Grooved Mat Floor System for Livestock Excrement Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manure evacuation systems in animal enclosures fail to effectively separate urine and feces, leading to ammonia production and humidity issues, which compromise animal health and hygiene, and often require significant structural modifications.
Innovation Solution
A floor covering system with grooves and conveying means that separates urine and feces through longitudinal openings and drive members, allowing for continuous and automatic evacuation of liquids without major structural work, maintaining a relatively dry surface and reducing ammonia production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If mechanical removal systems are used to scrape droppings, then excrement can be removed from the enclosure, but separation of urine and feces is not optimal leading to ammonia production
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the collection process into separate channels: one for liquid urine (through holes in the mat to collection channels) and another for solid feces (surface scraping). This segmentation allows optimal separation of different excrement types, preventing ammonia production while maintaining efficient removal of both materials through dedicated pathways.
2Productivity
If flush systems are used to expel excrement, then excrement can be removed rapidly, but the floors become excessively wet causing health problems and hygiene issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes liquid urine immediately at the source through the mat structure, preventing it from saturating the floor. Collection channels positioned at strategic points rapidly evacuate liquids away from the animal enclosure, maintaining floor dryness and preventing health problems while achieving rapid excrement removal.
3Ease of operation
If grating systems are used for drainage, then liquids can be evacuated, but significant structural work is required making installation difficult in existing buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a flexible mat structure with integrated collection channels that can be installed over existing floors without major structural modifications. This thin-film approach provides effective liquid evacuation through its permeable design while avoiding the heavy structural work required by traditional grating systems, making it suitable for retrofitting in existing buildings.
4Productivity
If conventional drainage systems are installed to evacuate liquids, then urine can be removed, but major construction work is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements liquid evacuation locally at the point where urine is deposited, using the mat's permeable structure to capture and channel liquids immediately. This localized approach eliminates the need for extensive drainage infrastructure and major construction work while maintaining efficient liquid removal through strategically positioned collection channels.
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 ensures effective liquid management, reduces ammonia production, improves animal health by maintaining a dry and safe surface, and can be easily installed in existing enclosures without major structural changes, enhancing hygiene and reducing the risk of lameness and bacterial proliferation.
Implementation Method 1
grooves adapted for collecting excrement, formed in said upper surface... through-holes adapted for the flow of excrement towards said support structure
Implementation Method 2
conveying means... provided in the upper face of said support structure... which are coupled with the drive elements to apply a movement intended to cause the movement of the droppings in a suitable direction within these grooves
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a system for collecting excrement flowing onto the floor of an enclosure for raising animals, for example cattle. This collection system is characterized in that it comprises: (i) a floor covering (1) comprising a mat (2) attached to a support structure (3), which mat (2) has grooves (23) and through holes (24) adapted for the flow of excrement towards said support structure (3), and which support structure (3) has grooves (33), adapted to receive the excrement, from said through holes (24) of the mat (2), (ii) means (4) for collecting the excrement circulating within said grooves (23, 33), and (iii) means (5) for conveying the excrement within said grooves (23, 33), so as to generate said circulation of said excrement towards said collection means (4).