Flow-Through Feed Heating Cooling System for Insect Breeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insect breeding technologies face challenges in precisely controlling microclimate conditions, leading to stress and inefficiencies due to high energy consumption in maintaining constant temperatures, especially in large breeding rooms, as they rely on heating and cooling entire rooms rather than the insects directly.
Innovation Solution
A flow-through feed heating and/or cooling system integrated into the breeding line, using a closed system with a heating/cooling medium like water or glycol, and a heated production surface with an electrical heating system to provide stable thermal conditions directly to the insects, reducing energy losses and improving temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If entire breeding rooms are heated and cooled to maintain constant temperatures, then thermal conditions for insects are maintained, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing heating and cooling elements only in specific locations where insects are present (on the breeding line), rather than heating/cooling the entire breeding room. This localized approach maintains thermal conditions for insects while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to whole-room climate control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heating and cooling function from the general room environment and concentrates it directly at the insect breeding location. By removing the unnecessary heating/cooling of empty space and focusing thermal control only where biologically necessary, the system reduces energy waste while maintaining effective temperature control.
2Temperature
If entire breeding rooms are heated to maintain high air temperature, then insects receive thermal conditions, but most energy is lost heating air and room elements rather than insects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the breeding line structure itself as an intermediary thermal transfer medium. Heating elements are integrated into the breeding line, which directly contacts the insects, serving as an efficient thermal intermediary that transfers heat directly to the insects without wasting energy heating the surrounding air and room elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the thermal control function from the general room environment and concentrates it directly at the insect breeding location. By removing the unnecessary heating/cooling of empty space and focusing thermal control only where biologically necessary, the system reduces energy waste while maintaining effective temperature control.
3Quantity of substance
If rack systems with small container area are used, then insects are housed, but microclimate control becomes difficult due to poor gas exchange
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic conveyor belt system that continuously moves the breeding substrate, creating active air circulation and enhancing gas exchange. This dynamic approach maintains effective microclimate control even with limited container area, as the moving substrate prevents stagnant conditions and improves oxygen-carrying capacity and moisture regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static rack systems to a dynamic conveyor belt system, adding the dimension of movement. This allows the system to maintain effective microclimate control through active air circulation and substrate movement, achieving better gas exchange and temperature distribution within a compact footprint.
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
This approach increases insect fattening rates, reduces feed consumption, stabilizes ambient conditions, and enhances breeding efficiency by allowing precise thermal control, resulting in faster growth and higher survival rates while minimizing energy usage.
Implementation Method 1
a flow-through feed heating and/or cooling system with a closed flow for heating and/or cooling the feed on a breeding line, comprises at least one heating-cooling medium supply circuit and at least one heating-cooling medium return circuit connected to each other, and the heating-cooling medium supply circuit and the heating-cooling medium return circuit are fluidly connected to a heat exchanger for heating and/or cooling the heating-cooling medium
Implementation Method 2
the heating-cooling pipes of thermally conductive material are arranged parallel to the conveyor belt of said at least one breeding line for laying feed for breeding insects thereon
Implementation Method 3
a heated production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects, which uses an electrical heating system
Data Source
AI summary
The first object of the invention is a production line for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects of the order Coleoptera and/or Diptera, characterized in that it comprises: at least one breeding line (14) for breeding insects for laying feed thereon and a flow-through feed heating and/or cooling system (1) with a closed flow of heating-cooling medium for heating/cooling the feed on the breeding line (14). The second object is a method for breeding insects including a step of rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects using a production line according to the invention. A further object is a method for breeding insects using a flow-through feed heating and/or cooling system during the breeding. Another object is the use of a flow-through feed heating and/or cooling system (1) with a closed flow of heating-cooling medium for heating/cooling the feed on the breeding line (14).