EP4287829A1

EP4287829A1 - Installation for rearing arthropods in multi-tiered modules

Info

Publication number: EP4287829A1
Application number: EP22707481.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bastien OGGERI; Audrey SCHULLER; Antonin TIXIER
Original assignee: Innovafeed SAS
Current assignee: Innovafeed SAS
Priority date: 2021-02-05
Filing date: 2022-02-04
Publication date: 2023-12-13
Also published as: FR3119511A1; WO2022167770A1; US20240099280A1; JP2024506008A; CA3206737A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arthropod-rearing installation comprising: - modules (100) consisting of multi-tiered units each having a plurality of superposed transverse trays (10) connected by non-removable spacers delimiting at least a lateral slot between each of said transverse trays (10); - means for moving said modules (100), comprising a support interacting directly with the bottom of said modules (100) without the interposition of a pallet; characterized in that - said modules form a multitiered assembly without moving parts and that cannot be dismantled without destroying it - the installation further comprises shelving for temporary placement of arthropod rearing modules and equipment for periodically performing at least one rearing operation, and in that - said installation further comprises a means of emptying said multitiered monolithic modules (100) by tipping all in one piece, without any separating of the tiers of said modules (100).

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Installation for rearing arthropods in multi-storey modules

Field of invention

The present invention relates to the field of large-scale breeding of arthropods, in particular insects for the production of animal or human food.

[0002] Insects have a number of characteristics which make them well suited for use in animal feed. Insects are indeed high in protein, while being rich in other beneficial nutrients such as fats, minerals and vitamins. The protein concentration levels in insect meals intended for animal feed vary between 55% and 75%. Insects are characterized by a higher feed conversion rate and can therefore become a very valuable feed source for livestock. Insects are a natural component of the diet of animals such as carnivorous fish (eg insects can provide up to 70% of trout's dietary requirements) or poultry. Furthermore, these products also have a well-balanced nutritional profile to meet human dietary needs.

[0003] These considerations have led to the development of mass-produced automated production of food from the breeding of arthropods, and more particularly insects, in industrial sites organized into complementary spaces specializing in hatching, rearing, collection of mature animals and their processing to extract the compounds of interest. These industrial sites must be optimized to offer the best health guarantees, and ensure adequate climatic conditions to allow optimal and reproducible growth of larvae in all seasons.

State of the art

To install such production sites, a system for raising insect larvae has been proposed in patent US2020253176, the system comprising a container for a food for insect larvae, rearing modules configured to manage a plurality of trays of larvae and to provide food to the trays. Food is supplied from a container to each of the rearing modules. The container comprises a tray handling system arranged to receive trays or a stack of trays at a loading/unloading point and to move the trays or the stack of trays; and a food delivery system configured to deliver food received from outside the container to each tray repeatedly. The stack may include wheels or casters on the bottom of the trays, the lowest tray in a stack of trays or locked racks. The tray handling system may include ball transfer units and/or rollers. The tray handling system may include guide rails. The rearing module can be arranged so that the trays or stacks of trays can be inserted into and removed from the tray handling system using a forklift, on rollers or casters or some other form of transportation system.

[0005] This solution is designed for the production of larvae intended for feeding an adjacent poultry farm. Production takes place in containers, sheet metal buildings in which stacks of trays are enclosed which can be extracted from this container building by a forklift. When the stack of trays is in a container, it is not possible to carry out any processing. It is necessary to open the container, extract the stack by moving the other stacks that prevent access to it, extract the stack with a conveyor to take it out of the container is to move it to another building through an outdoor space . This solution is not suitable for rearing larvae requiring several interventions within the same building, without going through the outdoor space.

[0006] Patent KR200491810 describes an insect breeding box having the shape of a quadrangular enclosure in which the upper part is open. The insect rearing box has a downwardly sloping center interior bottom surface. The boxes are stacked. A groove penetrating the inner bottom surface and the outer bottom surface is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the insect breeding box. [0007] This concave shape is not appropriate because it leads to a concentration in the central zone of the larvae and nutrients, and does not make it possible to standardize the rearing conditions over the entire available surface.

The CN110178797 patent describes an insect cultivation equipment with several pallets, comprising at least two breeding boxes and a metal frame. A movable flap is provided with a hinge allowing this flap to be opened.

This device is constituted by an assembly of parts made of different materials, with articulated parts poorly suited to intensive use. This system seems in fact not very robust to repeated manipulations and there is a risk of blocking of the moving parts which can lead to poor emptying of these rearing boxes.

[0010] Patent application WO2014171684 relates to a multi-layered box assembly for growth and storage, the purpose of which is to provide a multi-layered box assembly for growth and storage to allow the maximum use of a restricted space in which different types of living bodies grow.

British patent GB1109015 discloses a one-piece container formed from expanded plastics material and comprising a base portion having walls which stand thereupon, the base portion having a convex top surface and integral reinforcing ribs formed on its bottom surface . The container may be in the form of an open box provided with means to facilitate stacking, adequate strength being ensured by providing thickened corner posts, which can support similar containers when stacked above as well as constituting spaced legs for use when the container is standing on a flat surface.

[0012] This solution is not satisfactory because the manipulation of individual trays is tedious and slow, involving a very high number of manipulations compared to the number of manipulations necessary to manage multi-level modules.

[0013] In general, the solutions of the prior art are not totally suitable for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for automated industrial production leading to a very large number of manipulations and movements of a equipment to another, and keeping at rest during rearing phases without unnecessarily cluttering the air-conditioned space in which the various equipment items are arranged. Solution provided by the invention

In order to remedy the problems of the prior art, the present invention relates, in its most general sense, to an arthropod breeding installation according to claim 1, as well as a breeding module intended for such a installation according to the independent claim relating to the rearing module, and to the rearing method according to the corresponding independent claim.

Detailed description of non-limiting examples of embodiment

The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating non-limiting examples of embodiments where:

[FIG. 1] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a rearing module;

[FIG. 2] Figure 2 shows a median cross-sectional view of the rearing module;

[FIG. 3] Figure 3 shows a view of a tray before assembly of the rearing module;

[FIG. 4] Figure 4 shows a side view of a rearing module;

[FIG. 5] Figure 5 shows a median cross-sectional view of the rearing module arranged on a rack;

[FIG. 6] Figure 6 shows a median cross-sectional view of the rearing module on the support of a shuttle;

[FIG. 7] Figure 7 shows a median cross-sectional view of the rearing module arranged on a belt conveyor;

[FIG. 8] Figure 8 shows a schematic view of the rearing module at the start of emptying;

[FIG. 9] Figure 9 shows a schematic view of the rearing module in an intermediate emptying situation

[FIG. 10] Figure 10 shows a schematic view of the rearing module in an emptying situation

[FIG. 11] figure 11 represents a schematic view of the rearing module in a filling situation [FIG. 12] Figure 12 shows a schematic view of the rearing cycle.

General principles

The industrial production of food from the breeding of arthropods and - in the example described without limitation - insects is done in largely automated facilities intended to create the optimal conditions to allow massive the passage from the stage of evolution of the egg, the ootheca or the neonate larva to the adult insect, passing through the larva (or maggots or wingless) and the nymph or pupa.

[0017] Typically, these facilities are organized into buildings each comprising shelving for the storage of breeding modules loaded with an inoculated breeding medium, in a climatic atmosphere conducive to breeding, as well as handling equipment for episodic treatments. The objective is to avoid transfers outside the building as much as possible, by carrying out all the treatments required for breeding within the same building, with an optimization of space leading to the provision of a storage area and a processing area, as well as means of transfer, remaining in the same building, between the storage area and the processing area. To this end, the invention proposes a multi-tiered module designed to optimize the culture of the larvae as well as for the occasional transfer to treatment equipment inside the same building.

The invention aims to optimize large-scale production by simplifying handling both to save time and increase production, to allow the use of reliable and economical equipment, as well as to guarantee sanitary conditions. reducing the risk of infection or development of pathogens.

Production cycle

[0019] Unlike most industrial production solutions of the prior art operating in a linear manner, the installation according to the invention operates in a closed cycle, in particular with regard to the circulation of the rearing modules. All of the processing from the filling of a breeding module to the recovery of mature insects and the reinjection of the breeding module into the breeding circuit is done in a closed loop, according to a cycle of a few days (typically 6 to 20 days), without requiring a transfer to or from outside the building.

[0020] This cycle carried out without transfer outside the treatment site comprises a succession of steps: storage of the rearing modules filled with the rearing medium inoculated with larvae in the shelves of a rearing site in a controlled atmosphere ( temperature, hygrometry, controlled light, controlled atmosphere as to the chemical and/or biological composition); transfer to processing equipment; emptying of the rearing module for recovery of the rearing medium and the insects by tilting; washing and rinsing the emptied rearing module; injection of the rearing medium into the rearing module; inoculation of larvae from neonates or young pregrowth larvae; and resumption of the aforementioned storage step, the rearing modules being permanently recycled (except for occasional breakages).

[0021] The efficiency of the installation is therefore in particular conditioned by: the configuration of the rearing modules; the mode of operation of some of the handling and transport equipment.

In the building, contrary to the teaching of document US2020253176, the multi-level modules are stored on storage racks from which they are removed by an internal transfer system between the storage racks and one of the processing equipment.

Growth stages

[0022] Optionally, the cycle is broken down into a pregrowth step followed by an incubation step. [0023] During the pregrowth stage, the rearing module (100) is loaded with a first rearing medium suitable for young larvae, and is inoculated with larvae at the neonate (newborn) stage. When these young larvae have reached a predetermined reference size, the rearing module is emptied and the young larvae are recovered to inoculate a new rearing module previously loaded with a new rearing medium suitable for this second stage of maturity.

Breeding modules

[0024] In order to optimize both the storage space and the handling equipment, the rearing modules according to the invention have a multi-tiered configuration which allows storage on racks and handling in a single block. , rigid, monolithic and without moving parts, requiring no pallet or additional support for movement. [0025] The term "monolithic" within the meaning of this patent means a rigid assembly with non-separable parts, except by voluntary dismantling, forming a single block that can be manipulated as a whole without the possibility of separately handling some of its parts (except in the case of disassembly or destruction) and therefore without moving parts. The use of moving parts can indeed pose problems of robustness of the system and can lead to risks of blockage.

In the non-limiting example described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, the module has six floors (1 to 6). Each of the tiers has a domed transverse bottom (10) surrounded by an edge comprising grooves (15). Consecutive stages are separated by spacers (20). The cross-section of the module is typically 1200x1000 mm, and the height of the curbs (15) 160 mm. The elements are made by plastic injection. The modules are thus made up of multi-tiered monolithic blocks alternating trays whose vertical edges have a determined height, for example 160 mm and voids separating the transverse plane defined by the edges of these vertical edges and the bottom of the tray following, the interval being for example 172 mm. This configuration makes it possible to minimize these heights without compromising: for the trays: o the volume of substrate that can be contained; o the absence of overflow during travel; o the absence of escaped larvae; for the voids between trays: o air circulation; o the introduction of substrate injection rods; o the introduction of larval inoculation chutes.

[0028] The modules are formed by an assembly of parts which are then permanently linked, without moving parts, in order to present great robustness compatible with repeated manipulations with automatic equipment.

[0029] The borders (15) have grooves to reinforce rigidity and resistance when the module is loaded, while reducing the weight of the module. The bottom (10) of the trays also has reinforcing ribs to stiffen the rearing module.

The funds (10) have a domed shape with a central zone (11) of hemispherical shape of circular section with a diameter of 600 mm, and a central elevation of 50 mm. The rearing medium (13) is deposited on the bottom (10). The convex shape of this central zone (11) makes it possible to limit the deflection, better distribute the material deposited on the plate (10) and increase the deflection tolerance (to allow the satellites (30) to pass under the lower plate of the stack at the time of storage/retrieval).

The rearing trays are assembled to form monolithic modules of six trays by force clipping the spacers (20) located in the corners with a space of 172 mm between two consecutive trays (10). The elements are only connected by the four struts and do not rest on top of each other over entire edges.

[0032] The modules cannot be disassembled without voluntary action. In the non-limiting example described, the spacers are force-clipped between the plates in a non-reversible manner.

[0033] The spacers (20) are configured to ensure between two consecutive plates a lateral slot with a height of between 0.5 and 2 times the height of the edges (15), for example a lateral slot of 172 mm between two plates consecutive (10) of a module, in order to ensure good air circulation, and to allow the discharge of the contents for the emptying of the module, as well as the filling as will be explained below.

Module handling [0034] Figures 5 to 7 illustrate the modes of manipulation of the modules. The bottom of the modules rests on racks in a controlled climatic space having supports (41, 42), for example rails, on which it rests on either side of the convex zone (11). These rails (41, 42) are spaced to allow the passage of the support (43) which is positioned under the bottom of the rearing module, without any intermediate pallet, ensuring the withdrawal of the modules or their insertion in a rack. The spacing of these rails is also defined to ensure good stability for the rearing modules (100) during their storage in the controlled climatic space. This spacing must be greater than 1/3 of the width of the lower cross plate (10) and less than the width of the lower cross plate (10). The support (43) extends a mobile satellite moving in a direction perpendicular to a guided shuttle to ensure the movement of the modules to a conveyor and place them thereon. A plurality of shuttles and satellites makes it possible to move all the modules to conveyors. The conveyors then move the modules between the various processing and rearing stations. The width of the conveyors corresponds to that of the rails (41, 42) of the racks.

Emptying breeding modules

[0035] Figures 8 to 10 illustrate the process of emptying the modules after the insects have matured. The module (100) is placed in emptying equipment comprising a frame (50) and a plate (51) which are integral and actuated in pivoting around a transverse axis. During storage in the shelves and during movement, the modules (100) are placed vertically, the trays being horizontal. To unload the rearing medium and the larvae, the module is tilted through an angle of rotation of 120° to 150° and preferably 130° to 140° to allow the contents of the trays to be discharged by gravity onto a ramp ( 51), passing through the slots formed between the edges (15) and the adjacent plate thanks to the spacers (20). Optionally several modules can be emptied simultaneously.

Filling the rearing modules [0036] Figure 11 illustrates the process of filling the modules (100). It is carried out by a system of ramps (61) pouring the rearing medium onto trays (60) and/or a similar system of ramps pouring the young larvae onto trays (60). This system is positioned between a waiting position where the ramps are separated from the module (100), and a filling position where the ramps (60) are introduced into the module (100), between the trays (10) passing through the slots released by the spacers between the consecutive trays. In the example described, the ramp system (61) is fixed, and the rearing modules (100) are moved using a shifter to allow filling. Optionally, several filling modules (100) can be filled simultaneously by a system of multiple ramps (61), for example 3 three series of 6 ramps (61).

The injection consists of filling the empty modules (100) with rearing medium from the rearing medium preparation zone. The injection line simultaneously fills three juxtaposed modules (100) with a controlled quantity and/or composition of rearing medium. The injection line comprises 18 metering pumps discharging their contents into ramps (60).

The inoculation consists in depositing doses of insects in the trays (10) of the multi-stage modules (100). These doses are partly transported by gravity to the trays (10) and a compressed air blow allows the doses to be expelled into the rearing modules and to avoid the accumulation of material in the lower part of the inoculation chutes . The breeding modules are translated to the side via a shifter (rail conveyor) which transports the three modules (100) constituting the batch. This shifter moves on an axis perpendicular to that of the handling circuit and makes it possible to bring each tray of the breeding modules (100) under its breeding medium injection nozzle (60), then its inoculation nozzle larvae. These nozzles are located above each plate (10) of the modules (100), they therefore fit into the modules (100).

The shifter moves to the start of injection position. Position sensors send the information as soon as the rearing modules are sufficiently offset (ie as soon as the trays (10) of the modules (100) begin to be under the injection nozzles. The module (100) is moved for the injection sequence in order to distribute the rearing medium in the rearing modules (from the injection start position to the end position injection. The inoculation is carried out at the end of the injection, then the module (100) is replaced in the non-shifted position.

This process makes it possible to evenly distribute the rearing medium over all of the trays (10) of the modules (100).

Type of processing carried out by the equipment

The installation according to the invention makes it possible to carry out a processing cycle applied to each module or group of modules by episodic outputs according to a predetermined sequence of the storage and breeding racks, according to a sequence illustrated by the figure 12.

The main treatments are described below. The main part of the cycle consists in keeping the rearing modules in the racks provided in a controlled climatic space (step 110). As explained previously, upstream, the rearing modules (100) which have reached maturity are emptied by the tipper (step 120) and are subjected, if necessary, to washing (step 130). The empty rearing modules (100) thus prepared are the subject of a rearing medium injection step (140) followed by an inoculation step (150) with young neonate larvae, or with larvae having reached a reference size (160). These young larvae injected in step (160) come either from the hatching phase or from a sieving step (170). The sieving is itself fed by a hopper receiving the contents dumped into the tipper during the emptying step (120) of the rearing modules extracted from the racks

Furthermore, before each new treatment, the rearing modules extracted from the racks in batches of three rearing modules are subject to quality control (180) by weighing, measuring the temperature or other breeding parameters, visual inspection (190) and/or optical control by a camera and an automatic image interpretation system. [0043] The rearing modules (100) whose content is not compliant are directed to a non-compliant evacuation zone comprising a dedicated tilter to be the subject of an emptying step (120) and transfer to disposal (200).

[0044] Weighing on the shuttle and optionally measuring the temperature (step 180): at each batch exit, the module is weighed on the shuttle and the temperature under each tray of each of the rearing modules is measured. The batch mass is compared to a threshold mass. If the batch mass is below the threshold value, the batch is considered compliant and is sent to the handling circuit as planned. If it is greater than the threshold value, the batch is considered non-compliant and will be sent to the inspection area. The temperature can constitute an additional indicator of the mass to check the conformity.

[0045] Weighing by rearing module at the entrance to the handling circuit: The batches arriving on the handling circuit are weighed module (100) by module (100) on a weighing table. This weighing of the rearing module (100) allows a more precise conformity check than the weighing on the shuttle. For each module (100), the measured mass is compared with a threshold mass. If the mass is below the threshold value, the module is considered compliant. Otherwise, the module is considered non-compliant and is sent to the non-compliant evacuation zone for destruction of its contents. Non-compliant evacuation zone (step 200): The non-compliant branch is used to destroy the contents of the breeding modules declared non-compliant. These rearing modules are emptied by tilting by a tilter whose operation is described above. Their contents are emptied, evacuated and crushed.

[0047] Triple tilter (step 120): when a batch arrives in front of the conforming tilter, the conforming tilter turns over the entire batch in order to collect its contents, by performing several tilts, for example three consecutive tilts, to ensure emptying complete, then put it back. The module (100) is then sent to the injection and inoculation station.

Weighing at the output of the handling circuit: at the output of the handling circuit, the modules (100) are again weighed one by one.

Output of the handling circuit: the module (100) is sent to storage.

[0050] Operator conformity check: an operator checks the non-compliant batches detected by the shuttle following a measured mass greater than a threshold mass to rule on the continuation of their processing. This discrepancy may actually be due to growth abnormality. The operator performs a visual and tactile check to verify the growth status of each tray of the rearing modules (100).

Claims

1 - Installation for breeding arthropods comprising: multi-tiered breeding modules (100) each having a plurality of transverse plates (10) superimposed and joined by spacers defining at least one lateral slot between each of said transverse plates ( 10); means for moving said rearing modules (100) comprising a support interacting directly with the bottom of said modules (100), without the interposition of a pallet; characterized in that each of said rearing modules forms a multi-tiered monolithic assembly with no moving components; the installation further comprises shelving for the storage of said arthropod rearing modules and equipment for periodically carrying out at least one rearing treatment; and in that said shelves have parallel supports (41, 42) whose spacing is greater than 1/3 of the width of the lower transverse plate (10) and less than the width of the lower transverse plate (10).

2 - Installation for breeding arthropods according to claim 1 characterized in that said plates (10) have a central zone (11) domed and in that said shelves have parallel supports (41, 42) whose spacing is between the diameter of said central zone (11) and the width of the lower transverse plate (10).

3- arthropod breeding installation according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said supports (41, 42) are spaced rails to allow the passage of the support (43) which is positioned under the bottom of the breeding module , without any intermediate pallet, to ensure the removal of the modules or their insertion in a rack. 4 - Installation for breeding arthropods according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said support (43) extends a mobile satellite moving in a direction perpendicular to a guided shuttle to ensure the movement of said breeding modules (100) up to to a conveyor and place them on it.

5 - Installation for breeding arthropods according to claim 1 characterized in that said moving means are configured to handle said breeding modules (100) as they are in a closed loop, between the shelves and the various processing equipment without leaving of the installation.

6 - Installation for rearing arthropods according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises means for filling said rearing modules (100) by a supply via a set of ducts overflowing onto each of said trays (10) multi-tier rearing modules (100) a flow of rearing medium and/or larvae.

7 - Installation for rearing arthropods according to claim 1, characterized in that said installation further comprises means for emptying said multi-tiered monolithic rearing modules (100) by tilting as a whole, requiring no moving component or no separation of the stages of said modules (100).

8 - Arthropod rearing module intended for an installation according to claim 1 characterized in that it consists of a multi-tiered monolithic block without moving part having a plurality of transverse plates (10) superimposed and joined by spacers delimiting at least one lateral slot between each of said transverse plates (10),

9 - Arthropod rearing module according to the preceding claim characterized in that the lower plate (10) has a central zone (11) domed with a diameter less than the spacing of the parallel rails (41, 42) of said installation, the width of said lower plate (10) being greater than or equal to the spacing of said parallel rails (41, 42). 10 - Arthropod rearing module according to claim 8 characterized in that it consists of a non-reversible assembly without destruction of a plurality of plates extended by spacers, one at least of the ends of which has a means clipping deformable.

11 - Arthropod rearing module according to the preceding claim characterized in that each of the plates has a domed transverse bottom (10) surrounded by an edge having grooves (15).

12 - Arthropod breeding module according to the preceding claim characterized in that the bottom (10) of said plates has reinforcing ribs to stiffen the breeding module.

13 - Method for rearing arthropods comprising steps: of depositing the rearing medium on the trays of the multi-tiered monolithic rearing modules (100) each having a plurality of superimposed transverse trays and joined by spacers delimiting at the least one lateral slot between each of said transverse plates; inoculating said rearing medium by spilling arthropods at an early stage of growth; episodic movements of said rearing modules, without dismantling, and in a closed loop, between shelving suitable for storing said rearing modules for arthropods, and equipment for episodically carrying out at least one rearing treatment by means of displacement comprising a support interacting directly with the bottom of said modules, without the interposition of a pallet; characterized in that it comprises, before each new treatment, a step of quality control of the content of said breeding modules (100) extracted from racks, the breeding modules (100) whose content does not conform during said quality control step being directed to an evacuation zone comprising a dedicated tipper to be the subject of an emptying step (120) and transfer to waste disposal (200). 14 - Method for breeding arthropods according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a step of filling said breeding modules (100) consisting in inserting into the slots of said breeding modules (100) ramps (61 ) fed by dosing systems to deposit the rearing medium and/or the arthropods at an early stage of growth on the trays.

15 - Method for rearing arthropods according to claim 12 characterized in that it comprises a step of emptying said rearing modules (100) consisting in tilting said rearing modules to ensure the discharge of the contents of the trays on a means of collection.