Angled-Channel Barn Floor Covering for Ammonia Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stable floor designs fail to effectively reduce ammonia emissions while maintaining animal welfare, as mandated by stricter regulations, particularly in dairy cattle housing.
Innovation Solution
A stable floor covering system with angled drainage channels and urease inhibitor application, utilizing a conduit system to distribute urease inhibitors through a barn floor, combined with a control system for targeted ammonia reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional floor designs are used, then construction simplicity is maintained, but ammonia emissions cannot be reduced to meet regulatory requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is divided into multiple layers including a base layer, a drainage layer with drainage channels, and a top layer with urease inhibitor application points. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function: the drainage layer handles urine collection while the top layer applies urease inhibitors to reduce ammonia emissions, thereby resolving the contradiction between emission reduction and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage channels are integrated within the floor structure itself, with the drainage layer nested between the base layer and the top layer. The urease inhibitor application points are embedded in the top layer, allowing the entire emission reduction system to be nested within the floor structure without requiring separate external systems, thus reducing overall complexity while meeting emission requirements.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If drainage channels are added to reduce ammonia emissions, then emission control is improved, but urine drainage efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage channels are strategically positioned at specific locations within the floor structure where urine naturally accumulates, while urease inhibitors are applied at specific points along these channels. This local quality approach ensures that drainage efficiency is maintained in high-traffic areas while ammonia emissions are reduced at specific emission hotspots, resolving the contradiction between emission control and drainage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage channels are pre-configured in the floor structure during construction, and urease inhibitors are pre-positioned at application points within these channels. This preliminary action ensures that when urine enters the drainage system, it is immediately directed to the channels and exposed to urease inhibitors, maintaining efficient drainage while simultaneously reducing ammonia emissions without compromising either function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves significant ammonia emission reduction, improves animal welfare, and meets regulatory requirements by ensuring cleanliness and comfort, enhancing dairy cow health and milk production.
Implementation Method 1
The conduit (140) has a plurality of openings which are permeable to a liquid comprising at least one urease inhibitor
Data Source
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AI summary
A barn floor covering (110) is proposed. The barn floor covering (110) comprises: • at least one panel (112), the panel (112) having at least one first drainage channel (114); • at least one cover element (124), the cover element (124) being placeable on the panel (112), the cover element (124) having a plurality of second drainage channels (126), the second drainage channels (126) being arranged at an angle of from 30° to 90° to the first drainage channel (124); and • at least one conduit (140), the conduit (140) having a plurality of openings (168) which are designed to be permeable for a liquid comprising at least one urease inhibitor.