An automatic feeding vehicle and black soldier fly farming technology

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic feeding vehicle and a black soldier fly larvae farming process. Key technical features include a vehicle frame with wheels at the bottom and a material bin on the frame. The material bin is equipped with a first weight detection unit. A material outlet extends from the bottom of the material bin along the width of the farming pond, and a feeding roller is rotatably connected to the outlet. The material is pushed out of the outlet by the rotation of the feeding roller, thereby controlling the discharge speed. The material bin also includes an outlet adjustment unit to control the length of the outlet. This automatic feeding vehicle integrates multiple functions, automating various processes, reducing manpower, and improving farming efficiency. It also achieves precise control of the feeding weight and uniform feeding along the farming pond.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of livestock manure treatment technology, and more specifically to an automatic feeding vehicle and a black soldier fly farming process. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of organic waste resource utilization technology, using black soldier fly larvae to treat livestock and poultry manure (such as chicken manure and pig manure) has become a common environmental protection method. The current conventional process for black soldier fly larvae to treat manure is as follows: first, black soldier fly larvae are evenly spread in the breeding pond by hand. Subsequently, staff will add manure materials to the breeding pond every day for the larvae to feed and grow. After a breeding cycle of about 8 days, adult larvae can be harvested.

[0003] In the existing breeding methods mentioned above, the feeding of manure and waste materials relies entirely on manual operation, which has many technical defects: First, there is a lack of precise quantitative standards for the amount of materials fed. The daily feeding amount is estimated based solely on the personal experience of the staff, making it impossible to accurately control based on factors such as the growth stage of the larvae and the breeding density, which easily leads to problems of overfeeding or underfeeding. Second, manual feeding has poor uniformity, and there are easily situations where materials accumulate in some areas and are scarce in others within the breeding pond. This results in the materials not being fully consumed by the larvae, causing material waste and easily leading to fermentation and spoilage due to excessive material in some areas. Third, uneven feeding and inaccurate values ​​of materials directly affect the uniformity of larval growth, resulting in uneven growth of adult larvae, reducing breeding quality and output efficiency, and also affecting the overall effect of manure and waste treatment.

[0004] Furthermore, existing manual feeding methods are not only labor-intensive and costly, but also difficult to adapt to the needs of large-scale, standardized farming, thus hindering the industrialization and promotion of black soldier fly larvae manure disposal technology. The aforementioned problems of poor precision and uniformity in material feeding are common in other farming, feed application, and manure drying applications, and currently lack universal solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic feeding vehicle includes a frame with wheels at the bottom and a material bin on the frame. The material bin is equipped with a first weight detection unit. A material outlet for discharging material is provided at the bottom of the material bin, extending along the width of the aquaculture pond. A feeding roller is rotatably connected to the material outlet. The material is pushed out of the material outlet by the rotation of the feeding roller, thereby controlling the discharge speed. The material bin is also equipped with a material outlet adjustment unit for controlling the length of the material outlet.

[0006] The present invention is further configured such that: the material outlet adjustment unit includes several layers of sliding baffles disposed below the material outlet, the sliding baffles slide along the length direction of the material outlet to cover the material outlet, when the sliding baffles of different layers are staggered, the opening area of ​​the material outlet is reduced, and when the sliding baffles of different layers overlap, the opening area of ​​the material outlet is increased.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that: a discharge roller is rotatably connected inside the material bin and above the feeding roller; both the discharge roller and the feeding roller include a rotating shaft; the rotating shaft is arranged along the length direction of the material inlet; and blades are also arranged on the rotating shaft; the blades are arranged equidistantly along the circumference of the rotating shaft; and a drive assembly for driving the feeding roller and the discharge roller to rotate is provided on the material bin.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that the inner wall of the material bin, the surface of the feeding roller, and the surface of the unloading roller are all provided with an anti-stick coating.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that: the frame is also provided with a seedling chamber, the seedling chamber has a seedling outlet for discharging seedlings, and the seedling chamber is provided with a second weight detection unit.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that: the insect seedling chamber is provided with an insect seedling opening adjustment unit for controlling the size of the insect seedling opening, the insect seedling opening adjustment unit includes a rotating baffle rotatably connected to the insect seedling chamber, and an adjustment cylinder movably disposed on the insect seedling chamber, the output shaft of the adjustment cylinder being movably connected to the rotating baffle, thereby driving the rotating baffle to rotate at the insect seedling opening.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that: a receiving plate is provided below the insect seedling opening in the seedling chamber, and there is a gap between the receiving plate and the seedling opening.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that: a leveling component is provided between the material bin and the insect seed bin on the vehicle frame; the leveling component includes a leveling bracket that moves up and down in the vertical direction; a leveling plate and a distributing rake are provided on the leveling bracket; the distributing rake extends below the leveling plate; when the leveling plate is flush with the top of the insect seed mixture, the distributing rake extends into the insect seed mixture.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that: a turning plow and a collecting shovel are provided at the front end of the vehicle frame, the two being arranged along the front-rear direction of the vehicle frame, and the turning plow and the collecting roller are extended along the length direction of the material inlet and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that: folding plates are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the rear end of the frame, the folding plates are inclined inward along the front-rear direction of the frame, and the folding plates can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

[0015] The present invention also proposes a black soldier fly farming process, including a farming site and the aforementioned automatic feeding vehicle. The automatic feeding vehicle moves within the farming site. The farming site is equipped with at least one cycle farming unit. The cycle farming unit includes several farming ponds. The farming progress of adjacent farming ponds is delayed by one day in turn. The amount of feed fed to each farming pond is controlled according to the farming situation of the previous farming pond.

[0016] The present invention is further configured such that each breeding pond includes the following breeding steps: S1: On the first day, insect seedlings are introduced into the breeding pond; S2: From the fourth to the eighth day, fecal material is introduced into the breeding pond once a day; S3: On the fifth day, the fecal material in the breeding pond is turned over; S4: On the eighth day, the adult insects in the breeding pond are collected; S5: After step S4, the remaining fecal material in the breeding pond is shoveled out.

[0017] The invention is further configured as follows: In step S1, insect seedling mixture is added to the seedling bin, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically feed the insect seedling mixture into the breeding pond; In step S2, the weight of the manure material added to the material bin is controlled according to the breeding situation of the previous breeding pond, and the feeding roller rotates to evenly feed the manure material into the breeding pond as the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond; In step S3, the turning plow descends, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically turn the manure material in the breeding pond; In step S4, the gathering plate descends, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically gather the manure material in the breeding pond towards the center; In step S5, the collecting shovel descends, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically shovel out the remaining manure material in the breeding pond.

[0018] The invention is further configured such that: lanes are provided on both sides of the width of the aquaculture pond, the width of the lanes is adapted to the wheels of the automatic feeding vehicle, and a positioning sensor for detecting the travel distance of the automatic feeding vehicle is provided at the end of the lanes.

[0019] The present invention also proposes a black soldier fly larvae farming system, including the black soldier fly larvae farming process described above. Each of the farming ponds is equipped with an electronic tag. The farming system uses the electronic tag to set the working objectives for the farming pond and record the operation process of the farming pond.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages: 1. By setting up a first weight detection unit in the material silo, the weight of the feed can be precisely controlled. The feed is then fed through a rotating feed roller at the material inlet. The rotation speed of the feed roller is controlled to ensure uniform feeding along the aquaculture pond. By setting up a material inlet adjustment unit, the width of the feed can be controlled according to different aquaculture stages. This completely changes the extensive mode of manual estimation based on experience and greatly improves the feeding accuracy and material utilization rate.

[0021] 2. The automatic feeding vehicle integrates multiple functions such as material feeding, insect seedling feeding, mixing and leveling, material turning, adult insect collection, and residual material cleaning. The turning plow, collection plate, and collection shovel can all be raised and lowered vertically. With the movement of the feeding vehicle, each process can be automated, replacing manual labor to complete the entire breeding process, greatly reducing the labor intensity of workers, reducing manpower input, and improving the operating efficiency of each breeding process.

[0022] 3. Since fecal materials are generally sticky, a feeding roller is added inside the material hopper to force feeding and break arches. At the same time, an anti-stick coating is applied to the inner wall of the material hopper, the feeding roller, and the surface of the feeding roller, which effectively reduces material residue and adhesion, ensures continuous and stable discharge, and reduces the frequency of manual cleaning.

[0023] 4. A receiving plate is installed below the larvae's mouth so that the larvae will fall onto the receiving plate first. This reduces the drop height and prevents them from being damaged. It also makes the larvae more dispersed when they are discharged. By setting up a leveling component, the leveling component passes behind the material bin each time it is fed. The distribution rake can break up large pieces of manure material, and the leveling plate scrapes along the top, making the manure material in the entire breeding pond more uniform and flat.

[0024] 5. The progress of each breeding pond is delayed by one day, which allows for more precise control of the amount of feed given to the later breeding ponds based on the breeding situation of the previous day (whether the manure and materials can be consumed). Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a front-end view diagram of this embodiment; Figure 2 This is a backend view diagram of this embodiment; Figure 3 This is a side view of this embodiment; Figure 4 This is a bottom view of this embodiment; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the material warehouse; Figure 6 This is a top view of the material inlet adjustment unit; Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the material inlet adjustment unit. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the insect seedling storage area; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the insect seedling storage area; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the flattening component.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Frame; 2. Wheels; 3. Material bin; 4. Discharge port; 5. Material inlet adjustment unit; 501. Scissor telescopic rod; 502. Sliding baffle; 503. Positive and negative threaded rod; 504. Guide rod; 505. Slider; 6. Insect / larvae inlet adjustment unit; 601. Adjustment cylinder; 602. Rotating baffle; 7. Leveling assembly; 701. Leveling bracket; 702. Push plate; 703. Distributing rake; 8. Feeding roller; 801. Rotating shaft; 802. Blade; 9. Discharge roller; 10. Drive assembly; 11. First weight detection unit; 12. Insect / larvae bin; 13. Receiving plate; 14. Turning plow; 15. Receiving shovel; 16. Gathering plate; 17. Second weight detection unit; 18. Insect / larvae inlet; 19. Lifting column; 20. Lifting cylinder; 21. Diverting trough. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0028] First embodiment: like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an automatic feeding vehicle is mainly used for integrated operations such as feeding larvae, material feeding, turning the feed, collecting adult larvae, and cleaning up residual feed during black soldier fly farming. It can also be extended to other scenarios requiring quantitative and uniform feeding, turning, collecting, and cleaning. The automatic feeding vehicle includes a frame 1, with wheels 2 located at the four corners of the frame 1. The wheels 2 can be pneumatic tires or solid rubber wheels to adapt to potentially damp or slightly uneven ground in the farming area. The frame 1 is constructed entirely of welded steel sections to ensure structural strength, and its surface is treated with rust prevention to withstand manure environments.

[0029] The frame 1 serves as the load-bearing base for the entire automatic feeding vehicle. The wheels 2 are driven by independent motors and can be omnidirectional, enabling forward, backward, and in-situ turning. This allows the feeding vehicle to move horizontally to adapt to the terrain of the aquaculture site. After exiting the aquaculture pond onto the main road, the feeding vehicle can move horizontally to the next pond, avoiding the inconvenience of turning. Preferably, dedicated lanes are provided on both sides of the aquaculture pond. Since the automatic feeding vehicle of this invention requires virtually no manual operation within the pond, the lane width is set to be adapted to the wheel 2, only slightly wider than the wheel 2. This allows the feeding vehicle to travel in a straight line while minimizing the lane's footprint, thus improving space utilization within the aquaculture site.

[0030] A material bin 3 is installed on the frame 1. The material bin 3 is used to store manure materials (such as chicken manure, pig manure, etc.) to be added. The material bin 3 is generally funnel-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, to facilitate the downward flow of materials by gravity. The top of the material bin 3 is an open opening for adding materials, and the bottom has a narrow material outlet extending along the width of the breeding pond, that is, perpendicular to the travel direction of the frame 1. A feeding roller 8 is rotatably connected to the material outlet. The feeding roller 8 includes a rotating shaft extending along the length of the material outlet, and blades arranged on the rotating shaft, with the blades evenly spaced around the circumference of the rotating shaft.

[0031] Due to the volume and viscosity of the manure, when the feeding roller 8 stops rotating, the material is blocked by the blades and will not fall out. When the feeding roller 8 rotates under the drive assembly 10, the blades push the material out of the material inlet and spread it onto the surface of the aquaculture pond. Since the blades are evenly spaced along the circumference of the rotation axis, the amount of material fed each time it rotates is approximately the same. Therefore, by controlling the rotation speed and travel speed of the feeding roller 8 in a coordinated manner, the amount of material fed per unit area can be precisely adjusted, achieving uniform feeding throughout the entire aquaculture pond.

[0032] A first weight detection unit 11 is installed on the material bin 3. It can be a weighing sensor or a pressure sensor, and is installed at the connection point or support point between the material bin 3 and the frame 1. It is used to monitor the weight of the material added into the material bin 3 in real time. The first weight detection unit 11 is electrically connected to the vehicle controller to ensure that the weight of the added material is exactly consistent with the required weight, thereby achieving closed-loop adjustment of the rotation speed or travel speed of the feeding roller 8 and realizing precise control of the feeding amount.

[0033] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, to adapt the feeding width to the width of the material layer in the aquaculture pond, and to meet the adjustment requirements of the feeding width at different aquaculture stages, the material bin 3 is also equipped with a material inlet adjustment unit 5 to control the effective opening length of the material inlet. Two material inlet adjustment units 5 are provided, symmetrically arranged on both sides below the material inlet. Each side's adjustment component 501 includes several layers of sliding baffles 5012. The sliding baffles 5012 are thin plates that slide sequentially, with the middle portion covering the material inlet.

[0034] Adjacent sliding baffles 502 are sequentially driven by scissor-type telescopic rods. The material inlet adjustment unit 5 is fixed to the side wall of the material bin 3 by a long strip rod. Positive and negative lead screws 503 and guide rods 504 are respectively installed on both sides of the width of the sliding baffle 502. The positive and negative lead screws 503 are driven by a motor. The top sliding baffle 502 of the material inlet adjustment units 5 on both sides is connected to the positive and negative lead screws 503 and guide rods 504 via sliders 505. When the motor drives the positive and negative lead screws 503 to rotate, it causes the top sliding baffle 502 to move towards or away from each other. The sliding baffles 502 of the lower layers are moved together by the scissor-type telescopic rods 501.

[0035] When it is necessary to reduce the effective opening area of ​​the material inlet, the motor drives the sliding baffles 502 at the top of the two material inlet adjustment units 5 to move towards each other, causing the sliding baffles 5012 of each layer to be staggered. This results in the material inlet being covered by the sliding baffles 5012 in the corresponding area, forming a staggered blocking effect similar to venetian blinds, thus reducing the effective opening area. When it is necessary to increase the opening area, the motor drives the sliding baffles 502 at the top of the two material inlet adjustment units 5 to move away from each other, causing the vertical projections of the sliding baffles 5012 to overlap. At this time, the exposed area of ​​the material inlet increases. By controlling the sliding displacement of the sliding baffles 5012, stepless adjustment or at least multi-level adjustment of the material inlet opening length can be achieved. Compared with a single-layer baffle, this multi-layer staggered baffle adjustment structure can achieve a larger adjustment range within a limited space.

[0036] Infrared and temperature sensors can be installed at the bottom of the frame 1. The controller can detect the width of the material layer (when the temperature of the insect seedlings is high) through the sensors and control the width of the material inlet through the detection feedback.

[0037] Considering that fecal materials typically have high moisture content and viscosity, relying solely on gravity for feeding can easily lead to bridging or arching within the material hopper 3, causing interruptions in discharge. Therefore, a discharge roller 9 is rotatably connected within the material hopper 3 and above the feeding roller 8. The structure of the discharge roller 9 is similar to that of the feeding roller 8, including a rotating shaft and blades arranged on the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft of the discharge roller 9 is also arranged along the length of the material inlet and is parallel to the rotating shaft of the feeding roller 8.

[0038] The material bin 3 is equipped with a drive assembly 10, which uses a motor to drive the feeding roller 8 and the discharge roller 9 to rotate in the same or opposite directions via a synchronous belt and synchronous pulley. When the discharge roller 9 rotates, its blades continuously agitate the material above, breaking up any possible arching and forcibly pushing the material to the vicinity of the feeding roller 8, ensuring a continuous and stable supply of material to the feeding roller 8. The coordinated work of the two rollers greatly improves the smoothness of the discharge of sticky and wet materials.

[0039] To further address the issue of material adhesion, the inner wall of the material hopper 3, the surface of the feeding roller 8, the surface of the discharge roller 9, and the material inlet adjustment unit 5 are all equipped with an anti-stick coating. The anti-stick coating can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) or other materials with low surface energy and high wear resistance. The anti-stick coating significantly reduces the frequency of manual cleaning while also ensuring the accuracy of the feeding quantity.

[0040] like Figures 8 to 10 As shown, to achieve full automation of the black soldier fly farming process, a seedling bin 12 is also installed on the frame 1. The seedling bin 12 is used to store the mixture of black soldier fly seedlings and carriers (such as feces, bran, rice bran, etc.). The structure of the seedling bin 12 is similar to that of the material bin 3, with a seedling outlet 18 at the bottom for discharging the seedlings. The length of the seedling outlet 18 is shorter than the length of the material outlet. The seedling bin 12 is equipped with a second weight detection unit 17, which can be a weighing sensor or a pressure sensor, installed at the connection point or support point between the seedling bin 12 and the frame 1. This unit is used to monitor the weight of the seedling mixture in the seedling bin 12 in real time, thereby accurately controlling the total amount of seedlings released each time.

[0041] The larvae chamber 12 is equipped with a larvae opening 18 adjustment unit 6 for controlling the size of the larvae opening 18. The larvae opening 18 adjustment unit 6 includes a rotating baffle 602 rotatably connected to the larvae chamber 12 and an adjusting cylinder 601 movably mounted on the larvae chamber 12. The cylinder body of the adjusting cylinder 601 is hinged to the side wall of the larvae chamber 12, and its output shaft is movably connected to one end of the rotating baffle 602. By controlling the extension and retraction of the adjusting cylinder 601, the rotating baffle 602 can be driven to rotate around its axis, thereby changing the area of ​​the rotating baffle 602 covering the larvae opening 18, achieving stepless adjustment of the opening degree of the larvae opening 18. Automatic control is achieved through cylinder drive, and it can be linked with the vehicle controller to automatically adjust the opening degree according to the preset release density.

[0042] A receiving plate 13 is installed below the larvae opening 18 in the larvae storage chamber 12. A certain distance is maintained between the receiving plate 13 and the larvae opening 18. The receiving plate 13 is inclined downwards and has a funnel shape. The receiving plate 13 is fixedly connected to the bottom or side wall of the larvae storage chamber 12. When the larvae mixture falls from the larvae opening, it first lands on the receiving plate 13. Due to the outward expansion of the inclined receiving plate 13, the larvae mixture is spread and dispersed on it, and then slides down from the edge of the receiving plate 13 to the surface of the rearing pond. This structure reduces the drop height of the larvae, preventing injury from impact; the dispersing effect of the receiving plate 13 ensures a more even distribution of larvae across the width of the rearing pond. Furthermore, the receiving plate 13 is provided with a diversion channel 21, which is composed of multiple baffles spaced apart. When the insect seedling mixture falls onto the receiving plate 13, the diversion channel 21 has the effect of breaking up the blocky insect seedling mixture and can also enhance the uniformity of the discharge in each direction.

[0043] A leveling assembly 7 is installed on the frame 1 between the material bin 3 and the larvae bin 12 (i.e., behind the material bin 3 and in front of the larvae bin 12, depending on the direction of movement of the feeding vehicle). The leveling assembly 7 is used to level and disperse the material on the surface of the breeding pond immediately after the material is fed in, ensuring a uniform material layer thickness. The leveling assembly 7 includes a leveling bracket 701 that moves vertically. A pushing plate 702 and a distributing rake 703 are fixedly installed on the leveling bracket 701. The distributing rake 703 extends downward to below the pushing plate 702. When the leveling bracket 701 descends to the working position, the lower edge of the pushing plate 702 is flush with the expected top surface of the material layer, while the distributing rake 703 extends into the material layer.

[0044] The distribution rake 703 includes multiple rake teeth spaced apart along the length of the material inlet. These teeth can be straight or hooked. Their function is to break up any clumps or agglomerates that may exist in the material layer when the feeding vehicle moves forward. The push plate 702 is a U-shaped plate that smooths the surface of the material layer when the feeding vehicle moves forward. Through the synergistic effect of the push plate 702 and the distribution rake 703, the flatness of the material layer surface and the uniformity of the interior are significantly improved, providing a consistent growth environment for black soldier fly larvae and preventing fermentation due to excessively thick material layers in some areas or insufficient food due to excessively thin material layers in others.

[0045] The front end of the frame 1 is equipped with a turning plow 14 and a collecting shovel 15, which are arranged along the front-to-back direction of the frame 1 (the front-to-back arrangement of the frame 1 in the direction of movement). The collecting shovel 15 is located further forward, and the turning plow 14 is located behind the collecting shovel 15. Both the collecting shovel 15 and the turning plow 14 extend along the length of the material inlet, matching the width of the material layer in the aquaculture pond, and both can be raised and lowered independently in the vertical direction.

[0046] The turning plow 14 is mainly used during the middle stage of black soldier fly farming (e.g., days 4 to 8) to turn over the manure material, loosening the surface and middle layers to prevent compaction and fermentation, and also facilitating the movement of black soldier fly larvae. The collecting shovel 15 is mainly used after the farming cycle ends (day 8) to shovel out the remaining manure material in the farming pond after the adult flies are harvested, achieving mechanized cleaning of residual material and greatly reducing the labor intensity of manual pond cleaning.

[0047] Symmetrical gathering plates 16 are arranged on the left and right sides of the rear end of the frame 1. The gathering plates 16 are inclined inward along the front-rear direction of the frame 1, that is, the front end of the gathering plate 16 on each side is away from the center line of the frame 1, and the rear end is close to the center line of the frame 1, forming an overall figure-eight arrangement. The gathering plates 16 can be raised and lowered vertically. During the adult insect harvesting stage, the gathering plates 16 are lowered to near or slightly above the bottom of the pool. As the feeding vehicle moves forward, the gathering plates 16 on both sides gradually gather the originally wider material layer towards the central area, facilitating subsequent concentrated harvesting. The inclination angle of the gathering plates 16 is designed according to the required gathering width.

[0048] In this embodiment, the leveling component 7, the turning plow 14, the collecting shovel 15, and the gathering plate 16 all use lifting cylinders 20 as the power source for lifting. The lifting cylinders 20 are fixed to the frame, and each component can be equipped with one or more lifting cylinders 20 as needed. Furthermore, each component is slidably connected to the frame 1 via a lifting column 19. The bottom of the lifting column 11 is fixed to the leveling bracket 701, and the lifting column 19 vertically passes through the frame 1 and is slidably connected to it. The number of lifting columns 19 can be set according to the force requirements of each component. The lifting cylinders 20 are only used to drive the lifting of the components. When the components are being pushed horizontally, the horizontal reaction force is borne by the lifting column 19, making the lifting cylinders 20 less prone to damage.

[0049] The automatic feeding vehicle is equipped with an on-board controller (PLC or embedded controller) that receives signals from the first weight detection unit 11, the second weight detection unit 17, the position sensor, and the position sensors of each lifting mechanism. Based on a preset program or instructions from a host computer, it controls the speed of the walking motor, the feeding roller 8, the unloading roller 9, the start / stop of the vibration motor 17, and the actions of each cylinder and electric push rod. The controller can also communicate with the aquaculture management system via a wireless module to obtain operating instructions from each aquaculture pond and upload operating data. Workers can operate the feeding vehicle remotely throughout the entire process without needing to enter the aquaculture ponds.

[0050] Second embodiment: This invention also proposes a black soldier fly farming process, including a farming site and the aforementioned automatic feeding vehicle. This process utilizes the automatic feeding vehicle to carry out automated operations within the farming site, forming a standardized, data-driven, and highly efficient production model.

[0051] The breeding facility is equipped with at least one cycle breeding unit. If the site is large, multiple cycle breeding units can be set up, each cycle breeding unit consisting of several breeding ponds. The breeding progress of adjacent breeding ponds is delayed by one day. For example, pond number one is stocked on the first day, pond number two on the second day, and so on, forming a rolling production. This arrangement ensures that a fixed batch of breeding ponds requires feeding, turning, and harvesting operations every day. The automatic feeding vehicle can operate on a daily cycle, resulting in high equipment utilization and easy adjustment of the feeding amount for the next batch of ponds based on the breeding situation of the previous batch.

[0052] The aquaculture pond is a rectangular trough. Lanes are provided on both sides of the pond's width, with the lane width adapted to the wheels of the automatic feeding vehicle. At the end of each lane is a position sensor, such as a proximity switch, limit switch, or laser rangefinder, to detect the automatic feeding vehicle's travel distance. The position sensor signal is connected to the automatic feeding vehicle's controller to control the vehicle's deceleration, stopping, and return, ensuring that each feeding and turning operation covers the entire length of the aquaculture pond without overstepping its designated area.

[0053] A complete rearing cycle within each rearing pond includes the following steps: S1: On the first day, insect seedlings and feed are introduced into the breeding pond; Before operation, the total weight of the required insect larvae feed is calculated based on the area of ​​the rearing pond and the target rearing density. The insect larvae feed is loaded into the larvae bin, and a second weight detection unit ensures accurate weight measurement. The automatic feeding vehicle travels to one end of the rearing pond to be fed with larvae. The controller calculates the opening degree of the larvae inlet adjustment unit and the traveling speed based on the length of the rearing pond and the preset rearing density. The vibration motor is started, the larvae bin vibrates, and the insect larvae feed falls through the larvae inlet onto the receiving plate, where it is dispersed and evenly spread across the pond surface.

[0054] S2: From the fourth to the eighth day, add manure to the breeding pond once a day; Determining the feed quantity in this step is crucial to the process. First, a baseline feed quantity is preset based on the stocking quantity and growth curve of the larvae in the rearing ponds. Then, each time feed is added, the automatic feeding vehicle precisely measures the actual amount fed through the first weight detection unit. Before the next feeding, operators or the system can observe the remaining material in rearing ponds of the same age at the previous rearing stage (e.g., ponds fed the previous day) and dynamically adjust the feed quantity accordingly. Specifically, if the material in the previous batch of ponds is almost completely consumed within 24 hours of feeding, it indicates that the feed quantity was too low, and the amount can be increased by 5%-10% this time; if there is a large amount of remaining material, the feed quantity should be appropriately reduced. This feedback mechanism ensures that the feed quantity always closely matches the actual needs of the larvae, avoiding waste and environmental pollution.

[0055] During feeding, the automatic feeding vehicle loads manure into the material bin. The appropriate material inlet opening length is set via an adjustment unit based on the material layer width or the needs of the breeding stage. The vehicle travels along the lane, and the feeding rollers rotate at a uniform speed, evenly distributing the material. By controlling the matching of the feeding roller speed with the vehicle speed, precise control of the amount of material fed per unit area is achieved. Simultaneously, the discharge rollers and a vibrating motor work together to ensure that sticky or wet materials do not clog the bins. This process completely changes the extensive method of manual shoveling and scattering of material based on experience, increasing the material consumption rate to over 90%.

[0056] S3: On the fifth day, turn over the manure and materials in the breeding pond; By the fifth day of rearing, the material layer may have settled and compacted, with a hardened surface that hinders ventilation and larval activity. At this point, the automatic feeding vehicle lowers its front-end turning plow to the set depth and begins to move. The turning plow turns and loosens the entire material layer, repeating the process once or multiple times. This turning operation significantly improves the aeration of the material layer and brings uneaten material from the lower layers to the surface for the larvae to continue feeding on, thus increasing material conversion efficiency.

[0057] S4: On the eighth day, collect the adult insects from the breeding pond; On the eighth day, the black soldier fly larvae enter the adult stage for harvesting. In existing technologies, the feed layer needs to be gathered inwards before collecting the adults. The automatic feeding vehicle of this invention only performs the action of gathering the feed layer inwards; subsequent collection is the same as in existing technologies and will not be described further. The automatic feeding vehicle lowers the side gathering plates to near the bottom of the pool, and the vehicle moves slowly, with the gathering plates gathering the feed layer towards the center. The design of the gathering plates completes the gathering of the feed layer before harvesting the insects, significantly reducing labor intensity and greatly improving harvesting efficiency.

[0058] S5: After step S4, remove the remaining fecal material from the aquaculture pond; After the adult insects are harvested, a small amount of uneaten feces and insect excrement will remain at the bottom of the pond, preparing for the next round of breeding. This must be thoroughly cleaned. An automatic feeding vehicle lowers its shovel close to the pond bottom, scooping up the remaining material and pushing it to the end of the breeding pond for collection. The shovel's width covers the maximum width of the material layer, allowing for complete cleaning of the entire pond in a single operation.

[0059] S6 (optional): Cleaning and disinfection; After removing the residual material, the breeding pond and automatic feeding vehicle can be rinsed to prepare for the next breeding cycle.

[0060] In summary, this invention highly integrates various functional modules into the same automatic feeding vehicle, realizing integrated automated operation of the entire black soldier fly breeding cycle—fly release, precise feeding, feed layer leveling, mid-term feed turning, adult fly collection, and residual feed cleaning, completely replacing manual experience-based operation; In terms of precise feeding, the first weight detection unit controls the feeding amount in real time in a closed loop, and the feeding roller speed and vehicle speed are adjusted in tandem to reduce feeding errors; the material outlet adjustment unit adopts multi-layer staggered baffles, which can steplessly adapt to the pool width and prevent overflow or gaps; the discharge roller and vibrating motor assist in the discharge, and the anti-stick coating ensures continuous and stable feeding of sticky and wet materials, and accurate and reliable metering. In terms of uniform feeding, the feeding roller pushes the material at a uniform speed along the width of the pool, so that the amount of material fed per unit area is equal; the receiving plate tilts and vibrates to disperse and slide the larvae, avoiding damage from piling up; the leveling component breaks up the clumps and scrapes the surface in time, ensuring that the thickness and density of the material layer are highly uniform, the larvae grow uniformly, and the marketable rate of adult insects is significantly improved. In addition, the cyclical aquaculture unit delays the progress of adjacent ponds by one day, and the amount of feed for the next batch can be dynamically adjusted based on the feeding situation of the previous batch. The electronic tag linkage aquaculture system realizes the automatic issuance of operation instructions and data traceability, forming a standardized and unmanned intelligent production mode. With precision, uniformity and full automation as the core, this invention greatly reduces labor costs and improves material conversion efficiency and aquaculture benefits.

[0061] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the design concept of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0062] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. An automatic dosing vehicle, characterized by: The device includes a frame with wheels at the bottom and a material bin on the frame. The material bin is equipped with a first weight detection unit. The bottom of the material bin extends along the width of the aquaculture pond and has a material outlet for discharging material. A feeding roller is rotatably connected to the material outlet. The material is pushed out of the material outlet by the rotation of the feeding roller, thereby controlling the discharge speed. The material bin is also equipped with a material outlet adjustment unit for controlling the length of the material outlet.

2. The automatic charging car according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material inlet adjustment unit includes several layers of sliding baffles disposed below the material inlet. The sliding baffles slide along the length of the material inlet to cover it. When the sliding baffles of different layers are staggered, the opening area of ​​the material inlet is reduced. When the sliding baffles of different layers overlap, the opening area of ​​the material inlet is increased.

3. The automatic charging car according to claim 1, characterized in that: A discharge roller is rotatably connected inside the material bin and above the feeding roller. Both the discharge roller and the feeding roller include a rotating shaft, which is arranged along the length of the material inlet. The rotating shaft also includes blades arranged on the rotating shaft, which are equidistantly arranged along the circumference of the rotating shaft. A drive assembly for driving the feeding roller and the discharge roller to rotate is provided on the material bin.

4. The automatic dosing vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the material bin, the surface of the feeding roller, and the surface of the unloading roller are all provided with an anti-stick coating.

5. The automatic charging car according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle frame is also equipped with a seedling chamber, which has a seedling outlet for discharging seedlings, and a second weight detection unit.

6. The automatic charging car according to claim 5, characterized in that: The insect seedling chamber is equipped with an insect seedling opening adjustment unit for controlling the size of the insect seedling opening. The insect seedling opening adjustment unit includes a rotating baffle rotatably connected to the insect seedling chamber and an adjustment cylinder movably disposed on the insect seedling chamber. The output shaft of the adjustment cylinder is movably connected to the rotating baffle, thereby driving the rotating baffle to rotate at the insect seedling opening.

7. The automatic feeding vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The insect seedling chamber is equipped with a receiving plate located below the insect seedling opening, and there is a gap between the receiving plate and the insect seedling opening.

8. The automatic feeding vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The frame is equipped with a leveling component between the material bin and the insect seedling bin. The leveling component includes a leveling bracket that moves up and down in a vertical direction. The leveling bracket is equipped with a leveling plate and a distribution rake. The distribution rake extends below the leveling plate. When the leveling plate is flush with the top of the insect seedling mixture, the distribution rake extends into the insect seedling mixture.

9. The automatic feeding vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the vehicle frame is equipped with a turning plow and a collecting shovel, which are arranged along the front-rear direction of the vehicle frame. The turning plow and the collecting roller extend along the length of the material inlet and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

10. The automatic feeding vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end of the vehicle frame is symmetrically provided with folding plates on the left and right sides. The folding plates are inclined inward along the front-rear direction of the vehicle frame and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

11. A black soldier fly larvae farming process, characterized in that: The facility includes a breeding site and an automatic feeding vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-10. The automatic feeding vehicle moves within the breeding site. The breeding site is equipped with at least one cycle breeding unit. The cycle breeding unit includes several breeding ponds. The breeding progress of adjacent breeding ponds is delayed by one day in turn. The amount of feed fed to each breeding pond is controlled according to the breeding situation of the previous breeding pond.

12. The black soldier fly larvae farming process according to claim 11, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned culture ponds includes the following culture steps: S1: On the first day, insect seedlings and mixed feed are introduced into the breeding pond; S2: From the fourth to the eighth day, add manure material to the breeding pond once a day; S3: On the fifth day, the manure material in the breeding pond is turned over; S4: On the eighth day, collect the adult insects from the breeding pond; S5: After step S4, remove the remaining fecal material from the aquaculture pond.

13. The black soldier fly larvae farming process according to claim 12, characterized in that: In step S1, insect seedling mixture is added to the seedling chamber, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically feed the insect seedling mixture into the breeding pond. In step S2, the weight of the manure material added to the material bin is controlled according to the breeding situation of the previous breeding pond. When the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond, the feeding roller rotates to evenly feed the manure material into the breeding pond. In step S3, the turning plow descends and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond to automatically turn over the manure material in the breeding pond; In step S4, the gathering plate descends, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the breeding pond, automatically gathering the manure material in the breeding pond towards the center; In step S5, the material collection shovel descends, and the automatic feeding vehicle moves along the aquaculture pond to automatically shovel out the remaining manure material in the aquaculture pond.

14. The black soldier fly larvae farming process according to claim 13, characterized in that: The aquaculture pond has lanes on both sides of its width, the width of which is adapted to the wheels of the automatic feeding vehicle, and a positioning sensor is installed at the end of the lane to detect the travel distance of the automatic feeding vehicle.

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