Method for the Preservation and Transportation of Products Including Live Aquatic Species

Abstract

A moveable vehicle such as a truck, railway carriage, or the like is structured and dimensioned to enable the transportation of products including live aquatic species, such as fish in a refrigerated condition. The vehicle includes insulating and heat exchange layers which, when utilized to transport live aquatic species, may maintain them in a dormant state by temperature controls within the refrigeration system. A water spraying assembly provides a humidity and oxygen level for disposing of waste and also enables the spraying of fog to provide effective humidity between spraying cycles. Any existing animal waste is treated in the water and a recirculation or closed loop system is provided. A product storage area facilitates loading and unloading and a separate storage room may be provided to house the systems equipment or optionally may be attached to the vehicle. When refrigerated products which do not develop waste are transported, use of at least components of the water and filtration system may be selectively discarded as the operator deems appropriate for effective utilization of the system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT / CA08 / 000,269 filed Feb. 11, 2008, which designated the U.S. The disclosures of that application is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a system for transporting products including live aquatic animals. In particular, the invention relates to a micro-environment for live aquatic animals, which can be monitored and controlled locally and remotely. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus, a system and a method which provide the living conditions required to sustain products and live aquatic animals in transportation over long distances. The system of the present invention may be practical and utilized in apparatus in the form of a trailer, railway car or similar vehicle adapted to accommodate the system enclosed herein.[0003]Aquatic animals such as, for example, crustaceans are an important food sourc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]An object of the present invention is, thus, to provide a method and system for transporting live aquatic animals, in particular, seafood, over long distances.

Problems solved by technology

However, there are several disadvantages associated with air-freighted food.

In particular, the cost of packaging, including gel packs to keep the product cool, is expensive, logistics and handling are complex, since the food has to be loaded on a truck, airlifted to the desired destination, and then unloaded onto a truck to be delivered to the purchaser, which results in operating costs that are prohibitively expensive.

In addition, air transport is not, at the present time, environmentally friendly due to the amount of packaging used and the amount of fuel necessary to transport relatively low volumes of food.

The transportation of aquatic animals over long distances posses a significant challenge since, when the animals have been contained in the water for a long period of time, the water will be contaminated by their body wastes and oxygen in the water will be decreased.

In many of the above-identified prior art documents the product is immersed in water thereby limiting the payload due to the large volume of water that is required.

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