Lely Sphere

Sustainable dairy farming

Lely Sphere is a circular manure-handling system for separating mineral streams and creating value from emissions. The system separates manure and urine and converts nitrogen emissions into valuable fertilisers. You can use these for precision fertilisation. In this way, you improve closing mineral cycles as well as barn climate.

Capturing and converting emissions

Enzymes in the manure convert urea in the urine into ammonia. This vaporises within a few hours. Any ammonia emissions captured and converted into circular nitrogen fertiliser do not need to be compensated for with purchased fertilisers. Based on Dutch test results, the final emission factor for Lely Sphere is an average of 3 kg of ammonia per animal place per year, representing an average reduction of 77% in ammonia emissions in the barn, compared to a barn with a traditional slatted floor, where the figure is an average of 13 kg of ammonia per animal place per year.

How the system works

The Lely Sphere system separates three mineral streams. The urine, containing potassium, the faeces, containing organic nitrogen and phosphate, and fertiliser-grade mineral nitrogen in the acidified solution of the filter system. You can use each type of fertiliser to feed the soil and crops optimally, exactly when and where this is needed.

A healthier and safer barn climate

The barn has cleaner and fresher air, because the natural ventilation remains and doors to pastures can stay open. Lely Sphere extracts the manure gases. This makes the air healthier and the barn safer, because no gases accumulate under the floor. In addition, the manure robot provides a hygienic environment by cleaning the entire floor very frequently. This prevents hygiene-related hoof problems and udder health problems.

Lely Sphere separation floor

A floor that separates the urine from the faeces

Separation strips close the existing slatted floors. These stainless steel strips have holes through which urine and air can flow into the pit. The faeces remain on the floor. This is the first gain for the ammonia emissions reduction, because the urea degradation process starts immediately after the cow urinates.

Lely Discovery 120 Collector

A revolutionary manure robot for closed floors

The Discovery Collector is specifically designed for barns with solid floors. It has a revolutionary and diverse approach compared to traditional manure scrapers. The Collector does not push manure, but vacuums it. This makes the build-up of manure – in which cows stand – a thing of the past.

Lely Sphere N-Capture

A unit that captures ammonia from the barn and manure pit

The N-Capture creates pressure in the manure pit by extracting the air and manure gases that accumulate under and above the floor. Before the air exits, it passes through a filter in the N-Capture. This filter captures nitrogen from the air with an acidified solution.

Acids for Lely Sphere

Capture nitrogen with sulphuric or nitric acid

The N-Capture works with sulphuric acid or nitric acid. Both are effective; the difference is in the fertilisation value. These acids are supplied in safe, double-walled Variboxes. The system has an automatic empty signal. This ensures that the supplier installs a new Varibox in time.

Fertiliser silo for Lely Sphere

Use circular nitrogen fertilisers to feed your crops according to their needs

When the acidified solution is saturated, the ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate is stored in the fertiliser silo. You can use the circular fertiliser much more precisely for the nutrition of crops. In addition, the circular fertilisers create far fewer emissions compared to spreading slurry.