WO2023118991A1

WO2023118991A1 - Device for growing insect larvae

Info

Publication number: WO2023118991A1
Application number: PCT/IB2022/060584
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick BERTSCHI; Christoph BERTSCHI; Adrian BERTSCHI
Original assignee: Smartbreed Ag
Priority date: 2021-12-22
Filing date: 2022-11-03
Publication date: 2023-06-29

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for growing insect larvae, comprising a growth container (2) which has an upper inlet opening (21) for filling the growth container with filler material and an outlet opening (22) which is located in a lower region (B1) of the growth container. The inlet opening (21) and the outlet opening (22) are arranged such that a flow of filler material is generated from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. The growth container has a plurality of dimensionally stable and/or dimensionally resistant pressure protection elements (24, 25) which are designed such that at least one part of the compound of the filler material can be arranged within the pressure protection elements and/or below at least one section of the pressure protection elements so that the pressure exerted by a part of the filler material compound onto a part of the filler material compound lying below same is reduced.

Description

Breeding device for insect larvae

technical field

The invention relates to a breeding device for breeding insects, and in particular insect larvae.

State of the art

Insects are part of the natural diet of many livestock, such as pigs, chickens and fish, and are an important source of protein for these animals. The animal protein can be very well absorbed by livestock and supports their growth. Since insects can utilize food residues and by-products and make them available again as animal feed, they are a high-quality source of protein. Insect food is therefore a species-appropriate, protein-rich and balanced feed for these animals.

[0003] Insects go through different stages in their life cycle: adult animals lay eggs from which insect larvae hatch, which grow and pupate. Adult animals then hatch from the pupae.

Mature insect larvae are particularly attractive as animal feed because the larvae are high in protein.

The larvae of the flour beetle, also called mealworms, and larvae of the black soldier fly are popular feedstuffs. These larvae consist of 47% to 52% by weight animal protein, 31% to 44% by weight fat and 5% by weight up to 15% by weight fiber. Mealworms that hatch grow to a size of about 2 cm over a period of about eight weeks. The grown mealworms are harvested before they pupate and used as animal feed.

The cultivation of the mealworms takes place in a substrate, which they also eat at the same time. The substrate is preferably wheat bran, a mill by-product, consisting of the unusable residues of wheat husks after flour production. Mealworms also need wet food, from which they take the water they need.

Because mealworms produce a lot of heat during their cultivation and need oxygen for respiration, they are usually cultivated in a substrate with a maximum depth of 10 cm. If the substrate depth is deeper, the waste heat and the carbon dioxide produced by respiration cannot escape sufficiently and impairs the oxygen supply to the breeding animals.

Experiences from mealworm breeding show that the insect larvae are only in the top layer. This poses a particular challenge for breeding, since mealworms have to be bred in many small containers with a maximum depth of 10 cm. For this reason, shallow containers are traditionally used for mealworm cultivation.

For the harvest, or to add fresh substrate and wet food, the containers must be taken out individually, which is associated with an enormous amount of work. The cultivation of mealworms on an industrial scale therefore requires high investment and maintenance costs.

[0009] The high labor and personnel costs associated with breeding make the use of mealworms as local and sustainable animal feed economically uninteresting. Automated approaches for feeding and emptying the containers are known, but these solutions are based on expensive robot technology and require a lot of space.

Feeding system for farm animals are known from the prior art.

WO2020263085 describes a feeding system that can be used to feed poultry with larvae. The system includes a storage facility and a distribution facility. The distribution device is equipped with one or more feed outlets that can be configured to spatially distribute the feed over a livestock feeding zone. There is therefore an urgent need and solutions for the cultivation of insect larvae that eliminate these disadvantages of existing breeding methods.

Presentation of the invention

It is an object of the invention to find a breeding system for the industrial cultivation of insect larvae which is space-saving.

The amount of work involved in breeding the insect larvae should be reduced compared to conventional breeding methods.

The breeding system should be energy efficient compared to automated conventional methods.

The breeding system should also be inexpensive to enable local breeding of insect larvae, preferably in the vicinity of agricultural by-products, food waste or in a livestock farm.

According to the invention, one or more of these objects are achieved by the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

Specifically, the objects are achieved by an insect larvae cultivating device having a cultivating container with an upper input opening for filling with filling material and a discharging opening located in a lower part of the cultivating container. The filling material preferably comprises a substrate for the insects, for example wheat bran, wet food, and insect breeders.

The input port and the output port are arranged such that a flow of packing material is established from the input port to the output port. The filling material flow is essentially, preferably exclusively, brought about by the weight of the filling compound. In order to effect gravitational flow of material, the input port must be located above the output port. Ideally, the area between the input and output ports is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the earth.

In order to prevent the pressure from affecting the growth or survival of larvae in lower-lying areas of the filling material, the breeding container is equipped with a large number of dimensionally stable and/or dimensionally resistant pressure protection elements.

These pressure protection elements are designed in such a way as to reduce the pressure of a portion of the mass of filling material on at least a portion of the underlying mass of filling material. Said part of the mass of filling material rests on at least one portion of the pressure protection element, preferably a wall. The pressure protection element or the section of the pressure protection element on which this part of the filling compound rests supports this part of the filling compound. The pressing pressure on at least a part of the filling compound that lies below the pressure protection element or its said section is thus reduced.

The pressure protection element is designed to create protection zones in which the pressure caused by the mass of the overlying filling material is reduced.

These pressure protection elements are arranged in the interior of the breeding container. Pressure protection elements can be distributed over the entire interior of the breeding container.

For the industrial production of insect larvae, the breeding container described here can replace a large number of the above-mentioned, relatively small, conventional containers in which larvae are bred in a substrate depth of less than 10 cm. Since in this case the volume of the filling material placed in the breeding container is significantly increased, a significant pressure caused by the filling mass can build up, which primarily affects the filling material lying deeper. The pressure protection elements counteract this pressure by creating local protection zones. The pressure protection elements protect a part of the filling material against the pressure of a part of the overlying filling material.

The local reduction of the pressing pressure of the mass of filling material by means of the pressure protection elements contributes significantly to improved breeding conditions for insect larvae. Due to these improved cultivation conditions, the breeding container described here can have a significantly larger filling volume than conventional breeding containers.

[0028] A breeding container of the present invention can, for example, have a filling volume of 6 m ³ to 250 m ³ . It is thus possible to produce large quantities of insect larvae in a single breeding tank. The labor and costs associated with handling many smaller containers can thus be significantly reduced.

The breeding container can, for example, have a cylindrical or conical shape. The breeding tank can be a silo.

The dispensing opening can be provided with a regulating device, for example an adjustable shutter or a screw conveyor. The dispensing of the filling material through the dispensing opening can be controlled, regulated and/or stopped by means of the regulating device.

[0031] In order to improve a careful output of the breeding animals, it is however advantageous not to control the flow of the filling material by means of a flap or a slide, but preferably exclusively by means of a backlog of material at the output opening. Various designs are known for this from the prior art. For example, a flat receptacle may be positioned in close proximity below the exit opening such that material will back up when the receptacle is in a first position below the opening and allow material to flow through the discharge opening when the receptacle is in a second position that is not lies in the direction of flow of the output material, is moved, for example pivoted. [0032] The material flow of the filling material can be regulated by a controlled material discharge from the discharge opening. If the regulating device, for example the closure cap, closes the dispensing opening, the flow of material is stopped. When the regulator is opened, material is dispensed through the dispensing opening and the overlying fill material moves towards the dispensing opening.

[0033] Material can be output, for example, at specific times and/or for a specific duration. This harvests a volume of massecuite at different times, creating a temporary flow of material. The material flow stops in the periods between the output times.

[0034] However, the material flow can also take place at least partially continuously. The material flow can be regulated, for example, by an adjustable flow rate of the material through the discharge opening. For this purpose, for example, a regulating device for adjusting the diameter of the dispensing opening or the shape of the dispensing opening can be provided. For example, the discharge opening can only be opened partially and/or to a certain extent by the regulating device, so that the material flow can be adjusted.

The flow rate and flow mode, i.e. temporary or continuous, can be selected according to the insect species being cultured. The rearing of larvae of some insect species, such as black soldier fly larvae, requires longer periods in static fill material.

For other types, shorter stagnant periods or a continuous flow of filler material are more suitable.

[0037] The pressure protection elements can take the most varied of forms.

The pressure protection elements can be nets, for example. The pressure protection elements can also be additional surfaces inside the protective container. These surfaces can be perforated, for example. The pressure protection elements are arranged inside the culture container in such a way as to support at least part of the weight of a part of the mass of filling material, so as to reduce the pressure on an underlying part of the filling mass.

Net-shaped pressure protection elements offer the additional advantage that they allow the adult insects to lay their eggs. As a result, the breeding tank can be stocked continuously without the external addition of eggs or young larvae being absolutely necessary. Rough surfaces of flat pressure protection elements are also suitable as structures for adult insects to lay their eggs on.

Pressure protection members are preferably structural members having a wall overlying a portion of the fill material that is not subjected to the weight of the fill material overlying the wall. The pressure protection elements thus protect part of the filling material from the weight of the mass of filling material located above.

In a possible embodiment, the pressure protection elements are roof-shaped diverting structures, for example gabled, conical roof-shaped or arched elements, the shape of which allows the filling material located above the pressure protection element to slide along the surface of the pressure protection element.

The inclined surfaces of roof-shaped pressure protection elements preferably have an angle of inclination of 30° to 70° in relation to a plane perpendicular to the force of gravity.

An advantage of this embodiment is that air pockets can form underneath the roof-shaped structure. Larvae that require good airflow, such as mealworms, find good growing conditions under these roof-like structures and can congregate in areas under the roof-like structures. Pressure elements in this embodiment are preferably mounted in the breeding tank. The pressure protection elements can, for example, be attached to a support structure located in the interior, for example to a linkage or to a central column.

The pressure protection elements can also be attached directly or indirectly to the inner wall of the breeding protection container.

Fixed pressure protection elements can be static. Fastened pressure protection elements can also be movable.

For example, pressure protection elements may be attached to a rotating support structure, such as a central column. The pressure protection elements thus rotate together with the support structure, as a result of which the filling material is loosened. This contributes to improved aeration of the filling material.

Furthermore, it can prove to be advantageous for aeration and/or material flow to provide vibrating pressure protection elements. A vibration of the pressure protection elements causes an additional loosening of the filling material and counteracts the pressure build-up. Vibration of the pressure protection elements also improves the aeration of the filling material.

In a further possible embodiment, the pressure protection elements are present as pressure protection housings that can be filled with filling material. These pressure-resistant housings should be placed in the breeding tank, and which can be discharged through the breeding tank's discharge opening. The pressure protection housings are dynamic elements that are movable in relation to each other and in relation to the breeding tank.

[0051] The pressure protection housings preferably have a large number of openings which allow filling material to penetrate and escape.

[0052] Pressure protection housings can be hollow balls, for example. However, pressure enclosures can also be other hollow shapes, such as cubes, be executed. The invention is not limited to a specific shape of the pressure protection housing or to a shape of the multiple openings.

[0053] Pressure protection housings are particularly suitable for breeding insect larvae that require a wet substrate. Air pockets are not essential for these species, so the pressure containment housings can be partially or completely filled with wet substrate and breeding insects. Filled pressure protection housings can be filled into the breeding tank, optionally with additional filling material.

[0054] Pressure-resistant casings may be dispensed through the dispensing port for harvest. After harvest, the larvae and the remaining substrate, as well as waste, can be removed from the pressure containment housing. Newly equipped pressure protection housings can be equipped with fresh filling material for further cultivation and inserted into the breeding container.

Optionally, the pressure protection housing can be washed prior to assembly. However, a wash step is not absolutely necessary. Eggs and small larvae left in the unwashed pressure housings can be used for stocking, so that new eggs or breeding animals do not necessarily have to be added.

However, it is also possible for the pressure protection housing to remain in the breeding tank for several subsequent breeding processes. In this case, the filling material located in the pressure protection housing is flushed out through the openings in the pressure protection housing by means of an air jet or water, for example, and is discharged through the discharge opening of the breeding container.

[0057] Mixing devices can also be provided in the breeding container to loosen up and/or improve aeration of the filling material. A mixing device can, for example, comprise one or more agitators. A mixing device can be placed in the container instead of pressure protection elements, or also in combination with pressure protection elements. In order to improve the ventilation of the filling material, the breeding container can be provided with suitable ventilation devices, for example air nozzles, lateral openings, or ventilation hoses.

[0059] Air or oxygen can be blown into the culture tank through these aeration devices, or permeate passively. The introduced air can remove excess heat and carbon dioxide from the filling material.

The air is preferably supplied to the lower area of the breeding container. However, it is also possible for air to be supplied at different levels or heights of the breeding container.

The supplied air rises and carries the heat produced by the larvae and the carbon dioxide upwards.

An air supply that takes place below the pressure protection elements has the advantage that fresh air can accumulate in the protection zones created by the pressure elements. This is particularly advantageous when the pressure protection elements are roof-shaped diverting structures. In this embodiment, the supplied air can collect below the roof-shaped structures and form air pockets.

By appropriate regulation of the air supply and/or the temperature of the air supplied, the filling compound can be heated or cooled as required.

The discharge opening of the culture tank may be an opening in a bottom wall, or in the bottom of the culture tank.

Preferably, the lower portion of the breeding container is funnel-shaped, with the lower opening of the funnel-shaped portion corresponding to the discharge opening.

However, it is also possible that the discharge opening located in the lower area of the breeding container is arranged on a housing of a conveyor device located inside the breeding container. In this embodiment, the conveying device located inside the breeding container is designed to transport filling material and/or pressure protection housing from the lower area of the breeding container in the direction of the input opening. The housing surrounds the conveying device and separates it from the filling material, with the filling material in the breeding container only being able to enter the interior of the housing through the discharge opening.

The breeding container can be part of a breeding system that also has a separating device for separating the harvested material. The separating device can be, for example, a screen, or a series of screens with different mesh sizes, which separate filling material according to size. In this way, adult insect larvae suitable for animal feeding can be separated from small larvae and eggs, as well as from the remaining substrate and waste material.

The cultivation system may further include a conveyor that transports harvested filler material from the discharge opening to the separator.

The invention further relates to a method for culturing insect larvae, comprising the following steps: a. Filling or topping up the breeding container with filling material, which comprises substrate for the breeding animals, as well as insect eggs and/or breeding animals, through the upper input opening, b. incubating the fill material in the breeding tank, c. allowing a controlled flow of filler material through the breeding tank by regulating the discharge of filler material through the discharge opening, d. Delivery of the filling material delivered through the delivery opening.

Steps b and c can be carried out simultaneously. However, it is also possible that the incubation takes place during a defined period and a Flow occurs during short intervals. Because the flow is enabled by dispensing the fill material, harvest and flow occur simultaneously. In a continuous flow process, steps b, c and d thus occur simultaneously.

To equip the breeding container with insect breeding animals, the filling material can either be mixed with insect eggs, small larvae or adult insects. However, to top up the breeding container, it is also possible to fill in substrate without breeding animals, since the breeding animals can colonize the filling material already present in the breeding container.

Brief description of the figures

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, which show

Figure 1A is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of the insect larvae breeding system with gabled pressure guards;

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the breeding system shown in FIG. 1A;

1C shows a cross-sectional view of a possible embodiment of a breeding container with a central conveying device;

2A shows a partial perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an opened protective container, from which four support rings of gable roof-shaped pressure protection elements have been removed;

2B shows a perspective view of a support ring with gable roof-shaped pressure protection elements; Figure 3A is a cross-sectional top perspective view of one embodiment of the culture container showing the filler material dispensing control device in the open position;

Figure 3B is a cross-sectional top perspective view of one embodiment of the culture container showing the filler material dispensing control device in a semi-open position;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of another possible embodiment of the insect larvae rearing system in which pressure housings are provided for rearing the larvae;

5A to 5E different possible embodiments of perforated pressure protection housing;

Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of another possible embodiment of the insect larva breeding system;

Figure 7A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a culture container useful in the culture system shown in Figure 6;

Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the width of the cultivation system suitable embodiment of a culture container shown in Figure 6A;

8A shows a perspective view of pressure protection elements on a support structure and a heat-conducting tube running through the support structure,

8B is a perspective view of the heat-conducting tube with the support structure and pressure protection elements attached on one side. 9 shows a top view of the lower, funnel-shaped part of an exemplary embodiment of the breeding container illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, with a ventilation line arranged partially in the interior.

Ways to carry out the invention

Embodiments of the claimed breeding container and breeding system according to the invention are shown schematically in FIGS. 1A to 5E.

In Figure 1A, a breeding system 50 for breeding insect larvae with a silo-shaped breeding container 2, an external conveyor device 56 and a separating device 53 is shown. The breeding silo has a funnel-shaped lower area B1, which opens into the discharge opening 22 (FIG. 1B).

The filling material discharged through the discharge opening 22 is conveyed to the separating device 53 by means of the external conveying device 56 . As shown in FIG. 1B, this can be done, for example, by means of a screw conveyor.

The breeding container shown in FIG. 1B has a central column 29 in its center, onto which support rings 27 are attached, as illustrated in FIG. 2A.

As shown in FIG. 2B, four gable roof-shaped pressure protection elements 24 are attached to each support ring 27 in this exemplary embodiment.

However, it is also possible to attach a different number of pressure protection elements 24 to the support rings.

The form of the attached pressure protection elements can also vary. It is also possible to attach pressure protection elements of different shapes to a support ring. In one possible embodiment, the central column 29 rotates and drives the pressure protection elements 24 to rotate. The rotation of the pressure protection elements promotes the loosening of the filling material and the mixing of the substrate. Preferably, the pressure protection members 24 are mounted in a stationary manner.

Protection zones are formed below the pressure protection elements 24, in which the pressure caused by the weight of the filling compound above is reduced.

The gabled design of the pressure elements 24 offers the additional advantage that air pockets can form below the gables. Juvenile larvae of some insect species, such as mealworms, thrive at the substrate/air interface and tend to congregate in those areas below the gables.

The breeding container has an input opening 21 in the upper part of the container. In the example shown, the input port 21 is connected to a tube through which insects can be fed for feeding, as described below. In addition, fresh substrate and, optionally, wet food can be filled in through the input opening 21 . The tube can be removed for this purpose.

The dispensing opening 22 of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B is formed by the tapering structure of the funnel-shaped lower region B1.

The dispensing opening of this embodiment is preferably provided with a regulating device 28 . The regulating device can be a conventional silo shutter, for example a rotary shutter. Preferably, the regulation device is adjustable in such a way that the rate of flow of the filling material can be controlled.

For this purpose, for example, the control flap shown in Figures 3A and 3B, which consists of two superimposed flap elements. The folding elements of the regulating flap can differ from one another take angular positions. The two folding elements can be moved in rotation with respect to one another.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the two folding elements can be superimposed in such a way that the dispensing opening 22 is at least partially exposed.

In FIG. 3B, the flap elements assume a position in which the dispensing opening 22 is covered by surfaces of both flap elements. This corresponds to a half-open position in which material flow is reduced.

In a closed position of the regulating device shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the two flap elements assume an angular position in relation to one another, in which the dispensing opening is completely covered (not shown).

The separating device shown in FIG. 1B is a system with serial screens, in which materials and animals are separated into different layers according to their size. The separator has three layers.

In the top layer, larvae above a predetermined harvest size are separated. The mesh size of the top sieve allows animals and materials of a smaller size to fall through.

Small larvae are caught in the middle layer. These larvae can be returned to the breeding tank for restocking. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the larvae separated in the middle layer can be fed to the breeding container 2 for placement by means of a feed device 6, for example a conveyor shaft in a housing, as shown in FIG. 1B.

The bottom layer of the separating device shown in FIG. 1B catches waste materials, for example faeces and residues of substrate, which can be discarded.

FIG. 1C shows an exemplary embodiment with a centrally arranged conveying device. In the example shown, the conveying device is one Conveyor shaft 3, which is arranged in a housing 35. FIG. 1C shows the central conveying device into a breeding container with gabled pressure protection elements. However, a central conveyor can also be installed in other types of breeding tanks as claimed. For example, a breeding container that can be filled with pressure-protection housings, as shown for example in FIG. 4, can have a central conveying device.

If the breeding container has a central conveying device, the discharge opening 22 arranged in the lower area B1 of the container should be predetermined by the housing opening of the conveying device. For this reason the housing 35 of the conveyor is raised with respect to the bottom of the cultivation tank to allow access to the filling material and/or entry of the filling material through the discharge opening 22 into the conveyor.

The central conveying device is preferably aligned in such a way that material obtained through the output opening can be transported upwards, ie in the direction of the input opening 21 of the breeding container 2 .

The breeding container of an embodiment with a central conveying device accordingly does not open into a dispensing opening 22, but has a floor. The dispensing opening 22 is located inside the container.

The breeding system shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C is particularly suitable for insect species that depend on good substrate aeration, such as mealworms.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of a breeding system 50 which is particularly suitable for insect larvae which thrive well in moist substrate. This breeding system is suitable, for example, for rearing the larvae of the black soldier fly. These larvae do not need air pockets such as can form under the gable-shaped pressure protection elements.

The breeding tank 2 of this embodiment is provided with pressure protection housings 25 having a plurality of openings. The pressure protection housings 25 shown are hollow spheres with openings. The shape of However, pressure protection housing 25 and/or the shape of the openings is not particularly limited.

Pressure containment housings 25 are hollow structures with openings through which filling material can enter and escape. Pressure containment housings 25 are dynamic structures that can be loaded into and ejected from the culture tank.

As shown in Figure 5A and B, pressure protection housing 25 can be perforated, hollow balls or spheres. Pressure protection housing 25 can also be cube-shaped or have a pyramidal structure, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C. Pressure containment housings 25 can be any hollow polyhedron with multiple openings, Figure 5E.

Pressure housing 25 can be filled with wet substrate and, optionally, with insect eggs, small larvae, or adult insects, and placed in the breeding tank. In addition, the breeding container can be filled with preferably wet substrate. The additional substrate serves to fill in the gaps between the pressure protection housings 25 .

For some species of insects, such as the larvae of the black soldier fly, it is advantageous if a breeding container is filled with filled pressure housings and incubated statically, i.e. without the filling material flowing through the breeding container, until the time of harvest becomes. The larvae of the entire container are then output in one harvest.

The larvae can be harvested by dispensing the pressure protection housing. The material and the larvae inside the pressure protection housing 25 can then be flushed out of the pressure protection housing 25 by a water jet or an air jet so that the larvae can be harvested.

However, the material and the larvae can also be separated from the discharged pressure protection housings 25 by means of the separating device 53 shown in FIG. The separating device 53 comprises a series of screens with different mesh sizes, representing different layers of the device separate. The top screen in Figure 4, which forms the bottom of the top layer, is preferably a shaker screen. This sieve has the largest mesh size.

A shaking of the pressure protection housing 25 causes leakage of the material located in the pressure protection housing with the larvae contained therein through the openings of the pressure protection housing. The mesh size should be chosen to retain the pressure containment housings 25 but allow the material and livestock to fall into the next, middle layer.

The screen of the middle tier is preferably of a mesh size which will retain larvae of a predetermined desired size but allow smaller material and smaller larvae to pass.

The larvae ready for harvest can thus be harvested from the middle layer. Smaller material can be discarded. The pressure protection housings 25 separated in the uppermost layer can be returned to the breeding tank 2 .

The pressure protection housing 25 can be previously fitted with substrate and breeding animals or eggs.

On the other hand, it is also possible to fill the empty pressure-protection housing 25 into the container and supply the substrate separately equipped with eggs or breeding animals. The populated substrate can then enter the pressure protection housing 25 in the breeding container 2 through the openings of the pressure protection housing. It is advantageous in this case to provide a mixing device equipped to mix the dynamic pressure protection housings 25 in the culture tank with the substrate. The mixing device can be an agitator, for example.

However, it is also possible that the pressure protection housings 25 are not discharged through the discharge opening 22 during harvesting. For harvesting, the breeding container together with the pressure protection housings 25 can be flooded with water or a strong jet of air, for example, so that the pressure protection housings 25 located material and the larvae are flushed and discharged through the discharge opening 22.

FIG. 6 shows a further possible embodiment of a breeding system 60 according to the invention. In order to achieve better areal distribution of the filling material, a distributor device 70 can be equipped with, for example, fanned guide rails 71 over which the filling material slides into the container.

The interior of the breeding container is preferably equipped with a ventilation device. The aeration device serves to supply fresh air or oxygen and improves the escape of the CO2 and/or CH4 excreted by the larvae from the filling material.

The aeration device comprises one or more aeration lines 75, for example pipes, which are equipped with a large number of injection openings (not shown) and/or nozzles for aerating the interior of the breeding container with air or oxygen. The aeration device may comprise tubes and/or plates with small holes through which air or oxygen is pumped into the container.

Fresh air or oxygen is preferably supplied by means of a blower 66 which pumps air or oxygen into the ventilation line 75 . The supply of air or oxygen improves the aeration of the filling material, which, depending on the species of insect, promotes the development of the larvae. A further advantage of ventilation through the ventilation lines 75 is that heat is dissipated by the air supply into the container and thus overheating of the interior of the breeding container 2 caused by the metabolic activity of the insects can be avoided. The air introduced into the filling material causes evaporative cooling of the material.

The pressure of the air supply is preferably less than 2.5 bar in order to achieve the evaporative cooling as energy-efficiently as possible. Air or oxygen can be supplied under the pressure protection elements 26 or from the bottom side of the container 2, or from a lower area of the container, so that the air flows through the cultivation container from bottom to top. By supplying the compressed air from below or from below the pressure protection elements, accumulations of moisture and/or anaerobic zones can be reduced or completely avoided.

For the cultivation of some types of insect larvae, for example soldier fly larvae, it is advantageous if the air is blown in from the lower region of the container. A suitable arrangement of aeration lines 75 in the lower area of the breeding container is shown in FIG.

In order to enable a large-scale ventilation, it is advantageous if the ventilation line 75 runs through a lower area of the breeding container 2 covering the entire area. It is particularly favorable if the ventilation line runs through the lower area in a large number of turns. Alternatively or additionally, the aeration line can have a large number of branches, which also contribute to improved aeration of the filling compound.

For the cultivation of larvae that prefer a relatively dry, well-aerated substrate, such as mealworms or the larvae of the glossy black grain mold beetle, it is advantageous if the aeration takes place directly below the individual pressure protection elements.

For this purpose, it is advantageous if at least one ventilation aperture of the ventilation device is arranged below a pressure protection element 24, 26 in such a way that the supplied air flows through the area directly below the pressure protection element.

In one embodiment, the air is blown in directly below the pressure protection elements 26 by means of the ventilation lines 75 . Gable-shaped structures, which are formed, for example, by a corresponding arrangement of two sloping pressure protection elements 26 or of gable-shaped pressure protection elements, are particularly well suited for this purpose. In this embodiment, the air from a first End of the gabled structure are blown, so that the air flows through the area below the gable and can escape at the opposite end of the gabled structure.

As shown in Figures 7A, 7B and 9, a portion of the ventilation duct 75 may be located outside the bottom of the breeding tank and a portion of the ventilation duct 75, such as pipe arms, may pass through the bottom of the breeding tank. In this case, only the sections of the ventilation line 75 that are located in the interior are equipped with openings or with nozzles for blowing air into the interior.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, several line arms penetrate through the wall of the funnel-shaped lower area into the interior of the breeding container. For this purpose, several apertures are provided in the breeding container, through which the line arms protrude to ventilate the interior.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A to 8B, the breeding container 2 has one or more heat-conducting tubes 65 running through it. The heat-conducting tubes 65 run through the breeding container 2 preferably at regular intervals. For example, the aeration tubes 65 are arranged in the breeding container 2 in a serpentine manner.

The optional thermally conductive tubes are used to regulate the temperature of the interior of the breeding tank. Adjustable temperature control, which can include both heating and cooling, is used to promote consistent temperature conditions in the grow tank. In order to achieve this, the heat-conducting tubes 65 are preferably arranged at regular intervals.

In the possible embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the filling material is discharged through a plurality of discharge openings 22 onto a discharge conveyor belt 56 or a series of discharge conveyor belts. The speed of the conveyor belt can help regulate the flow of infill material. At least one conveyor belt is arranged in such a way that, when it is in the idle state, it causes material to back up through the discharge opening 22 . Becomes When the conveyor belt moves, the dispensed material on the belt is carried away, allowing new material to flow out of the discharge opening. A higher running speed of the conveyor belt consequently causes a higher throughput speed of the filling material through the breeding container.

In one embodiment, the discharged mass, including larvae and filling material, is continuously returned to the breeding tank. This continuous feeding is effected by means of a feeding device 6 . This dynamic-continuous cultivation system has the advantage that substrate can be transported to a suitable irrigation device 73 located outside the cultivation container, where it is supplied with water.

[00130] Furthermore, the continuous supply of the dispensed material has the effect that the filling compound flows continuously over or through the pressure protection elements 26 and is loosened, so that a compaction of the filling compound is avoided. This is particularly important if the larvae are reared over a longer period of time.

In addition, a continuous replenishment with discharged material that is moistened outside of the culture container causes the moistened filling material to be distributed more homogeneously and more quickly in the culture container.

The transport-related continuous shifting and loosening of the material also enables more even ventilation or drying of the material in the breeding container and prevents moisture accumulation, which can lead to mold growth.

In addition, the continuous replenishment improves the mixing of the substrate and the larvae and thereby contributes to uniform breeding conditions in the breeding container.

When the larvae have reached the desired mass, the continuous feed is discontinued and the animals are harvested. The breeding tank can then be refilled with young animals and fresh filling material. The feeding device 6 shown in FIG. 6 is a bucket conveyor in which the placement material is conveyed in a series of containers 61 to the upper input opening of the breeding container. However, the feeding device is not limited to the bucket conveyor shown here. Other types of feeders are known and also suitable.

[00136] The feeding device is designed in such a way that the discharged material is filled back into the input opening of the breeding container.

In a preferred embodiment, the placement material is fed to the input opening via staggered serial conveyor belts 72 . The serial conveyor belts are used to loosen up the placement material.

Furthermore, the conveyor belts also allow the placement material to be supplied with water, preferably sprinkled, by means of a suitable watering device 73 . Spraying of the material located on the conveyor belts is indicated in FIG. 6 by spray cones 74 .

The watering of the filling material on one or more conveyor belts 72 before filling causes the filling material to be moistened more evenly, which in turn contributes to improved growth conditions for the insects.

The arrangement of the pressure protection elements 26 in the breeding container 2 is illustrated in FIG. 7A using the cross section through the length of the breeding container and using the cross section through the width of the breeding container in FIG. 7B.

A breeding container 2 of this type preferably has an internal volume of 0.1m ³ and 350m ³ . However, the internal volume can also be larger. A volume of less than 0.1m ³ is unsuitable for breeding insect larvae.

The breeding tank 2 can be the only breeding tank in a breeding system. This embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 as an example. However, it is also possible for a breeding system to comprise a plurality of breeding containers 60 arranged in series. This is particularly advantageous for industrial mass cultivation. In this way, cultivated larvae from several breeding containers can be output onto a common conveyor belt. This is particularly beneficial for improving harvesting efficiency.

In FIG. 7A, pressure protection elements 6 which are arranged in a sloping manner and which are fastened to a support structure 67 can be seen. The pressure protection elements 26 are evenly distributed over the interior of the breeding tank 2 . The filling material can slide over the sloping surfaces of the pressure protection elements 26, as a result of which the part of the protective material located below the sloping surfaces is reduced. Accordingly, a pressure protection zone is formed here.

The carrier structures 67 are attached to heat-conducting tubes 65 passing through the container. Thermally conductive pipes can be used to heat or cool the breeding tank. The serpentine arrangement of the heat-conducting tubes 65 can be seen in FIG. 7A.

However, it is also possible to provide a carrier structure without heat-conducting tubes.

Figures 8A and 8B show the arrangement of pressure protection elements 26, support structures 67 and a heat-conducting tube 65 shown in Figures 7A and 7B.

[00148] The pressure protection elements 26 have a large number of openings which allow a limited flow of filling material.

In FIG. 8A, support structures 67 with pressure protection elements 26 are attached to two sides of the serpentine-shaped heat-conducting tube 65.

To illustrate the heat-conducting tube 65, one of the two carrier structures of FIG. 8A was removed in FIG. 8B. The embodiments of the breeding container and the breeding system disclosed in the figures are preferred embodiments of the claimed invention. However, it is evident that various changes and/or modifications to this preferred embodiment are possible and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. These changes also include different combinations of the presented devices with different designs of the breeding container. Such changes and/or modifications are within the spirit of this invention and can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is therefore intended that such alterations and/or modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

patent claims

1. A breeding device (1) for breeding insect larvae, having a breeding container (2) with an upper input opening (21) for filling the breeding container with filling material and with an output opening (22) located in the lower area (B1) of the breeding container, the The input opening (21) and the output opening (22) are arranged in such a way that a filling material flow is created from the input opening to the output opening, and wherein the breeding container has a large number of dimensionally stable and/or dimensionally resistant pressure protection elements (24, 25, 26) which are designed in this way are that at least part of the mass of filling material can be arranged within the pressure protection elements and/or underneath at least a section of the pressure protection elements, so that the pressure exerted by a part of the mass of filling material on a part of the mass of filling material lying below this part is reduced.

2. The growing device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge opening is provided with a regulating device (28), for example an adjustable flap, by means of which the filling material discharge can be regulated and/or stopped.

3. The breeding device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a ventilation device with ventilation apertures, for example ventilation nozzles, ventilation openings, and/or openings of ventilation hoses, for ventilation of filling material in the breeding container.

4. The breeding device according to claim 3, wherein the aeration device is arranged in such a way that the aeration apertures are either arranged exclusively in a lower area of the breeding container in order to aerate the mass of filling material from below, or that in each case at least one ventilation aperture is arranged below a pressure protection element (24, 26) in such a way that the supplied air flows through the area lying directly below the pressure protection element.

5. The breeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressure protection elements are distributed over the entire interior of the breeding container.

6. The cultivation device according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pressure protection elements (24, 26) are mounted in the cultivation container (2), for example by means of a support structure (27, 67) arranged in the interior of the cultivation container.

7. The breeding device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pressure protection elements mounted in the breeding container are roof-shaped diverting structures, for example oblique, gabled, conical roof-shaped or arched elements, the shape of which causes the filling material located above the pressure protection element to drain along the surface of the pressure protection element.

8. The breeding device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pressure protection elements are fillable with filling material pressure protection housing that can be filled into the breeding container and discharged through the output opening of the breeding container.

9. The growing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein pressure protection elements or pressure protection housings have a plurality of openings which allow a limited ingress and egress, or a limited flow of filling material.

The breeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lower region B1 of the breeding container is preferably formed as one or more funnels, each funnel opening into a discharge opening 22.

11. The breeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the breeding container further comprises a conveying device (3) with a housing (35), the conveying device being oriented to move filling material and/or pressure protection housing out of the lower region B1 of the breeding container in the direction the input opening (21), and wherein the output opening (22) of the breeding container is arranged on the housing of the conveying device in such a way that the filling material and/or the pressure protection housing (25) can penetrate from the lower area B1 into the interior of the housing.

A system (50, 60) for rearing insect larvae comprising a breeding tank (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a separating device (53) for separating insect larvae and other output materials based on their size, or a feeding device ( 6) for feeding at least part of the material discharged from the discharge opening (22), both a separating device (53) and a feeding device (6).

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a conveyor (56) disposed outside of the culture tank for conveying material discharged from the culture tank to the separator (53).

14. A method for cultivating insect larvae in a breeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or in a system according to any one of claims 12 or 13, comprising a breeding container with pressure protection elements (24, 25, 26) which are designed to reducing compression pressure on part of the mass of filling material located under the pressure protection element or under a section of the pressure protection element, comprising the following steps: a. Filling or topping up the breeding container with filling material, which comprises substrate for the breeding animals, as well as insect eggs and/or breeding animals, through the upper input opening (21), b. incubating the fill material in the breeding tank, c. allowing a controlled flow of filler material through the culture tank by regulating the discharge of filler material through the discharge opening (22), d. dispensing the filling material through the dispensing opening (22).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step b of incubation and step c of controlled flow are performed simultaneously.

16. The method of claims 14 or 15, wherein at least a portion of the dispensed material is returned to the culture tank.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the feeding of at least a portion of the dispensed material into the culture tank is continuous.

18. The method according to claims 14 to 17, wherein the flow rate and the flow mode, i.e. temporary or continuous flow, of the filling material through the breeding container is adjusted according to the insect species being cultured.

19. The method according to claims 14 to 18, wherein the flow is caused solely by the gravitational force acting on the filling material.

20. The method according to claims 14 to 19, wherein the substrate material fitted with insect eggs and/or breeding animals is placed in pressure protection housings and is filled into the breeding container together with the pressure protection housings.

21. The method of claims 14 to 20, further comprising an additional step d, subsequent to step c, of separating, for example by sieving, the larvae of a predetermined size grown in the bulking material from the remaining harvested bulking material.