Stacked Insect Breeding Facility with Removable Spawn Structures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current insect breeding methods lack efficiency in scaling up production and managing the spawning and hatching processes for insects like crawling mother beetles, leading to reduced productivity and flexibility in baby larvae output.
Innovation Solution
A method and facility for breeding insects that includes stacked spawning containers with removable spawn structures, a hatch area for egg hatching, and a handling system for transporting containers and spawn structures, allowing for efficient scaling and monitoring of productivity, along with specific spawn structures designed for crawling mother beetles like lesser mealworms or Zophobas morios that accommodate their egg-laying tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional insect breeding methods are used with non-removable spawn structures, then the simplicity of the breeding process is maintained, but the productivity and flexibility of baby larvae output are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The breeding facility is divided into separate functional modules: removable spawn structures within spawning containers, which are themselves removable from the breeding facility. This segmentation allows independent handling of eggs, larvae, and adult insects, enabling continuous production cycles and improved productivity without overwhelming complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic, movable components including removable spawn structures and transportable spawning containers. These dynamic elements allow the facility to adapt to different production stages, enabling flexible scaling of baby larvae output while maintaining manageable operational complexity
2Productivity
If spawning containers are not stacked, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the productivity and space utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the spawning container from the spawn structure, allowing containers to be stacked for space efficiency while spawn structures remain individually accessible and removable. This segmentation enables high-density stacking without compromising the ease of accessing and removing individual spawn structures for egg collection
Solution Approach 2:
The spawn structure is extracted as a separate, removable component from the spawning container. This allows containers to be stacked vertically for improved space utilization and productivity, while the extracted spawn structures can be easily removed and transported to hatching areas without moving the entire stacked container structure
3Productivity
If spawn structures are not removable, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity and flexibility in managing spawning and hatching processes are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spawn structure is divided into a removable component that can be separated from the spawning container. This segmentation enables efficient egg collection by removing only the spawn structure rather than the entire container, improving productivity while keeping the overall system manageable through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The removable spawn structure acts as an intermediary between the spawning container and the hatching area. It facilitates the transfer of eggs from spawning to hatching environments, improving process efficiency and flexibility while maintaining reasonable system complexity through its standardized, removable nature
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and facility for breeding insects. According to the invention, the insect breeding facility comprises a spawning area comprising spawning containers which are adapted to receive adult insects and insect food, wherein at least one spawn structure is provided in each spawning container, in which spawn structures the mother insects will spawn their eggs. The plurality of spawning containers are stacked in one or more stacks of containers. Furthermore a hatch area is provided in which the eggs will hatch and which allows periodical harvesting of baby larvae from the hatch area.