Insect Rearing Climate Control via Clustered Aeration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing insect rearing climate control systems fail to provide individualized climate control for clusters of insect crates, leading to suboptimal growth conditions due to variations in insect age, food, and gas production within each cluster.

Innovation Solution

A climate control system with an air control unit and database that adjusts air properties based on input parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas levels specific to each cluster of crates, ensuring optimal conditions for insect growth by providing tailored airstreams through ventilation openings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a common air climate is provided for all crates in the rearing housing, then the system complexity is reduced and energy consumption is lowered, but the growth conditions become suboptimal due to variations in insect age, food, and gas production within each cluster

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclimate control adaptabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rearing housing is divided into multiple clusters of crates, with each cluster receiving independently controlled airstreams. The air control unit segments the climate control function by retrieving specific input parameters for each cluster and setting tailored conditioned air properties, allowing adaptive climate control while managing system complexity through modular organization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each cluster of crates receives customized climate conditions based on its specific requirements. The air control unit determines appropriate conditioned air properties (temperature, humidity, gas composition) based on input parameters specific to each cluster, ensuring that local quality of climate matches the local needs of insects in that cluster

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If individualized climate control is provided for each cluster of crates, then growth conditions are optimized and yields increase, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsect yieldVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The air control unit dynamically adjusts climate parameters for each cluster based on retrieved input parameters. The system transitions from static common climate control to dynamic individualized control, where air properties (temperature, humidity, flow rate) are continuously adapted to match the changing needs of each cluster, thereby optimizing productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes physical parameters of the airstreams (temperature, humidity, gas composition) based on input parameters retrieved for each cluster. By adjusting these parameters individually for each cluster, the system optimizes growth conditions and increases insect yield while managing energy consumption through targeted parameter adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If climate parameters are controlled uniformly across all crates, then the control system is simpler to operate, but the unique needs of different insect groups are not accommodated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol operation simplicityVSAvoidclimate customization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The air control unit serves multiple functions: it retrieves input parameters for each cluster, determines appropriate conditioned air properties, and sets the climate for each cluster separately. This multi-functional approach allows the system to provide customized climate control for each cluster while maintaining a unified control interface, balancing ease of operation with climate adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3657940B1Method and system for controlling the climate of an insect rearing climate area

Publication Date: 2023.10.11 YNSECT NL BV

Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling the air climate in an insect rearing climate housing. The system comprises in combination an insect rearing climate housing and an aeration system. The insect rearing climate housing comprises clusters of one or more stacks of crates with immature phases of insects, which stacks of crates comprise at least two ventilation openings associated with each crate. The aeration system comprises an air control unit with a database. The database comprises a reference table with conditioned air properties in relation to one or more input parameters. The aeration system further comprises aeration devices connected to the air control unit adjacent to each stack of crates. The aeration devices comprise a plurality of exit openings. The exit openings are arranged for providing airstreams over the immature phases of insects through the ventilation openings in each individual crate. The method comprises steps of retrieving one or more input parameters for the air control unit per cluster of crates, the air control unit determining appropriate conditioned air properties of the airstreams based on the retrieved one or more input parameters, and for each individual cluster of crates separately, the air control unit setting the determined conditioned air properties of the airstreams.