The domestic Alvand Knowledge-Based Company has produced a queen bee artificial insemination machine to control the fertility of bees and improve honey quality.
“In addition to the possibility of sperm collection and insemination at high speed, the device has a low risk of pollution,” Ali Ataeian, a member of the board of directors of Alvand Company said.
He noted that the device, which is cheaper than foreign models, can have positive effects on many natural products, according to the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
Artificial insemination is a tool for breeding and makes it possible to create new confluences for research purposes.
Mating behavior in bees is very random and difficult to control. The queen bee mates with a large number of male bees.
Research has shown that the performance of a properly inseminated queen is by no means less than that of a natural mating queen, but the artificial insemination’s average success rate is 95% higher than that of a natural mating pair.
At the start of an insemination training course, the device is introduced to trainees as well as established operators because of its ease and accuracy. It offers precise control at low/high speed.
“In addition to improving the production of good quality honey, this machine also regulates pollination and has positive effects on livestock as well as fruits and plants,” he added.
Ataeian said the machine is cheaper by 1 billion rials compared to foreign counterparts and the company is eager to export it.
A total of 75,000 beekeepers use this artificial insemination machine in Iran, which has created many jobs, both directly and indirectly.
Advanced Domestic Compressor
A domestic knowledge-based company has also successfully developed a high-speed, high-pressure centrifugal compressor, which has many advantages compared to older models.
“The equipment is used in the oil and gas industry to compress condensates and gas, as the substance is compressed and sent to the combustion chamber,” Alireza Nasseri, a member of the board of directors of Kavosh Sanat Toos Company, said.
As a great deal of mechanical energy is expended, the temperature of the compressed gas also rises. High-pressure gas from the compressors is then passed through a cooling system to lower temperature, the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
One of the features of a centrifugal compressor is its radial thrust flow. The air enters the center of the rotating impeller using radial vanes and is expelled by centrifugal forces to the rotating impeller. Before air is pushed to the center of the next rotating impeller, it passes through a diffuser and a coil chamber, in which the kinetic energy is converted to static pressure.
The official noted that by achieving capacities as high as 35,000 kW, temporary loads applied to the cycle show higher efficiency and uniform gas movement reduces noise and vibration, which are among the advantages of this device.
High-speed centrifugal compressors are also ideal for industries that require a constant application of high-volume pressure.
“This compressor is lighter and has a more compact structure compared to other counterparts. It is more energy efficient and has low maintenance cost because of using fewer parts,” Nasseri said, while stressing that the machine supplies 100% oil-free air and exhibits high resistance to dust.
The new compressor is able to work with a wide range of compressible fluids such as helium, xenon, oxygen and liquid nitrogen.
“Supporting knowledge-based companies can clearly play a significant role in saving foreign currency and generating employment. The production of high-speed, high-pressure centrifugal compressors has prevented unnecessary imports," he said.
Nasseri noted that promoting knowledge-based products and creating jobs are some of the most important achievements of this enterprise.
Following the financial support and consultancy offered by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, many domestic startups and knowledge-based companies have become active in a wide range of fields.
