Livestock shed ventilation system

Abstract

The present invention provides a livestock shed ventilation system that can efficiently perform deodorization and dust removal such that exhaust air that is expelled to the outside of a livestock shed does not contain odors or dust.　The livestock shed ventilation system comprises: a treatment container 2 that has a water receiving part 21, a side wall opening 22 which is above the water receiving part 21, and an upper end opening 23 which is above the side wall opening 22; a water dispersal nozzle part 3 that is provided inside the treatment container 2 at a height position between the side wall opening 22 and the upper end opening 23; a treatment container exhaust fan 4 that is provided to the upper end opening 23, that takes in air which is inside a livestock shed 90 from the side wall opening 22, and that generates an airflow so as to expel air from the upper end opening 23; a pump 5 that pumps treatment water and disperses the treatment water down from the water dispersal nozzle part 3 to the water receiving part 21; a duct 14 that is connected to the upper end opening 23; and a deodorant spraying device 61 that sprays a liquid deodorant into the duct 14.

Description

Livestock barn ventilation system

[0001] The present invention relates to a livestock house ventilation system for ventilating the inside of a livestock house in which livestock are raised.

[0002] Traditionally, livestock barns have been equipped with ventilation equipment. For example, chicken coops often have a longitudinal ventilation system. This longitudinal ventilation system ventilates the coop by taking in outside air through an air inlet on one end of the coop, guiding the air longitudinally through an exhaust fan attached to an exhaust outlet on the other end, and then discharging the air outside the coop through the exhaust outlet. Various improvements have been made to address the issues with such ventilation systems (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a ventilation system that reduces dust and noise emitted by exhaust air.

[0003] The ventilation system of Patent Document 1 surrounds the front and both front side faces of the gable end of a poultry house equipped with an exhaust fan with three nearly vertical walls to form a buffer chamber, and at least one-third of the roof-equivalent portion of the buffer chamber is closed with a closing member. A chimney-shaped enclosure is attached to the roof-equivalent portion of the buffer chamber, and a mesh for capturing exhaust dust is attached horizontally to the opening of the chimney-shaped enclosure. Dust contained in the exhaust air discharged from the exhaust fan outside the poultry house collides with the walls of the buffer chamber and falls to the bottom of the buffer chamber. The mesh also enhances the dust capture effect in the exhaust air. This reduces the amount of dust released and dispersed into the air above the opening in the buffer chamber roof and reduces noise.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-117624

[0005] However, while conventional ventilation systems such as those described in Patent Document 1 were able to reduce the amount of dust and noise to a certain extent, they did not take into consideration the removal of odors contained in the exhaust air discharged outside the poultry house. In poultry houses, chicken manure and other substances can produce strong odors, and if these odors escape outside the poultry house without being treated, they can have a negative impact on the living environment of residents living near the poultry house. Furthermore, the ventilation system described in Patent Document 1 uses a net to remove fine dust, but it had to be periodically cleared of clogs. Because the net was located high in the poultry house, clearing the clogs was a cumbersome process.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a livestock house ventilation system that can efficiently deodorize and remove dust so that odors and dust are not contained in the exhaust gas discharged outside the livestock house.

[0007] The inventions disclosed in this specification to solve the above-mentioned problems are configured as follows: That is, a first invention is characterized by comprising a treatment vessel having a water receiving section at a bottom, a sidewall opening above the water receiving section, and an upper-end opening above the sidewall opening, a sprinkler nozzle section provided inside the treatment vessel at a height position between the sidewall opening and the upper-end opening, a treatment vessel exhaust fan provided at the upper-end opening and generating an air flow that takes in air from inside the livestock barn through the sidewall opening and exhausts it from the upper-end opening, a pump that draws up treatment water and sprinkles it downward toward the water receiving section from the sprinkler nozzle section, a duct connected to the upper-end opening, and a deodorizer sprayer that sprays a liquid deodorizer into the duct.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the treatment vessel exhaust fan is driven to draw dirty air from the livestock barn into the treatment vessel through the sidewall opening. The dirty air in the barn contains floating dust from livestock feed, feathers, and the like, which is drawn into the treatment vessel along with the air. After being drawn into the treatment vessel, the dirty air is directed toward the top opening of the treatment vessel. The dust in the air is captured by treatment water sprayed downward from the spray nozzle and falls into the water receiving section at the bottom of the treatment vessel. This separates the dust in the dirty air and treats it as impurities in the treatment vessel. Furthermore, because the dust can be separated by dropping into the water receiving section, the problem of clogging of the dust-removal screen, as occurs in conventional ventilation systems, is eliminated. This allows for efficient dust removal.

[0009] Furthermore, the air taken into the treatment vessel through the side wall opening exchanges heat with the treatment water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzles as it moves upward to the upper end opening. This allows the temperature of the air taken into the treatment vessel to be adjusted. In particular, in the summer, when the air inside the livestock barn tends to become hot, the air temperature can be effectively lowered by exchanging heat between the low-temperature treatment water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzles and the air inside the barn.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid deodorizer sprayed into the duct breaks down malodorous components such as ammonia in the air discharged from the treatment vessel into the duct, eliminating the odor. This prevents dust and malodor from being scattered outside the livestock barn when the air is discharged from the duct. This improves the living environment for residents living near the barn compared to conventional systems.

[0011] A second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the deodorizing agent spray device has a spray nozzle, and the spray nozzle is provided in a position near the upper side of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel.

[0012] According to the second invention, by utilizing the movement of the exhaust fan for the treatment container, the liquid deodorizer sprayed from the spray nozzle can be easily mixed with the air discharged from inside the treatment container, thereby enabling efficient deodorization of the air inside the duct.

[0013] The third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel has a blade portion that rotates around an upper and lower axis to generate a swirling flow, and the spray nozzle is configured to spray the liquid deodorizer toward the center of rotation of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the blades of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel generates a swirling flow, and the liquid deodorizer is sprayed directly toward the area where turbulence is also occurring, which further promotes mixing of the air exhausted from the inside of the treatment vessel with the atomized or evaporated liquid deodorizer, thereby further improving the deodorizing effect.

[0015] The fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, it is provided with a water tank in which the pumping pump is disposed and which stores the treatment water discharged from the water receiving section to the outside of the treatment container, and a screening device which is disposed in the water tank and separates impurities contained in the treatment water from the treatment water and removes them to the outside.

[0016] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the treatment water sprayed from the spray nozzle unit and falling into the receiving section is pumped up to the spray nozzle unit by the pumping pump and sprayed again from the spray nozzle unit. In other words, the treatment water is circulated and reused. This allows the treatment water to be used efficiently. Furthermore, impurities that accumulate in the receiving section of the treatment vessel move to the storage tank along with the treatment water, where they float or settle. The screening device can automatically separate these impurities from the treatment water and remove them to the outside. This prevents impurities from being contained in the treatment water pumped from the storage tank by the pumping pump, thereby maintaining the dust-capacity of the treatment water sprayed from the spray nozzle unit at an appropriate level.

[0017] In a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the duct is characterized in that it includes a deodorizing and purifying section that covers the upper end opening and causes the liquid deodorizer sprayed by the deodorizer spray device to act on the air discharged from inside the treatment container, and an air supply flow path for returning the air deodorized in the deodorizing and purifying section to the inside of the livestock barn, and is configured to circulate air between the inside of the livestock barn and the treatment container and the deodorizing and purifying section while removing dust and deodorizing.

[0018] According to the fifth invention, the air inside the livestock barn is circulated while dust removal and deodorization are performed, so the amount of outside air taken in from the outside can be reduced while maintaining the air inside the livestock barn in a clean state. This almost eliminates the need to take in hot outside air in the summer or cold outside air in the winter from outside the livestock barn, so the temperature inside the livestock barn can be maintained constant. This makes it possible to maintain a good rearing environment for the livestock kept inside the livestock barn. Furthermore, since the air inside the livestock barn can be prevented from being discharged outdoors, the living environment for residents living near the livestock barn can be improved.

[0019] The sixth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, a control device is provided for controlling the drive of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel, and the control device is configured to adjust the flow rate of air circulated between the inside of the livestock house and the treatment vessel and the deodorizing and purifying section by controlling the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel.

[0020] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, dust removal, deodorization, and temperature regulation inside the livestock barn can be performed in a well-balanced manner according to the increase or decrease in the number of livestock being raised, the season, etc.

[0021] According to the livestock house ventilation system of the present invention, deodorization and dust removal can be performed efficiently so that odors and dust are not contained in the exhaust air discharged outside the livestock house.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a plan cross-sectional view of a livestock house provided with a livestock house ventilation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of a livestock house ventilation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main part of a livestock house ventilation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a main part for explaining the arrangement and operation of a spray nozzle of a deodorizing agent spray device relative to an exhaust fan for a treatment container. Fig. 5 is a control block diagram of a livestock house ventilation system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a plan cross-sectional view of a livestock house 90 equipped with a livestock house ventilation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a main portion of the livestock house ventilation system 1. FIG. 3 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main portion of the livestock house ventilation system 1. The livestock house ventilation system 1 of this embodiment is applied as a ventilation system for longitudinal ventilation in a poultry house. As shown in FIG. 1, the livestock house (chicken house) 90 is formed in an elongated rectangular shape in a plan view. The longitudinal end of the livestock house 90 is the gable side. An entrance / exit 93 and an air inlet 92 with an opening / closing function are provided on one end side first side wall 90a of the livestock house 90. In addition, multiple livestock house-side exhaust fans 91 are provided on the other end side second side wall 90b of the livestock house 90.

[0025] The entrance / exit 93 is provided for workers to enter and exit the livestock barn 90. The entrance / exit 93 is configured to be openable and closable with a shutter (not shown). The openable / closable air inlet 92 is provided to draw outside air from outside the livestock barn 90 into the interior of the livestock barn 90. The openable / closable air inlet 92 has, for example, movable louvers that rotate vertically. The opening and closing and the amount of outside air intake can be adjusted by changing the angle of the louvers. The livestock barn-side exhaust fan 91 has blades that rotate around a horizontal axis. The livestock barn-side exhaust fan 91 has the function of exhausting air from the livestock barn interior space S2 to the outside of the gable-side second side wall 90b. This embodiment illustrates an example in which the livestock barn ventilation system 1 is retrofitted to an existing livestock barn 90. The livestock barn-side exhaust fan 91 was provided in the existing livestock barn 90 to exhaust air from the livestock barn interior space S2 to the outside. The livestock house ventilation system 1 does not necessarily require the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91. In this embodiment, the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91 that was installed in the existing livestock house 90 remains. However, when the livestock house ventilation system 1 is installed, the dust removal net that was attached to the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91 is removed. This is because the livestock house ventilation system 1 can remove dust.

[0026] A plurality of chicken breeding cages 94 are installed in the livestock house interior space S2. The plurality of breeding cages 94 are arranged parallel to one another and extending along the longitudinal direction of the livestock house 90.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the livestock house ventilation system 1 of this embodiment includes a main section S1 adjacent to the outside of the second side wall 90b on the gable side of the livestock house 90. The main section S1 is covered by a surrounding side wall 1a and a roof 1c. The main section S1 is equipped with main devices for removing dust from feed, feathers, etc. contained in the polluted air in the livestock house interior space S2, and for deodorizing and sterilizing the air.

[0028] Specifically, the livestock barn ventilation system 1 comprises a plurality of treatment vessels 2 each having a side wall opening 22 and an upper end opening 23, a sprinkler nozzle section 3 provided inside each treatment vessel 2, a treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 provided at the upper end opening 23 of each treatment vessel 2, a pumping pump 5 for supplying treatment water to the sprinkler nozzle sections 3 of all treatment vessels 2, ducts 14 connected to the upper end openings 23 of all treatment vessels 2, and a deodorizing agent spray device 61.

[0029] The treatment vessels 2 are formed in a shape that extends upward from the bottom in a substantially cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, three treatment vessels 2 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the livestock house 90 in the main section S1. Six treatment vessels 2 are arranged side by side in the lateral direction of the livestock house 90 in the main section S1. That is, a total of 18 treatment vessels 2 in this embodiment are arranged side by side in the main section S1.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2 , the treatment vessel 2 has a water receiving section 21 at its bottom. The sidewall openings 22 are provided above the water receiving section 21. The sidewall openings 22 are multiple slits provided on the outer periphery of the treatment vessel 2. The sidewall openings 22 are provided to draw contaminated air from the livestock house space S2, which is guided to the main section S1 by the livestock house exhaust fan 91, into the treatment vessel 2. The sprinkler nozzle unit 3 is provided at a height position between the sidewall openings 22 and the upper end opening 23. The sprinkler nozzle units 3 are, for example, arranged radially from the center to the periphery of the treatment vessel 2, thereby enabling the treatment water to be sprayed over the entire horizontal cross-section of the treatment vessel 2. The sprinkler nozzle unit 3 sprays the treatment water downward toward the water receiving section 21. The water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 acts to cause dust particles in the air taken in through the sidewall openings 22 to fall into the water receiving section 21. In this embodiment, the internal space of the treatment vessel 2 between the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 and the water receiving unit 21 below it is hollow. That is, no components are disposed therein. This structure prevents the problem of dust clogging between the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 and the water receiving unit 21, even if a large amount of dust is taken into the treatment vessel 2 through the side wall opening 22.

[0031] The treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 generates an air flow that takes in air from the inside of the livestock barn 90 through the side wall opening 22 and exhausts it through the top opening 23. The treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 has a blade unit 4b that rotates around a vertical axis to generate a swirling airflow, and a motor unit 4a that rotates the blade unit 4b. The air taken into the treatment vessel 2 through the side wall opening 22 has dust removed by treatment water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 on its way to the top opening 23. The temperature of the air is also adjusted by heat exchange with the treatment water. Specifically, in summer, high-temperature air is taken into the treatment vessel 2 through the side wall opening 22, but the temperature of the taken-in air is lowered by heat exchange with the treatment water inside the treatment vessel 2.

[0032] A fall prevention member 16 is disposed inside the treatment vessel 2 between the spray nozzle unit 3 and the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. The fall prevention member 16 is formed, for example, in a mesh shape, and is provided to prevent any object that has fallen from above the upper end opening 23 from falling down to the water receiving unit 21. Note that, since dust has already been removed from the air flowing above the spray nozzle unit 3, there is no risk of dust clogging the fall prevention member 16.

[0033] Dust particles that have fallen due to the action of the treatment water sprayed from the spray nozzle unit 3 are stored as impurities in the water receiving unit 21 of the treatment vessel 2. The livestock house ventilation system 1 has a function of treating this impurities so that they do not accumulate too much in the water receiving unit 21. Specifically, the livestock house ventilation system 1 includes a water storage tank 7 in which a pumping pump 5 is disposed and which stores the treatment water discharged from the water receiving unit 21 to the outside of the treatment vessel 2, and a screen device 8 disposed in the water storage tank 7 and which separates impurities contained in the treatment water from the treatment water and removes them to the outside.

[0034] The water tank 7 includes a first water tank 71, a second water tank 72, and a third water tank 73. The first water tank 71 is located below the bottom of the treatment vessel 2. In this embodiment, the first water tank 71 is located below the ground G. The first water tank 71 is connected to the water receiving sections 21 of all the treatment vessels 2 via transfer pipes 11. A screening device 8 is provided in the first water tank 71. The screening device 8 is provided to separate impurities contained in the treatment water from the treatment water and remove them to the outside. The screening device 8 has an impurity intake port 8b that opens into the treatment water stored in the first water tank 71. The impurity intake port 8b is provided at the lower end of the screening device 8. The screening device 8 also includes a conveyor unit 8a for transporting impurities diagonally upward from the impurity intake port 8b. An impurity discharge port 8c is provided at the upper end of the screening device 8. The impurity discharge port 8c is exposed to the outside of the side wall 1a that surrounds the main section S1. The impurities discharged from the impurity discharge port 8c are collected by a cart C and treated in another location.

[0035] The second water tank 72 is provided adjacent to the first water tank 71. The second water tank 72 is provided at a lower position than the first water tank 71. Treatment water from which most of the impurities have been removed flows into the second water tank 72 from the first water tank 71 through the inter-tank transfer pipe 15. In the second water tank 72, some of the impurities that could not be completely removed in the first water tank 71 are removed by settling.

[0036] The third water tank 73 is located adjacent to the second water tank 72. Only the supernatant portion of the treatment water from the second water tank 72 is stored in the third water tank 73. A pumping pump 5 is disposed in the third water tank 73. The pumping pump 5 is connected to the spray nozzle unit 3 by a water supply pipe 51. The treatment water stored in the third water tank 73 is pumped up by the pumping pump 5 and supplied to the spray nozzle unit 3 through the water supply pipe 51. The treatment water that is sprayed from the spray nozzle unit 3 and falls into the water receiving unit 21 has impurities removed in the water tank 7, is then pumped up to the spray nozzle unit 3 by the pumping pump 5, and is sprayed again from the spray nozzle unit 3. In other words, the treatment water is configured to be circulated and reused.

[0037] As described above, the treatment water is circulated and reused repeatedly. As the water circulates, some of it evaporates, gradually reducing the total volume. Therefore, water is replenished as needed to restore the total volume. Water is replenished through the water supply pipe 12. The downstream end of the water supply pipe 12 is located at a height slightly higher than the water receiving section 21 of each treatment vessel 2. An electrically operated water supply valve 121 is provided midway along the water supply pipe 12. The water supply valve 121 is opened when water is replenished to the water receiving section 21. It is also preferable to provide a treatment water buffer tank (not shown) to suppress fluctuations due to evaporation of the treatment water in the water receiving section 21. Furthermore, wastewater generated throughout the livestock barn 90 may be used as the make-up water. In this way, the wastewater generated in the livestock barn 90 can be subjected to evaporation treatment.

[0038] The deodorizer sprayer 61 is a device that sprays a liquid deodorizer inside the duct 14. In this embodiment, hypochlorous acid water is used as the liquid deodorizer. The deodorizer sprayer 61 includes a deodorizer storage unit 611, a deodorizer supply pump 612, a supply amount adjustment valve 613, and a plurality of spray nozzles 614. The deodorizer storage unit 611 is a container for storing hypochlorous acid water. The deodorizer storage unit 611 may also include a hypochlorous acid water generator.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the essential parts for explaining the arrangement and operation of the spray nozzles 614 of the deodorizing agent spray device 61 relative to the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a pair of spray nozzles 614 are provided for each treatment vessel 2. Specifically, the pair of spray nozzles 614 is attached to the upper end opening 23 of each treatment vessel 2 via a bracket 615 (see FIG. 4). The pair of spray nozzles 614, 614 are provided in a position near the upper end of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of spray nozzles 614, 614 are configured to spray hypochlorous acid water toward the rotation center O of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. The treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 generates a swirling flow (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) by the rotation of the blade portion 4b. Turbulence also occurs near the blade portion 4b. Hypochlorous acid water is sprayed from the pair of spray nozzles 614, 614 toward this area.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, all of the spray nozzles 614 provided corresponding to the multiple treatment containers 2 are connected to the deodorizing agent storage unit 611 by a deodorizing agent supply flow path 61a. A deodorizing agent supply pump 612 and a supply amount adjustment valve 613 are provided in the middle of the deodorizing agent supply flow path 61a. The deodorizing agent supply pump 612 generates a flow for supplying the hypochlorous acid water stored in the deodorizing agent storage unit 611 to the spray nozzle 614. The supply amount adjustment valve 613 is disposed between the spray nozzle 614 and the deodorizing agent supply pump 612. The supply amount adjustment valve 613 is electrically operated and adjusts the amount of hypochlorous acid water sprayed from the spray nozzle 614.

[0041] The duct 14 includes a deodorizing and purifying section 141 and an air supply flow path 142. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the deodorizing and purifying section 141 is formed in a box shape whose horizontal dimension is several times larger than its vertical dimension. The deodorizing and purifying section 141 is disposed so as to cover the upper end openings 23 of all of the treatment vessels 2 from above. The bottom surface of the deodorizing and purifying section 141 is connected to all of the upper end openings 23. That is, air discharged from the interiors of all of the treatment vessels 2 enters the deodorizing and purifying section 141. Spray nozzles 614 are disposed inside the deodorizing and purifying section 141 in correspondence with the upper end openings 23 of each treatment vessel 2.

[0042] Inside the deodorizing and purifying unit 141, hypochlorous acid water sprayed by the spray nozzle 614 acts on the air discharged from the treatment vessel 2. This deodorizes and sterilizes ammonia and bacteria floating in the air. The deodorizing and purifying unit 141 is connected to one surface of the sidewall 1a surrounding the main compartment S1. An exhaust port 146 with an opening / closing function is provided at this connection. By opening the exhaust port 146 with an opening / closing function, the air that has been deodorized and sterilized in the deodorizing and purifying unit 141 can be discharged to the outdoors. In this embodiment, the exhaust port 146 with an opening / closing function has a movable louver that rotates vertically. The opening / closing function and the amount of air discharged can be adjusted by changing the angle of the louver.

[0043] In the livestock house ventilation system 1 of this embodiment, the dirty air inside the livestock house 90 is purified by removing dust in the treatment vessel 2 and deodorizing and sterilizing it in the deodorizing and purifying section 141. The dirty air inside the livestock house 90 is also subjected to heat exchange with treatment water sprayed inside the treatment vessel 2, thereby producing temperature-controlled air. The livestock house ventilation system 1 of this embodiment is capable of returning the air thus purified and temperature-controlled by the treatment vessel 2 and the deodorizing and purifying section 141 to the inside of the livestock house 90 through the air supply flow path 142. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the air supply flow path 142 has a main pipe 143 and multiple secondary pipes 144. One end of the main pipe 143 is connected to the center of the top surface of the deodorizing and purifying section 141. The main pipe 143 extends horizontally from above the deodorizing and purifying section 141 through the second end wall 90b of the livestock house 90 in the longitudinal direction of the livestock house 90. The other end of the main pipe portion 143 is located near the first end wall 90 a of the livestock barn 90 .

[0044] The main pipe 143 is disposed so that its entire length passes through a height position near the ceiling of the livestock house 90. The main pipe 143 is also located in the center of the livestock house 90 in the lateral direction. A plurality of secondary pipes 144 are connected to the main pipe 143 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 143. Each secondary pipe 144 extends horizontally from the main pipe 143 toward the outside in the lateral direction of the livestock house 90. Each secondary pipe 144 is provided with a plurality of air supply ports 145. Each air supply port 145 faces downward toward the rearing cages 94. Each air supply port 145 also faces slightly toward the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91. Air that has been cleaned and temperature-adjusted in the treatment container 2 and the deodorizing and purifying section 141 passes through the main pipe 143 and secondary pipe 144 and is supplied to the livestock house space S2 through the air supply ports 145. In this embodiment, the air flow in the air supply flow path 142 is generated by the driving force of the processing vessel exhaust fan 4. Note that a separate air supply fan may be provided inside the air supply flow path 142.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of a livestock house ventilation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the livestock house ventilation system 1 of this embodiment includes a control device 1b for air conditioning the livestock house space S2. The control device 1b is electrically connected to the open / close air inlet 92, the livestock house side exhaust fan 91, the livestock house situation detection sensor 95, the treatment container exhaust fan 4, the open / close exhaust port 146, the water supply valve 121, the pumping pump 5, the deodorizer supply pump 612, the supply amount adjustment valve 613, and the screen device 8. The control device 1b optimally controls the operation of each device according to the conditions of the livestock house space S2 acquired by the livestock house situation detection sensor 95. The livestock house situation detection sensor 95 is disposed in the livestock house space S2. The livestock house situation detection sensor 95 is configured to acquire the temperature, humidity, oxygen concentration, etc. of the livestock house space S2.

[0046] When taking in outside air into the livestock house space S2 and actively purifying the polluted air in the livestock house space S2 and discharging it outside the livestock house 90, the control device 1b opens the air inlet port 92 with opening / closing function and the exhaust port 146 with opening / closing function. The control device 1b then drives the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91, the treatment container exhaust fan 4, the pumping pump 5, and the deodorizing agent supply pump 612. By operating them in this manner, fresh air is introduced into the livestock house space S2 through the air inlet port 92 with opening / closing function.

[0047] Furthermore, the dirty air in the barn space S2 moves from the barn space S2 to the main section S1 by driving the barn-side exhaust fan 91. In the main section S1, the dirty air enters the treatment vessel 2 through the sidewall openings 22 of the treatment vessels 2 by driving the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. Inside the treatment vessel 2, dust such as feathers and feed is separated from the dirty air by spraying treatment water from the sprinkler nozzle 3. The dust-free air is discharged from the upper opening 23 to the deodorizing and purifying section 141, where it is deodorized and sterilized by hypochlorous acid water sprayed from the spray nozzle 614. The clean air after deodorization and sterilization is exhausted to the outdoors through the open / close exhaust port 146 located at one end of the deodorizing and sterilizing section 141. Inside the treatment vessel 2, the dust separated by the water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzle 3 accumulates in the water receiving section 21 as impurities. The water containing the impurities is sent from the water receiving section 21 to the water tank 7. When a certain amount of impurities accumulates in the water tank 7, the screen device 8 is driven to separate and remove the impurities.

[0048] On the other hand, when the ambient air temperature outside the livestock barn 90 is extremely high or low compared to the optimum temperature for raising livestock, it may be better not to introduce outside air into the livestock barn space S2 in order to maintain a constant temperature. In this case, air in the livestock barn space S2 is circulated between the livestock barn space S2 and the treatment container 2 and deodorizing and purifying unit 141 while removing dust and deodorizing. Specifically, the control device 1b closes the open / close air inlet 92 and the open / close exhaust port 146. The control device 1b then drives the livestock barn-side exhaust fan 91, the treatment container exhaust fan 4, the pumping pump 5, and the deodorizer supply pump 612. Driving the livestock barn-side exhaust fan 91 moves contaminated air from the livestock barn space S2 to the main section S1. Driving the treatment container exhaust fan 4 in the main section S1 allows contaminated air to enter the treatment container 2 through the sidewall openings 22. Inside the treatment vessel 2, dust particles such as feathers and feed are separated from the contaminated air by spraying treatment water from the spray nozzle section 3. The air from which the dust has been removed is discharged from the upper end opening 23 to the deodorizing and purifying section 141, where hypochlorous acid water sprayed from the spray nozzle 614 deodorizes and sterilizes ammonia and bacteria floating in the air.

[0049] The clean air after deodorization and sterilization is returned from the deodorizing and purifying unit 141 to the barn space S2 of the barn 90 through the air supply flow path 142. At this time, the flow rate of air sent from the air supply port 145 of the air supply flow path 142 to the barn space S2 is adjusted based on the temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration of the barn space S2 acquired by the barn situation sensor 95. The air flow rate can be adjusted by controlling the drive of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. Specifically, the control device 1b adjusts the rotation speed of the blades 4b by inverter-controlling the motor 4a of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. The air flow rate can be increased by increasing the rotation speed of the blades 4b. Conversely, the air flow rate can be decreased by decreasing the rotation speed of the blades 4b.

[0050] In this embodiment, 18 treatment vessels 2 are provided, and accordingly, a total of 18 treatment vessel exhaust fans 4 are also provided. The control device 1b may vary the overall flow rate of air passing through the air supply flow path 142 by setting some of the 18 treatment vessel exhaust fans 4 to a low rotation speed and the others to a high rotation speed. The control device 1b may also vary the overall flow rate of air passing through the air supply flow path 142 by stopping some of the 18 treatment vessel exhaust fans 4 and driving the others. In this way, the control device 1b controls the treatment vessel exhaust fans 4 to adjust the flow rate of air circulated between the interior of the livestock house 90 and the treatment vessel 2 and the deodorizing and purifying unit 141. Furthermore, the temperature of the air inside the treatment vessel 2 is adjusted by heat exchange with the treatment water. This allows the air temperature in the livestock house space S2 to be maintained constant.

[0051] As described above, the livestock barn ventilation system 1 according to this embodiment comprises: a treatment vessel 2 having a water receiving section 21 at the bottom, a side wall opening 22 above the water receiving section 21, and an upper end opening 23 above the side wall opening 22; a sprinkler nozzle section 3 provided inside the treatment vessel 2 at a height position between the side wall opening 22 and the upper end opening 23; a treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 provided at the upper end opening 23 and generating an air flow that takes in air from the inside of the livestock barn 90 through the side wall opening 22 and exhausts it from the upper end opening 23; a pumping pump 5 that pumps up treatment water and sprays it downward from the sprinkler nozzle section 3 towards the water receiving section 21; a duct 14 connected to the upper end opening 23; and a deodorizer spray device 61 that sprays hypochlorous acid water as a liquid deodorizer into the inside of the duct 14.

[0052] According to the above configuration, by driving the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4, the dirty air in the livestock barn 90 is drawn into the treatment vessel 2 through the sidewall opening 22 of the treatment vessel 2. The dirty air in the livestock barn 90 contains floating dust particles, such as livestock feed and feathers, which are drawn into the treatment vessel 2 along with the air. After being drawn into the treatment vessel 2, the dirty air is directed toward the upper opening 23 of the treatment vessel 2. The dust particles in the air are captured by treatment water sprayed downward from the water spray nozzle 3 and fall into the water receiving section 21 at the bottom of the treatment vessel 2. As a result, the dust particles in the dirty air are separated and treated as impurities in the treatment vessel 2. Furthermore, because the dust particles can be separated by falling into the water receiving section 21, the problem of clogging of the dust-removal net, as occurs in conventional ventilation systems, is eliminated. This allows for efficient dust removal.

[0053] Furthermore, the air taken into the treatment vessel 2 through the side wall opening 22 exchanges heat with the treatment water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 as it moves upward to the upper end opening 23. This makes it possible to adjust the temperature of the air taken into the treatment vessel 2. In particular, in summer, the air inside the livestock barn 90 tends to become hot, so by exchanging heat between the low-temperature treatment water sprayed from the sprinkler nozzle unit 3 and the air inside the livestock barn 90, the air temperature can be effectively lowered.

[0054] Furthermore, for the air discharged from the inside of the treatment vessel 2 to the duct 14, the hypochlorous acid water sprayed into the inside of the duct 14 breaks down malodorous components such as ammonia, thereby removing the odor. As a result, when air is discharged outside the livestock barn 90 from the duct 14, dust and malodors are not scattered outside the livestock barn 90. This makes it possible to improve the living environment of residents near the livestock barn 90 compared to conventional systems.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the deodorizing agent spraying device 61 has a spray nozzle 614. The spray nozzle 614 is provided in a position near and above the exhaust fan 4 for the treatment vessel.

[0056] According to the above configuration, by utilizing the movement of the exhaust fan 4 for the treatment vessel, the hypochlorous acid water sprayed from the spray nozzle 614 can be easily mixed with the air discharged from the inside of the treatment vessel 2, so that the air can be efficiently deodorized inside the duct 14.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4 has a blade portion 4b that rotates around the vertical axis to generate a swirling flow. The spray nozzle 614 is configured to spray hypochlorous acid water toward the rotation center O of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4.

[0058] According to the above configuration, a swirling flow is generated by the rotation of the blades 4b of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4, and the hypochlorous acid water is sprayed directly toward the area where turbulence is also occurring, so that the mixing of the air discharged from the inside of the treatment vessel 2 with the atomized or evaporated hypochlorous acid water can be further promoted. This can further enhance the deodorizing effect.

[0059] The livestock shed ventilation system 1 of the above embodiment includes a water tank 7 in which a pumping pump 5 is disposed and which stores the treatment water discharged from the water receiving section 21 to the outside of the treatment container 2, and a screen device 8 which is disposed in the water tank 7 and which separates impurities contained in the treatment water from the treatment water and removes them to the outside.

[0060] According to the above configuration, the treatment water sprayed from the spray nozzle unit 3 and falling into the water receiving unit 21 is pumped up to the spray nozzle unit 3 by the pumping pump 5 and sprayed again from the spray nozzle unit 3. In other words, the treatment water is circulated and reused. This allows the treatment water to be used efficiently. Furthermore, impurities accumulated in the water receiving unit 21 of the treatment vessel 2 move to the water storage tank 7 along with the treatment water, where they float or settle. The screening device 8 can automatically separate these impurities from the treatment water and remove them to the outside. This prevents impurities from being contained in the treatment water pumped from the water storage tank 7 by the pumping pump 5, thereby maintaining the dust capturing capacity of the treatment water sprayed from the spray nozzle unit 3 at an appropriate level.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the duct 14 covers the upper end opening 23 and includes a deodorizing and purifying section 141 that applies a liquid deodorizer sprayed by a deodorizer sprayer 61 to the air discharged from the inside of the treatment container 2, and an air supply flow path 142 that returns the air deodorized by the deodorizing and purifying section 141 to the inside of the livestock house 90. The duct 14 is configured to circulate air between the inside of the livestock house 90 and the treatment container 2 and the deodorizing and purifying section 141 while removing dust and deodorizing the air.

[0062] According to the above configuration, the air inside the livestock house 90 is circulated while dust removal and deodorization are performed, so the amount of outside air taken in from the outside can be reduced while maintaining the air inside the livestock house 90 in a clean state. This almost eliminates the need to take in hot outside air in the summer or cold outside air in the winter from outside the livestock house 90, so the temperature inside the livestock house 90 can be maintained constant. This makes it possible to maintain a good rearing environment for the livestock kept inside the livestock house 90. Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent the air inside the livestock house 90 from being discharged to the outdoors, it is possible to improve the living environment for residents living near the livestock house 90.

[0063] The livestock house ventilation system 1 of the above embodiment includes a control device 1b that controls the driving of the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4. The control device 1b is configured to adjust the flow rate of air circulated between the inside of the livestock house 90 and the treatment vessel 2 and the deodorizing and purifying unit 141 by controlling the treatment vessel exhaust fan 4.

[0064] According to the above configuration, dust removal, deodorization, sterilization, and temperature regulation inside the livestock barn 90 can be performed in a balanced manner according to the increase or decrease in the number of livestock being raised, the season, etc.

[0065] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

[0066] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the livestock house ventilation system 1 was applied to a chicken house, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to various livestock houses for raising various livestock such as cows and pigs.

[0067] Furthermore, since the livestock house ventilation system 1 of the above embodiment was configured to be retrofitted to an existing livestock house 90, the livestock house-side exhaust fan 91 was provided on the end-side second side wall 90b at the boundary between the main section S1 of the livestock house ventilation system 1 and the livestock house interior space S2. The present invention is not limited to this, and it is not necessary to provide a side wall or livestock house-side exhaust fan between the main section of the livestock house ventilation system and the livestock house interior space. In other words, the treatment container, the treatment container exhaust fan, the duct deodorizing and purifying unit, etc. may be arranged directly in the livestock house interior space.

[0068] Although the livestock house ventilation system 1 of the above embodiment is shown as having 18 treatment containers 2, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least one treatment container is provided. Similarly, it is sufficient that at least one sprinkler nozzle unit provided inside the treatment container and at least one treatment container exhaust fan provided at the upper end opening of the treatment container are provided.

[0069] Furthermore, in the livestock house ventilation system 1 of the above embodiment, the duct 14 is configured to include the deodorizing and purifying section 141 and the air supply flow path 142, and to circulate air while removing dust and deodorizing between the inside of the livestock house 90 and the treatment container 2 and the deodorizing and purifying section 141. The present invention is not limited to this, and the duct may have a structure that does not include an air supply flow path. Industrial application fields

[0070] The present invention is applicable to a livestock house ventilation system for ventilating the inside of a livestock house in which livestock are raised.

[0071] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Livestock house ventilation system 1b Control device 2 Treatment container 3 Sprinkler nozzle section 4 Exhaust fan for treatment container 4b Blade section 5 Pumping pump 7 Water tank 8 Screen device 14 Duct 21 Water receiving section 22 Side wall opening 23 Upper end opening 61 Deodorizing agent spraying device 90 Livestock house 141 Deodorizing and purifying section 142 Air supply flow path 614 Spray nozzle O Rotation center

Claims

1. A livestock barn ventilation system comprising: a treatment vessel having a water receiving section at the bottom, a side wall opening above the water receiving section, and an upper end opening above the side wall opening; a sprinkler nozzle section provided inside the treatment vessel at a height position between the side wall opening and the upper end opening; a treatment vessel exhaust fan provided at the upper end opening and generating an air flow that takes in air from inside the livestock barn through the side wall opening and exhausts it from the upper end opening; a pumping pump that draws up water to be treated and sprays it downward from the sprinkler nozzle section towards the water receiving section; a duct connected to the upper end opening; and a deodorizing agent spraying device that sprays a liquid deodorizing agent inside the duct.

2. The livestock house ventilation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the deodorizing agent spray device has a spray nozzle, and the spray nozzle is provided in a position near the top of the exhaust fan for the treatment container.

3. A livestock house ventilation system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel has a blade portion that rotates around an upper and lower axis to generate a swirling flow, and the spray nozzle is configured to spray the liquid deodorizing agent toward the center of rotation of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel.

4. A livestock barn ventilation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises: a water tank in which the pumping pump is disposed and which stores the treatment water discharged from the water receiving section to the outside of the treatment container; and a screen device disposed in the water tank and which separates impurities contained in the treatment water from the treatment water and removes them to the outside.

5. A livestock house ventilation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the duct is equipped with a deodorizing and purifying section that covers the upper end opening and causes the liquid deodorizer sprayed by the deodorizer spray device to act on the air discharged from the inside of the treatment container, and an air supply flow path for returning the air deodorized by the deodorizing and purifying section to the inside of the livestock house, and is configured to circulate air between the inside of the livestock house and the treatment container and the deodorizing and purifying section while removing dust and deodorizing.

6. A livestock house ventilation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is provided with a control device that controls the drive of the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel, and the control device is configured to adjust the flow rate of air circulated between the inside of the livestock house and the treatment vessel and the deodorizing and purifying unit by controlling the exhaust fan for the treatment vessel.

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