Separating Device for Pig Pen Ammonia Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for reducing ammonia pollution in animal pens, such as those with slatted floors, are inadequate in addressing the issue within the pens and often lead to increased ammonia levels, animal discomfort, and slurry system failures due to the mixing of dung and urine with manipulable materials.
Innovation Solution
A separating device featuring a base frame with drainage channels and a liquid-permeable endless belt, where the drainage channels are inclined to direct liquids to a transverse drainage channel, allowing urine to permeate through while dung is separated, reducing the load on the belt and improving animal welfare by distributing weight more evenly and allowing for longer maintenance cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If slatted floors are used to dispose of liquid and solid excrement, then excrement removal is achieved, but ammonia pollution increases and animal welfare deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The separating device divides the excrement separation process into distinct functional zones: a first separating device for initial dung-urine separation and a second separating device for further purification. This segmentation allows specialized handling of different excrement types, reducing ammonia generation at the source while maintaining efficient removal capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes dung from the urine stream using the separating devices, eliminating the source of ammonia pollution. By separating the solid dung component from the liquid urine, the system prevents the mixing that generates ammonia, thereby reducing harmful emissions while maintaining excrement removal productivity.
2Ease of operation
If manipulable material is provided for animals, then animal welfare improves, but slurry system fails due to increased solids portion
Solution Approach 1:
The separating devices segment the mixture of manipulable material, dung, and urine into distinct streams. The first separating device separates dung from urine, while the second separating device further purifies the liquid stream. This segmentation prevents solids accumulation in the slurry system, maintaining reliability while allowing animal access to manipulable materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and removes solid dung particles from the liquid urine stream through the separating devices. This extraction prevents solids from accumulating in the slurry system, maintaining its functionality and reliability while permitting the use of manipulable materials for animal welfare.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If air washing systems are used to reduce ammonia, then external air quality improves, but internal pen climate remains polluted
Solution Approach 1:
The separating devices extract and remove dung from the urine at the source, eliminating the primary ammonia generation mechanism. This source removal approach addresses internal pen climate by preventing ammonia formation rather than merely treating external air, thereby reducing harmful factors both inside and outside the pen.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potentially harmful mixture of dung and urine into separated streams where dung is removed and urine is purified. This conversion eliminates the chemical reaction that generates ammonia, transforming a harmful internal climate issue into a controlled separation process that benefits both internal and external air quality.
4Productivity
If conveyor belt is used to separate excrement, then separation function is achieved, but belt load increases and maintenance frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the separation function across two independent separating devices rather than relying on a single conveyor belt. This segmentation distributes the load and reduces wear on individual components, maintaining separation efficiency while reducing maintenance frequency through better load distribution and system redundancy.
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 solution effectively reduces ammonia pollution, improves animal welfare by allowing more manipulable material usage, and enhances maintainability by distributing weight and reducing the load on the endless belt, making it more reliable and robust.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid-permeable endless belt with an upper run and a lower run
Implementation Method 2
the drainage element is arranged on the base frame in such a manner that a drainage direction of the two or more drainage channels is directed in the direction of the outflow end
Data Source
AI summary
A separating device for forming a standing area for livestock, in particular pigs, and for reducing emissions in pens, in particular in pig pens, comprises a base frame, a drainage element with a plurality of drainage channels which each comprise an outflow end, and shoulders, between which the plurality of drainage channels extends orthogonally to a drainage direction, a liquid-permeable endless belt with an upper run and a lower run, wherein the drainage element is arranged on the base frame such that a drainage direction of the plurality of drainage channels is directed in the direction of the outflow end.