Automatic fry extracting and counting device and method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of aquaculture, and particularly discloses an automatic fry extracting and counting device and method.The automatic fry extracting and counting device comprises a suction system, a water supplementing system and a laser correlation sensor, and the suction system comprises a water inlet pipe, a transparent counting pipe, a temporary storage tank, a pipeline filter, a water outlet pipe, a water suction pump and a water drainage pipe which are sequentially connected; the water supplementing system comprises a submersible pump, a water supplementing electromagnetic valve and a water supplementing pipeline which are sequentially connected. The water outlet end of the water supplementing pipeline is connected with the water inlet pipe. The laser correlation sensor comprises a first transmitting end and a first receiving end which are oppositely arranged on the two sides of the transparent counting tube, the first transmitting end is used for continuously transmitting laser beams to the transparent counting tube, and the first receiving end is used for receiving the laser beams. Through collaborative design of the suction system, the water supplementing system and the laser correlation sensor, the problems that traditional fry treatment is high in labor intensity, high in counting error and prone to damage fish bodies, and existing equipment is insufficient in adaptability are accurately solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aquaculture technology, and specifically relates to an automatic fish fry extraction and counting device and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous improvement of the scale and intensification of my country's aquaculture industry, the demand for counting and packaging of ornamental fish and economic fish (such as goldfish and grass carp) in the live fish sales process is increasing. Especially in the sales stage, how to achieve efficient, accurate, and low-damage fish fry extraction and counting is an important direction for modern aquaculture equipment technology. Currently, most farms still rely mainly on manual netting, visual counting, and manual packaging when selling live fish. This traditional method suffers from high labor intensity, high counting errors, and low efficiency, making it difficult to meet the high-efficiency and standardized management requirements of modern aquaculture.

[0003] However, existing market equipment mainly falls into two categories: one is large-scale fish extractors, primarily used for catching and transporting large-sized adult fish or large quantities of fry in large bodies of water. These machines are complex in structure and have high flow rates, making them unsuitable for the precise extraction of small ornamental fish (2cm-10cm). The other category is small fry counting machines, which typically only have a single counting function and require manual or other equipment assistance for feeding and unloading, making automatic integration with the extraction or packaging processes impossible. Therefore, existing solutions cannot achieve continuous, stable extraction and accurate counting while ensuring the safety of small fish. Frequent manual intervention not only leads to low efficiency but also easily causes fish damage, large counting errors, and high labor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic fish fry extraction and counting device and method.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: an automatic fish fry extraction and counting device, comprising a suction system, a water replenishment system, and a laser beam sensor.

[0006] The suction system includes an inlet pipe, a transparent counting tube, a temporary storage tank, a pipeline filter, an outlet pipe, a water pump, and a drain pipe connected in sequence. The inlet end of the inlet pipe and the outlet end of the drain pipe are both connected to the aquaculture pond. The water pump provides power to pump water carrying fish fry from the aquaculture pond into the temporary storage tank. The fish fry are trapped in the temporary storage tank by the pipeline filter. The water flows from the temporary storage tank through the pipeline filter, the outlet pipe, the water pump, and the drain pipe into the aquaculture pond. A fish unloading valve is installed at the bottom of the temporary storage tank. The fish unloading valve is used to unload fish after it is opened.

[0007] The water replenishment system includes a submersible pump, a water replenishment solenoid valve, and a water replenishment pipeline connected in sequence. The outlet end of the water replenishment pipeline is connected to the inlet pipe. The submersible pump is installed in the aquaculture pond and is used to pump the water in the aquaculture pond into a temporary storage tank before the suction stage. The water replenishment solenoid valve is used to block the water replenishment pipeline during the suction stage.

[0008] The laser beam sensor includes a first transmitter and a first receiver arranged opposite each other on both sides of a transparent counting tube. The first transmitter is used to continuously emit a laser beam into the transparent counting tube, and the first receiver is used to receive the laser beam. When the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube with the water flow, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The first receiver generates a level transition because it cannot receive the laser and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

[0009] Furthermore, the suction system also includes a first one-way valve. The pipeline filter, the first one-way valve, and the outlet pipe are connected in sequence. The first one-way valve is used to prevent water from flowing back into the temporary storage tank from the outlet pipe and then into the collection container through the fish unloading valve during the fish unloading process.

[0010] Furthermore, the water inlet pipe includes a first water inlet pipe and a second water inlet pipe connected in sequence. The first water inlet pipe is a flexible pipe, with its inlet end located inside the aquaculture pond, and its outlet end connected to a transparent counting tube.

[0011] Furthermore, the water replenishment system also includes a second one-way valve. The water replenishment pipeline is connected to the middle section of the second inlet pipe via a tee. The second one-way valve is located on a section of the second inlet pipe near the aquaculture pond to prevent water from flowing back into the aquaculture pond through the inlet pipe when the submersible pump is running.

[0012] Furthermore, the transparent counting tube is made of acrylic material.

[0013] Furthermore, the temporary storage tank is also equipped with a siphon valve, which is used to introduce air into the temporary storage tank to break the negative pressure when the fish unloading valve is opened to unload fish.

[0014] Furthermore, the laser beam sensor also includes a second transmitter and a second receiver positioned directly below the unloading valve. When the fish fry are discharged from the unloading valve, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The second receiver, unable to receive the laser, generates a level transition and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

[0015] An automatic fish fry counting method, which uses the counting device to count fish fry in a rearing pond, includes the following steps: Turn on the submersible pump and the water replenishment solenoid valve, and the water in the breeding pond will enter the inlet pipe, the transparent counting tube and the interior of the temporary storage tank through the water replenishment pipeline.

[0016] After water replenishment is completed, the submersible pump and water replenishment solenoid valve are turned off, and the water pump is turned on. The water carrying the fish fry in the breeding pond flows sequentially through the inlet pipe and the transparent counting tube into the temporary storage tank. The fish fry are trapped in the temporary storage tank by the pipeline filter. The water from the temporary storage tank flows sequentially through the pipeline filter, the outlet pipe, the water pump, and the drain pipe back into the breeding pond. During this process, when the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube with the water flow, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The first receiver cannot receive the laser and generates a level transition, which is transmitted to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions. When enough fish fry have been counted, the water pump is turned off.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: This invention, through the coordinated design of a suction system, a water replenishment system, and a laser beam sensor, precisely solves the pain points of traditional fish fry processing, such as high labor intensity, high counting errors, easy damage to fish, and insufficient adaptability of existing equipment. The suction system, powered by a water pump, constructs a closed loop of "extraction-retention-water circulation." Water is returned to the aquaculture pond for reuse, and the pipeline filter retains the fish fry to the temporary storage tank. Combined with the unloading valve, centralized unloading is completed, replacing manual netting and reducing labor intensity. The water replenishment system pre-fills the storage tank with water before suction, ensuring it is air-free, and then starts the water pump. This effectively solves the problem of poor self-priming capacity of the water pump and the inability to suck up fish if air is trapped in the pipeline, greatly improving the system's stability and start-up speed, thus achieving stable suction of small, easily damaged fish fry. Infrared laser beam counters are used on both sides of the transparent counting tube to achieve real-time counting by detecting the light-blocking pulses when fish fry pass by. This counting method is non-contact, free from mechanical interference, and fish-friendly, without increasing the risk of squeezing or collision. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view of the present invention.

[0019] Among them, 1-suction system, 11-inlet pipe, 111-first inlet pipe, 112-second inlet pipe, 12-transparent counting tube, 13-temporary storage tank, 131-fish unloading valve, 132-siphon valve, 14-pipe filter, 15-outlet pipe, 16-water pump, 17-drain pipe, 18-first check valve, 2-water replenishment system, 21-submersible pump, 22-water replenishment solenoid valve, 23-water replenishment pipeline, 24-second check valve, 3-laser beam sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 3The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0021] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0022] It should be noted that the circuit connections involved in this invention all adopt conventional circuit connection methods and do not involve any innovation.

[0023] Example like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device shown includes a suction system 1, a water replenishment system 2, and a laser beam sensor 3.

[0024] The suction system 1 includes an inlet pipe 11, a transparent counting tube 12, a temporary storage tank 13, a pipeline filter 14, an outlet pipe 15, a water pump 16, and a drain pipe 17 connected in sequence. The inlet end of the inlet pipe 11 and the outlet end of the drain pipe 17 are both connected to the aquaculture pond. The water pump 16 is used to provide power to pump the water carrying the fish fry in the aquaculture pond into the temporary storage tank 13. The fish fry are restricted and retained in the temporary storage tank 13 by the pipeline filter 14. The water is discharged from the temporary storage tank 13 into the aquaculture pond through the pipeline filter 14, the outlet pipe 15, the water pump 16, and the drain pipe 17 in sequence. A fish unloading valve 131 is provided at the bottom of the temporary storage tank 13. The fish unloading valve 131 is used to unload the fish after it is opened.

[0025] The water replenishment system 2 includes a submersible pump 21, a water replenishment solenoid valve 22, and a water replenishment pipeline 23 connected in sequence. The outlet end of the water replenishment pipeline 23 is connected to the inlet pipe 11. The submersible pump 21 is installed in the aquaculture pond and is used to pump the water in the aquaculture pond to the temporary storage tank 13 before the suction stage. The water replenishment solenoid valve 22 is used to block the water replenishment pipeline 23 during the suction stage.

[0026] The laser beam sensor 3 includes a first transmitting end and a first receiving end arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the transparent counting tube 12. The first transmitting end is used to continuously emit a laser beam into the transparent counting tube 12, and the first receiving end is used to receive the laser beam. When the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube 12 with the water flow, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The first receiving end generates a level transition because it cannot receive the laser and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

[0027] Preferably, the suction system 1 further includes a first one-way valve 18, a pipeline filter 14, a first one-way valve 18, and an outlet pipe 15 connected in sequence. The first one-way valve 18 is used to prevent water from flowing back from the outlet pipe 15 into the temporary storage tank 13 and then into the collection container through the fish unloading valve 131 during the fish unloading process.

[0028] Preferably, the water inlet pipe 11 includes a first water inlet pipe 111 and a second water inlet pipe 112 connected in sequence. The first water inlet pipe 111 is a flexible pipe, and the water inlet end of the first water inlet pipe 111 is located in the aquaculture pond. The water outlet end of the second water inlet pipe 112 is connected to the transparent counting tube 12.

[0029] Preferably, the water replenishment system 2 also includes a second one-way valve 24. The water replenishment pipeline 23 is connected to the middle section of the second water inlet pipe 112 via a tee. The second one-way valve 24 is located on the section of the second water inlet pipe 112 near the aquaculture pond to prevent water from flowing back to the aquaculture pond through the water inlet pipe 11 when the submersible pump 21 is running.

[0030] Preferably, the transparent counting tube 12 is made of acrylic material.

[0031] Preferably, the temporary storage tank 13 is also provided with a siphon valve 132, which is used to introduce air into the temporary storage tank 13 to break the negative pressure when the fish unloading valve 131 is opened to unload fish.

[0032] Preferably, the laser beam sensor 3 also includes a second transmitter and a second receiver positioned directly below the fish unloading valve 131. When the fish fry are discharged from the fish unloading valve 131, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The second receiver generates a level transition because it cannot receive the laser and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

[0033] It should be noted that: such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the counting device is mounted on a support frame for easy overall movement and deployment in the aquaculture farm. In this embodiment, the support frame is made of aluminum profiles and is fixed in place using right-angle brackets and threaded connectors to form a frame. At the bottom of each of the six uprights of the support frame, casters are installed, integrating the functions of both "rollers" and "support feet." The temporary storage tank 13 is fixed to the upper platform of the support frame, with a collection container support below it to receive the target number of fish fry and water discharged.

[0034] This embodiment's control system includes a control cabinet, and a touch screen, power module, relay drive circuit, and main control microcontroller fixed inside the control cabinet. The touch screen is a Jinxi AMT series 7-inch touch screen AMT070 232. The power module includes a Mingwei DR-30-24V 1.5A DIN rail switching power supply transformer, a Chint CJX2-2510 220V AC contactor, a Chint NBE7-2P-25A_x000B relay, and a Delixi CDZ9-52PL (small eight-pin) intermediate relay with a base. The main control microcontroller is an STM32F103. The control cabinet is fixed to the upper platform of the support frame. The touch screen is electrically connected to the main control microcontroller. The touch screen is used to set the target quantity and display the operating status, while the main control microcontroller is used to process counting signals, execute operating logic, and control pump and valve actions. The relay module drives the unloading valve 131, siphon valve 132, water pump 16, submersible pump 21, and water supply solenoid valve 22 to achieve on / off control. The unloading valve 131 is an electric quick-opening two-wire normally closed copper ball valve of model DN50 (220V) Q21F-40P. The siphon valve 132 is an electric quick-opening two-wire normally closed copper ball valve of model DN25 XQ2022-KF21B. The electric water pump 16 is a hot water circulation pump with a CPM-158 750W all-copper motor. The submersible pump 21 is a QD multi-stage submersible pump of model 220VQ(D)3-35 / 2-1.1. The water supply solenoid valve 22 is a normally closed solenoid valve of model 2W-250-25 (1 inch) AC220V. The technical solutions for the fixing and installation of the support frame and the control system are all conventional technical means in this field and will not be described in detail here.

[0035] An automatic fish fry counting method, which uses the counting device proposed in this embodiment to count fish fry in a rearing pond, includes the following steps: Upon initial power-up, the main control microcontroller first executes a reset procedure. The microcontroller outputs a signal to ensure all actuators are in a closed state: the water pump 16 and submersible pump 21 are both stopped, and the fish unloading valve 131, siphon valve 132, and water supply solenoid valve 22 are all normally closed. At this time, the temporary storage tank 13 and all pipelines are isolated from the external environment, and the counting device is in standby mode. The operator can then set a target count value via the touchscreen interface, for example, inputting 30 fish.

[0036] Once the target count value is confirmed, clicking the "Start" button on the touchscreen display initiates the water replenishment phase. Simultaneously, the main control microcontroller activates the submersible pump 21 and the water replenishment solenoid valve 22, allowing water from the aquaculture pond to flow sequentially through the water replenishment pipe 23, the second inlet pipe 112, and the transparent counting tube 12 into the temporary storage tank 13. The water replenishment process fills the entire pipeline structure from top to bottom, gradually filling the pipeline and the temporary storage tank 13 with water. When the preset water replenishment time is reached, the system is determined to have reached the "full water vacuum" pre-state. The main control microcontroller immediately shuts off the submersible pump 21 and the water replenishment solenoid valve 22, completing the water replenishment process.

[0037] After water replenishment is completed, the fish pumping process automatically begins. The main control microcontroller activates the water pump 16, and the water carrying the fish fry flows sequentially through the first inlet pipe 111, the second inlet pipe 112, and the transparent counting tube 12 into the temporary storage tank 13. The fish fry are trapped in the temporary storage tank 13 by the pipe filter 14. The water from the temporary storage tank 13 flows sequentially through the pipe filter 14, the outlet pipe 15, the water pump 16, and the drain pipe 17 into the breeding pond. During this process, when the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube 12 with the water flow, their bodies block the laser beam. The first receiver, unable to receive the laser, generates a level transition, which is transmitted to the main control microcontroller. The main control microcontroller counts the number of level transitions. In addition, the main control microcontroller not only records the number of pulses but also analyzes the "time width" of the pulses through high-frequency sampling. The valid count value confirmed by the algorithm is accumulated and displayed in real time on the touch screen for operator monitoring.

[0038] When the cumulative count reaches the target of 30 fish, the main control microcontroller immediately shuts off the water pump 16 to prevent more fish fry from entering the temporary storage tank 13. The system then enters the unloading stage, where the main control microcontroller simultaneously opens the siphon valve 132 and the unloading valve 131. During this stage, the fish fry are rapidly discharged into the external packaging device below the unloading valve 131 under the influence of gravity and water flow. During this process, as the fish fry are discharged from the unloading valve 131, their bodies block the laser beam. The second receiver, unable to receive the laser, generates a level transition, which is transmitted to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions. This secondary counting is used to verify the accuracy of the primary counting.

[0039] After a preset unloading delay, the main control microcontroller closes the fish unloading valve 131 and the siphon valve 132, restoring the system to a sealed state. Simultaneously, the microcontroller automatically resets the current count to zero and increments the "number of packages" by one. If "standby" mode is not selected at this time, the control system will automatically start the next cycle, continuously performing the fish extraction and packaging operation. If "standby" mode is selected at this time, the system will automatically stop executing waiting instructions.

[0040] The specific models of the above electronic components are not specifically specified; any commercially available ordinary products can be selected, as long as they can meet the usage requirements of this invention.

[0041] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic fish fry extraction and counting device, characterized in that, include: The suction system includes an inlet pipe, a transparent counting tube, a temporary storage tank, a pipeline filter, an outlet pipe, a water pump, and a drain pipe connected in sequence. The inlet end of the inlet pipe and the outlet end of the drain pipe are both connected to the aquaculture pond. The water pump provides power to pump water carrying fish fry from the aquaculture pond into the temporary storage tank. The fish fry are trapped in the temporary storage tank by the pipeline filter. The water flows from the temporary storage tank through the pipeline filter, the outlet pipe, the water pump, and the drain pipe into the aquaculture pond. A fish unloading valve is installed at the bottom of the temporary storage tank, which is used to unload fish after being opened. The water replenishment system includes a submersible pump, a water replenishment solenoid valve, and a water replenishment pipeline connected in sequence. The outlet end of the water replenishment pipeline is connected to the inlet pipe. The submersible pump is installed in the aquaculture pond and is used to pump the water in the aquaculture pond into a temporary storage tank before the suction stage. The water replenishment solenoid valve is used to block the water replenishment pipeline during the suction stage. The laser beam sensor includes a first transmitter and a first receiver arranged opposite each other on both sides of a transparent counting tube. The first transmitter is used to continuously emit a laser beam into the transparent counting tube, and the first receiver is used to receive the laser beam. When the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube with the water flow, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The first receiver generates a level transition because it cannot receive the laser beam and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

2. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The suction system also includes a first one-way valve. The pipeline filter, the first one-way valve, and the outlet pipe are connected in sequence. The first one-way valve is used to prevent water from flowing back into the temporary storage tank from the outlet pipe and then into the collection container through the fish unloading valve during the fish unloading process.

3. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The water inlet pipe includes a first water inlet pipe and a second water inlet pipe connected in sequence. The first water inlet pipe is a flexible pipe, and the water inlet end of the first water inlet pipe is located inside the aquaculture pond. The water outlet end of the second water inlet pipe is connected to a transparent counting tube.

4. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The water replenishment system also includes a second one-way valve. The water replenishment pipeline is connected to the middle section of the second inlet pipe via a tee. The second one-way valve is located on the section of the second inlet pipe near the aquaculture pond to prevent water from flowing back into the aquaculture pond through the inlet pipe when the submersible pump is running.

5. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transparent counting tube is made of acrylic material.

6. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The temporary storage tank is also equipped with a siphon valve, which is used to introduce air into the temporary storage tank to break the negative pressure when the fish unloading valve is opened to unload fish.

7. The automatic fish fry extraction and counting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The laser beam sensor also includes a second transmitter and a second receiver positioned directly below the unloading valve. When the fish fry are discharged from the unloading valve, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The second receiver, unable to receive the laser, generates a level transition and transmits it to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions.

8. A method for automatically extracting and counting fish fry, characterized in that, Counting fish fry in a rearing pond using the counting device described in any one of claims 1-7 includes the following steps: Turn on the submersible pump and the water replenishment solenoid valve. Water in the aquaculture pond enters the inlet pipe, transparent counting tube and temporary storage tank through the water replenishment pipeline. After water replenishment is completed, the submersible pump and water replenishment solenoid valve are turned off, and the water pump is turned on. The water carrying the fish fry in the breeding pond flows sequentially through the inlet pipe and the transparent counting tube into the temporary storage tank. The fish fry are trapped in the temporary storage tank by the pipeline filter. The water from the temporary storage tank flows sequentially through the pipeline filter, the outlet pipe, the water pump, and the drain pipe back into the breeding pond. During this process, when the fish fry pass through the transparent counting tube with the water flow, the fish body blocks the laser beam. The first receiver cannot receive the laser and generates a level transition, which is transmitted to the control system. The control system counts the number of level transitions. When enough fish fry have been counted, the water pump is turned off.

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