Gravity-Driven Paddle Wheel Feed Metering and Additive Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal feeding systems face difficulties in temporarily adding supplements to feed and delivering them selectively to specific animals, as they require complex mechanical or electronic controls.
Innovation Solution
A feed supply duct system with a gravity-driven paddle wheel mechanism that meters feed and allows for the addition of supplements, using a simple mechanical design without electronic controls, incorporating a wheel-driven counter and dispenser for precise additive delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex mechanical or electronic controls are used to add supplements selectively, then the precision of supplement delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the feed material itself to drive the paddle wheel mechanism, which automatically controls the dispensing of supplements. The feed-activated engine converts the kinetic energy of falling feed into rotational motion that operates both the flow counter and the supplement dispenser, eliminating the need for external motors or electronic controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The paddle wheel acts as an intermediary mechanism that translates the flow of feed material into controlled rotational motion. This mechanical intermediary couples the feed flow to the supplement dispensing mechanism, enabling precise delivery proportional to feed flow without direct electronic control.
2Device complexity
If gravity-driven paddle wheel mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of feed flow may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a feed flow counter that measures the rotational motion of the paddle wheel and provides feedback on the amount of feed that has passed through. This feedback mechanism ensures accurate measurement of feed flow, which in turn controls the proportional dispensing of supplements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex electronic measurement systems with a purely mechanical measurement approach using the paddle wheel and counter mechanism. The mechanical system converts feed flow directly into measurable rotational displacement, achieving sufficient precision without electronic components.
3Use of energy by moving object
If feed material is used to drive the wheel, then the use of external energy sources is reduced, but the reliability of consistent wheel rotation may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The paddle wheel design incorporates dynamic elements including curved blades that optimize the conversion of feed kinetic energy to rotational motion. The blade geometry and positioning are designed to ensure consistent engagement with falling feed material, maintaining reliable rotation even with variations in feed flow rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design accounts for variations in feed material properties and flow rates by optimizing the paddle wheel parameters such as blade angle, spacing, and curvature. These parameter optimizations ensure that the wheel rotates consistently across a range of operating conditions without requiring external energy input.
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
Enables efficient and selective addition of supplements to animal feed, providing a cost-effective and reliable solution for feeding systems that does not rely on electrical or electronic mechanisms, ensuring consistent additive delivery proportional to feed flow.
Implementation Method 1
the feed falls through the feed supply duct under gravity
Implementation Method 2
a driven component driven by the wheel
Data Source
AI summary
In an apparatus for feeding animals including one or more feed dispensing containers from which the animals can take feed which are fed by supply ducts from a supply a device is provided which includes a feed supply duct portion arranged such that the feed falls through the feed supply duct portion under gravity. A drive member is mounted at the duct and includes a plurality of paddle blades of a wheel mounted for rotation about an axis of the wheel such that falling feed in the duct acts to drive the blades to rotate the wheel about the axis and a driven component driven by the wheel. The driven component is in most cases a dispenser for feeding a liquid or particulate additive material from a supply cartridge, which is mounted on a common housing forming the duct and containing the wheel, to an injection opening on the bottom of the housing for addition to the feed passing through the duct portion.