Patent Application
20130255585
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for aquaculture; and more particularly, to a multi-chamber aquaculture system configured to rotate the multiple chambers about a cyclical path within a body of water, and methods associated therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming or seafood farming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic plants. An excellent summary of current techniques and benefits of aquaculture can be found on the internet at hup://www.wikepedia.org/wiki/Aquaculture; however, in general, aquaculture involves the controlled growth and harvesting of various aquatic species.
Aquaculture is one of a range of technologies needed to meet increasing global demand for seafood, support commercial and recreational fisheries, and restore species and marine habitat.
Mariculture is a specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean, an enclosed section of the ocean, or in tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater. However, various techniques also provide aquaculture within fresh water for farming fresh-water species.
Current aquaculture techniques are plagued with problems such as: disease and food safety challenges related to an inability to properly clean and maintain the tank, raceway or pond; relatively large costs associated with large floor-space or area required by the large tanks and raceways; relatively inadequate surface area per gallon of water resulting in minimal surface for organisms in the early development stages; shallow raceways tend to be limited with regards to homogeneous oxygen and nutrient development amongst organisms; inability for partial harvesting; non-conducive to farming of multiple species within the same volume of water; and open water farming presents additional problems of predators and introduction and spread of contaminants.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide aquaculture systems and methods adapted to solve these and other problems in the art.
The aquaculture systems described herein generally include a plurality of individual chambers, each being configured for farming one or more aquatic organisms therein, and a continuous linkage mechanism adapted to engage each of the plurality of chambers and being further configured to translate or move the chambers about a cyclical path within a body of water, wherein the chambers are rotated upwardly about a first depth stack, downwardly about a second depth stack, and laterally therebetween. The depth stacks each comprise a plurality of chambers being spaced apart in a predetermined manner, one above another, forming a vertical stack. As the continuous linkage mechanism moves, each of the chambers is respectively moved therewith about the cyclical path.
Because the chambers are configured to translate about the cyclical path, each chamber can be individually positioned at a top end, and optionally removed from the linkage mechanism for harvesting organisms and accessing the chamber for maintenance such as cleaning.
Multiple chambers within the system provide for a diversification of aquatic species that can be farmed within the aquaculture system. Additionally, various species can be grown in overlapping cycles for harvesting organisms in a periodic manner.
Moreover, an amount of light can be controlled by positioning targeted chambers at the top end where light more adequately permeates the water. In this regard, certain organisms requiring more or less light can be accommodated using the aquatic systems herein.
Additionally, certain nutrients and other materials tend to migrate to either the top or bottom portions of the body of water and it may be desirable to position certain chambers containing particular organisms at various depths within the body of water for certain desirable periods of time.
In another aspect, a method for farming aquatic organisms comprises: (i) placing one or more organisms in one or more chambers of a plurality of chambers in accordance with the aquaculture systems described herein; and (ii) translating the one or more chambers about a cyclical path within a body of water.
Other features and advantages will be recognized by those having skill in the art upon a thorough review of the appended detailed description and associated drawings.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, details and descriptions are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain inventive features and embodiments may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these details and descriptions but which yield substantially similar results. The following description of the preferred embodiments are therefore not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention, but rather, should be viewed as enabling those with skill in the art to make and use the invention in accordance with a plurality of practicable embodiments, including those described herein and those that would be obvious to those having skill in the art upon a review of this disclosure.
In a general embodiment, an aquaculture system comprises a plurality of chambers each coupled to a continuous linkage mechanism. Each of the chambers and the continuous linkage mechanism can be practiced in accordance with a myriad of embodiments, however, in general the system is adapted to translate or move each of the chambers coupled to the continuous linkage mechanism about a cyclical path within a body of water. The continuous linkage mechanism and chambers coupled therewith generally include a first vertical stack of chambers being spaced one above another, a second vertical stack of chambers, and one or more chambers positioned laterally between the first and second vertical stacks at a top end and a bottom end thereof.
In this regard, certain embodiments allow for each of the chambers to contain a distinct group of organisms such that a diversity of organisms can be concurrently farmed within the aquaculture system. A diversity of organisms may include a plurality of species, or a number of organisms being matriculated through various growth stages and separated by respective chambers. Operational area or footprint is reduced since vertical space within a body of water is utilized in an efficient manner using the continuous linkage mechanism to route the plurality of chambers through a vertical volume of water. Exposure of the organisms to light and nutrients for additional farming controls can be time-controlled by cycling each of the chambers about portions of the body of water for pre-determined time intervals. Other advantages will be recognized by those having skill in the art.
In certain embodiments, the continuous linkage mechanism may be controlled using one or more motors and a computerized control. Here, a CPU can be used to store a program for controlling the rotation of the chambers within the system by coupling the electronic inputs of the one or more motors with the CPU. Additionally, where one or more light sources are provided, the CPU can be further programmed to control the light sources. Thus, the system can be dynamically controlled to rotate the chambers in accordance with a pre-determined cycle, and may further control exposure of light to the chambers.
Under certain conditions, while the individual chambers may be used to isolate the growth of a particular species, when a plurality of species are grown within the same body of water certain added benefits can be realized. For example, it may be beneficial to farm a species of shrimp within one or more of the plurality of chambers and a species of oysters within one or more other chambers, such that the oysters may be exposed to the waste of the shrimp for naturally filtering the waste and benefiting the growth of the oysters. In this regard, the growth of multiple species within the aquaculture system can provide synergistic benefits amongst each of the species.
Various organisms to be farmed using the aquaculture system may include: fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic plants. Virtually any aquatic species can be farmed using the aquatic systems and methods described herein.
The chamber generally comprises: a bottom portion extending horizontally to define an area of the chamber, one or more walls extending vertically about a periphery of the bottom portion, and a top portion adapted to extend horizontally to abut the one or more walls at a top end thereof. The top portion may include a lid for opening and closing a volume within the chamber. Thus, the bottom portion, one or more vertical walls, and the top portion generally form a containment chamber for housing one or more species of organisms during a farming cycle.
In certain embodiments, it may be beneficial to provide a balancing weight attached to the bottom portion of the chamber, or otherwise design the chamber to comprise more weight at the bottom portion, such that the chamber remains upright throughout a continuous cycle of the rotating path. In other embodiments, the design of the continuous linkage mechanism is such that added weight at the bottom portion is not necessary.
The chamber may further comprise a plurality of apertures disposed about the surface area thereof. The apertures may be very small on the order of one millimeter (1 mm) in diameter, and upwards of several centimeters or larger, depending on the size of the organisms being grown. For example, certain shrimp may require a relatively smaller aperture size whereas salmon might survive better with a relatively large aperture size. The size of apertures may be consistent or may be randomly disposed about the surface area of each chamber. Thus, those having skill in the art will be required to determine an appropriate chamber having the desired aperture size for growing a specific aquatic organism.
In some embodiments, the chambers may comprise screen mesh material such as a metallic or plastic screen mesh, in any design so long as the overall rigidity of the chamber can be maintained.
The chambers can be manufactured from metal, plastics, or wood; however, it is preferable to use chambers manufactured from light-weight aluminum or composite materials such that the weight of each chamber is minimized for convenient use. It may also be beneficial to use materials that do not rust or degrade in moist or harsh environments.
The aquatic system, having several chambers coupled to a continuous linkage mechanism for rotating the chambers about a cyclical path, is generally placed in a body of water. The body of water can be any naturally occurring body of water including oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds and the like, or any man-made body of water including tanks, raceways, pools, and the like. Because the aquatic system utilizes vertical space, a smaller operational area can be used to produce an equivalent amount of harvested organisms when compared to prior art aquaculture systems. Thus, efficiency is greatly improved with the aquaculture systems and methods described herein.
It should be noted that a plurality of aquaculture systems as described herein can be provided within a shared body of water. In this regard, two or more systems can be adjacently positioned along a raceway or within an ocean or other body of water. Thus, the vertical space utilized by each system within the body of water significantly improves the volume of organisms capable of being harvested within an area or footprint when compared to prior art systems.
The continuous linkage mechanism can be built in accordance with many embodiments. Because it would be impossible to list every variation, two preferred embodiments are hereinafter disclosed. Upon a review of this disclosure, those having skill in the art will be enabled to create a myriad of variations which achieve the goal of translating the plurality of chambers along a cyclical path within a body of water, and such variations may be required depending on the targeted species for growth and the circumstances surrounding a particular application.
In a first example, an aquaculture system comprises: a plurality of growing chambers, each of the chambers being coupled to a continuous linkage mechanism. The aquaculture system is deposited into a body of water, such as a tank or other body of water as described above.
Turning to
The aquatic system, in accordance with the embodiment above, is illustrated in
A first opposing linkage mechanism 20a comprises a first vertical conveyor 11 having first belt portion 12 and a plurality of first shelves 13 associated therewith, and a second vertical conveyor 14 having a second belt portion 15 and plurality of second shelves 16 associated therewith. The first and second vertical conveyors 11; 14 are rotationally driven by a pair of shafts 17; 18, respectively, including a top elongated shaft 17 and a bottom elongated shaft 18 disposed at respective top and bottom ends. As the shafts rotate, the belt portion of each vertical conveyor is rotated, thus the associated shelves are adapted to move therewith. Each of the shafts is fixed at either end 19a; 19b to a rigid structure or housing. A bearing or similar device can be implemented for reducing friction and improving rotation of the shafts. The second opposing linkage mechanism 20b is substantially similar to the first opposing linkage mechanism. Each of the shafts is configured with a threaded portion 21a; 21b extending along the shaft body and adapted to translate the chambers laterally from the first vertical stack to the second vertical stack. The threaded portions are configured such that the translation between vertical stacks is timed in sync with the ascending and descending movement of the chambers in order to provide a smooth translation about the cyclical path.
In this regard, a first chamber is adapted to ascend upwardly about the first vertical stack while nested between the opposing continuous linkage mechanisms, and subsequently translate horizontally at a top end from the first stack to the second stack before descending downwardly about the second vertical stack, wherein the first chamber is then returned by a horizontal movement from the second stack to the bottom of the first stack along a bottom end of the system. The vertical conveyors cooperatively function to move the chambers vertically in an upward or downward direction about the respective vertical stacks. The rotating shafts with screw-drive elements function to translate the chambers between the vertical stacks.
Thus, the threaded portion of the chamber and the screw-drive portion of the rotating shafts form a joint whereby the chambers are coupled to the continuous linkage mechanism.
The shafts can be driven by any of: a motor, a combination of motors, or any other rotational motion device known in the art.
In a second example, an aquaculture system comprises: a plurality of growing chambers, each of the chambers being coupled to a continuous linkage mechanism. The continuous linkage mechanism comprises at least one loop-drive system, and may comprise two loop-drive systems. In this embodiment, the loop drive system generally comprises a loop of cable, rope, chain, or other filament-like structure. The loop further comprises a plurality of annular nodes positioned along the circumference of the loop, and a plurality of pins, each pin extending through a respective annular node and chamber to form a joint. Thus, each of the plurality of chambers is coupled to the loop by a pin extending through the linkage mechanism and the respective chamber. The loop is driven across a series of pulleys and/or motors for translating the loop along a cyclical path.
Turning to
In a first variation, a second loop-drive system is disposed on the opposing side of the chambers.
Alternatively, a housing or panel structure 70, as illustrated in
Other examples and embodiments will become apparent to those having skill in the art. A chain, cable, rope, or other driving mechanism can be used to move the chambers through each position of the cyclical path.
Alternatively, a fixed rigid loop structure 90, or wheel, can be attached to the plurality of chambers 200 and driven by a wheel and motor assembly in a manner similar to an amusement park Ferris wheel as illustrated in
In order to introduce and harvest organisms within the chamber, each of the chambers may comprise a lid, such as a hinged lid or a sliding lid or other lid.
Moreover, a tank can be provided with multiple wells as illustrated in
In another aspect, a method for farming one or more species of aquatic organisms using the aquaculture systems described herein is provided.
In an embodiment, the method comprises:
In another embodiment as illustrated in
The method may further comprise:
Moreover, the method may further comprise:
Within these methods for farming aquaculture, the first and second organisms may be harvested concurrently, or alternatively, the first organisms may be harvested during a first period of time and the second organisms may be harvested during a second period that is subsequent to the first period. In this regard, organisms can be grown within the various chambers in a manner for harvesting at regular intervals or periods as desired or necessary.
Moreover, these methods may be performed using two or more aquaculture systems positioned adjacently within the body of water, simultaneously.
Other methods involving the growth of aquatic organisms within a plurality of chambers and rotating the chambers about a cyclical path within a body of water such that the depth of the body of water is efficiently utilized and the chambers are cycled from a bottom to a top end of the body of water during farming may be contemplated from this disclosure and are therefore deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Thus, in certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be adapted to mimic or modify the diurnal cycle for providing a mechanism for enhancing the growth and development of farmed species. This can be accomplished by providing a source of light within a tank or chamber or similar environment and controlling the period of exposure of the light and intervals between light and darkness within the immediate environment of the farmed organisms. Alternatively, the chambers can be configured to cycle such that desirable exposure to light and other nutrients becomes achievable.
In certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be utilized to provide enhanced bio security. For example, by providing the system contained within a body water in an indoor environment, exposure to certain contaminants and or pathogens can be controlled. Additionally, exposure to natural predators is similarly controlled. Moreover, in open bodies of water, by providing chambers which isolate the farmed species, the systems described herein provide added controls against natural predators and other environmental factors.
This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/607,695, filed Mar. 7, 2012; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61607695 | Mar 2012 | US |
