ASSEMBLY OF A LIVING SURFACE AND A PROCESSING DEVICE FOR PROCESSING URINE

Abstract

In an assembly of a living surface for a farm mammal, in particular cattle, and a processing device for processing urine from the farm mammal, the living surface is configured to catch the excretory products including feces and urine from the farm mammal, wherein the assembly includes a urine removal device for removing urine essentially separately from feces and draining the urine from the living surface in a urine-rich stream, and is configured to feed the urine-rich stream to the processing device, and wherein the processing device includes a nitrogen removal device for removing nitrogenous substances from the urine-rich stream.

Claims

1. An assembly of a living surface for a farm mammal and a processing device for processing urine from the farm mammal, wherein the living surface is configured to catch feces from the farm mammal, wherein the assembly comprises a urine removal device configured to remove the excreted urine in a urine-rich stream from the living surface essentially separately from the feces, the urine removal device being configured for supplying the urine-rich stream to the processing device, and wherein the processing device comprises a nitrogen removal device for removing nitrogenous substances from the urine-rich stream.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the urine removal device comprises a urine-permeable floor with a urine collection container that is effectively connected to the processing device for discharging the collected urine-rich stream.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the urine removal device comprises a remover that is movable over the floor surface for removing urine essentially separately from the feces and discharging the urine in a urine-rich stream into a urine collection container.

4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the urine collection container is connected to an inlet of the nitrogen removal device for accelerated removal of ammonia from the urine-rich stream, with said nitrogen removal device comprising a gas outlet for discharging an ammonia-rich gaseous stream and an effluent outlet for discharging a low-nitrogen liquid effluent.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the nitrogen removal device comprises a gas stripper with a packed column.

6. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the nitrogen removal device comprises a surface stripper with a storage unit for containing the urine-rich stream and comprising at least one evaporation surface that is movable through the storage unit with the urine-rich stream and up to the liquid level of the urine rich stream, a gas outlet for discharging an ammonia-rich gaseous stream, and an effluent outlet for discharging a low-nitrogen liquid stream.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the surface stripper comprises a disk that is rotatable about an almost horizontal axis of rotation, wherein said disk comprises the evaporation surface.

8. The assembly according to, claim 7, wherein the surface stripper comprises a plurality of disks that are arranged in series with the evaporation surface transverse to the normal flow direction of the urine-rich stream through the surface stripper.

9. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the gas outlet is effectively connected to a gas inlet of an absorber with a liquid inlet for feeding in of absorption liquid, a liquid outlet for discharging a nitrogen-rich liquid stream, and an absorber gas outlet for discharging a gaseous low-ammonia stream.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the absorber gas outlet is in open connection with the atmosphere.

11. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the absorber gas outlet is connected to a gas inlet of the nitrogen removal device.

12. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the absorber comprises a plurality of feed lines for feeding various types of acid to the absorber.

13. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the effluent outlet is directly or indirectly connectable to a floor sprayer for spraying the living surface with effluent.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly comprises a feces removal device configured to remove feces from the living surface essentially separately from urine.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the processing device further comprises a fiber separator for separating the removed feces into a fiber-rich fraction and a viscous organic fraction.

16. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the processing device comprises a solid separator configured between the urine collection container and the ammonia removal device for separating solid material from the urine-rich stream.

17. A processing device for use in the assembly according to claim 1.

18. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the urine collection container is connected to an inlet of the nitrogen removal device for accelerated removal of ammonia from the urine-rich stream, with said nitrogen removal device comprising a gas outlet for discharging an ammonia-rich gaseous stream and an effluent outlet for discharging a low-nitrogen liquid effluent.

19. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the absorber is a packed bed absorber.

20. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the gas outlet is effectively connected to a gas inlet of an absorber with a liquid inlet for feeding in of absorption liquid, a liquid outlet for discharging a nitrogen-rich liquid stream, and an absorber gas outlet for discharging a gaseous low-ammonia stream.

Description

[0025] The invention will be discussed in further detail below with reference to a drawing, wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the system with the various process elements;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an alternative nitrogen removal device according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an assembly 1 of a living surface 3 for a farm mammal 2, in particular cattle, and a processing device 4 for processing the urine of the farm mammal 2, wherein the living surface 3 is configured to collect feces excreted by the farm mammal, wherein the assembly comprises urine removal means for removing excreted urine from the living surface 3, essentially separately from feces 5, in a urine-rich stream and configured for supplying the urine-rich stream to the processing device 4, and wherein the processing device 4 comprises a nitrogen removal device 7 for removing nitrogenous substances from the urine-rich stream.

[0029] The drainage means comprise a urine-permeable floor 3 with a urine collection container 10 that is effectively connected to the processing device 4 for discharging the collected urine-rich stream. The floor 3 is composed of fabrics of artificial fibers or thread, allowing the urine to seep through immediately after it is excreted by the animal. Under the urine-permeable upper layer, funnel-shaped elements 26 are arranged that collect the urine in gutters 27, which in turn run into a container configured as a urine collection container 10. The urine-rich stream will not be composed exclusively of urine, as it is impossible in practice to prevent it from being contaminated with fecal components.

[0030] An remover that is movable over the floor surface 3 also moves on the floor for removing urine essentially separately from the feces 5 and discharging the urine in a urine-rich stream into a urine collection container 10. This remover 8 is configured as a self-navigating robot with a suction device 28 for suctioning up the urine and depositing it in a urine container 29 on the robot. The urine container 29 can be used to dump the urine suctioned up and stored in the urine container 29 at a dumping site in the urine collection container 10. The remover 8 also has a floor sprayer 23 for spraying the living surface 3 with effluent.

[0031] The urine collection container 10 is connected to an inlet 11 of the nitrogen removal device 7 for accelerated removal of ammonia from the urine-rich stream, with said nitrogen removal device 7 comprising a gas outlet 12 for discharging an ammonia-rich gaseous stream and an effluent outlet 13 for discharging a low-nitrogen effluent stream.

[0032] Between the urine collection container 10 and the nitrogen removal device 7, a solid separator 25 is arranged for separating solid material such as manure fibers from the urine-rich stream. This solid separator is configured as a fiber press. The fibers thus obtained are relatively rich in phosphate and nitrogen and form a separate fertilizer stream A.

[0033] The nitrogen removal device 7, 9 is configured as a surface stripper 7 with a storage unit for containing the urine-rich stream and comprising at least one evaporation surface that is movable through the storage unit with the urine-rich stream and up to the liquid level of the urine rich stream 15, a gas outlet 12 for discharging an ammonia-rich gaseous stream, and an effluent outlet 13 for discharging a low-nitrogen liquid stream. The surface stripper 7 comprises a disk 15 that is rotatable about an almost horizontal axis of rotation 14, with said disk 15 comprising the evaporation surface. In order to increase capacity, a plurality of disks 15 is arranged on said axis. Each disk 15 comprises a fabric with a coarse plastic mesh to which the urine-rich stream readily adheres. The disk stripper shown has one row of disks. For efficient operation, the disk stripper can also comprise a plurality of parallel rows. The urine-rich stream then flows in a direction perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the disks along said disks, wherein the air flow above the disks is counter to the flow direction of the urine-rich stream.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows an alternative for a surface stripper 7. In this embodiment, the nitrogen removal device 7 comprises a gas stripper 9 with a packed column. A vertical cylinder is filled with fillers 30 known per se in order to increase the contact surface. The urine-rich stream is sprayed on the upper side over the fillers 30. Air is fed in from below through a series of nozzles 39. A circulation pump 31 is configured to pump the urine-rich stream from the bottom back to the top so that it can be again sprayed or atomized via

the nozzle head over the fillers.

[0035] The gas outlet 12 of the nitrogen removal device 7 is connected to a gas inlet 20 of an absorber 17 than can be operated in a counterflow, in particular a packed bed absorber similar to that shown in FIG. 2 with a liquid inlet 16 for feeding in absorption liquid, a liquid outlet 19 for discharging a nitrogen-rich liquid stream, and an absorber gas outlet 20 for discharging a gaseous low-ammonia stream. The absorber gas outlet 20 is in turn connected to the gas inlet 21 of the nitrogen removal device 7. The absorption liquid is circulated from the liquid outlet 19 via a circulation pump 37 in a circulation line.

[0036] The absorber 17 comprises a plurality of feed lines for the feeding of various types of acid to the absorber. For this purpose, two acid storage units 33 are configured, one with sulfuric acid and one with nitric acid and each having a dosing pump 32, with said pumps being controllable independently of one another. By automatically or manually operating a dosing pump, an acid is optionally pumped into the circulation line in order to keep the pH of the absorption liquid low. The absorption liquid can be tapped as nitrogen-rich fertilizer stream B.

[0037] The effluent outlet 13 of the nitrogen removal device 7 is directly connected to a floor sprayer 22 for spraying the living surface 3. For this purpose, floor sprayers 22 are placed at various sites around the living surface 3 that are directly connected to the effluent outlet 13 by a line. The effluent outlet 13 is indirectly connected to a floor sprayer 23 on the robot 8 for spraying the living surface 3. For this purpose, the robot 8 has a spray container that is filled to a filling point with effluent. While in motion, the robot 8 sprays a thin layer of the effluent over the living surface 3 via a nozzle of the floor sprayer 23.

[0038] The absorber gas outlet 20 is in open connection with the atmosphere via the open sites of a spray valve 40.

[0039] The assembly comprises feces removal means 24 for the removal of feces 5 from the living surface 3 essentially separately from urine. For this purpose, a collection belt 24 is configured entirely on the front side of the robot 8 that picks up feces 5 from the living surface 3 and supplies them to a feces container 34 on the robot 8, with said feces container 34 being configured separately from the urine container 29. This robot 8 supplies the feces 5 to a fiber press, which is not shown and is known per se, for separating the removed feces 5 into a fiber-rich fraction and a viscous organic fraction. The fiber-rich fraction thereof is used as bedding material, for example for farm animals. The viscous organic fraction is fermented in a fermenter, which is not shown, in order to obtain biogas, or can be used as phosphate-rich organic fertilizer.

[0040] The assembly works as follows. Excreted urine from the farm mammal 2 falls onto the living surface 3 and then seeps through openings under the living surface 3. Here, it is collected by the funnel-shaped elements 26 and a system of sloping gutters 27 as a urine-rich stream in a urine collection container 10. In addition, a robot 8 moves over the living surface and, and with the collection belt 24, picks up feces 5 lying on the floor surface 3 and deposits them in the feces container 34. A fiber press is fed with the feces 5 from the feces container 34 and separates the feces 5 into a viscous organic fraction and a fiber fraction.

[0041] Immediately following the collection belt 24, the suction device 28 suctions up urine lying on the floor surface 3 into the urine container 29, which is under a vacuum. After a notification that the urine container 29 is full, the urine is dumped as a urine-rich stream at a dumping site in the urine collection container 10. From the urine collection container 10, the urine-rich stream is pumped into a fiber press in which fibers from entrained fecal fractions are separated. After this, the purified urine-rich stream flows into the disk stripper 7. A thin liquid layer remains adhering to the disk 15 of the disk stripper 7, which is brought above the liquid level by rotation, after which the ammonia readily evaporates from the liquid layer. Here, the disk 15 acts as a stimulation device. The air mixed with ammonia from the disk stripper 7 is pumped through a blower 36 to the gas inlet 16 of the absorber 17. The remaining liquid at the bottom of the disk stripper 7 can be tapped a s potassium-rich fertilizer stream C.

[0042] In the absorber 17, an acidic absorption liquid is continuously circulated via a circulation pump 37. This liquid is sprayed in at the top of the absorber 17 and collected at the bottom and returned to the circulation line 38. While being transported downward, the drops of absorption liquid absorb the ammonia from the air fed in from the disk stripper 7. When the absorption liquid reaches a sufficient concentration of ammonium fertilizer, it can be tapped as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer stream B. After removal, new absorption liquid is fed in via a replenishment line, which is not shown, and adjusted to the proper pH by means of one or both dosing pumps 32. The purified air is fed in at the top of the absorber 17 via the absorber gas outlet 20 and returned to the disk stripper 7.

[0043] The entire system finally provides a plurality of product streams derived from the feces 5 and urine: a phosphate-rich viscous organic stream, a solid, relatively phosphate-poor fiber stream, a phosphate-rich fiber stream (A), a liquid nitrogen stream in the form of a solution of ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate (B), and a liquid potassium-rich effluent stream (C).

[0044] The term ammonia is not to be read as limitative, but can also refer to the ammonia form (NH.sub.4.sup.+) if the ammonia is dissolved in water.

[0045] The absorber 17 shown is a so-called spray tower, which is operated in a counterflow without packing. Any other type is also possible, such as Venturi water, jet water, a plate column, or a packed column. It is also possible to configure the absorber 17 as a disk scrubber. This operates in a manner opposite to the above-described disk stripper 7, i.e. the ammonia is now absorbed from the gas phase on the thin layer of absorption liquid on the rotating disks. By rotation, the thin layer of ammonia is brought below the liquid level, and the thin layer is refreshed with new absorption liquid.