hen to incubate more carry out this study with the aim of determining the
than a hundred eggs in a day. To maximize chick efficiency of the artificial incubator before the egg is
production, scientific investigations are in full swing and introduced into it.
technologies are being developed to make the process of
profitability easier. To this end, researchers have produced II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
the so-called artificial egg incubator, at device designed to
The methodological approach consisted in analyzing
hatch eggs under at synthetic influence that approximates
concrete situations, and obtaining information from various
natural incubation. A number of studies have shown that the
groups of people and documents containing useful
choice between a natural and an artificial incubator depends
information on the subject. This led us to visit the DAIPN
on the number of chicks the user intends to raise at the same
farm in Kinshasa and to handle the prototype artificial
time, the work involved, the operating costs of an incubator,
incubator produced in the mechanical workshop of the
and the results and quality of the incubation products [1].
Institut Supérieur de Techniques Appliquées in Kinshasa.
With this in mind, we turned our attention to numerical
We also consulted documents containing information
modeling of the efficiency of artificial egg incubators. Since
relating to our object of study. For the simulation, we used
the artificial incubator allows the hatching of a quantity of
Matrix Laboratory (MatLab) software.
eggs laid, it facilitates the production of a high rate of chicks
that are viable at the lowest cost. The efficiency of an
incubator is based on its ability to regulate heat, humidity,

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Edouard and Mafille International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 12(4)-2025

III. INCUBATOR OPERATING PROCESSES disinfectant such as sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) can be
3.1 Egg processing added to get rid of pathogenic germs.

To achieve efficient and profitable operation of the Eggs should be collected using a non-porous or easily-
incubator, the following steps must be taken into cleaned plastic tray, to avoid contamination or transmission
account: of bacteria.

➢ Egg selection; 3.1.3. Egg storage

➢ Egg cleaning; Once eggs have been collected and cleaned, the question
remains as to where they should be placed for storage while
➢ Storage;
awaiting incubation. It is advisable to place selected and
➢ Incubation [3], [4]. cleaned eggs in at cool place at room temperature. Eggs
3.1.1. Egg selection destined for incubation should be collected and placed
under cover as soon as possible. The ideal temperature for
To make a good selection, you need to know that egg
storing eggs is 25°C and the ideal relative humidity is 75%.
weights are not identical. It varies from breed to breed, from
High humidity is evidenced by the appearance of
thirty to seventy grams. The best results are obtained with
microscopic fungi called molds, which form branched
eggs from good layers of normal size. These eggs must be
vegetations on the surface of organic matter. Mouldy eggs
fertilized before being placed in the incubator for
should be discarded and not used for incubation. Most
incubation. A rooster can fertilize several hens. Effective
species tolerate at 14-day storage period before the hatching
results are obtained with one cock for every ten hens, but
rate is affected. During this stage, egg turning is also
for heavy breeds, the number of hens must be reduced. After
essential for a high hatching rate.
mating, the hen lays the fertilized eggs for at least eight
days. 3.1.4 Egg incubation

The shape of the egg must be taken into account, as a Egg incubation is the final and crucial step in determining
malformed egg is not suitable for incubation if good results whether the previous steps have been carried out correctly.
are to be achieved. The quality of the shell itself is very It is after this stage that we will obtain the desired results or
important for good selection. If the shell is cracked, the egg not. To achieve favorable results, a few parameters must be
is dehydrated. If the egg is dehydrated, it produces a respected. The parameters determining results are:
stillborn or very weak chick. temperature; humidity; ventilation; egg turning; egg
candling. As a result, the following boundary conditions
3.1.2. Egg cleaning
need to be determined:
The choice of eggs is a crucial step in the incubation
4. Numerical simulation
process. After selecting clean, well-shaped eggs, they are
cleaned using a clean, dry cloth. This is a very dextrous We carried out the numerical simulation using the data
process, given that the egg is a very fragile body, liable to below, representing the above-mentioned boundary
break at any moment. condition, implemented by running the program in Matlab
software.
The eggshell is porous, allowing dirt, bacteria, water and air
- the list goes on. Hence the need to avoid using water to Data to be simulated
clean eggs, as it opens the pores in the shell, weakening ➢ Variation in temperature inside the incubator: 0 to
incubation results. Water is not the only solution to avoid if 45°C;
you want to produce chicks of the right quality. If a solution ➢ Temperature variation outside the incubator: 0 to
is used to remove dirt, it will not only remove the dirt but 60°C;
also the outer cuticle of the egg, exposing it to ➢ Variation in humidity inside the incubator: 0 to
bacteriological contamination. But if we're dealing with 80%;
very dirty eggs, they should be brushed in water at a ➢ Variation in egg hatching rate: 0 to 100%;
temperature higher than that of the egg (40°C). A ➢ Variation in incubation time: 0 to 30 days.

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Edouard and Mafille International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 12(4)-2025

IV. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION

Fig.1: Variation in internal temperature as a function of external temperature.

Figure 1 shows the variation in internal temperature as a temperature rises from 0 to 50°C. This proves that our
function of the incubator's external temperature. The incubator is working properly.
internal temperature rises from 0 to 40°C, while the external

Fig.2: Variation in egg hatch rate as a function of temperature

Figure 2 illustrates the variation in egg hatching rate as a 30 to 45°C. This variation in the curve attests to the
function of temperature. It can be seen that the hatching rate reliability of our incubator.
varied from 0 to 90%. While the temperature varied from

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Edouard and Mafille International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 12(4)-2025

Fig.3: Humidity variation as a function of time.

Figure 3 shows how humidity varies with time. It can be hatching rate in an incubator can vary from 50 to 70%, 70
seen that when the eggs hatch, the incubator does not to 90%, 65 to 70% and 87%. It is worth noting that our
maintain the same percentage of humidity, because at each incubator's hatching rate is close to those of PELE B. and
stage, the incubated eggs need a well-defined degree of AZEROULE. In addition to these findings, there are those
humidity. In order to achieve satisfactory results, of WAGENINGEN et al and EEKEREN N.V et al. which
compliance with the required humidity level for incubated fall within the range of our incubator hatching rate results.
eggs during hatching is more than a requirement. It should As for incubator temperature, the variation is from 30 to
be noted that during the first week of incubation, the 45°C. ELBACHIR MOHAMMED et al [11] found that at
required relative humidity is 60%, at the beginning of the temperatures below 35°C to above 40°C, the hatching rate
third week, the relative humidity is 50% and a few days was zero. A good percentage of hatchings occur in the
later, i.e. before hatching, the humidity level needs to vary 37°C to 39°C temperature range. On the same subject,
to 70%. From day 19, eggs can be gently moistened with a MUKHTAR IBRAHIM B. et al [12] point out that
damp cotton cloth to soften the shell and help the chicks to incubation temperature variation curves on day 1 and day
hatch. 10 remain very similar and uniform, with the following
respective minimum and maximum values: day 1 (37 to
40°C and 37 to 78°C) and day 10 (37 to 45°C and 37 to
V. DISCUSSION
73°C). With the same daily average ranging from 37 to
This study produced results defining the variation of 59°C. Tackling this question with the same logic as
internal temperature as a function of external temperature, MUKHTAR IBRAHIM B. et al. after analysis we find that
ranging from 0 to 40°C for internal temperature and 0 to the average of our temperature results is 37°C. This proves
50% for external temperature. In this respect, at number of the reliability of our incubator. As for humidity variation
research studies point out that if the outside temperature is with time (Days), the required humidity is 60% at the
below 30°C, the incubator will have to work hard to beginning of the third week, relative humidity varies from
provide an adequate temperature for the incubated eggs. 50% to a few days before hatching, humidity varies once
But if the outside temperature is above 40°C, the incubator again to 70% at day 19. This is why SUSMITA M. et al
will work to maintain the inside temperature at a range of [13], SHAYMAA A. et al [14], maintain that relative
37 to 39°C, confirming the efficiency of our incubator humidity in the incubator and in the ambient environment
[5],[6]. varies respectively from 54 to 56% and from 70 to 76%,
With regard to the variation in egg hatch rate as a function with averages of 55.08 to 71.2%. These values are
of temperature, the variation ranged from 0 to 90% for acceptable for proper incubator operation. Looking at our
hatch rate and from 30 to 45°C for temperature. Comparing humidity values, we find that they are within the range of
our results with those reported by Wageningen et al, Pelé, those found by the above-mentioned researchers.
Eekeren et al, Azeroul [7],[8] [9],[10] who report that the

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Edouard and Mafille International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 12(4)-2025

VI. CONCLUSION [12] MUKHTAR IBRAHIM B. et al. Construction of the

artificial Egg incubator, Global Journal of Research in
Here we are at the end of this work, which has shown just
engineering and computer Sciences, 03 (04) (2023) 40- 44.
how essential the development of innovative technologies [13] SHAYMAA A. et al. Thermochemical battery for poultry
in poultry farming is to optimize the breeding and rearing egg incubation, MISR Journal of Agricultural Engineering,
process. We have highlighted the operating process of the 39 (3) (2022) 475 – 492.
artificial incubator, which requires eggs to be processed [14] SUSMITA M. et al. Smart egg incubator, International
through selection, cleaning, conservation and incubation. Journal OF Advance Scientific Research and Engineering
To scientifically prove the efficiency of our artificial Trends, 6 (6) (2021) 72- 75.
incubator, a boundary condition was established, whereby
the results determining the variation of egg hatching rate as
a function of temperature, the variation of internal
temperature as a function of external incubator
temperature, Variation of humidity as a function of time.
This set of results attests to the cost-effectiveness of our
artificial incubator model.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
At the end of this research on Numerical modeling of the
efficiency of the artificial egg incubator, our thanks go to
Professor BAKADIASA KABONGO Djo and to all those
who participated in its realization.

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