High speed dosing

By using a weight or volume determination device and a coarse and fine feed supply system, the problem of uneven feed supply in insect larvae rearing is solved, enabling rapid and accurate feed addition and supporting efficient insect growth management.

CN115955914BActive Publication Date: 2025-11-07BUEHLER INSECT TECH SOLUTIONS AG
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202180050787.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2020-09-02
Filing Date
2021-08-20
Publication Date
2025-11-07
Estimated Expiration
2041-08-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies lack accurate and rapid quantitative feeding during insect larval rearing, resulting in inefficient and uneven feed supply.

Method used

By employing a weight- or volume-based determination device, combined with roughage and fine feed supply devices, and through equipment such as weighing stations, flow meters, and level sensors, the system achieves precise control and automated supply of feed in containers.

Benefits of technology

It enables rapid and accurate feed supply during insect larval rearing, ensuring the precision and consistency of feed quantity in each container and supporting efficient insect growth management.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying feed to rear insect larvae, the method comprising the steps of: (o) supplying feed to a container using a coarse feed supply device; (i) determining the amount of feed in the container at a determining device; (ii) calculating the amount of feed necessary to reach a predetermined amount of feed in the container; and (iii) supplying feed to the container in the amount calculated in step (ii) using a fine feed supply device.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention provides a method and system for providing feed to rear insect larvae. BACKGROUND

[0002] During the start and course of rearing and growing of insect larvae, the correct amount of feed has to be supplied to ensure optimal and healthy growth of the insects. The correct dosing and course speed of the amount of feed is an important factor for effective management of insect rearing.

[0003] For example, EP 2 986 107 B1 discloses a method and system for breeding insects comprising an observation station for obtaining the weight of individual crates comprising their substrate and insect content and a feeding station for adding additional feedstock.

[0004] Other systems largely rely on manual labor and therefore show deficiencies in terms of speed, accuracy and efficiency.

[0005] However, there is a need in the field of rearing insects for an accurate and high speed dosing. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims; the dependent claims define embodiments of the invention. SUMMARY

[0006] In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying feed to rear insect larvae, the method comprising the steps of:

[0007] (o) supplying feed to the container using a coarse feed supply device,

[0008] (i) determining the amount of feed in or added to the container at a determining device,

[0009] (ii) calculating the amount of feed necessary to reach a predetermined amount of feed in the container, and

[0010] (iii) supplying feed to the container using a fine feed supply device in the amount calculated in step (ii).

[0011] Various embodiments can preferably implement the following features:

[0012] Preferably, the determining device for performing step (i) is weight-based and comprises at least one weighing station for weighing the feed, for example in the container, for example in empty, partially filled and filled conditions. Alternatively, the weighing of the feed is performed in the feed storage device or when the feed is provided to the dosing head, the coarse feed supply device or the fine feed supply device.

[0013] Alternatively or in addition to, the determining device for performing step (i) is volume-based and comprises at least one flow meter for measuring the amount of feed supplied by the coarse feed supply device or the fine feed supply device. Alternatively, the measurement of the feed is made in the feed storage device or when the feed is provided to the dosing head, the coarse feed supply device or the fine feed supply device.

[0014] Alternatively or in addition to, the determining device for performing step (i) is volume-based and comprises at least one level sensor for measuring the level of feed in the tub. The total feed content in the tub is released to fill the container, whereby the amount is known.

[0015] Alternatively or in addition to, the determining device for performing step (i) is volume-based and comprises a tub with a predefined volume. The total feed content in the tub is released to fill the container, whereby the amount is known.

[0016] The insect larvae are added to the container, preferably after the first time step (iii) is performed. The insect larvae can also alternatively or in addition be added after the first time step (o), step (i) or step (ii) is performed.

[0017] Preferably, steps (i) to (iii) are repeated periodically or at manually set intervals to refill the container with feed during rearing of the larvae. When the container is refilled with feed, there can still be feed for the larvae present in the container.

[0018] The method can further comprise transporting the container to the coarse feed supply device for performing step (o) and / or transporting the container to the determining device for performing step (i) and / or transporting and / or stacking the container to the storage device after step (iii).

[0019] Preferably, the container is transported to the determining device prior to step (i). For example, prior to step (o), the container is transported from the storage device to a weighing station in order to also determine the crate weight.

[0020] Preferably, after the amount of feed is calculated in step (ii), information about this amount is electronically and preferably automatically transmitted to the fine feed supply device.

[0021] Preferably, the container is automatically transported to the fine feed supply device and positioned underneath the fine feed supply device. More preferably, this step is performed after step (o) and / or after step (i) and / or after step (ii).

[0022] Preferably, the fine feed supply device is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 10 kg / min and 400 kg / min and / or to supply feed at a predetermined total weight, the ratio of the weight of the feed to the weight of the larvae being between 0 and 1.

[0023] Preferably, the coarse feed supply device is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 60 kg / min and 500 kg / min.

[0024] Preferably, during step (o) and / or step (iii), the amount of feed in the container is continuously or periodically monitored, wherein the supply is stopped when the predetermined (total) amount of feed is reached. Alternatively, the weight or volume of the supplied feed is continuously or periodically monitored, wherein the supply is stopped when the predetermined (total) amount of feed is reached.

[0025] During step (o) and / or step (iii), the amount of feed supplied to the container can be controlled using a viewing device comprising a flow meter or a camera. If the determining device comprises a flow meter, this flow meter can also be used as viewing device. In this case, a separate or additional flow meter is not required as viewing device for controlling the amount of feed supplied to the container.

[0026] The present application also relates to a system for feeding insect larvae, preferably using the method according to any one of the preceding claims, the system comprising a coarse feed supply device, a determining device for determining the amount of feed added and a fine feed supply device for supplying feed to the container.

[0027] Preferably, the determining device comprises at least one weighing station for weighing the container. The weighing station can be a separate station, preferably arranged between the coarse feed supply device and the fine feed supply device. In another embodiment, the weighing station can be arranged at the coarse feed supply device and / or the fine feed supply device.

[0028] Alternatively or in addition, the determining device comprises at least one flow meter for measuring the amount of feed supplied by the coarse feed supply device and / or at the fine feed supply device.

[0029] The coarse feed supply device is preferably configured to supply feed at a rate of between 60 kg / min and 500 kg / min. The fine feed supply device is preferably configured to supply feed at a rate of between 10 kg / min and 400 kg / min.

[0030] The system can further comprise a transport device for preferably automatically transporting the container between the determining device, the supply station and the storage device.

[0031] The system can also comprise observation means for monitoring and for controlling the containers. The observation means preferably comprise a flow meter for controlling the amount of feed supplied and / or a camera.

[0032] The coarse feed supply device and the fine feed supply device comprise a nozzle for delivering the feed, wherein preferably the diameter of the nozzle of the coarse feed supply device is larger than the diameter of the nozzle of the fine feed supply device.

[0033] Alternatively or in addition thereto, the nozzle comprises a closing element, wherein at least a part of the closing element is individually controllable for closing a part of the nozzle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] The application is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 An example according to the application is shown,

[0036] Figure 2 An example according to the application is shown,

[0037] Figure 3 A flow chart according to the application is shown, and

[0038] Figure 4 An exemplary set-up for providing a feed mixture is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like or similar elements throughout.

[0040] Figure 1 An example according to the application is shown, which comprises a transport device 5 on which the container 1 is placed. The terms container and crate are used interchangeably. The transport device 5 can be provided in any form, such as a roller system, a conveyor belt or an autonomous robot carrying the container 1. The transport device 5 can also be operated manually. The containers 1 can be stored in a storage or feeding room in a stacked manner and can be transported to the feed supply station, either automatically or manually.

[0041] The system further comprises a coarse feed supply device 2 and a fine feed supply device 3. The coarse feed supply device 2 and the fine feed supply device 3 can form a feed supply station. Preferably, a liquid or flowable (wet) feed is used. The coarse feed supply device 2 and / or the fine feed supply device 3, 4 can comprise one or more nozzles 6, 8 or 10 for delivering the feed. In this case, the nozzles 6 of the coarse feed supply device 2 can have a larger diameter than the nozzles 8 of the fine feed supply device 3, so that the fine feed supply device 3 can comprise nozzles 8 with a smaller diameter than the nozzles of the coarse feed supply device 2. The smaller diameter nozzles 8 of the fine feed supply device 3 allow a more accurate control of the flow of feed. In turn, the coarse feed supply device 2 can comprise fewer nozzles 6 than the fine feed supply device 3, while the fine feed supply device 3 can comprise a larger number of nozzles 8 than the coarse feed supply device 2. By providing nozzles 6, 8 or 10, it is also possible to provide additional feed to specific areas of the container 1 only by closing some of the nozzles 6, 8 or 10.

[0042] In order to close the nozzles 6 of the coarse feed supply device 2, closing elements 7 are provided. These closing elements 7 are individually controlled, so that the nozzles 6 can be closed individually and, as a result, the amount of feed can be easily controlled or distributed per area in the container 1. For the same reason, the nozzles 8 or 10 of the fine feed supply device 2 or 4 are also provided with closing elements 9 and 11 that can be controlled individually. The closing elements 7, 9 and / or 10 comprise flaps or sliders, for example arranged by means of a hinge, for closing the opening of the respective nozzle 6, 8 or 10.

[0043] In the case of other feed than wet feed, other dosing devices can be suitable. The nozzles can be replaced, for example, by flaps or any other device. Furthermore, depending on the type of feed used, a pump or any other device for transporting and dosing can be employed.

[0044] A camera system can additionally be provided for monitoring the contents of the container 1.

[0045] Alternatively or in addition thereto, at least one of the feed supply devices 2, 3 can be moved to supply the feed. Preferably, at least one of the feed supply devices 2, 3 is moved in the direction of the container 1. A non-static feed can be carried out, whereby the processing time can be reduced.

[0046] The roughage supply device 2 can be configured to quickly provide the feed to the container 1. Preferably, the roughage is filled in an empty crate and corresponds approximately to about 80% of the predetermined feed quantity to be supplied. The roughage supply rate can be between 60 kg / min and 500 kg / min, preferably between 150 kg / min and 300 kg / min, and can exemplarily be 333 kg / min. The black portion of the container 1 can indicate the filling level. After the rough filling, the container 1 can be transported to the fine feed supply device 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow. The fine feed supply device 3 can then perform a precise filling to a predetermined level. The quantity provided by the precise filling corresponds approximately to about 20% of the predetermined feed quantity to be supplied. The feed supply rate can be between 10 kg / min and 400 kg / min, preferably between 100 kg / min and 280 kg / min, and can exemplarily be 250 kg / min. Thus, an accurate and quick filling of the feed can be achieved.

[0047] Furthermore, the system comprises a weighing station as a determination device. The weighing station can for example be integrated into the transport device 5. Alternatively, each feed supply device 2, 3 can comprise a weighing station. The weighing can be performed continuously during the filling. In addition or alternatively, the flow rate or volume of the feed can be measured by the feed supply devices 2, 3. Any suitable observation device can be employed, wherein a flow meter arranged on or integrated in the nozzle is preferred. The filling of the feed can be performed in accordance with the measured weight and / or flow. That is, a predetermined quantity of weight can be set for the container 1, and the quantity of feed necessary to bring the container 1 to said predetermined feed quantity can be calculated from the determination at the determination device, e.g. the weighing station.

[0048] The container 1 can further comprise a barcode, an RFID chip or other identification means for differentiating and identifying the container 1. Thus, individual requirements and rearing parameters such as weight, rearing start date, feed type, etc. can be associated with each container 1.

[0049] The observation device can comprise a camera for taking pictures of the filled container 1. Based on the analysis of these pictures, it can be a defined area inside the container 1 that requires more additional feed than other areas of the same container 1. By controlling the nozzles 8, 10 of the fine feed supply devices 3, 4 with a closing element, different quantities of feed can be added.

[0050] After the initial filling of the containers 1 with feed (both coarse and fine filling), insects or insect larvae of any developmental / growth stage can be added to the containers 1. The insects can also be provided at any previous stage of the feed supply. The filling of the insects can be performed at another filling station or the insects can be added manually. Typically, larvae of black soldier flies are used for rearing. The weight of the larvae and the amount of feed in one container 1 mainly depends on the size of the used container 1. For example, for a container 1 measuring 600 mm x 800 mm x 290 mm, 0.05 kg - 1.5 kg larvae, preferably 0.2 kg - 0.85 kg larvae, are placed in one container 1 at the start. The amount of feed provided for the container at the start can be between 15 kg - 35 kg, preferably between 20 kg - 25 kg. The amount of larvae at the end of the rearing can be about 2 kg - 10 kg.

[0051] Thus, according to the above values, the ratio of larvae to feed can be between 0 (when only feed is present in the container) and 1, preferably about 0.015 - 0.04. The containers 1 can also be weighed after the addition of the larvae. Thus, the starting weight of the filled container 1 with the larvae / feed mixture can be determined.

[0052] The rearing period can typically be 4 days - 16 days, more preferably 5 days - 8 days. By then, the insects have reached a stage for further processing.

[0053] For the rearing, the containers 1 can be stored in a rearing room, shelf or other suitable environment with monitored climate conditions such as temperature, humidity, oxygen level, carbon dioxide level, etc. The climate conditions can also provide information on the condition of the insects. The containers 1 can be transported to the rearing room automatically or manually.

[0054] In industrial scale rearing of insect larvae, many parameters lead to variations in the growth of the larvae. At a certain moment in time during the rearing cycle of the larvae, it can be necessary to re-feed the larvae. Due to the many sources of variation during the rearing process, not every rearing container needs the same amount of re-feed material. The present invention provides a solution to provide the desired amount of re-feed to every rearing container fully automatically at high speed.

[0055] During the rearing cycle, the containers 1 can typically be refilled once or twice with feed. Depending on the condition of the insects, more than two refill procedures can be necessary. Thus, a feed refill station 4 can be provided. Alternatively, the fine feed supply device 3 or the coarse feed supply device 2 can be used as the refill station 4.

[0056] For refilling, the process involving steps (i) to (iii) of the claimed supply method can be used, i.e., a method that does not have an initial roughage supply step and only involves weighing the containers (with feed residue and larvae) and accurately supplying fine feed. Container 1 can be automatically or manually collected from the rearing room and transported to refilling station 4. There, the containers are weighed and the necessary amount of raw material is calculated. Typically, 1 kg to 10 kg of additional feed is provided during refilling. In this case, the additional feed is added quantitatively on top of the insect / feed mixture. If deemed necessary, residues such as livestock excrement can be removed from container 1. Weighing can be performed before, during, or after refilling, or continuously. In addition, or alternatively, the flow rate of refilling station 4 or the feed supply device can be monitored.

[0057] In summary, firstly, empty container 1 is positioned below roughage station 2. This station feeds the maximum amount of the required wet feed into container 1. A high-capacity pump feeds the slurry into container 1 quantitatively for a specified time, or to a specified weight or volume, preferably by volume measurement. Then, container 1 is positioned below fine feed station 3. Here, a lower-capacity pump feeds the slurry into container 1 quantitatively. This is done by weight to accurately obtain the desired feed for each container. Therefore, the optimal feed amount can be provided at any time during the rearing cycle to ensure optimal insect growth.

[0058] Figure 2 A refilling station 4 according to an example of the present invention is shown. As described above, Figure 1 The fine feed supply device 3 and therefore all or part of the setup described above can also be used as the refilling station 4. The nozzle 10 of the refilling station 4 includes a closing element 11.

[0059] Therefore, container 1 can be collected from, for example, the storage or feeding room and transported to refill station 4. The black portion of container 1 indicates the fill level. Figure 2 The diagram shows a two-piece conveying device 5. For example, different conveying devices can be used to transport containers between different workstations. Furthermore, either component can be weighed (determined), and the conveying device 5 can also consist of only one component. The conveying device 5 can be provided in any suitable automatic or manual form as described above.

[0060] Figure 3 A flowchart of the corresponding method is shown. Specifically, the method includes the following steps:

[0061] (o) Feed is supplied to the container using a roughage supply device.

[0062] (i) Determine the amount of feed in the container at the determination device.

[0063] (ii) calculating the amount of feed necessary to reach the predetermined amount of feed in the container, and

[0064] (iii) supplying the container with the amount of feed calculated in step (ii) using the fine feed supply device.

[0065] In step (o), initially a large amount of feed can be supplied to the container in a short time, preferably an amount of at most less than but close to the desired total amount of feed to be filled into the container. This amount should be close enough to the desired total amount so that the subsequent fine feed only needs a reasonable time period. However, the amount supplied during the coarse feed supply step should not be too close to the desired total amount in order to avoid the risk that too much feed has already been filled into the container during the first step using the coarse feed supply device. In practice, an amount of about 65% to 95% of the feed supplied by the coarse feed supply device and a complementary (up to 100% in total) amount of feed of about 5% to 35% supplied by the fine feed supply device are considered to be optimal values with respect to the total required filling time.

[0066] In order to reach the desired total amount of feed as accurately as possible, then the amount of feed in the container, e.g. the weight, is determined and the amount missing to reach the desired total amount of feed is determined, which is then supplied to the container in a controlled manner using the fine feed supply device. In order to determine the missing amount, the weight of the empty container can be taken into account. This amount can then be transported to the fine feed supply device. The exact amount supplied during the fine feed supply step can be controlled, e.g. by continuously determining the amount of feed in the container (e.g. weighing the container during filling), using a mass flow meter and / or controlling the time period of the fine feed supply. Once the exact amount of feed is supplied to the container, the larvae to be reared are added.

[0067] As mentioned above, it can be necessary to refill the container with feed during rearing. For this, a similar method can be used, with the difference that the feed (and larvae) is already positioned in the container so that the step of supplying the feed with the coarse feed supply device can be omitted. That is, according to an exemplary embodiment for refilling the container, the method can essentially comprise the above steps (i) to (iii), i.e. can comprise the following steps:

[0068] (i) determining the amount of feed in the container (crate) before refilling,

[0069] (ii) calculating the desired amount of refill, and

[0070] (iii) supplying the desired amount of refill using the fine feed supply device.

[0071] For step (iii) the fine feed supply device 3 already used when initially supplying the feed to the container can be used, but also a dedicated fine feed supply device 4 can be used. In the latter case, however, the fine feed supply device 4 has similar features as the fine feed supply device 3.

[0072] The refilling process can also comprise the following steps: transporting the desired refilling amount to the feed station, starting the dosing pump for refilling, continuously determining the weight of e.g. the crate, and stopping the dosing pump when the desired refilling amount is reached.

[0073] At any time during the feed filling process, manual intervention is also possible.

[0074] The amount of feed necessary for the refill can depend on the actual weight of the container including the larvae and the feed remainder, the amount of feed and the amount of larvae initially supplied to the container. For each rearing container, the desired refilling amount is determined and dosed. In this way, existing variations between containers are solved and over / under feeding is avoided. Over / under feeding must be avoided to achieve maximum yield and feed conversion. The refilling is performed in a fully automated way to provide an economic method on an industrial scale. During the rearing period of the larvae, the larvae can be refilled once or multiple times to continuously have the right amount of nutrients available. The present invention provides a quick and accurate way for adding the desired refilling amount. The refilling can be performed at a speed higher than 200 containers per hour, preferably at a speed higher than 400 containers per hour. In practice, the refilling is performed at a speed of 450-540 containers per hour.

[0075] To provide the best efficiency and speed of the method, the feed should show certain characteristics regarding consistency and composition. To ensure the right structure of the feed mixture when dosed into the larvae rearing crates, a method involving mixing of the different raw material matrix and subsequent welling of the feed mixture can be applied to prepare the feed mixture (raw material).

[0076] The purpose of the welling step is to ensure the formation of the right structure of the final feed mixture (feed) by giving the dry matter time to soak up or bind the free water and create a puree-like feed mixture but without free water for the insect larvae. Thus, optimal feed uptake is achieved and, as a consequence, optimal growth performance which highly influences the total yield of the insect strain is achieved. The welling step can overcome the disadvantage of feeding the insect larvae with a feed mixture of suboptimal structure which would result in lower feed intake and, as a consequence, lower total yield of the insect strain. Applying the welling step also helps to minimize the dry matter content necessary to prevent free water in the final feed mixture (without welling).

[0077] The pore forming step can also be supported by heating the feed mixture to induce starch gelatinization and protein denaturation, which will help to bind water and build the desired structure. As a side effect, this can also inactivate pathogenic microorganisms. Preferably, the pore forming step of the final feed mixture is integrated after mixing the different feed substrates. The pore forming step can be performed at different positions in the method and under different conditions.

[0078] Figure 4 Exemplary setups with different options for providing a suitable feed mixture are shown. An exemplary sequence can be as follows. At the beginning, different feed ingredients (typically 2-10 different raw materials) are mixed in a mixer to a final feed mixture. Preferably, the feed mixture comprises 15-40% dry matter, typically about 30% dry matter. According to a first option, the pore forming time can range between 15 minutes and 60 minutes, and the pore forming can also be performed in the mixer. The pore forming time in the mixer can typically be about 15 min to 30 min, wherein stirring can be performed during the pore forming.

[0079] According to a second option, the final feed mixture can be pumped from the mixer to a buffer tank, and the pore forming can be performed in the buffer tank. The pore forming time can typically be 30 minutes, and can range between 15 minutes and 60 minutes.

[0080] In a third option, the pore forming step with a pore forming time as described above can be supported by heating the final feed mixture to a temperature between 50°C and 150°C (typically about 70°C) and holding it at the elevated temperature for the pore forming time.

[0081] In a fourth alternative, the pore forming step is supported by milling or grinding the feed mixture to reduce the particle size and thus the surface available for water binding.

[0082] Combinations of any of the four options described are also feasible and advantageous.

[0083] Subsequently, the feed is dosed into the feeding crates. In case of the third option, the feed mixture has to be cooled to about 25°C-40°C before dosing into the crates. The above described feed mixtures can be used with the above described system and method.

[0084] Other aspects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the above description and the following description, including the drawings and claims.

[0085] While the application has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made by persons of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In particular, the present application covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below.

[0086] Furthermore, in the claims the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single unit can fulfill the functions of several features recited in the claims. The terms "essentially", "about", "approximately" and the like in connection with an attribute or a value particularly mean that the minder attribute or the more precise value is met exactly but also an attribute or a value that is equivalent in terms of functionality or appearance or within a range that is acceptable in the art taking into account the inherent experimental errors and errors typically encountered when measuring or implementing. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. Method for supplying feed to rear insect larvae, the method comprising the steps of: (o) supplying feed to a container (1) using a coarse feed supply device (2), (i) determining the amount of feed in the container (1) or added to the container at a determination device, wherein the determination device comprises at least one weighing station, (ii) calculating the amount of feed necessary to reach a predetermined amount of feed in the container (1), and (iii) supplying feed to the container (1) using a fine feed supply device (3, 4) in the amount calculated in step (ii), wherein the method further comprises transporting the container from the coarse feed supply device (2) to the fine feed supply device (3, 4) by a transport device (5), wherein the determination device is integrated into the transport device (5).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, After step (iii), insect larvae are added to the container (1).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein steps (i) to (iii) are repeated periodically or at manually set intervals to refill the container (1) with feed during rearing of the insect larvae.

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising transporting the container to the coarse feed supply device for performing step (o) and / or transporting the container to the determination device for performing step (i) and / or transporting and / or stacking the container to a storage device after step (iii).

5. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after calculating the amount of feed in step (ii), information about the amount is automatically transmitted electronically to the fine feed supply device.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, After step (o) and / or after step (i), the container is automatically transported to the fine feed supply device and positioned underneath the fine feed supply device.

7. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fine feed supply device is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 10 kg / min and 400 kg / min and / or the coarse feed supply device is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 60 kg / min and 500 kg / min.

8. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein during step (o) and / or step (iii), the amount of feed in the container (1) is continuously or periodically monitored, wherein the supply of feed is stopped when the predetermined amount of feed is reached.

9. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein during step (o) and / or step (iii), the amount of feed supplied to the container (1) is controlled using an observation device.

10. Method according to claim 5, wherein information about the amount is automatically transmitted to the fine feed supply device.

11. Method according to claim 9, wherein the observation device comprises a flow meter or a camera.

12. System for supplying feed to rear insect larvae using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the system comprising: A forage supply device (2) for supplying feed to a container (1), a determination device for determining the container, wherein the determination device comprises at least one weighing station, a concentrate supply device (3, 4), wherein the system further comprises a transport device (5) for transporting the container (1) from the forage supply device (2) to the concentrate supply device (3, 4), wherein the determination device is integrated into the transport device (5).

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the forage supply device (2) is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 60 kg / min and 500 kg / min and / or the concentrate supply device (3, 4) is configured to supply feed at a rate of between 10 kg / min and 400 kg / min.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, the transport device (5) is configured to automatically transport the container between the forage supply device, the concentrate supply device and a storage device.

15. The system according to claim 12 or 13, the system further comprises a viewing device for monitoring and / or for controlling the amount of feed supplied by the forage supply device (2) and / or the concentrate supply device (3, 4).

16. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the forage supply device (2) and the concentrate supply device (3, 4) comprise a nozzle (6, 8, 10) for delivering the feed.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the viewing device comprises a flow meter or a camera.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the diameter of the nozzle (6) of the forage supply device (2) is larger than the diameter of the nozzle (8, 10) of the concentrate supply device (3, 4) and / or the nozzle (6, 8, 10) comprises a closing element (7, 9, 11), wherein at least a part of the closing element (7, 9, 11) is individually controllable.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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