Patent ID: 6470828
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
An animal waste management system for handling a waste slurry having a plurality of coarse solids contained therein flushed from an animal confinement housing at a flush rate, comprising:separation means for separating the coarse solids from the waste slurry flushed from the animal confinement housing; removal means for removing a volume of the waste slurry produced from the separation means to produce a remaining volume of waste slurry; conditioning means for conditioning the remaining volume of waste slurry from the removal means to maintain air quality in the animal confinement housing; and recycling means for recycling the conditioned waste slurry through the waste management system at a recycle rate, whereby the removed volume of waste slurry has a high concentration of solids; wherein the removal means comprises sedimentation means to segregate the waste slurry produced by the separation means such that the removed volume of waste slurry is more concentrated that the remaining volume of waste slurry; wherein the sedimentation means is a tank having a lower region and an upper region in which the remaining waste slurry is segregated such that the removed volume of waste slurry is allowed to settle toward the bottom region of the sedimentation tank; and further wherein the sedimentation means comprises: a controller having a predetermined control level; and a valve or pump in communication with the controller, the valve or pump being adapted to open when the level of the remaining waste slurry in the tank is equal to or greater than the predetermined control level and to close when the level of the remaining waste slurry in the tank is less than the predetermined control level.