Emission computing device

Abstract

To disclose a technique for grasping the amount of eructation discharged by a cow.SOLUTION: By using the discharge computing device 30 of the present embodiment, the discharge (volume Vb) of the eructation of each cow 10 can be grasped. Moreover, the amount of water drunk by the cow and the pressure in the 10S of the stomach of the cow 10 are measured to determine the amount of eructation discharged, and these can be measured not in a laboratory but in a cowshed where the cow lives. In other words, by using the discharge computing device 30 according to the present example embodiment, it is possible to grasp the discharge of the eructation of each of the cows 10 on the basis of a result of measuring a physical quantity that may be measured at a site where the cow lives. Furthermore, in the emission computing device 30 according to the present example embodiment, since the methane concentration in the eructation of each cow 10 is estimated using the measurement result of the methane concentration meter 50 attached to the cow 10, the emission of methane contained in the eructation of each cow 10 may also be grasped by multiplying the estimated methane concentration in the eructation by the emission in the eructation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an emission calculation device for managing belching by cows. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, cow belches (that is, burps) have come to be seen as a problematic cause of global warming and have also been attracting attention as a fuel for combustion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-067684 A (paragraph

[0007] ) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, this application discloses a technique for determining the amount of belching emitted by cows. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a discharge amount calculation device that acquires information on the amount of water consumed by a cow and information on intra-stomach pressure measured by a measuring device inside the rumen of the cow, and calculates the amount of belching discharged from the cow, the discharge amount calculation device comprising: a belching detection unit that detects the occurrence of belching based on a decrease in intra-stomach pressure; a capacity estimation unit that estimates the capacity of the gas storage section of the rumen before drinking water based on information on the amount of water consumed and the increase in intra-stomach pressure immediately after drinking water; and a belching volume calculation unit that calculates the volume Vb as the discharge amount of belching from the equation Vb=Cg·(P1-P2) / P2, where P1 and P2 are the gas pressures in the gas storage section before and after the occurrence of belching, respectively, among the gas pressures in the gas storage section contained in the intra-stomach pressure information or calculated from the intra-stomach pressure information, Cg is the estimated value of the capacity of the gas storage section, and Vb is the volume of the discharged belching under atmospheric pressure. The measuring device disclosed herein includes a device that floats on the liquid in the rumen and measures the gas pressure in the gas storage unit, and a device that is submerged in the liquid and does not directly measure the gas pressure in the gas storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] By using the discharge amount calculation device of the present disclosure, it is possible to grasp the amount of belching discharged by each individual cow. Moreover, the measurement data for determining the amount of belching discharged is the amount of water the cow drinks and the pressure in its stomach, which can be measured not in a laboratory but at the site where the cow lives. In other words, by using the discharge amount calculation device of the present disclosure, it is possible to grasp the amount of belching discharged by a cow based on the measurement results of physical quantities that can be measured at the site where the cow lives. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a cow monitoring system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2A is a conceptual diagram of the stomach, and Figure 2B is a conceptual diagram of the stomach after drinking water. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the measurement device, the water supply device, the methane concentration measuring device, and the emission amount calculation device. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a methane concentration meter attached to a cow. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the discharge amount calculation device. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the change in pressure in the gas storage unit due to eructation and drinking behavior. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram of the first data table. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the flowchart of the methane emissions identification program. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a program executed by the capacity estimation process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the program executed by the eructation estimation process. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the program executed by the methane estimation process. [Figure 12] FIG. 12A is a conceptual diagram of a stomach according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 12B is a conceptual diagram of a stomach after drinking water according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the discharge amount calculation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of a discharge amount calculation device 30 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Figure 1 shows a cow monitoring system 100 that collectively monitors the belching of multiple cows 10. This cow monitoring system 100 includes a discharge amount calculation device 30, a user terminal 70, multiple measuring devices 20 provided for each of the multiple cows 10, a methane concentration meter 50, and a water supply device 80, all of which are connectable via a communication network 101.

[0009] Although the example of the communication network 101 shown in FIG. 1 includes wireless base stations 400 and 401, a gateway 500, and a general-purpose communication line 300, the communication network may have any configuration.

[0010] The objects monitored by the cow monitoring system 100 are, for example, multiple cows 10 that are separated into multiple areas of a cowshed and kept one by one. The cows 10 expel methane-containing belch through the following mechanism. Specifically, the cow 10 has four stomachs, the first and second of which are called the rumen, and they contain a liquid containing microorganisms (commonly called "rumen fluid"). Methane gas generated as the feed is decomposed by the microorganisms accumulates in the rumen. The methane gas that accumulates in the first stomach (hereinafter simply referred to as "stomach 10S"), which is the stomach closest to the cow's 10's mouth, is expelled to the outside as belch, and therefore the belch of the cow 10 contains methane.

[0011] In this embodiment, the stomach 10S of the cow 10 is considered to be a container with a fixed volume, as shown in the conceptual diagrams of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Considering this, the gas volume Cg, which is the volume of the gas storage section 10G of the stomach 10S that is filled with gas, changes according to the volume Cr of stored liquid (e.g., liquid other than gas), and the gas pressure in the gas storage section 10G changes in accordance with Boyle's law as the gas volume Cg changes. Specifically, as shown by comparing FIGS. 2A and 2B, if the stored liquid volume Cr is Cr(1) and the gas volume is Cg(1) before the cow 10 drinks water, when the stored liquid volume Cr increases to Cr(2) after drinking water, the gas volume Cg decreases by the amount of the increase to Cg(2), and the gas pressure in the gas storage section 10G increases. Furthermore, as methane gas is generated, the gas pressure in the gas storage unit 10G increases, and as belching occurs, the gas pressure in the gas storage unit 10G decreases.

[0012] The measuring device 20 is inserted into the stomach 10S (the first stomach, which is the rumen) through the mouth of each cow 10 and left there. As shown in FIG. 3, the measuring device 20 includes a pressure sensor 21, a temperature sensor 22, and a wireless circuit 23. The measuring device 20 has a structure in which a flow section 20F is connected to a main body section 20H via a cable 20C, and the pressure sensor 21 is disposed in the flow section 20F, while the temperature sensor 22, the wireless circuit 23, and the control circuit 24 are disposed in the main body section 20H (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). The flow section 20F floats on the surface of the liquid in the stomach 10S, and the pressure sensor 21 measures the gas pressure in the gas-accommodating section 10G of the stomach 10S. The main body section 20H sinks to the bottom of the stomach 10S, and the temperature sensor 22 measures the temperature of the liquid in the stomach 10S. That is, the measuring device 20 of this embodiment measures the gas pressure inside the gas storage section 10G of the stomach 10S, and the gas pressure inside the gas storage section 10G corresponds to the "intragastric pressure" in the claims. Furthermore, measurements by the pressure sensor 21 and the temperature sensor 22 are performed at a predetermined first period (e.g., 10 seconds), and information with an identification number and measurement time added to the measurement result is output by the wireless circuit 23 at a predetermined second period (e.g., 10 minutes) that is longer than the first period.

[0013] In the measuring device 20 of this embodiment, the flow unit 20F is connected to the main body unit 20H via a cable 20C, but the flow unit 20F and the main body unit 20H may be provided with short-range wireless circuits so that the flow unit 20F and the main body unit 20H are connected wirelessly instead of via a cable 20C, or the entire measuring device 20 may be configured to float on the liquid surface in the stomach 10S. Furthermore, the above-mentioned measurement period (first period) and transmission period (second period) may be of any length.

[0014] A plurality of water supply devices 80 are installed in dedicated areas for each cow 10 in the cowshed. As shown in FIG. 3, water supply device 80 comprises a tank 81, a weighing scale 82 and a wireless circuit 83, and outputs the result of measuring the weight of the water in tank 81 using weighing scale 82 in the same manner as measuring device 20. Note that water supply device 80 may be configured to be equipped with a flow meter instead of weighing scale 82 to measure the flow rate of water flowing out of tank 81. Alternatively, for example, the flow rate may be obtained by detecting changes in the liquid level of the water in tank 81 using a liquid level sensor.

[0015] As shown in Figure 4, multiple methane concentration meters 50 are fixed to, for example, a bridle and placed at the nose of each cow 10. Also, as shown in Figure 3, methane concentration meter 50 is equipped with methane concentration sensor 51 and wireless circuit 52, and outputs the measurement results of methane concentration sensor 51 in the same manner as measuring device 20. Note that the placement of methane concentration meter 50 is not limited to the nose of cow 10; for example, a suction duct may be provided above a dedicated area for each cow 10, and methane concentration meter 50 may be placed inside the suction duct.

[0016] The information on the measurement results output by these measuring devices 20, water supply devices 80, and methane concentration meter 50 is accumulated in a data server 90 connected to the communication network 101. The data accumulated in the data server 90 is then acquired by the discharge amount calculation device 30, which will be described next. The data accumulated in the data server 90 is also acquired by, in addition to the discharge amount calculation device 30, for example, a cattle management device (not shown). The measurement results of the multiple measuring devices 20 are then input into and used by the cattle management device in order to collectively manage abnormalities and changes related to the physical condition of the cattle 10, such as diseases and signs of estrus.

[0017] In this embodiment, the water supply device 80, the measuring device 20, and the methane concentration meter 50 use the same method for outputting measurement results, but they may use different methods. For example, the measurement period (first period) and transmission period (second period) of the water supply device 80, the measuring device 20, and the methane concentration meter 50 may be different, or the measurement period and transmission period may be the same. Furthermore, the measuring device 20 and the methane concentration meter 50 may be configured to output via a wire rather than wirelessly.

[0018] The emission amount calculation device 30 is, for example, a server computer, and as shown in Fig. 3, has at least a communication circuit 31, a control unit 32 including a CPU 32A and a memory 32B, and a storage medium 40. The emission amount calculation device 30 may be a cloud server.

[0019] The storage medium 40 is composed of a RAM, a hard disk, a flash memory, etc., and as shown in FIG. 5, has an identification number storage section 41, a program storage section 42, a reference storage section 43, etc.

[0020] The identification number storage unit 41 stores the identification numbers of the user (e.g., dairy farmer) who uses the cow monitoring system 100 and the multiple cows 10 managed by the user, linked to the identification numbers of the measuring device 20, methane concentration meter 50, and water supply device 80. Furthermore, if the user wishes to manage multiple cows 10 collectively as one or more management groups, the identification numbers of the multiple cows 10 can be linked with the group number of the management group and stored in the identification number storage unit 41.

[0021] The program storage unit 42 stores a methane emission amount identification program PG1 (described later) and the like. The methane emission amount identification program PG1 may be stored on a CD-ROM, a USB memory, or the like and read and executed by the CPU 32A, or may be executed by the CPU 32A using a service such as an application via the communication network 101.

[0022] 5 shows multiple control blocks of the emission amount calculation device 30 when the CPU 32A executes the methane emission amount identification program PG1 and the like stored in the program storage unit 42. The multiple control blocks include a data acquisition unit 33, a drinking water identification unit 34A, a volume estimation unit 34B, an eruption detection unit 36A, an eruption volume calculation unit 36B, a methane concentration estimation unit 38A, a methane emission amount calculation unit 38B, and the like.

[0023] As described above, the data acquisition unit 33 acquires the output data of the measuring device 20, the water supply device 80, and the methane concentration meter 50 stored in the data server 90, and stores the data in the buffer 33A. More specifically, the data acquisition unit 33 acquires output data of the measuring device 20, etc., for a certain period of time in the past (for example, one day or half a day) from the data server 90.

[0024] The eruption detection unit 36A detects eruption during a certain period of time in the past. Specifically, the gas pressure P in the gas storage unit 10G is obtained from the buffer 33A for each measurement time t, and a pressure change ΔP of the gas pressure P in the gas storage unit 10G per unit time Δt is calculated. In this embodiment, the unit time Δt is the measurement interval for the gas pressure P in the gas storage unit 10G, and the pressure change ΔP(n) at each measurement time t is calculated as the difference between the gas pressure P(n) in the gas storage unit 10G at that measurement time t(n) and the gas pressure P(n-1) in the gas storage unit 10G at the immediately preceding measurement time t(n-1).

[0025] Here, taking advantage of the fact that the gas pressure P in the gas storage unit 10G drops suddenly before and after the cow 10 belches, the belch detection unit 36A detects the cow 10's belch when the amount of pressure change ΔP exceeds a predetermined reference pressure drop Pc, that is, when the gas pressure P in the gas storage unit 10G drops by more than the reference pressure drop Pc in unit time Δt, and identifies the belch occurrence time tb and the gas pressures P1 and P2 in the gas storage unit 10G before and after the belch occurrence. The reference pressure drop Pc is stored in the reference storage unit 43.

[0026] The drinking water identification unit 34A identifies drinking behaviors during a certain period of time in the past and the amount of water consumed by each drinking behavior. Specifically, it obtains the weight W of water in the tank 81 from the buffer 33A for each measurement time t and calculates the weight change ΔW per unit time Δt. In this embodiment, the unit time Δt is the weight measurement interval, and the weight change ΔW(n) at each measurement time t(n) is calculated by subtracting the weight W(n-1) at the immediately preceding measurement time t(n-1) from the weight W(n) at that measurement time t(n). If the weight change ΔW decreases, it is identified as having had a drinking behavior. A period during which the weight change ΔW continues to decrease is identified as a drinking period, and the weight change ΔW during that drinking period is integrated, and this integrated value is calculated as the amount of water consumed Vw during that drinking period.

[0027] The capacity estimation unit 34B determines the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G using the amount of drinking water Vw calculated by the drinking water determination unit 34A. When water enters the stomach 10S due to drinking, the volume of the gas storage unit 10G decreases accordingly, and the gas pressure P inside the gas storage unit 10G increases. Therefore, the gas pressure Pd1 inside the gas storage unit 10G at the drinking start time t1 of each drinking period and the gas pressure Pd2 inside the gas storage unit 10G at the drinking end time t2 are determined from the gas pressure P inside the gas storage unit 10G for each measurement time t accumulated in the buffer 33A, and the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G is calculated using Boyle's law according to the following formula: Cg=Vw·Pd2 / (Pd2-Pd1)

[0028] The capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G calculated here is the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G from the previous drinking end time t2 to the current drinking start time t1. The capacity estimation unit 34B stores the calculated capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G in the capacity data storage unit 35 together with the drinking start time t1.

[0029] The belching volume calculation unit 36B calculates the volume Vb of the belching (i.e., the amount of belching discharged) using the following equation 2 based on the gas pressures P1 and P2 in the gas storage unit 10G before and after the belching event identified by the belching detection unit 36A. The following equation 2 is derived as follows. That is, because drinking behavior is not performed during belching and belching occurs in a short period of time, the generation of methane gas and the outflow of liquid from the stomach 10S can be ignored. Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the stomach 10S is considered to be a container whose volume does not change with changes in pressure, so the volume Cg of the gas storage unit 10G is constant before and after belching. After belching, the gas pressure P2 in the gas storage unit 10G and the pressure of the discharged belching volume Vb can be considered to be approximately the same as atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the state before the belching occurs, "a state in which the gas pressure is P1 in a container with a capacity of Cg," changes to "a state in which the gas pressure is P2 in a container with a capacity of Cg + Vb," and Boyle's law can be applied, resulting in the following calculation formula. P1·Cg=P2·(Cg+Vb)···Formula 1 The volume of the eruption Vb can be calculated using the following formula 2, which is a modification of the above formula 1. Vb=Cg·(P1-P2) / P2···Formula 2

[0030] The belching volume calculation unit 36B then uses the value of the capacity Cg calculated by the capacity estimation unit 34B as described above based on the drinking behavior with the shortest interval from the belching as the value of the capacity Cg, and calculates the volume Vb of the belching according to the above formula 2. Specifically, for example, when calculating the volume of "belching 1" shown in FIG. 6, the value of the capacity Cg1 of the gas storage unit 10G calculated using "drinking water period 1" is used, and when calculating the volumes of "belching 2" and "belching 3," the value of the capacity Cg2 of the gas storage unit 10G calculated using "drinking water period 2" is used. The volume Vb of each belching calculated by the belching volume calculation unit 36B is stored in the volume data storage unit 37 together with the belching occurrence time tb.

[0031] The methane concentration estimation unit 38A determines an estimated value R of the methane concentration in the belch based on the methane concentration A measured by the methane concentration sensor 51. In this embodiment, in order to estimate the methane concentration in the belch, a first data table T1 shown in FIG. 7 is stored in the reference storage unit 43. The first data table T1 sets an estimated value R of the methane concentration in the belch corresponding to the methane concentration A measured by the methane concentration sensor 51. The methane concentration estimation unit 38A first extracts the measurement result of the methane concentration sensor 51 corresponding to the belch occurrence time tb from the measurement results of the methane concentration sensor 51 for each measurement time t accumulated in the buffer 33A, and determines the estimated value R of the methane concentration in the belch corresponding to the measurement result of the methane concentration sensor 51 from the first data table T1.

[0032] The correspondence between the methane concentration A at the nose of cow 10 measured by methane concentration meter 50 and the methane concentration in the belch can be experimentally determined by actually measuring the methane concentration when the cow emits belch. It can also be determined using a simulator incorporating a theoretical formula for the methane concentration in gas storage section 10G when belch is generated and the methane concentration at the nose at that time, or it can be determined using artificial intelligence. In this embodiment, the first data table T1 is set based on experimental determinations.

[0033] Methane emission calculation unit 38B calculates the emission amount M of methane contained in each eruption by multiplying the estimated value R of the methane concentration for each eruption estimated by methane concentration estimation unit 38A by the volume Vb of the eruption stored in volume data storage unit 37. Methane emission calculation unit 38B then adds up the methane emission amounts M contained in all eruption that occurred during a certain period in the past to calculate the total emission amount Mt during the certain period in the past.

[0034] The information transmission unit 39 notifies the user terminal 70 of the total methane emission amount Mt for the past fixed period calculated by the methane emission amount calculation unit 38B. Specifically, the information transmission unit 39 identifies the cow 10 corresponding to the identification number that is the source of the data from the identification number storage unit 41, generates transmission data D1 including the measuring device 20, the total methane emission amount Mt for the past fixed period, and the time the data was generated, and notifies the user terminal 70 via the communication circuit 31.

[0035] Here, the information transmission unit 39 may generate transmission data D1 in the identification number storage unit 41 for each of the management groups mentioned above, or may calculate the total methane emission amount Mt for the entire management group and include this value in the transmission data D1.

[0036] As mentioned above, the user terminal 70 is a terminal operated by a user of the cow monitoring system 100, and may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, or any other general communication means capable of communicating with the discharge amount calculation device 30. As mentioned above, the user terminal 70 receives notification of the transmission data D1 from the discharge amount calculation device 30. The user terminal 70 may also be configured to access the discharge amount calculation device 30 from the user terminal 70 and freely view the belching information of each cow 10.

[0037] An example of the methane emission amount specification program PG1 executed by the CPU 32A of the emission amount calculation device 30 is shown below in FIGS.

[0038] 8, the CPU 32A first executes a data import process to import output data from the measuring device 20 and the like for a certain period of time in the past from the data server 90 (S11), and then executes a capacity estimation process to estimate the capacity Cg of the gas storage section 10G of the stomach 10S (S12). Next, a belching estimation process is executed based on the capacity Cg of the gas storage section 10G estimated by the capacity estimation process, and the volume of the belching generated by the cow 10 is calculated (S13). Then, a methane estimation process is executed based on the volume of the belching estimated by the belching estimation process, and the amount of methane emission contained in the belching is estimated (S14). After executing a transmission process to notify the estimated methane emission amount (S15), the CPU 32A exits from the methane emission specification program PG1. Here, the CPU 32A when executing the data import process (S11) corresponds to the aforementioned data import unit 33, the CPU 32A when executing the volume estimation process (S12) corresponds to the aforementioned drinking water identification unit 34A and volume estimation unit 34B, the CPU 32A when executing the belch estimation process (S13) corresponds to the aforementioned belch detection unit 36A and belch volume calculation unit 36B, the CPU 32A when executing the methane estimation process (S14) corresponds to the aforementioned methane concentration estimation unit 38A and methane emission amount calculation unit 38B, and the CPU 32A when executing the transmission process (S15) corresponds to the aforementioned information transmission unit 39.

[0039] An example of a program for the capacity estimation process (S12 in FIG. 8) is shown in Figure 9. In the capacity estimation process, first, in step S21, the weight W(n) of water in tank 81 for a certain period in the past is obtained from buffer 33A, and the amount of weight change ΔW per unit time Δt is calculated as W(n-1)-W(n) (S22).

[0040] Next, in step S23, the CPU 32A compares the multiple weight change amounts ΔW, identifies a period during which the weight change amount ΔW continuously decreases as one drinking period, and calculates the integrated value of the weight change amounts ΔW during that drinking period as the amount of drinking water Vw. Here, the CPU 32A executing steps S21 to S23 corresponds to the drinking water identification unit 34A described above.

[0041] The CPU 32A then identifies the gas pressures Pd1 and Pd2 in the gas storage unit 10G at the drinking start time t1 and the drinking end time t2 of each drinking period (S24), and calculates the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G using Vw·Pd2 / (Pd2-Pd1) (S25). The CPU 32A then stores the calculated capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G for each drinking start time t1 (S26), and exits from the capacity estimation process. Here, the CPU 32A executing steps S24 to S26 corresponds to the capacity estimation unit 34B described above.

[0042] 10 shows an example of a program for the eruption estimation process (S13 in FIG. 8). In the eruption estimation process, first, in step S31, the gas pressure P(n) in the gas storage unit 10G for a certain period of time in the past is acquired from the buffer 33A, and the pressure change amount ΔP(n) per unit time Δt is calculated by P(n-1)-P(n) (S32). Then, the pressure change amount ΔP(n) that exceeds the reference pressure drop amount Pc and becomes negative is identified as eruption, and the time tb at which the eruption occurred and the gas pressures P1 and P2 in the gas storage unit 10G before and after the eruption are identified (S33). Here, the CPU 32A executing steps S31 to S33 corresponds to the eruption detection unit 36A described above.

[0043] Next, the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G at the time of each eruption is determined (S34), and the volume Vb of each eruption is calculated using Cg·(P1−P2) / P2 (S35). The calculated volume Vb of each eruption is then stored for each eruption occurrence time tb (S36), and the eruption estimation process is terminated. Here, the CPU 32A executing steps S34 to S36 corresponds to the eruption volume calculation unit 36B described above.

[0044] 11 shows an example of a program for the methane estimation process (S14 in FIG. 8). In the methane estimation process, first, in step S41, the methane concentration A measured by the methane concentration sensor 51 corresponding to the eruption time tb of each eruption is obtained from buffer 33A. In step S42, the estimated methane concentration R of each eruption is identified from first data table T1. Then, for each eruption, the estimated methane concentration R is multiplied by the volume Vb calculated in the eruption estimation process (S13 in FIG. 8) to calculate the methane emission amount M. The total emission amount Mt is calculated by integrating the methane emissions M contained in all eruption events that occurred over a certain period of time in the past (S43), and the methane estimation process is terminated. Here, the CPU 32A when executing step S41 corresponds to the methane concentration estimation unit 38A described above, and the CPU 32A when executing step S42 corresponds to the methane emission calculation unit 38B described above.

[0045] This completes the description of the configuration of the cow monitoring system 100 of this embodiment. By using the discharge amount calculation device 30 of this embodiment, the amount of belching (volume Vb) of each cow 10 can be determined. Furthermore, the measurement data required to determine the amount of belching is the cow's water intake and the pressure inside the stomach 10S of the cow 10, which can be measured not in a laboratory but in the cowshed where the cow lives. In other words, by using the discharge amount calculation device 30 of this embodiment, the amount of belching of each cow 10 can be determined based on the measurement results of physical quantities measurable at the site where the cow lives. Furthermore, the discharge amount calculation device 30 of this embodiment estimates the methane concentration in the belching of each cow 10 using the measurement results of the methane concentration meter 50 attached to the cow 10. Therefore, by multiplying the estimated methane concentration in the belching by the amount of belching, the amount of methane emitted from the belching of each cow 10 can also be determined. In other words, the discharge amount calculation device 30 of this embodiment can determine the amount of methane emitted by the belching of each cow 10 based on the measurement results of physical quantities measurable at the site where the cow lives.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the total methane emission Mt for each cow 10 over a certain period in the past and the total methane emission Mt for each management group are calculated, so that, for example, by comparing the total methane emission Mt of cows 10 in barns raised in the same environment, it is possible to identify abnormalities such as overfeeding or illness. Furthermore, by comparing the total methane emission Mt of an entire management group with the total methane emission Mt of other management groups, it is possible to compare management groups with different feed or feeding environments, for example, and make it possible to improve the feed or feeding environment.

[0047] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a measurement device 20V of this embodiment does not have a flow section 20F like the measurement device 20 of the first embodiment. Instead, it is submerged in the liquid (hereinafter referred to as the "liquid section 10L") in the stomach 10S of a cow 10, and measures the pressure and temperature of the liquid section 10L at the bottom of the stomach 10S. This differs from the first embodiment in that the measurement device 20V of this embodiment does not directly measure the gas pressure in the gas storage section 10G of the stomach 10S, but rather the sum of the gas pressure and liquid pressure in the stomach 10S (the "measured pressure Ps" described below) corresponds to the "intra-stomach pressure" in the claims. Furthermore, a water supply device 80V is equipped with a temperature sensor that measures the water temperature in a tank 81, and the measurement results are also input into a data server 90. The discharge amount calculation device 30V of this embodiment has a different configuration from the first embodiment in order to calculate the amount of belch discharged using the measurement results of the measuring device 20V and the water supply device 80, which are different from those of the first embodiment. The following will focus on the configuration of the discharge amount calculation device 30V that is different from the discharge amount calculation device 30 of the first embodiment.

[0048] In this embodiment, as described above, the pressure measured by the measuring device 20V (hereinafter referred to as the "measured pressure") is the sum of the gas pressure and liquid pressure in the stomach 10S, and if the measured pressure is Ps, the liquid pressure in the liquid portion 10L of the stomach 10S is Pr, and the gas pressure in the gas storage portion 10G of the stomach 10S is Pg, the following equation holds: Ps = Pg + Pr Equation 3

[0049] Furthermore, if the pressures before belching are the measured pressure Ps1, gas pressure Pg1, and liquid pressure Pr1, and the pressures after belching are the measured pressure Ps2, gas pressure Pg2, and liquid pressure Pr2, then belching volume calculation unit 36B calculates the volume Vb of belching (i.e., the amount of belching discharged) using the following formula 5. Formula 5 is derived as follows. First, the following calculation formula is established from formula 3 above for the gas pressures Pg1 and Pg2 before and after belching. Pg1=Ps1-Pr1 Pg2=Ps2-Pr2 Then, before and after the occurrence of eructation, Pr2 can be considered as equal to Pr1, and therefore, when Boyle's law is applied before and after the occurrence of eructation in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the following calculation formula is established. (Ps1-Pr1)·Cg=(Ps2-Pr1)·(Cg+Vb)···Formula 4 The volume of the eruption Vb can be calculated using the following equation 5, which is a modification of the above equation 4. Vb=Cg (Ps1-Ps2) / (Ps2-Pr1) Formula 5

[0050] Here, the measured pressures Ps1 and Ps2 before and after the occurrence of belching in the above-mentioned formula 5 are determined by the belching detection unit 36A. The belching detection unit 36A determines the measured pressures Ps1 and Ps2 before and after the occurrence of belching based on the pressure change amount ΔPs of the measured pressure Ps in the same manner as the belching detection unit 36A of the first embodiment.

[0051] In order to calculate the capacity Cg of the gas storage section 10G and the liquid pressure Pr1 before belching in the above formula 5, the discharge amount calculation device 30V has a gas pressure calculation section 60, a liquid volume estimation section 61, a liquid pressure estimation section 62, a capacity calculation section 63, etc., as shown in Fig. 13. In this embodiment, the stomach 10S of the cow 10 is regarded as a container whose capacity is constant and whose planar cross-sectional area Sr is constant from the top to the bottom, as shown in Fig. 12A.

[0052] The gas pressure calculation unit 60 calculates the increase in gas pressure ΔPg due to drinking water. In this embodiment, the gas pressure Pg before drinking water (at the start time t1) can be considered to be approximately the same as the atmospheric pressure Patm. Then, using the amount of water consumed Vw obtained by the drinking water identification unit 34A, the change amount ΔPg in gas pressure Pg during each drinking period is calculated using the following equation based on Boyle's law: ΔPg=Patm·Vw / (Cg-Vw)

[0053] The liquid volume estimation unit 61 estimates the volume Vr1 of the liquid portion 10L in the stomach 10S before drinking. The liquid volume estimation unit 61 first obtains the temperature Tr1 of the liquid portion 10L at the drinking start time t1 and the temperature Tr2 of the liquid portion 10L at the drinking end time t2 of each drinking period, as well as the water temperature Tw of the water in the tank 81 during the drinking period, from the measurement results of the temperature sensor 22 of the measuring device 20V and the measurement results of the temperature sensor of the water supply device 80V, which are stored in the data server 90. Using these temperatures Tr1, Tr2, and Tw and the amount of drinking water Vw, the volume Vr1 of the liquid portion 10L before drinking is calculated using the following equation, which follows the law of conservation of heat: Vr1=Vw·(Tr2-Tw) / (Tr1-Tr2)

[0054] The water temperature Tw of the water in the tank 81 during the drinking period may be set to, for example, the average value or median value during the drinking period.

[0055] The fluid pressure estimating section 62 has a water depth before drinking estimating section 62A, a liquid area estimating section 62B, and a water depth increase estimating section 62C, and estimates the fluid pressure ΔPr increased by drinking water.

[0056] The pre-drinking water depth estimation unit 62A estimates the water depth Dr1 of the liquid portion 10L before drinking. The water depth Dr1 is determined by the liquid pressure Prd1 before drinking. Specifically, the measured pressure Psd1 at the drinking start time t1 of each drinking period is obtained from the measurement results of the pressure sensor 21 of the measuring device 20V stored in the data server 90. Then, as mentioned above, the gas pressure Pgd1 at the drinking start time t1 is assumed to be equal to the atmospheric pressure Patm, and the liquid pressure Prd1 of the liquid portion 10L at the drinking start time t1 is calculated using the following equation using Equation 3 above, and the water depth Dr1 before drinking is estimated from the calculated liquid pressure Prd1. Prd1=Psd1-Patm...Formula 6

[0057] Generally, water pressure p is expressed as follows using liquid density ρ, gravitational acceleration g, and water depth h: p=ρgh...Equation 7 Using this equation (7), the water depth Dr1 is estimated from the hydraulic pressure Prd1.

[0058] The liquid area estimation unit 62B estimates the area Sr of the bottom surface of the liquid portion 10L. In this embodiment, as described above, the stomach 10S of the cow 10 is regarded as a container with a constant cross-sectional area Sr from the top to the bottom (see FIGS. 12A and 12B), and the bottom area Sr of the liquid portion 10L is calculated by the following formula using the volume Vr1 of the liquid portion 10L before drinking water obtained by the liquid volume estimation unit 61 and the water depth Dr1 of the liquid portion 10L before drinking water obtained by the water depth estimation unit 62A. Sr=Vr1 / Dr1

[0059] The water depth increase estimation unit 62C calculates the water depth increase ΔDr during each drinking period using the area Sr of the bottom surface of the liquid portion 10L obtained by the liquid area estimation unit 62B and the amount of water consumed Vw, using the following formula, and estimates the liquid pressure increase ΔPr due to drinking from the calculated water depth increase ΔDr. ΔDr=Vw / Sr

[0060] The capacity calculation unit 63 identifies the measured pressure Psd1 at the start time t1 of drinking water and the measured pressure Psd2 at the end time t2 of drinking water for each drinking period from the measurement results of the pressure sensor 21 of the measuring device 20V stored in the data server 90, and calculates the measured pressure ΔPs increased by drinking water. Since this is equal to the sum of the gas pressure ΔPg increased by drinking water obtained by the gas pressure calculation unit 60 from the above equation 3 and the liquid pressure ΔPr increased by drinking water obtained by the liquid pressure calculation unit 61, it calculates the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G before drinking water using the following equation. Cg={1+Patm / (ΔPs-ΔPr)}·Vw

[0061] The hydraulic pressure ΔPr is calculated using the water depth increase ΔDr using the above-mentioned formula 7.

[0062] Then, the belching volume calculation unit 36B estimates the value of the capacity Cg calculated based on the drinking behavior with the shortest interval from the belching from the value of the capacity Cg calculated by the capacity calculation unit 63, and uses this value in the above equation 5.

[0063] Furthermore, the belching volume calculation unit 36B regards the fluid pressure Pr1 before the onset of belching in the above formula 5 as equal to the fluid pressure Prd2 after the drinking behavior with the shortest interval from the belching (time t2 when drinking ends), and calculates it using the following formula: Specifically, the fluid pressure Prd2 after drinking is equal to the fluid pressure Prd1 before the drinking behavior (time t1 when drinking starts) plus the fluid pressure ΔPr increased by drinking, so from the values ​​of fluid pressure Prd1 (formula 6 above) and fluid pressure ΔPr calculated by the fluid pressure estimation unit 62, the one calculated based on the drinking behavior with the shortest interval from the belching is identified, and the fluid pressure Pr1 before the onset of belching is identified using the following formula and used in the above formula 5. Pr1=Prd2=Prd1+ΔPr=Psd1-Patm+ΔPr

[0064] According to this embodiment, even when the measuring device 20V is submerged in the stomach 10S of the cow 10 and does not directly measure the gas pressure in the gas storage section 10G, the capacity Cg of the gas storage section 10G can be estimated and the amount of belching (volume Vb) of the cow 10 can be calculated.

[0065] [Third embodiment] A third embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described. The discharge amount calculation device 30W of this embodiment does not use the output data of the water supply device 80 of the first embodiment, but identifies the water drinking period and the drinking water amount Vw of the cow 10 based on the temperature of the liquid in the stomach 10S transmitted from the measurement device 20. The following description will focus on the configuration of the discharge amount calculation device 30W that differs from the discharge amount calculation device 30 of the first embodiment.

[0066] In order for the discharge amount calculation device 30W to determine the drinking period and drinking amount Vw of the cow 10 from the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S measured by the measurement device 20, the drinking water specification unit 34A first obtains the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S for each measurement time t from the buffer 33A and calculates the temperature change ΔTr per unit time Δt. In this embodiment, the unit time Δt is set as the measurement interval for the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S, and the temperature change ΔTr(n) at each measurement time t(n) is calculated as the difference obtained by subtracting the temperature Tr(n-1) at the immediately preceding measurement time t(n-1) from the temperature Tr(n) at that measurement time t(n).

[0067] The measurement time t(n) at which the temperature change ΔTr exceeds a predetermined first specified change amount H1 and becomes negative is identified as the water-drinking start time t1. That is, in this embodiment, the timing at which the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S drops suddenly when the cow 10 changes from a non-drinking state to a drinking state is utilized to estimate the start of water-drinking. Next, the measurement time t(n) at which the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined first specified temperature H1 after the water-drinking start time t1 and the absolute value of the temperature change ΔTr at that time is within a predetermined second specified change amount H2 is identified as the water-drinking end time t2. The period from the water-drinking start time t1 to the water-drinking end time t2 is identified as the water-drinking period. That is, in this embodiment, the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S gradually rises and returns to a negative state when the cow 10 changes from a drinking state to a non-drinking state is utilized to estimate the end of water-drinking when this rise saturates.

[0068] Furthermore, utilizing the fact that the absolute value of the change in the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S that is reduced by drinking water is proportional to the amount of drinking water Vw, the total sum of differences obtained by subtracting the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at each measurement time t during each drinking period from the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at the end time t2 of the drinking period is calculated as the drinking water value Q. In other words, the drinking water value Q is calculated by the total sum of the area of ​​a histogram that represents the distribution of the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at each measurement time t during the drinking period, expressed as rectangular areas, with the end time t2 of the drinking water used as the base. In this embodiment, the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at the end time t2 of each drinking period is used as the reference temperature, and the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at each measurement time t of that drinking period is subtracted from it. However, the reference temperature may be, for example, the temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S at the start time t1 of each drinking period, or the average value of the temperature Tr at the start time t1 of drinking and the temperature Tr at the end time t2 of drinking.

[0069] An estimated value of the intake water volume Vw for each drinking period is then determined based on the calculated intake water value Q. In this embodiment, in order to estimate the intake water volume Vw, a data table (not shown) is provided in which estimated values ​​of the intake water volume Vw corresponding to the intake water value Q are set, and an estimated value of the intake water volume Vw corresponding to the calculated intake water value Q is determined from the data table. The correspondence between the intake water value Q and the intake water volume Vw may be determined experimentally by actually measuring the amount of water consumed by the cow 10 when it drinks water, or may be determined by a simulator incorporating a theoretical formula for the change in temperature Tr of the liquid in the stomach 10S during the drinking period and the intake water volume Vw at that time, or may be determined by artificial intelligence.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the water drinking period and the amount of water intake Vw of the cow 10 can be identified by using the measuring device 20 placed in the stomach 10S of the cow 10.

[0071] [Other embodiments] In the discharge amount calculation device 30 of the first embodiment, the drinking water identification unit 34A and the capacity estimation unit 34B are configured to determine a period during which the amount of weight change ΔW per unit time Δt continuously decreases as one drinking water period, and to determine the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G for each drinking water period. However, a single drinking water period may not be determined, and the capacity Cg of the gas storage unit 10G may be determined for each unit time Δt during which drinking behavior is determined. In this case, the value of the capacity Cg used to calculate the belching volume Vb may be the value of the capacity Cg calculated based on the drinking behavior with the shortest interval from the belching.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the methane concentration estimation unit 38A was configured to extract the measurement results of the methane concentration sensor 51 at the time of each belch and individually determine the methane concentration contained in the belch. However, instead of estimating the methane concentration for each belch, the methane concentration for a certain period may be set to the average or median of the measurement results obtained by multiple methane concentration sensors 51 during that period, and the methane emission amount for the belches occurring during that period may be calculated using that average or median. For example, the average or median of the measurement results of the methane concentration sensor 51 over a certain period may be calculated, and an estimated value R of the methane concentration of the belch corresponding to that average or median may be estimated from the first table T1, and this may be used as the estimated value R of the methane concentration of the belch for that certain period.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a methane concentration meter 50 was placed for each cow 10, and the methane concentration in the bellows was estimated for each cow 10, but a configuration in which a suction duct is provided above the cowshed and one methane concentration meter 50 is placed in that suction duct, and the methane concentration in the bellows estimated from the measurement results of that methane concentration meter 50 is used as the methane concentration in the bellows of all the cows 10 in the cowshed may be provided. In this case, a volume sum calculation unit may be provided that calculates the sum of the bellows volumes Vb of all the cows 10 in the cowshed to calculate the total volume Vt, and the amount of methane emission Mt from the bellows of the entire cowshed may be calculated by multiplying that total volume Vt by an estimated value Rm of the methane concentration in the bellows estimated from the measurement results of the methane concentration meter 50, as shown in the following formula. Mt = Vt Rm

[0074] In the above embodiment, the methane concentration estimation unit 38A may determine an estimated value R of the methane concentration contained in the belch from the methane concentration A at the nose tip of the cow 10, and may further correct the estimated value R of the methane concentration based on individual differences between the cows 10. In this case, for example, the reference storage unit 43 may store a data table (not shown) in which correction values ​​corresponding to the weights of the cows 10 are set, and the identification number storage unit 41 may store, for each identification number, livestock-specific information (e.g., sex, weight, age, etc.) of the cow 10 in which the measuring device 20 corresponding to that identification number is placed, in association with that information, and the correction value corresponding to the weight for each identification number may be determined from the data table, and the estimated value R of the methane concentration may be corrected by multiplying the determined correction value by the estimated value R of the methane concentration. The correspondence between the weight of the cow 10 and the correction value may be determined experimentally by actually measuring the methane concentration when multiple cows 10 of different weights belch, or it may be determined using a simulator that incorporates a theoretical formula for the methane concentration in the gas storage section 10G when belch occurs and the methane concentration at the tip of the nose at that time, or it may be determined using artificial intelligence.

[0075] The estimated methane concentration R may also be corrected based on sex, age, or other individual differences. Alternatively, the correction may be based on two or more of these individual differences.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the information transmitting unit 39 may be configured to also transmit information on the determination result of whether the value of the total methane discharge amount Mt is normal or abnormal.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 20 may execute the volume estimation process and the eruption estimation process of the methane emission specification program PG1 executed by the CPU 32A of the emission amount calculation device 30, and each measuring device 20 may calculate the volume Vb of eruption generated over a certain period of time and output the calculated volume Vb to the emission amount calculation device 30. Furthermore, the measuring device 20 may perform the process of the eruption detection unit 36A that detects eruption in the eruption estimation process of the methane emission specification program PG1.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 20 is configured to be placed in the stomach 10S of the cow 10, but it may also be configured to be placed in the stomach 10S of other ruminant animals.

[0079] <Additional Notes> The following describes the features extracted from the above embodiment, while indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment are indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0080] [Feature 1] An amount of gas discharged from the cow (10) is calculated by acquiring information on the amount of water consumed by the cow (10) and information on the pressure in the stomach (P, Ps) measured by a measuring device (20, 20V) in the rumen (10S) of the cow (10), and the amount of gas discharged from the cow (10), an eructation detection unit (36A) that detects the occurrence of eructation based on a decrease in the intragastric pressure (P, Ps); a capacity estimation unit (34B) for estimating the capacity of the gas storage unit (10G) of the rumen (10S) before drinking water based on the amount of increase in the intragastric pressure (P, Ps) immediately after drinking water and information on the amount of water consumed; Among the gas pressures in the gas storage unit (10G) included in the information on the stomach pressure (P) or calculated from the information on the stomach pressure (Ps), the gas pressures in the gas storage unit (10G) before and after the occurrence of the belching are respectively defined as P1 and P2, the estimated value of the capacity of the gas storage unit (10G) is defined as Cg, and the volume of the expelled belching under atmospheric pressure is defined as Vb. Vb = Cg (P1 - P2) / P2 A belching volume calculation unit (36B) that calculates the volume Vb as the discharge amount of the belching from the following equation: Emissions calculation device (30, 30V, 30W) equipped with.

[0081] [Feature 2] the measuring device (20V) is arranged at the bottom of the rumen (10S) and is also capable of measuring the temperature of the liquid in the rumen (10S); a liquid volume estimation unit (61) that acquires information on the temperature of the liquid before and after drinking, information on the amount of drinking water and the temperature of the water, and estimates the volume of the liquid before drinking based on the law of conservation of heat; a liquid pressure estimation unit (62) that estimates a liquid pressure applied to the measuring device (20V) based on an estimated value of the volume of the liquid before drinking; The discharge amount calculation device (30V) described in Feature 1 is provided with a gas pressure calculation unit (60) that calculates the gas pressure in the gas storage unit (10G) from the estimated value of the liquid pressure and information on the intragastric pressure (Ps).

[0082] [Feature 3] The hydraulic pressure estimation unit (62) a pre-drinking water depth estimation unit (62A) that estimates the water depth of the liquid before drinking water from information on the intragastric pressure (Ps) before drinking water; a liquid area estimation unit (62B) that estimates the area of ​​the liquid from the estimated value of the volume of the liquid before drinking and the estimated value of the water depth before drinking; The discharge amount calculation device (30V) according to feature 2, further comprising: a water depth increase estimation unit (62C) that estimates a water depth increase from the amount of water consumed and the estimated value of the area of ​​the liquid.

[0083] [Feature 4] The discharge amount calculation device (30) according to Feature 1, wherein at least a part of the measurement device (20) floats on the liquid in the ruminant stomach (10S) and is capable of detecting the gas pressure in the gas storage section (10G).

[0084] [Feature 5] The measuring device (20, 20V) is configured to wirelessly transmit information on the intragastric pressure (P, Ps), The discharge amount calculation device (30, 30V, 30W) according to any one of features 1 to 4, is configured to be able to acquire information on the intragastric pressure (P, Ps) at a position away from the cow (10).

[0085] [Feature 6] a methane concentration estimation unit (38A) that acquires measurement results from a methane concentration meter (50) provided in the cow (10) or the cowshed and estimates the methane concentration in the belch or the exhaust of the cowshed; The emission calculation device (30, 30V, 30W) according to feature 5, further comprising: a methane emission calculation unit (38B) that calculates an emission amount of methane gas from the cow (10) based on the estimated value of the methane concentration estimated by the methane concentration estimation unit (38A) and the volume of the belching calculated by the belching volume calculation unit (36B).

[0086] [Feature 7] 10. The emission amount calculation device (30, 30V, 30W) according to Feature 6, wherein the methane concentration estimation unit (38A) has a data table (T1) in which a correspondence relationship between a measurement result of the methane concentration meter (50) and the methane concentration is predetermined, and the methane concentration estimation unit (38A) is configured to estimate the methane concentration from the measurement result of the methane concentration meter (50) based on the data table (T1).

[0087] [Effects of each feature] The discharge amount calculation device according to Features 1 to 5 makes it possible to grasp the belch discharge amount of each individual cow. Moreover, the measurement data for determining the belch discharge amount are the cow's water intake amount and intragastric pressure, which can be measured not in a laboratory but at the site where the cow lives. In other words, by using the discharge amount calculation device according to this feature, it is possible to grasp the belch discharge amount of a cow based on the measurement results of physical quantities that can be measured at the site where the cow lives. Here, the measuring device for measuring intragastric pressure may be configured as in Feature 4, where the measuring device floats in the liquid in the rumen and detects the gas pressure in the gas storage unit, or as in Features 2 and 3, where the measuring device is submerged in the rumen of the cow and does not directly measure the gas pressure in the gas storage unit.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the emission amount calculation device of Feature 6, the methane concentration in the belch is estimated using the measurement results of a methane concentration meter installed in the cow or cowshed, and the amount of methane emitted in the belch can be determined for each cow or cowshed by multiplying the estimated methane concentration by the amount of belch. In other words, according to the emission amount calculation device of this feature, the amount of methane emitted by belch for each cow or cowshed can be determined based on the measurement results of physical quantities that can be measured at the site where the cows live. The estimation of the methane concentration in the belch may be performed, for example, as described in Feature 7, based on a data table that defines a predetermined correspondence between the measurement results of a methane concentration meter and the methane concentration in the belch.

[0089] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10 cow 10G gas storage unit 10S Stomach (Ruminant Stomach) 10L liquid part (liquid) 20,20V measuring device 30,30V,30W emission calculation device 34B Capacity estimation part 36A Eructation detection unit 36B Eructation volume calculation unit 38A Methane concentration estimation section 38B Methane emission calculation unit 50 Methane concentration meter 60 Gas pressure calculation unit 61 Liquid volume estimation unit 62 Hydraulic pressure estimation section 62A Pre-drinking water depth estimation part 62B Liquid area estimation part 62C Depth increase estimation section P, Ps Gastric pressure ( Ga gas pressure in the gas chamber, measured pressure) T1 First data table

Claims

1. A discharge amount calculation device that calculates the discharge amount of belch of a cow by acquiring information on the amount of water intake of the cow and information on the pressure in the stomach measured by a measuring device in the rumen of the cow, a belching detection unit that detects the occurrence of belching based on a decrease in the intragastric pressure; a volume estimation unit that estimates the volume of the gas storage unit of the rumen before drinking water based on the amount of increase in the intragastric pressure immediately after drinking water and information on the amount of water consumed; Among the gas pressures in the gas storage unit included in the information on the stomach pressure or calculated from the information on the stomach pressure, the gas pressures in the gas storage unit before and after the occurrence of the belching are respectively defined as P1 and P2, the estimated value of the capacity of the gas storage unit is defined as Cg, and the volume of the discharged belching under atmospheric pressure is defined as Vb. Vb=Cg・(P1-P2) / P2 A belching volume calculation unit that calculates the volume Vb as the discharge amount of the belching from the formula: An emission calculation device comprising:

2. the measuring device is disposed at the bottom of the rumen and is also capable of measuring the temperature of the liquid in the rumen; a liquid volume estimation unit that acquires information on the temperature of the liquid before and after drinking, information on the amount of drinking water and the temperature of the water, and estimates the volume of the liquid before drinking based on the law of conservation of heat; a fluid pressure estimation unit that estimates a fluid pressure applied to the measuring device based on an estimated value of the volume of the liquid before drinking; 2. The discharge amount calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising a gas pressure calculation unit that calculates the gas pressure in the gas storage unit from the estimated value of the liquid pressure and information on the intragastric pressure.

3. The hydraulic pressure estimation unit a pre-drinking water depth estimation unit that estimates the water depth of the liquid before drinking water from information on the intragastric pressure before drinking water; a liquid area estimation unit that estimates an area of ​​the liquid from an estimated value of the volume of the liquid before drinking water and an estimated value of the water depth before drinking water; The discharge amount calculation device according to claim 2 , further comprising a water depth increase estimation unit that estimates a water depth increase from the amount of water consumed and the estimated value of the liquid area.

4. 2. The discharge amount calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device is capable of detecting the gas pressure in the gas storage section by floating at least a part of the measuring device in the liquid in the rumen.

5. the measuring device is configured to wirelessly transmit information about the intragastric pressure; 5. The discharge amount calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge amount calculation device is configured to be able to acquire information about the intragastric pressure at a position remote from the cow.

6. A methane concentration estimation unit that acquires measurement results of a methane concentration meter provided in the cow or the cowshed and estimates the methane concentration in the belch or the exhaust of the cowshed; 6. The emission calculation device according to claim 5, further comprising a methane emission calculation unit that calculates the amount of methane gas emitted from the cow from the estimated value of the methane concentration estimated by the methane concentration estimation unit and the volume of the belching calculated by the belching volume calculation unit.

7. 7. The emission calculation device according to claim 6, wherein the methane concentration estimation unit has a data table that defines a predetermined correspondence relationship between the measurement result of the methane concentration meter and the methane concentration, and is configured to estimate the methane concentration from the measurement result of the methane concentration meter based on the data table.

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