Segmented Floor Covering for Manure Separation in Livestock Enclosures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manure evacuation systems in animal enclosures fail to optimally separate urine and feces, leading to ammonia production and humidity issues, which affect animal comfort and health, and require significant structural modifications for installation.
Innovation Solution
A collection system with a floor covering featuring lateral bands and channels that guide and convey manure, allowing for continuous and automatic evacuation of liquids while keeping the surface relatively dry, separating urine from feces and simplifying installation without major structural work.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If mechanical evacuation systems are used to scrape droppings, then droppings can be evacuated, but separation of urine and faeces is not optimal leading to ammonia production
Solution Approach 1:
The floor covering is segmented into lateral bands with channels between them, creating distinct zones for urine collection and faeces evacuation. This segmentation allows urine to flow into channels while faeces are scraped by the scraper, achieving effective separation and reducing ammonia production without compromising evacuation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The urine extraction system removes liquid waste from the floor surface through channels that collect and evacuate urine separately from faeces. This extraction mechanism prevents urine from mixing with faeces, thereby reducing ammonia generation while maintaining efficient overall waste removal.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flush systems are used to evacuate droppings, then droppings can be evacuated, but floors become excessively humid generating adhesion and hygiene problems
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is divided into lateral bands separated by channels, creating dedicated zones for liquid collection. This segmentation allows urine to be channeled away efficiently while the lateral bands remain relatively dry, preventing adhesion problems and hygiene issues without sacrificing evacuation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic principles to channel urine through gravity-driven flow into collection channels, efficiently removing liquid waste without requiring high-pressure flushing that would excessively humidify the floors. The channels conduct urine away while maintaining dry conditions on the animal resting surfaces.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If collection systems with guide profiles are used, then urine evacuation is improved, but separation of urine and faeces needs further optimization to limit ammonia production
Solution Approach 1:
The floor covering itself is segmented into lateral bands with integrated channels, creating a simple yet effective segmentation that separates urine collection areas from faeces evacuation zones. This structural segmentation achieves optimal urine-faeces separation and reduces ammonia production without adding complex auxiliary devices.
4Ease of manufacture
If mechanical scraping systems are installed, then droppings can be evacuated, but major structural work is required which is difficult to envisage in existing enclosures
Solution Approach 1:
The floor covering serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides animal resting surfaces through lateral bands, collects urine through integrated channels, and works with the scraper for faeces evacuation. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve effective waste evacuation without requiring separate complex structural installations, making it suitable for existing enclosures.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor covering can be implemented as a flexible or semi-flexible structure that overlays existing floors, requiring minimal structural modification. This approach maintains evacuation effectiveness while significantly reducing installation complexity compared to rigid mechanical scraping systems.
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 system effectively reduces ammonia production, maintains a drier and healthier surface for animals, simplifies installation and maintenance, and improves hygiene and animal health by separating liquids from solids and reducing bacterial proliferation.
Implementation Method 1
each pair of side bands (and preferably the upper bearing faces of said side bands) are separated by a channel and each have a downward slope towards said at least one upper opening of said channel. The slope is oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
conveying means for conveying droppings within said at least one channel, so as to generate a circulation of said droppings along said at least one channel and in the direction of said collection means
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to an enclosure for raising animals, for example cattle, which includes a traffic corridor (C) equipped with a collection system (2) for collecting manure. This collection system (2) comprises: (i) a floor covering (3), including an upper support surface (31) and at least one gutter (32) for receiving said manure by flow, (ii) collection means (4), and (iii) conveying means (5) for conveying the manure within said at least one gutter (32). And said upper support surface (31) includes two pairs (312) of lateral strips (311) extending over the width of said traffic corridor (C), the associated gutters (32) of which are located on either side of said longitudinal axis (C').In each pair (312), said lateral bands (311) are separated by a groove (32) and each have a downward slope towards said at least one upper opening (321) of said groove (32), said slope being oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (C') so that each pair (312) of lateral bands (311) defines a concave dihedral face.