IE20150419A1 - A livestock housing installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A livestock housing installation (100) has a livestock area (102) with a slatted floor (108) above a waste storage area (106) incorporating an anaerobic digester (110). A waste receiving upper surface (112) of the anaerobic digester (110) collects animal waste which falls through the floor (108). A waste manoeuvring system (114) comprising a system of associated conveyors (116, 120, 130) delivers the animal waste into the anaerobic digester (110). <Figure 1>

Description

The present invention relates to a livestock housing installation. In particular, it relates to a livestock housing installation comprising a livestock area and a waste storage area located below the livestock area and divided therefrom by a floor having a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes therein such that livestock waste falls through the through— holes and into the waste storage area below. Such livestock housing installations are typically referred to as slatted units and are particularly common for use with cattle.

The waste storage area under the floor of slatted units forms a tank which must be emptied periodically. This can be a time-consuming process and naturally forming gases in the slurry that are released are lethal to humans and the animals that are housed within the unit. When the contents of the tank have been left without any agitation it can form a hard skin and so traps all gases within the tank. To empty the tank the viscosity of the slurry must be increased to enable it to be removed efficiently, this is achieved using an agitator connected to a tractor which is inserted into the tank at agitation points at each end of the tank. This then agitates and mixes up the slurry to reduce the viscosity so it is easily removed. This process in turn releases any gases that are caught up in the slurry. When this process is done and the gas is being released, all animals and humans must be removed from the installation while the tanks are emptied. The slurry that is removed is in turn used by the farmer as a fertilizer and spread on their land to ensure grass growth. This raw slurry has a high odour content and a bad environmental impact where rivers and water sources can get polluted. Agriculture alone in 2012 generated 31.9% of lrelands CO2 emissions.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a livestock housing installation that overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned problems.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a livestock housing installation comprising a livestock area and a waste storage area located below the livestock area and divided TRUE copy i 8 41¢ therefrom by a floor having a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes therein such that livestock waste falls through the through-holes and into the waste storage area below, characterised in that the livestock housing installation further comprises an anaerobic digester, having an air—tight waste inlet and a gas outlet, located in the waste storage area; the anaerobic digester further having a waste receiving upper surface equipped with a waste manoeuvring system adapted to move waste falling thereon to the waste inlet.

In this way, the gases released by the waste are contained within the anaerobic digester and prevented from contaminating the livestock area. Furthermore, the biogas generated by the livestock waste may be efficiently captured by the farmer. The biogas may then be used by the farmer to generate usable energy, which may in turn be used to directly supply some of the farm’s energy needs; or may be sold on to a third party.

The invention also prevents the release of methane gas into the environment. Methane is a ‘greenhouse gas’, its emission into the environment is undesirable. Finally, the installation of the invention will reduce unpleasant aromas in the vicinity as the gases will be enclosed within the anaerobic digester.

The invention also changes the raw slurry into digestate and so reduces the odour and environmental impact.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a livestock housing installation in which the waste receiving upper surface comprises a plurality of waste collection channels. This is a particularly efficient manner of ensuring as much livestock waste as possible is moved to the anaerobic digester.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a livestock housing installation in which a delivery channel is in fluid communication with the air—tight waste inlet, and the waste collection channels are in fluid communication with the delivery channel. In this way, the livestock waste may be directed into the anaerobic digester in a number of steps. This reduces the complexity of the waste manoeuvring system, simplifying installation and maintenance.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a livestock housing installation in which the channels are arcuately shaped. This is a particularly efficient way of ensuring as much of the livestock waste as possible is gathered by the waste manoeuvring system.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention there is provided a livestock housing installation in which the waste manoeuvring system comprises at least one screw conveyor mounted in at least one channel. Such screw conveyors are very efficient at moving the livestock waste.

In another embodiment, a plurality of substantially parallel waste collection channels are located side by side beneath the floor for reception of waste falling through the floor, each waste collection channel having an outlet end which discharges into the delivery channel which extends substantially perpendicularly to the waste collection channels, said delivery channel having an outlet communicating with the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester, a collection screw conveyor mounted in each waste collection channel for delivering waste material to the outlet end, and a delivery conveyor mounted in the delivery channel for delivering waste material to the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester.

In another embodiment, a pair of screw conveyors are mounted within the delivery channel to form the delivery conveyor, each of said screw conveyors being operable to direct waste material towards an outlet at a centre of the delivery channel at which the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester is located.

In another embodiment, a feed screw conveyor is located within the anaerobic digester having an inlet communicating with the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester and an outlet located within the anaerobic digester. in another embodiment, the feed screw conveyor is inclined downwardly between the waste inlet and a bottom of the anaerobic digester.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a number of services for the anaerobic digester, namely an agitation unit to mix the contents of the anaerobic digester, heating means to maintain the optimum heat in the anaerobic digester to ensure efficient anaerobic digestion can occur, an extract pipe to remove all gases generated by the anaerobic digester and also removal of digestate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. ‘l is a schematic Sectional elevational view of a livestock housing installation according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view below the floor of the livestock housing installation shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end sectional elevational view of the livestock housing installation shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a detail partially cut-away perspective view of a portion of the livestock housing installation according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a detail partially cut-away perspective view of a portion of the tivestock housing installation, showing portion of a waste manoeuvring system; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line Vl—Vl of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a detail plan view showing a first end of the livestock housing installation; Fig. 8 is a detail plan view showing a second end of the livestock housing installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings there is shown a livestock housing installation according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 100, comprising a livestock area 102, having livestock area walls 104; and a waste storage area 106 located below the livestock area 102. The livestock area 102 is divided from the waste storage area 106 by a floor 108 having a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes 109 (Fig. 3) therein. The floor 108 allows livestock waste to fall through the through-holes 109 for delivery into the waste storage area 106 below.

The livestock housing installation 100 further comprises an anaerobic digester 110, having an air-tight waste inlet 111 and gas outlet pipes 113, located in the waste storage area 106.

The anaerobic digester 110 has a waste receiving upper surface 112 equipped with a waste manoeuvring system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 114 adapted to move waste failing thereon to the waste inlet 111 of the anaerobic digester.

The waste manoeuvring system 114 comprises a plurality of waste collection screw conveyors 116, arranged side by side, each in its own substantially semi-circular waste collection channel 118 and drive motor 119. in this case, the upper surfaces of the waste collection channels 118 form the waste receiving upper surface. The waste collection channels 118 collectively form a waste collecting sump beneath the slatted floor 108.

At one end of the livestock housing installation 100, the waste manoeuvring system 114 further comprises a pair of delivery screw conveyors 120. The delivery screw conveyors 120 are located in a single delivery channel 122. The pair of delivery screw conveyors 120 are arranged collinearly in the delivery channel 122. with a gap therebetween. The delivery screw conveyors 120 are arranged orthogonally to the collection screw conveyors 116. Each delivery screw conveyor 120 directs waste inwardly towards a centrally located waste inlet 111 of the anaerobic digester.

The delivery screw conveyors 120 are located at a lower level than the collection screw conveyors 116, with the top of one side of the delivery channel 122 connected to the end of the waste collection channels 118.

An inclined anaerobic digester feed screw conveyor 130 is provided in an associated enclosed tube 132 at one end of the anaerobic digester 110. An upper inlet end of the enclosed tube 132 is located in the gap between the delivery screw conveyors 120 at the waste inlet 111 of the anaerobic digester 110, and the opposite outlet end 133 of the inclined feed screw conveyor 130 extends to a base of the anaerobic digester 110. The feed screw conveyor 130 is driven by a drive motor 134.

The livestock housing installation 100 further comprises plant areas 140, 141 at opposite ends of the livestock area 102 with motors 142, 143 that drive shafts 144, 145 of agitation propellers 146, 147 in the anaerobic digester 110.

Tank heating pipes 148, 149 extend into the anaerobic digester 110 at each end thereof through tank seal covers 152, 153. A slurry/digestate removal pipe 150 is provided in one of the plant areas 141 at one end of the anaerobic digester 110.

In use, livestock are housed within the livestock housing installation 100, wherein they stand on the slatted floor 108. Waste from the livestock will fall through the through- holes 109 in the slatted floor 108 onto the collection screw conveyors 116 and into the collection channels 118. The rotation of the collection screw conveyors 116 will cause the waste to be delivered in direction A towards, and eventually into, the delivery channel 122. The operation of the delivery screw conveyors 120 will cause the waste to move towards the centre of the delivery channel 122 to the waste inlet 111 of the anaerobic digester 110. From there, the inclined feed screw conveyor 130 will carry the waste down into the anaerobic digester 110. it will be understood that the waste manoeuvring system is not limited to the screw conveyor arrangement described herein, and that other arrangements of screw conveyors, or for example, scraping systems or combinations thereof will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

The anaerobic digester is shown formed from walls forming an enclosure, however it will be understood that the anaerobic digester unit itself may be formed within the enclosure.

In such cases, the anaerobic digester will be formed snugly within the available space to utilise maximum storage capacity within the available area. The anaerobic digester may be formed from reinforced concrete or reinforced plastic, and may be formed modularly from a number of panels connected together to form an air-tight enclosure.

For the purposes of this description and in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention, specific details of the anaerobic digester have been omitted and are described only in functional terms, as many ways of achieving the required functionality will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art.

Throughout the specification, the term slatted floor may be used to refer to a floor having a plurality of spaced apart through-holes therein such that livestock may stand on the floor, and their waste will fall through the through—holes. It will be understood that such floors are well known for use in livestock slatted units. in the specification the terms ‘comprise’, ‘comprises’, ‘comprised’ and ‘comprising’ or any variation thereof and the terms ‘include’, ‘includes’, ‘included’ or ‘including’ or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described, but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS . A livestock housing installation comprising a livestock area and a waste storage area located below the livestock area and divided therefrom by a floor having a plurality of spaced-apart through-holes therein such that livestock waste falls through the through-holes for delivery to the waste storage area below, characterised in that the livestock housing installation further comprises an anaerobic digester, having an air-tight waste inlet and a gas outlet, located in the waste storage area; the anaerobic digester further having a waste receiving upper surface located beneath the floor and equipped with a waste manoeuvring system adapted to move waste falling thereon to the waste inlet. . A livestock housing installation as claimed in claim 1 in which the waste receiving upper surface comprises a plurality of waste collection channels. . A livestock housing installation as claimed in claim 2 in which a delivery channel is in fluid communication with the air-tight waste inlet, and the waste collection channels are in fluid communication with the delivery channel. A livestock housing installation as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the channels are arcuately shaped. . A livestock housing installation as claimed in any preceding claim in which the waste maneuvering system comprises at least one screw conveyor. . A livestock housing installation as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein a plurality of substantially parallel waste collection channels are located side-by-side beneath the floor for reception of waste falling through the floor, each waste collection channel having an outlet end which discharges into the delivery channel which extends substantially perpendicularly to the waste collection channels, said delivery 10. channel having an outlet communicating with the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester, a collection screw conveyor mounted in each waste collection channel for delivering waste material to the outlet end, and a delivery conveyor mounted in the delivery channel for delivering waste material to the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester. A livestock housing installation as claimed in claim 6, wherein a pair of screw conveyors is mounted within the delivery channel to form the delivery conveyor, each of said screw conveyors being operable to direct waste material towards an outlet at a centre of the delivery channel at which the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester is located. A livestock housing installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a feed screw conveyor is located within the anaerobic digester having an inlet communicating with the waste inlet of the anaerobic digester and an outlet located within the anaerobic digester. A livestock housing installation as claimed in claim 8, wherein the feed screw conveyor is inclined downwardly between the waste inlet and a bottom of the anaerobic digester. A iivestock housing installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.