USE OF A CYCLONE SEPARATOR AND CLIMATE CHAMBER FOR HATCHING EGGS AND/OR KEEPING POULTRY

• US 20110000437A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HatchTech Group B.V.
• Original Assignee: HatchTech Group B.V.
• Inventors: Meter, Tjitze
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/311
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0047 Air-conditioning, e.g. ventilation, of animal housings
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 41/00 Incubators for poultry
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 2009/005 with external rotors, e.g. impeller, ventilator, fan, blower, pump
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 9/00 Combinations with other devices, e.g. fans, expansion chambers, diffusors, water lockswith filters B01D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/06 by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a cyclone separator for separating keratin particles originating from poultry out of a gas, in particular air. The separated particles comprise down particles. The invention furthermore relates to a climate chamber for hatching eggs and/or keeping poultry. Said climate chamber comprises a substantially closed compartment having two opposite side walls provided with one or more passages; as well as a substantially closed duct which extends outside the compartment and connects one of said side walls to the other of said side walls so as to form a substantially closed circuit together with the compartment. Said climate chamber furthermore comprises a cyclone separator, the inlet of which ends in the substantially closed duct and the outlet of which ends outside the closed duct for discharging into the environment.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for separating particles from a gas, comprising introducing gas originating from poultry to a cyclone separator.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the gas comprises air.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the poultry is present in a hatchery and comprises chicks younger than 7 days, younger than 3 days, or 1 day or younger.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the particles comprise down particles.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the down particles have a size of ≦

0.1 mm, ≦

0.05 mm, or ≦

0.01 mm.

27. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the particles comprise down particles having a size in the range of 0.01 to 0.10 mm.

28. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the poultry and at least an inlet and outlet of the cyclone separator are situated in the same chamber.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, in which the entire cyclone separator is situated in said chamber.

30. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the gas is discharged from a climate chamber.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the climate chamber comprises a hatching machine.

32. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the climate chamber comprises:

a substantially closed compartment having two opposite side walls provided with one or more passages;

a substantially closed duct which extends outside the compartment and connects one of said side walls to the other of said side walls so as to form a substantially closed circuit together with the compartment;

wherein

gas is circulated through the circuit;

a supply ends in the substantially closed duct so as to supply air from the environment;

the inlet of the cyclone separator ends in the substantially closed duct; and

the outlet of the cyclone separator ends outside the closed duct for discharging into the environment.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein at least one of the opposite side walls is a perforated plate provided with a fluid line, through which a fluid is passed, wherein said side wall forms a heat exchanger by whereby the temperature of the gas passing through said side wall can be influenced.

34. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the compartment is subdivided into two or more subcompartments by at least one partition, with the partition running parallel to the two opposite side walls, wherein the partition is a perforated plate provided with a fluid line, through which a fluid is passed, in such a manner that said side wall forms a heat exchanger whereby the temperature of the gas passing through said side wall can be influenced.

35. A climate chamber for hatching eggs and/or keeping poultry, comprising:

a substantially closed compartment having two opposite side walls provided with one or more passages;

a substantially closed duct which extends outside the compartment and connects one of said side walls to the other of said side walls so as to form a substantially closed circuit together with the compartment;

a gas displacement device incorporated in the substantially closed duct for circulating a gas stream through the circuit;

a cyclone separator with an inlet and at least one outlet;

wherein

a supply ends in the substantially closed duct for supplying air from the environment;

the inlet of the cyclone separator ends in the substantially closed duct; and

the at least one outlet of the cyclone separator ends outside the closed duct for discharging into the environment and/or into the substantially closed duct.

36. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, wherein the at least one outlet comprises

a first outlet which ends outside the closed duct for discharging into the environment, and

a second outlet which ends in the substantially closed duct.

37. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 36, wherein the first outlet is provided with a discharge valve whereby the passage of the outlet can be adjusted.

38. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, wherein the cyclone separator comprises a gas displacement device disposed between the cyclone chamber and the at least one outlet.

39. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 38, wherein the gas displacement device is a fan.

40. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, in which at least one of the opposite side walls is a perforated plate provided with a fluid line, through which a fluid is passed, in such a manner that said side wall forms a heat exchanger whereby the temperature of the gas stream passing through said side wall can be influenced.

41. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, in which the compartment is subdivided into two or more subcompartments by at least one partition, with the partition running parallel to the two opposite side walls, and the partition being is a perforated plate provided with a fluid line, through which a fluid is passed, in such a manner that said side wall forms a heat exchanger whereby the temperature of the gas stream passing through said side wall can be influenced.

42. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, wherein at least a part of one of the side walls is pivotable about a pivot axis whereby said part can be pivoted open from a boundary surface of said compartment defined by the side wall into an open position thereby giving access to the duct;

and

wherein the cyclone separator is arranged in the duct near said pivotable side wall whereby the cyclone separator is accessible from the compartment when said side wall is in an open position.

43. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 42, wherein the pivot axis runs vertically along one side of said pivotable side wall.

44. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 43, wherein the pivotable side wall is entirely inside the compartment in the open position;

wherein the compartment, on the side of the side wall turned away from the pivot axis, comprises a door for access to the compartment.

45. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 35, wherein the cyclone separator comprises:

a vertically arranged outer pipe having an inflow passage for allowing gas into said outer pipe;

a vertical inner pipe inserted from above into the outer pipe for allowing gas to stream from the inner pipe outward;

wherein

the bottom end of the inner pipe is lower than the inflow passage; and

the diameter of the outer pipe, at the location of the inner pipe is at most 35 cm.

46. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 45, wherein the diameter of the outer pipe is at most 30 cm.

47. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 45, wherein the diameter of the inner pipe is at most 17.5 cm.

48. The climate chamber as claimed in claim 47, wherein the diameter of the inner pipe is approximately 15 cm.

49. An assembly of two climate chambers as claimed in claim 35, wherein each climate chamber comprises a rear wall which connects the side wall of each compartment to one another;

and in which the rear walls of said two climate chambers are placed against one another back-to-back.