Next level low-emission floor system

Current emission-reducing floor systems provide for rapid drainage of urine and sealing of the floor, which reduces emissions from the manure pit. The lowest emission factor for ammonia achieved with this is 6 kg NH3 per animal place per year.
In this project, the inventors and makers of a new type of floor aim for an ammonia emission of 3 kg NH3 per animal place per year, without gas formation in the basement and with separate manure flows for further valorisation.

Since ammonia is formed when urine comes into contact with a soiled surface, it is obvious to ensure separate collection of manure and urine and separate and closed storage. Most of the current stables are equipped with slatted floors, so that manure and urine end up together in a manure cellar. Research shows that the ammonia emission from a barn with a slatted floor is on average 13.9 kg NH3 per animal place per year. In addition, in current practice there are systems that go further. They provide for sealing the floor with concrete grid elements, sometimes equipped with additional, emission-inhibiting facilities such as rubber flaps and valves, which further restrict air exchange with the basement. The lowest definitive emission factor on the Rav list is 6 kg NH3 per animal place per year (system BWL 2015.05.V2, May 2021). A good result, but the inventors and makers of the new ecoplast floor believe that ammonia emissions can be lower without compromising the walkability for cows. This must be achieved with a gas- and liquid-tight floor with a slope, which is laid over an existing slatted floor.

The floor has a non-slip top layer that should provide cows with sufficient grip. The floor is kept clean with an adapted manure robot, after suction of the manure, the floor is mopped clean with water. The urine has already been collected in a manure gutter that is actively emptied with water and air. The different streams can be processed outside the house. Various parts of the floor and the robot have already been tested separately and in combination on Dairy Campus and on a practical farm.

The aim

What do we measure?

Measurements have a case-control design in which the results of the department with the new floor system are compared with those of a reference department. The measured parameters relate to the environment, animal behavior and animal welfare.

The emissions of ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide are continuously measured in both departments. After the start-up period, four scenarios will be tested that differ in the amount of water used and the cleaning frequency of the floor.

Inventors and maker are Ecoseals, Ecoplast and HW Reinigingstechniek.

[1] Tracklab is a new 'local positioning system' for dairy cattle that has been installed in the Dairy Campus departments and with which various animal behaviors can be registered