Unlocking the Power of Advanced Sensor Technology: Calyx’s Breakthrough in Ammonia Monitoring for Poultry Farms
By Benson Fan, co-founder and CTO at Calyx
Ammonia (NH3) levels significantly impact the health and welfare of poultry. Excessive concentrations of ammonia can lead to respiratory issues, reduced growth rates, inefficient feed conversion, and increased vulnerability to diseases. Thus, maintaining optimal ammonia levels in poultry houses is paramount for maximizing bird performance and well-being.
Despite the importance of ammonia monitoring, widespread adoption has been hindered by technological limitations. The prevailing industry approach relies on consumable-based electrochemical sensors, necessitating frequent replacements to ensure accuracy in the presence of constant ammonia levels in poultry houses. Instrument-based alternatives, such as those utilizing Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) technology, offer precision but come with high costs and vulnerability to extreme conditions found in animal farms.
Enter Calyx, a revolutionary sensor technology that addresses these challenges head-on. Unlike traditional electrochemical sensors, Calyx sensors are non-consumable and utilize physisorption, enabling reversible and real-time ammonia detection. These sensors boast unmatched durability, with a lifespan 5–10 times longer than their electrochemical counterparts, ensuring years of reliable operation in the field with minimal drift and no need for manual calibrations. Moreover, Calyx develops integrated products, in the form of Y-Series, that seamlessly support a wide range of existing systems and equipment through flexible interface options (Figure 1). This opens up new possibilities for enhanced monitoring and management for growers in the industry.
To evaluate the performance of different ammonia sensors, a comprehensive field test was conducted in a commercial poultry farm in northern Europe. The test involved placing Calyx’s cutting-edge ammonia sensor alongside a regular electrochemical sensor and a renowned brand ammonia sensor specifically designed for animal farming scenarios. The sensors were installed in September 2022 and continuously monitored through two flock cycles until May 2023.
Initially, the ammonia readings from all three sensors exhibited similar values, albeit with some systematic differences. However, after a month, the standard electrochemical sensor displayed a noticeable downward drift and signs of decay in its ammonia readings, which persisted throughout the monitoring period. In contrast, the renowned brand sensor consistently maintained comparable readings to the Calyx sensor throughout the entire first flock cycle.
In the second cycle, the renowned brand sensor started out slightly higher in ammonia levels than the Calyx sensor, just like the first cycle, but gradually decreased over the course of several months. By mid-March 2023, its readings approached and even slightly dipped below those of the Calyx sensor. Importantly, the renowned brand sensor, being electrochemical like the regular electrochemical sensor (albeit larger in size to accommodate more consumables), likely experienced a slower drift in its readings as well, in addition to other anomalies such as sudden 0ppm reading. In addition, the Calyx sensor is relying only on battery power throughout the entire multi-cycle (~1 year) and transmitting the data wirelessly to a central cloud, with battery life still able to last in the field for multiple years; whereas the renowned brand sensor must be wired and needs constant power. In short, this field test conducted in a commercial poultry farm highlighted the consistent and reliable performance of Calyx’s sensor compared to other sensors, including a renowned brand sensor in the market.
The exceptional performance of Calyx’s bio-based sensor is a testament to its exclusive and patented technology, developed through over 20 years of dedicated research at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory by a team of brilliant engineers. Furthermore, Calyx products provide flexible interfaces for seamless communication with existing systems, supporting wired transmission (0–10V or 4–20mA) to ventilation controllers and wireless transmission to the cloud API, or both. This empowers industry partners to enhance their product offerings and improve competitiveness by harnessing Calyx’s innovative sensor technology, ushering the entire industry from traditional monitoring approaches to AI-based precision animal farming solutions.
To learn more about Calyx and our sensor technology, visit us at https://calyxtechs.com/, or email us at: info@calyxtechs.com
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Benson Fan is the co-founder and CTO at Calyx, a software and hardware integration company focused on live animal production. Calyx provides proprietary monitoring solutions to transition to an A.I.-based precision farming approach. Our solutions address cost, scalability, and robustness issues in animal agriculture settings. By integrating with cloud APIs, customers can enhance competitiveness and improve production efficiency.
With a strong passion for leading technology development, Benson has served as the Principal Investigator on several federally funded projects, including NSF STTR, EPA SBIR, and NIH SBIR, demonstrating his expertise in securing and managing research initiatives. Benson holds a Master of Engineering in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, earned in 2014. He also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Nanotechnology Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2013, providing a strong foundation in the field. With his extensive experience and knowledge, Benson’s leadership drives technological advancements, enabling Calyx to revolutionize the industry and empower growers worldwide.
