Stacked Crate Airflow Control for Consistent Insect Rearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insect rearing systems face issues with inadequate climate control, inconsistent growth, insect containment, and escape of larvae or insects, limiting their effectiveness and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A climate-controlled system comprising a climate chamber with stacked crates, where each crate has airflow paths oriented perpendicular to the direction of airflow, controlled by a pressure differential between air inlets and outlets, ensuring precise environmental conditions and containment within the crates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If insects are farmed on a large scale using known systems, then productivity increases, but climate control becomes inadequate and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the rearing space into multiple stacked crates, each functioning as an independent climate-controlled unit. This segmentation allows for localized environmental control while maintaining large-scale production capacity, resolving the contradiction between productivity and climate control reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Conduits are introduced as intermediary elements to deliver conditioned air from the climate control system to each crate. This intermediary mechanism ensures consistent climate delivery across all crates, maintaining reliability while supporting large-scale insect farming.
2Manufacturing precision
If airflow paths are oriented perpendicular to the first direction within crates, then climate control precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow path is oriented perpendicular to the direction of airflow between crates, utilizing a different spatial dimension. This dimensional change allows for precise climate control within each crate without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as the perpendicular orientation naturally fits within the existing crate structure.
3Reliability
If multiple rows of air outlets and inlets are arranged in perpendicular directions, then environmental condition control improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet and inlet system is segmented into multiple rows arranged in perpendicular directions, with each row serving a specific functional purpose. This segmentation allows for independent control of environmental parameters while maintaining system manageability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different rows of air outlets and inlets are positioned to serve specific local requirements within the climate chamber. This local quality approach ensures consistent environmental conditions in different areas while keeping the overall system design organized and manageable.
4Measurement precision
If conduits with multiple conduit openings are used to align with inlet openings, then climate control precision improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit openings are arranged in a pattern that aligns with the perpendicular orientation of crate inlet openings. This dimensional alignment allows for precise airflow delivery to each crate while using standard manufacturing techniques, reducing the complexity of conduit fabrication and assembly.
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 provides tight control over environmental conditions, ensuring consistent and predictable insect growth, reduces escape, and enhances observation capabilities, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of insect rearing.
Implementation Method 1
controlled by a pressure differential between air inlets and outlets
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for rearing invertebrates by utilizing a plurality of crates arranged into at least one stack, each crate in the stack defining an airflow path there through from an inlet opening in a first wall to an outlet opening in a second wall opposite the first wall of each crate. The plurality of crates are arranged in a climate controlled chamber.