Animal Bedding Reprocessing System Separating Manure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for disposing and recycling animal bedding are costly, environmentally challenging, and often result in unsatisfactory products due to the difficulty in separating animal waste from bedding materials, leading to issues with soil dilution, odor, and increased disposal costs.
Innovation Solution
A system and process for reprocessing soiled animal bedding that involves separation, cleaning, rinsing, and drying, with optional steps for color restoration and compaction, allowing the bedding to be reused or converted into fuel products, fertilizers, or other end-use products, utilizing a series of shakers and dryers with cleaning agents like sodium bicarbonate and vinegar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If animal bedding is used once and then discarded, then disposal is simple, but costs increase and environmental damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by collecting used animal bedding that would otherwise be discarded and processing it through a series of treatment steps (screening, washing, drying, pelletizing) to recover it as a reusable product. The system transforms waste bedding into reusable pellets that can be sold back to farmers, closing the material loop and preventing both disposal costs and environmental damage while recovering valuable resources.
2Loss of substance
If soiled bedding is spread on land as fertilizer, then waste is utilized, but soil dilution and odor problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing contaminants (manure, urine, dirt) from used bedding through screening and washing processes. This separation extracts the harmful components from the bedding material, allowing the cleaned bedding to be processed into high-quality reusable pellets without the soil dilution and odor problems associated with spreading raw manure on land.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming the physical and chemical properties of used bedding through drying (reducing moisture content) and pelletizing (changing shape and density). These parameter changes convert wet, odorous, diluted manure mixture into dry, compact, odor-free pellets that can be stored and transported efficiently without causing environmental harm.
3Productivity
If bedding material is separated from animal waste, then reuse is possible, but separation difficulty increases processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the separation and processing task into distinct sequential stages: initial screening to remove large manure pieces, washing to remove remaining contaminants, drying to reduce moisture, and pelletizing to form the final product. This segmentation of the separation process makes each step simpler and more manageable while achieving high reuse rates through systematic multi-stage processing.
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 process effectively recovers clean, reusable bedding material that can be packaged and used again, reducing disposal costs and environmental impact by utilizing the energy content of the material and producing valuable byproducts like fertilizers and fuel.
Implementation Method 1
The shaker vibrates to separate the manure from the bedding material
Implementation Method 2
The shaker separates the manure from the bedding material, sending the manure to a holding tank
Implementation Method 3
drying the bedding material to a desired moisture content
Implementation Method 4
The dryer is operated to dry the bedding material
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system reprocess soiled animal bedding material commingled with animal manure. In one aspect the soiled animal bedding material is separated in a shaker to send at least a preponderance of the manure to a holding tank. In another aspect the bedding is cleaned, rinsed and color is restored. The bedding material is subsequently dried and a bedding product, fertilizer product, and/or compacted product is formed. Alternatively, said bedding material is dried (without a compacting step) to form a product. In yet another aspect, the steps of separation, cleaning, rinsing and/or color restoration may be omitted.