Oxygenated Drinking Water System for Poultry Scale Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of limescale deposits in water tanks for poultry and pigs due to the 'stripping' phenomenon, where injected oxygen depletes CO2 levels, leading to carbonate deposition and biofilm formation, is not effectively addressed by existing methods.
Innovation Solution
Injecting a mixture of O2 and CO2 into the water, maintaining a dissolved CO2 level between 3 and 20 mg/l, transforms carbonates into soluble bicarbonates, preventing scale formation and biofilm growth by optimizing CO2 injection based on pH measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If oxygen is injected into the drinking water, then the oxygen content is improved for animal health, but CO2 is depleted causing limescale deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-injecting CO2 into the water before oxygen injection to counteract the upcoming CO2 depletion. The CO2 injection creates a buffer that prevents carbonate precipitation when oxygen is subsequently injected, thereby preventing limescale formation before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the water by controlling pH and dissolved CO2 levels. By maintaining pH between 6.5-8.5 and dissolved CO2 between 3-20 mg/l, the system shifts the carbonate equilibrium to keep calcium in solution as bicarbonate, preventing limescale while allowing high oxygen content.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If CO2 is injected to prevent limescale, then scale deposition is reduced, but oxygen may desorb reducing oxygenation effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing the desired CO2 level and pH balance before introducing oxygen. This ensures that the water is pre-conditioned to maintain calcium in solution, so when oxygen is injected, there is no subsequent carbonate precipitation that would cause limescale.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous maintenance of both CO2 and pH levels throughout the oxygenation process. By continuously monitoring and adjusting dissolved CO2 to maintain pH between 6.5-8.5, the system maintains calcium solubility continuously, preventing limescale formation at any stage of the oxygenation process.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate injection of CO2 and oxygen is used, then implementation is simple, but optimal CO2 control is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously measuring pH and using this information to adjust CO2 injection rates. The pH measurement serves as a direct indicator of dissolved CO2 levels, allowing the system to automatically maintain the optimal range (pH 6.5-8.5) and prevent both limescale formation and excessive CO2 accumulation.
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
This approach significantly reduces limescale formation, simplifies implementation, limits biofilm growth, and enhances animal digestion by maintaining a stable bicarbonate level in the water, providing a synergistic effect of oxygen and CO2 for animal health.
Implementation Method 1
oxygen and CO2 are injected into the drinking water before it reaches the animals
Implementation Method 2
the gas bubbles that are not dissolved and escape to the atmosphere will, as they pass through the liquid, seek equilibrium with the (volatile) compounds present in the liquid, particularly gases. In this case, considering the oxygen injected into the water, the portion of the bubbles that escape to the atmosphere, as they pass through the water, will capture other gases (nitrogen and CO2) to reach equilibrium and thus deplete the water of free CO2.
Implementation Method 3
This loss of CO2 promotes the deposition of limescale. The present invention aims to provide a solution to this phenomenon of limescale deposit formation. To achieve this, the solution proposed here involves enriching the water with CO2 by injecting an O2/CO2 mixture instead of injecting only oxygen. This transforms the carbonates into bicarbonates, which are soluble and non-scaling.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for rearing animals and, in particular, poultry or pigs, in which water is provided to the animals for them to drink, characterised in that it involves injecting oxygen and CO2 into the drinking water before it reaches the animals, according to one of the following modes: - two injections performed simultaneously in the water, one of CO2 and one of oxygen; - A mixture of oxygen and CO2 is injected into the water.