Litter conditioner with microwave technology and method of using the same

An at least semi-autonomous litter conditioning vehicle, the litter conditioning vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• a collection system coupled to a front portion of the chassis, the collection system configured to collect litter from a floor of an animal enclosure as the litter conditioning vehicle moves along the floor, the collection system including a flailer configured to reduce a particle size of the litter to a first average particle size;
• a conditioning system coupled along a length of the chassis, the conditioning system including an infeed mechanism, a drum, and a conditioning element, the infeed mechanism configured to (i) receive the litter having the first average particle size, (ii) reduce a particle size of the litter from the first average particle size to a second average particle size, and (iii) provide at least a portion of the litter having the second average particle size into an inner volume of the drum, the drum configured to rotate to tumble the litter disposed in the inner volume, the conditioning element including a microwave generator configured to transfer energy operable to condition the litter as the litter is tumbled in the drum;
• and
• a dispersement system coupled to a back portion of the chassis, the dispersement system configured to receive conditioned litter from the conditioning system and to disperse the conditioned litter on the floor behind the litter conditioning vehicle.

A method of using an at least semi-autonomous litter conditioning vehicle, the method comprising:

• collecting litter from a floor of an animal enclosure as the litter conditioning vehicle moves along the floor;
• reducing an average particle size of the collected litter;
• providing the litter into an inner volume of a drum included in a conditioning system of the litter conditioning vehicle;
• rotating the drum to tumble the litter disposed in an inner volume of the drum;
• transferring microwave radiation from a microwave generator into the inner volume of the drum to condition the litter as the litter is tumbled in the inner volume of the drum;
• and
• providing conditioned litter, after a predetermined dwell time in the drum, to a dispersement system, the dispersement system configured to disperse the conditioned litter on a portion of the floor substantially behind the litter conditioning vehicle.