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The wonderful design of the incubator: How to use temperature and humidity to create the perfect cradle of life?
As a device that simulates bird hatching, the incubator not only helps promote the generation of life by maintaining the temperature and humidity of eggs within a specific range, but is also an amazing invention full of technology and science. Since ancient times, humans have been constantly exploring how to improve the success rate of hatching eggs. In this process, the evolution of incubator design reflects our improved understanding and control over life processes.
An incubator is a device used to regulate environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, and rotation, to promote successful hatching of fertilized eggs placed within it.
History
As early as 400 BC, the Egyptians had begun exploring hatching technology. They used a cylindrical building or oven with a flame burning at the bottom and placed the eggs on a device based on an inverted cone shape. With the development of science and technology, the 18th-century French naturalist Réaumur proposed the alcohol-based thermometer, which allowed us to accurately measure heat, which played an important role in the advancement of incubation technology.
As time went on, Lyman Byce created the kerosene lamp incubator in 1879, and Ira M. Petersime from the United States successfully invented the electric incubator in 1922, creating a precedent for industrial incubation. These advances not only led to the development of large-scale commercial hatcheries, but also further promoted the growth of the poultry industry.
Purpose of incubator
Modern incubators are mainly used to simulate the environment of a hen incubating eggs, allowing the embryo to develop normally without the presence of the mother. The incubation time for eggs is about 21 days, while the incubation time for other poultry species varies depending on the species. The atmosphere created by the incubator not only ensures the healthy growth of the embryo, but also avoids external threats and ensures the safety of hatching.
Whether hatching bird or reptile eggs, incubators provide the embryos with critical environmental conditions that allow them to grow healthily.
Incubation method
In industrial production, incubators generally use two main incubation methods: single-stage incubation and multi-stage incubation. In single-stage incubation, the eggs in the incubator are all of the same embryonic age, allowing environmental conditions to be adjusted appropriately to the needs of all embryos. In contrast, multi-stage incubation places eggs of different ages in the same incubator, so a compromise needs to be sought and it cannot be fully adjusted to the needs of each embryo.
During the multi-stage incubation process, the heat generated by the older embryos can be used to help the development of the younger embryos. This design makes full use of the mutual conversion of heat to achieve the effect of coordinated development.
Design style of modern incubator
As technology changes, the designs of modern incubators are becoming more diverse. Most incubators today are electrically heated, and some equipment can also use solar energy, which allows them to operate in areas with unstable power supply. From small egg incubators at home to large industrial incubators that can accommodate 124,416 eggs, there are many different styles of incubators on the market to meet the needs of different users.
The use of modern incubators is no longer limited to commercial purposes. Many schools have also begun to use this technology to allow students to observe the birth process of life inside eggs.
Incubator technology continues to advance, enabling us to better understand the mysteries of life. In the face of global biodiversity and environmental protection challenges, can this technology become the key to future sustainable development?
