Agri Incineration Systems has an animal waste management solution that fits your specific needs.

by Andrew Joseph, Editor

Agri Incineration Systems Ltd.’s senior personnel come with over 40 years of experience in animal waste incinerator design, manufacturing, engineering, sales, and customer support. This experience has enabled the company to develop 23 different systems for specific customer needs.

Benchmark Magazine had the opportunity to speak with Graham Crown, the Business Development Director of Agri Incineration Systems, a company headquartered in Worcestershire, UK, but with a global network of distributors and customers.

While he acknowledged that many swine businesses already have incinerators, use a third-party disposal service, or even choose to rely on so-called greener options, Crown stated that his company’s concrete, monolithic casting system - one piece of concrete - ensures maximum strength, reliability, and a longer machine life.

Oh, and it’s better for the environment and provides the farm business with biosecurity.

“Although we offer 23 individual incinerator types,” Crown said, “many have been designed to dispose of specific animal species to ensure maximum throughput with minimum fuel usage.”

A Model For Your Needs

The models Cyclone 033, Cyclone 055, Cyclone 064, and Cyclone 132 are the smallest incinerators for swine made by the company, capable of incinerating one or two pigs at a time.

For larger volume sites and/or emergency disease outbreaks such as H1N1, Crown stated that the Cyclone 1250, Cyclone 1870, Cyclone 2650, and Cyclone 3860 are ideal. “The largest machine, the 3860, is capable of handling seven or eight sows at a time."

The Cyclone 055 is one of the company’s smaller incinerators, best for disposing of up to two pigs in one cycle. Photo by Agri Incineration Systems Ltd.

Crown pointed out that although the machines noted above have been designed for pig operators such as growers, finishers, and sows with a front-access loading chamber that allows for machine loading via skid loaders and tractor buckets, a machine like the Cyclone 055 can also handle other animal by-products, such as poultry, ewes, and lambs, and can be used by game farms, estates, butchers, and farm shops.

As Crown said, “The Cyclone 055 is ideal for those looking for a quick, effective, and biosecure animal-by-product incineration solution.”

We’re sure that everyone reading these words is aware that managing swine waste is a crucial aspect of this industry. Swine waste consists of waste by-products as well as swine carcasses. Improper disposal can lead to environmental contamination, odor issues, and the spread of diseases.

“Third-party companies charged with picking up animal carcasses have to travel from farm to farm on a single-day run,” pointed out Crown.

“That truck is carrying dead, possibly diseased animals from one farm to another as it does its pickups. How is that for biosecurity?”

Although Crown acknowledged that there are many different methods used by pig farms to manage and divest animal waste effectively - composting, anaerobic digestion, lagoons, fertilizer application, and solid waste recycling - there can be issues with rodents getting hold of the waste, themselves being eaten by birds or other animals up the food chain, and then possible diseases spreading.

He also noted that many farms say they have an incinerator, but it’s often nothing more than an enclosed barrel with a chimney, or it’s one made of brick and mortar. “Brick and mortar materials expand when heated and contract when cooled, but they do so at different rates,” he said. “This mismatch can create stress at the interface between the two materials, potentially leading to cracking.”

Repeated heating and cooling cycles can end up weakening the structural integrity of the incinerator with cracks. When cracks develop between the brick and mortar, it allows heat to escape, which reduces the efficiency of the incinerator. “Not only will it take more fuel, but it will also not get to a high enough heat to properly reduce all of the animal carcass,” related Crown.

The incinerators manufactured by Agri Incineration Systems use high-quality monolithic concrete to mitigate these issues. And, as a one-piece poured concrete container held in place with stainless steel anchors throughout the chamber, it is seamless, reducing the risk of weak points that could compromise efficiency or safety during high-temperature operations. The monolithic concrete is also highly resistant to heat, allowing the incinerator to maintain consistent high temperatures necessary for the complete combustion of animal carcasses.

He added that people have three fuel options for the incinerators - diesel, propane, or natural gas - and that different countries and regions have differing access or cheaper prices on certain fuels.

Security For Everyone

The swine incinerators are designed to burn swine carcasses, manure, and other organic waste at high enough temperatures to incinerate pathogens and microorganisms, preventing the spread of diseases such as swine fever, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), and foot-and-mouth disease.

The Cyclone 1870 system can handle up to 4,190 lbs of dead swine per cycle, providing efficient and biosecure disposal of animal carcasses and by-products. Photo by Agri Incineration Systems Ltd.

“Our Cyclone incineration machines offer biosecurity, odor control, environmental protection, volume reduction, and even compliance with regulations,” related Crown.

Features of the Cyclone swine incinerators:

• Biosecurity: Incineration effectively eliminates harmful pathogens and microorganisms, preventing the spread of diseases from swine waste to humans, other animals, and the environment;
• Odor Control: Burning swine waste significantly reduces unpleasant odors, improving air quality in and around swine farms;
• Environmental Protection: Incineration minimizes the potential for environmental contamination from swine waste runoff, preventing pollution of water sources and soil;
• Volume Reduction: Incineration significantly reduces the volume of swine waste, minimizing storage requirements and transportation expenses;
• Compliance with Regulations: Incineration adheres to stringent environmental regulations for swine waste disposal, ensuring compliance with local, national, and international standards.

There are also mobile versions that can be mounted on trailers or vehicles, allowing them to move to temporary or remote locations.

“We work with customers to determine the best machine fit for their incinerator needs,” said Crown, because there are many factors that come into play.”

For example, swine businesses don’t only require an incinerator for swine carcass disposal, as it is capable of incinerating swine waste. “The capacity of the incinerator should match the volume of swine waste generated, and its operation should align with the frequency of swine waste disposal.”

Then there’s the machine’s footprint, which has to fit the available space at the disposal site. When it comes to emissions control requirements, the incinerator should meet local and national emission control standards and must comply with local, national, and international environmental regulations.

Agri Incineration Systems provides professional installation and maintenance of its machines. It also provides maintenance and has parts for all competing machines. “We know that having to wait for parts and having the incinerator down is not conducive to the business’ biosecurity plan,” said Crown.

He summed up: "Our swine incinerators play a critical role in swine waste management, providing a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible solution for the disposal of swine carcasses, manure, and other organic waste. It eliminates harmful pathogens, reduces odors, and minimizes environmental impact, helping to contribute to biosecurity, animal health, and environmental protection, ensuring sustainable swine farming practices.”

For information, visit www.agriincinerators.com.

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