Breeding system for crawling insects

Abstract

The present invention relates to a breeding system for the breeding of crawling insects, comprising a drum, a shuffling device and a feeding device. The drum comprises at least one wall, defining a drum interior, to house the insects, and the shuffling device is arranged at least partially in the drum interior, to shuffle the insects. The feeding device id configured to feed nutrients into the drum interior. The system comprises a cooling device having a cooling fluid circuit that is, by means of a flow of coolant in the circuit, configured to withdraw heat from the drum interior. The invention further relates to a protein production system, for the on-site production of protein-rich insect larvae as animal feed, and to a method for the breeding of crawling insects, comprising the step of cooling the insects in the interior of the drum with a cooling device.

Claims

1. Breeding system for the breeding of crawling insects, optionally insect larvae, comprising: a drum, comprising at least one wall, defining a drum interior, to house the insects, a shuffling device, arranged at least partially in the drum interior, to shuffle insects in the drum interior, a feeding device, to feed nutrients into the drum interior, wherein the system comprises a cooling device having a cooling fluid circuit that is, by means of a flow of coolant in the circuit, configured to withdraw heat from the drum interior, wherein the drum is non-rotatably fixed with respect to the surroundings of the drum, and wherein the shuffling device is movable with respect to the drum making shuffling insects in the drum interior possible without movement of the drum.

2. Breeding system according to claim 1, comprising a control unit having a feedforward device that is adapted to control the cooling device and the feeding device on the basis of a predicted growth profile of the insects, in order to control the temperature in the drum interior.

3. Breeding system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature in the drum interior.

4. Breeding system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the feeding device in order to feed a desired mass of nutrients to the insects in the interior of the drum, on the basis of the amount of the insects in the interior of the drum.

5. Breeding system according to claim 1, comprising at least one temperature sensor, to measure a temperature in the drum interior and to transmit a signal based on this temperature, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature in the drum interior and to control the cooling device, based on the measured temperature.

6. Breeding system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid circuit is arranged at least partially in the at least one wall of the drum.

7. Breeding system according to claim 1, wherein the shuffling device is configured to shuffle insects in the drum interior, in order to homogenize the withdrawal of heat from the drum interior.

8. Breeding system according to claim 1, comprising a humidity sensor to measure the humidity in the drum interior.

9. Breeding system according to claim 1, comprising a moisture sensor to measure the moisture level in the drum interior.

10. Breeding system according to claim 1, wherein the drum comprises a discharge opening in the at least one wall, through which the shuffling device is configured to discharge insects from the drum interior.

11. Breeding system according to claim 10, wherein the shuffling device is configured to discharge substantially all insects from the drum interior, in a batch wise manner, when the insects have grown up to a certain size.

12. Breeding system according to claim 1, comprising a fly cage and an egg-laying device, which are both arranged on top of the drum and wherein flies from the fly cage are allowed to lay eggs in the egg-laying device.

13. Breeding system according to claim 12, wherein the egg-laying device is configured to deposit eggs into the drum interior.

14. Protein production system, for the on-site production of protein-rich insect larvae as animal feed, comprising two or more breeding systems according to claim 1, which are arranged in a predefined space, configured to discharge living larvae.

15. Protein production system according to claim 14, comprising three or more breeding systems in the predefined space, wherein the predefined space has the dimensions of a standard-sized forty-feet shipping container.

16. Method for the breeding of crawling insects, comprising the steps of: arranging insects eggs and/or insects that have been hatched from the eggs in an interior of a non-rotatable drum, shuffling insects that were hatched from the eggs to homogenise a temperature of the insects without movement of the drum, and feeding the insects, wherein the method comprises the step of cooling the insects in the interior of the drum with a flow of coolant in a cooling circuit of a cooling device.

17. Method according to claim 16, comprising the step of measuring the temperature of the insects and of controlling the amount of cooling with the cooling device, based on the measured temperature.

18. Method according to claim 17, comprising the step of controlling of the cooling device and of the feeding on the basis of a predicted growth profile of the insects, thereby controlling the temperature in the drum interior.

19. Method according to claim 16, comprising the step of loading the eggs in the interior of the drum from an egg-laying device.

20. Method according to claim 16, comprising the step of discharging the insects from the interior of the drum when the insects have grown up to the predetermined size.

21. Method according to claim 16, comprising the step of measuring temperature, humidity and/or moisture level in the interior of the drum.

22. Method according to claim 21, comprising the step of controlling the amount of cooling of the interior and the amount of feeding to the insects, based on the measured temperature, humidity and/or moisture level.

Description

(1) Further characteristics of the breeding system according to the invention will be explained below, with reference to embodiments thereof, which are displayed in the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of the breeding system according to the invention, seen in perspective view,

(3) FIG. 2 schematically depicts a longitudinal cross section of the breeding system from FIG. 1, along plane A in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 schematically depicts a cross section of the breeding system from FIG. 1, along plane B in FIG. 1, and

(5) FIG. 4 schematically depicts, in perspective view, an embodiment of the protein production system according to the invention.

(6) Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to corresponding components or to components, which have a corresponding function.

(7) FIG. 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of the breeding system, generally denoted by reference numeral 1. The breeding system 1 is configured to facilitate the growth of crawling insects, in particular insect larvae in an interior thereof.

(8) The breeding system 1 comprises a drum 10, in which the insect larvae are intended to be grown. The drum 10 is, in the present embodiment, an at least partially curved shell, wherein the insects are to be received at the concave side of the shell.

(9) The system 1 comprises a support frame 2, onto which the drum 1 is mounted and which is configured to hold the drum 10 in a stationary position with respect to the surroundings.

(10) The drum 10 has a semi-cylindrical shape. With semi-cylindrical, it is meant that the drum partly has a cylindrical shape and that the rest of the drum 10 has a non-cylindrical shape.

(11) In the present embodiment, a bottom part 11 of the drum 10 is a cylindrical part. An elongate axis of the cylindrical part 11 extends, at least in an operational position of the system 1, in a horizontal direction. The cylindrical part 11 of the drum 10 thereby extends in the horizontal direction and is curved around an axis (L) that is aligned parallel to the horizontal direction.

(12) The cylindrical part 11 of the drum 10 is, in the present embodiment, curved around the axis (L) for 180°. The cylindrical part 11 is aligned such, that a first portion of the cylindrical part, on one side of a vertical plane (A) through the axis (L), is a mirror image of a second portion of the cylindrical part 11, on another side of the vertical plane (A). As such, a concave interior of the cylindrical part 11 is opened-up and accessible from above, in a downwards vertical direction. An upper side of the cylindrical part 11 has, in a horizontal plane, a rectangular cross section.

(13) A top part 12 of the drum 10 has, in the horizontal plane, a rectangular cross section as well, which substantially corresponds to the rectangular cross section of the upper side of the cylindrical bottom part 11.

(14) The top part 12 comprises four wall elements 13, which together form a drum wall. The wall elements 13 extend in the vertical direction and are, in the horizontal plane, arranged such, that they form the rectangular cross section.

(15) In the present embodiment, the height of the wall elements 13, in the vertical direction, is similar, but preferably larger, than the radius of the cylindrical part 11.

(16) In alternative embodiments, the drum may have a fully cylindrical shape. However, the present semi-cylindrical shape of the drum 11 provides the advantage that the interior of the drum 11 becomes better accessible from above.

(17) On top of the top part 12 of the drum 10, a cover part 14 is arranged. With the cover part 14, the interior of the drum 10 is substantially closed-off from the surroundings. In the present embodiment, the cover part 14 is a flat, horizontal plate. It is however understood that in alternative embodiments, the cover part may have a different shape, for example a dome-like shape.

(18) In the cover part 14, an entrance 15 is arranged, through which insects and/or feed may be inserted into the interior of the drum 10. Below the entrance 15, a buffer 16 is arranged, in which the insects and/or feed, to be inserted in the drum 11, may be buffered, before they actually enter the interior of the drum 10. With this buffering, the timing and/or rate of insertion into the drum 10 may be controlled better, as compared to when the insects and/or feed were to be fed in the drum 10 directly.

(19) In an opening of the entrance 15, a valve 17 is provided, with which the opening may be closed-off. As such, access towards the interior of the drum 10 is prevented and the interior of the drum 10 becomes separated from the surroundings. By closing off the interior of the drum 10, the local conditions therein may be maintained better and are less prone to external disturbances.

(20) A control unit 60 is arranged outside the interior of the drum 10. The control unit 60 is configured to measure and, if necessary adapt, climate conditions in the interior of the drum 10 in order to optimize the growing conditions for the insects. Preferably, the control unit 60 may even be configured to adapt the climate conditions onto the needs on a specific type of insects to be grown.

(21) The breeding system 1 comprises a ventilation device 20, which is arranged on the cover part and is configured to exchange air between the interior of the drum 10 and the surroundings. The ventilation device may thereto comprise pumping means, with which ambient air may be pumped in to the interior of the drum 10, thereby forcing air, that was already present in the drum 10 interior, out. As such, any gaseous waste, and possibly liquid waste as well, is removed from the drum 10.

(22) With the ventilation device, it is furthermore achieved that the interior of the drum 10, and in particular the insects that are arranged therein, may be cooled. The ambient air generally has a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the air in the interior of the drum 10. By pumping this colder air into the drum 10, the overall temperature therein is lowered. Additionally, heat may be exchanged form the insects towards the air.

(23) In case, for example, the ambient temperature is higher than the temperature in the interior of the drum 10, the ambient air may be cooled by the ventilation device, before it is pumped into the interior of the drum 10. By doing so, a similar cooling effect as described above may be achieved in the end.

(24) To provide for better control of the temperature in the interior of the drum 10, the present embodiment of the system 1 comprises a temperature sensor 61. The temperature sensor 61 is configured to measure the temperature in the interior of the drum 10, preferably the temperature of the insects therein, on the basis of which the control unit 60 is configured to determine whether additional cooling is required to lower the temperature of the insects.

(25) In the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 61 is arranged in the bulk of the insects, so that the measured temperature is the temperature of the insects in the bulk. These insects, which are surrounded by other insects and are spaced from any of the drum walls, generally have the highest temperatures, so that their temperatures may be considered as a worst case scenario for all the insects in the drum 10.

(26) The system 1 comprises a feeding device 30, which is configured to feed nutrients towards the insects, into the interior of the drum 10. In the present embodiment, the feeding device 30 is integrated with the entrance 15, such that only a single opening needs to be arranged to insert both insects and nutrients into the interior of the drum 10.

(27) In the present embodiment, although not displayed in the figures, the feeding device 30 further comprises a hopper, which is intended to be arranged adjacent the drum 10. In the hopper, a storage for the nutrients may be provided from which, when there is a demand to do so, the nutrients may be transported towards the insects.

(28) For transporting the nutrients from the hopper, a transport screw or auger may be provided, which is configured to forward the nutrient through a tube towards the drum 10. By doing so, the hopper may be set at a distance from the drum 10, so that for example the filling of the hopper, when all of the nutrients therein have been supplied to the insects, becomes easier due to improved accessibility.

(29) It is understood that, in alternative embodiments, the hopper may not necessarily be arranged adjacent the drum, but that it may, for example, be arranged on top of the drum. Additionally, other means for transporting the nutrients from the hopper towards the drum, other than the transport screw or auger, may be provided in an alternative embodiment of the system.

(30) In an embodiment, the system is further configured to supply fluid nutrients to the insects. For supplying fluid nutrients, a fluid feeding device may be provided, which may be arranged adjacent the feeding device for solid nutrients. Such a fluid feeding device may comprise a pump and tubing elements, for pumping the fluid from a storage tank towards the drum.

(31) In a further alternative embodiment, the nutrients may be fed into the interior of the drum through a different opening than the entrance. Additionally, any solid nutrients may, depending on the needs of the insects, be mixed with fluid nutrients in a certain mixing composition.

(32) Besides the temperature sensor 61, the system 1 comprises a humidity sensor 62 and a moisture sensor 63, which are operatively connected to the control unit 60 as well. Based on a measured value of the humidity in the drum 10 or the moisture level of the insects, the control unit 60 is further configured to control a fluid supply towards the insects in order to regulate the humidity and the moisture level.

(33) The system 1 further comprises a ribbon mixer 40 as a shuffling device. The ribbon mixer 40 is arranged in the interior of the drum 10 and is, with respect to the drum 10, rotatable around the axis (L). On one side of the drum 10, the mixer 40 is suspended in a ball bearing 41, to facilitate relative rotation between the mixer 40 and the drum 10. On another, opposite, side of the drum 10, the mixer 40 is driven by a motor 42. On this side, the mixer 40 is suspended in the drum 10 as well.

(34) In FIGS. 2 and 3, the mixer 40 is displayed in more detail. In FIG. 2, a longitudinal cross section of the system 1 is displayed the vertical plane (A), parallel to the axis (L). In FIG. 3, a transverse cross section of the system 1, perpendicular to the cross section of FIG. 2, is displayed in a vertical plane (B), perpendicular to the axis (L).

(35) As is best displayed in FIG. 2, the spiral mixer 40 comprises a shaft 43, which extends through the drum 10 along the axis (L). The shaft 43 is rotatably mounted within the drum 10, and is rotatable around the axis (L).

(36) On one side of the shaft 43, displayed left in FIG. 2, it is suspended in the ball bearing 41 in the drum 10 and it slightly extends through the wall element 13 of the drum 10. On the other end of the shaft 43, displayed on the right, the shaft 43 further extends through the wall element 13. On this other end, the shaft 43 is suspended in a ball bearing 41 as well and a sprocket 44 is mounted to the shaft 43.

(37) The motor 42 is an electric motor, which is arranged underneath the drum 10 and comprises a sprocket 44 as well. The motor 42 is connected to the shaft 43 via a chain 45 that runs along toothed outer contours of the sprockets 44. Upon rotation of the motor 42, the rotational movement is transmitted to the shaft 43, through the sprockets 44 and chain 45, which will result in a corresponding rotation of the shaft 43.

(38) In an alternative embodiment, the motor may be directly coupled to the shaft. Furthermore, the motor is not necessarily an electric motor, but may for example be a hydraulic motor.

(39) The ribbon mixer 40 comprises an outer ribbon 46, which is fixedly mounted to the shaft 43 by means of at least one outer spoke 47, extending radially outward from the shaft 43 towards the outer ribbon 46.

(40) The outer ribbon 46 has a thread-like shape, which spirally extends along the axis (L) and the shaft 43. The mixer 40 is, as a result of its spirally-shaped outer ribbon 46, configured to move matter in a direction parallel to the axis (L), upon rotation of the mixer 40 around this axis (L).

(41) In the embodiment, an outmost radius (R.sub.o) of the outer ribbon 46 is chosen substantially similar to the radius of the cylindrical part 11 of the drum 10. Since the shaft 43 of the ribbon mixer 40 is aligned concentrically with the axis (L), an outmost radius of the outer ribbon 46 thus travels closely along the concave inner surface of the bottom, cylindrical part 11 of the drum 10 upon rotation of the mixer 40. As such, it is achieved that insects, which are arranged in the interior drum 10, close against the wall, will still be shuffled by the mixer 40.

(42) The ribbon mixer 40 further comprises an inner ribbon 48, which is, just as the outer ribbon 46, fixedly mounted to the shaft 43 of the mixer 40 by means of at least one inner spoke 49.

(43) The inner ribbon 48 extends, just as the outer ribbon 46, spirally along the shaft 43. The inner ribbon 48 is therefore configured to move the insects in a direction parallel to the axis (L) as well, upon rotation of the mixer 40. However, the winding direction of the inner ribbon 48 is in the opposite direction as the winding direction of the outer ribbon 46. Upon rotation of the mixer 40, the outer ribbon 46 is thus configured to move the insects in a first direction, whereas the inner ribbon 48 is configured to move the insects in a second direction, which opposes the first direction.

(44) For example, during clockwise rotation of the shaft 43, as is best seen in FIG. 3, the outer ribbon 46 is configured to move the insects in an outer propulsion direction (OP), whereas the inner ribbon 48 is configured to move the insects in an inner propulsion direction (IP).

(45) In FIG. 3, it is further displayed that, in the present embodiment, an outmost radius (r.sub.o) of the inner ribbon 48 is substantially smaller that an inmost radius (R.sub.i) of the outer ribbon 46. As such, a projected displacement area of the outer ribbon 46 does not overlap with a projected displacement area of the inner ribbon 48, when seen along the axis (L). During shuffling with the ribbon mixer 40, the insects are thus moved in a first direction with the outer ribbon 46 and are, when they reach a wall element 13 of the drum 10, forced upwards by the outer ribbon 48. Then, they interact with the inner ribbon 48 and they are moved in the opposite direction until they reach an opposite wall element 13 of the drum 10.

(46) For shuffling the insects in the interior of the drum, alternative embodiments may comprise alternative shuffling devices. For example, a transport screw or an auger may be provided in the drum. However, the shuffling with these types of shuffling devices has been found to be less efficient.

(47) The system 1 according to the invention, as is in particular displayed in FIG. 3, comprises a cooling device 50, configured to cool the insects in the interior of the drum 10. This cooling may, in certain phases during the growth of the insects, be required in order to achieve and maintain optimal growing conditions for the insects, since a high amount of heat is produced by the insects during their growth, giving rise to an increase in temperature.

(48) The cooling device 50 comprises a cooling circuit 51, which is at least partially arranged in the wall elements 13 of the drum 10. The cooling device 50 is configured to induce a flow of cooling fluid through the cooling circuit 51, schematically displayed in FIG. 3 by a fluid inlet line 52 and a fluid exit line 53. With a heat exchanger 54, the cooling device 50 is configured to lower the temperature of the cooling fluid and to withdraw heat from the fluid towards the ambient air.

(49) During operational use of the system 1, the heat exchanger 54 is configured to lower the temperature of the cooling fluid below a temperature of the insects in the drum 10. When the temperature of the fluid has reached a sufficiently low level, the fluid is pumped into the fluid circuit 51 through the fluid inlet line 52. With the relatively cold fluid in the cooling circuit 51, within the wall elements 13 of the drum 10, heat is withdrawn, through the wall elements 13, towards the fluid, of which the temperature the increases.

(50) At a certain moment, the fluid has flown through the entire cooling circuit 51 and its temperature has been increased, preferably up to a temperature level that is similar to that of the insects in the interior of the drum 10. The cooling device 50 is then configured to guide the fluid, through the fluid exit line 53, back towards the heat exchanger 54, where the temperature of the fluid is again lowered.

(51) The cooling device 50 thus comprises a closed circuit for the fluid, which is configured to circulate there through and to be heated and cooled. As a result of the active cooling with this cooling device 50, a higher amount of heat may be withdrawn from the insects, when compared to previous cooling processes, which, for example, solely relied on the circulation of air through the drum.

(52) As an alternative to the cooling circuit 51 in the wall elements 13 of the drum 10, a heat exchanger element could as well be placed within the bulk of the insects in the interior of the drum. However, by providing the cooling circuit 51 in the wall elements 13 of the drum 10, a relatively large area, through which heat is transported from the insects, may be provided, since the entire wall, or at least the entire portion of the wall that is in contact with the insects, may function as an area for heat exchange.

(53) In the embodiment that is shown in the figures, the cooling circuit 51 comprises a plurality of fluid channels 55, which are aligned substantially parallel to each other in the drum wall. The channels 55 thereby extend through the drum wall in a direction parallel to axis (L). The cooling fluid is thereby configured to flow through the channels 55 in a direction parallel to the axis (L) as well.

(54) In a further embodiment, the channels of the cooling circuit may be alternatingly arranged in the drum wall. With alternating, it is meant that a direction of flow of the fluid in adjacent channels in the opposite direction.

(55) In the present embodiment, the cooling device 50 is configured to be controlled by the control unit 60, on the basis of the measured temperature of the insects. In particular, the control unit 60 comprises a feedforward device is provided. The feedforward device is configured to control the cooling device 50, to adjust the temperature in the interior of the drum 10, on the basis of a predicted growth profile of the insects. With the growth profile, the required amount of cooling and nutrients can be determined, such that the control unit 60 can act thereon in a feedforward manner.

(56) The combination of cooling the insects in the interior of the drum 10, by means of a cooling circuit 51 in the drum wall, and the shuffling of the insects through the interior of the drum 10, provides for a homogenised temperature profile of the insects in the drum 10. In case the system would lack a shuffling device, only the temperature of insects in the vicinity of the drum wall is lowered, since the cooling circuit 51 is arranged therein, is lowered, whereas virtually no heat is withdrawn from the insects in the bulk.

(57) In FIG. 4, a partially opened-up view on an embodiment of the protein production system according to the invention is displayed, denoted by reference numeral 100.

(58) The embodiment of the protein production system 100 comprises three breeding systems 1. The breeding systems 1 are arranged adjacent each other within a shipping container 101.

(59) The combining of three breeding systems 1 is a single protein production system 100 provides the advantage that, although the individual breeding systems 1 are configured to discharge insects in a batch-wise manner, the protein production system 100 is configured to provide insects, to be for example used as animal feed, in a continuous manner.

(60) By integrating the breeding systems 1 in a shipping container 101, the protein production system 100 becomes more compact, and better to transport, as compared to when the breeding systems had to be transported and installed separately.

(61) The protein production system 100 may additionally comprise a second shipping container in which a fly cage and an egg-laying device are provided for each of the breeding systems. The second shipping may be arranged on top of the first shipping container, so that ungrown insects may be easily transferred from the egg-laying device towards the breeding systems.