A kind of mussel culture floating ball with weighing function

Abstract

The utility model relates to a mussel culture is with the float ball with weighing function, solves the problem that the accurate weight data in the growth process of mussel is lacked in the process of the existing mussel culture. The device includes the float ball body, the float ball body includes the upper sphere and the lower sphere, the upper sphere inside is provided with electrical element, the lower sphere inside fills with polyurethane foam buoyancy material, the lower sphere bottom is embedded with buoyancy difference sensor, the buoyancy difference sensor bottom is provided with the ring, the mussel culture is hung with the mussel culture hanging rope under the ring, the top of upper sphere is provided with the ear, the ear connection safety rope. The utility model float ball structure design compact and reasonable, the function integration degree is high, the sealing performance is good, possesses stronger environmental adaptability and anti storm performance, the whole structure gives consideration to light weight and strength requirement, is applicable to a variety of marine culture environment, can significantly improve the intelligent, refinement and automation management level of mussel culture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of aquaculture and relates to a mussel farming device, particularly a float for mussel farming with a weighing function. Background Technology

[0002] Mussels are an important economic shellfish species in my country's marine aquaculture, with over 90% cultivated using raft culture. The core aquaculture facilities include the raft frame, suspension ropes, and buoys. The buoys' primary function is to provide buoyancy, supporting the raft frame and the mussel seedlings and growing mussels suspended on it, ensuring the mussels remain at the optimal photosynthetic water layer. However, existing buoys only provide buoyancy and cannot sense changes in load or reflect the mussels' weight growth in real time.

[0003] Currently, methods for obtaining mussel weight are limited to manual sampling and weighing or post-harvest overall weighing. The former is labor-intensive, prone to errors, and easily disturbs the mussels; the latter, while providing accurate data, can only be obtained at the end of the cultivation cycle, leading to missed optimal feeding and harvesting times. Furthermore, the floats are susceptible to seawater corrosion and biofouling from prolonged immersion, and the resulting buoyancy loss is difficult to predict; once the integrated structure is damaged, it must be replaced entirely, resulting in high maintenance costs and low operational efficiency. Limited functionality, inability to weigh online, unknown status of the floats, and maintenance difficulties have become major bottlenecks restricting the refined cultivation of mussels. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of lacking accurate weight data of mussels during their growth process in existing mussel farming. It provides a floating ball for mussel farming with weighing function, which can acquire weight data of mussels in real time during the farming process and monitor the environment during the farming process, providing a basis for data analysis and supporting the refined farming of mussels.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: a floating ball for mussel farming with weighing function, including a floating ball body, the floating ball body including an upper ball and a lower ball, an electrical component is installed inside the upper ball, the lower ball is filled with polyurethane foam buoyancy material, a buoyancy difference sensor is embedded at the bottom of the lower ball, a hanging ring is installed at the bottom of the buoyancy difference sensor, a mussel farming suspension rope is hung at the lower part of the hanging ring, and a lifting lug is installed at the top of the upper ball, the lifting lug is connected to a safety rope.

[0006] The buoyancy difference sensor measures the difference between the total weight of the mussels on the sling and the buoyancy of the seawater, providing a direct representation of the mussels' weight. During installation, a safety rope is threaded through the lifting lugs and connected to the aquaculture raft or other safety device. The mussel sling is then threaded through the hanging ring, secured, and deployed into the sea. For maintenance, the upper and lower spheres can be separated by removing the flange bolts to replace the sensor or battery. If either the upper or lower sphere is damaged individually, it can be replaced separately. This structural design significantly simplifies the maintenance process, reduces labor costs, and improves operational efficiency.

[0007] This invention provides reliable buoyancy while enabling integrated online monitoring of mussel weight, environmental temperature and salinity. It has advantages such as simple structure, reliable sealing, independent power supply, convenient maintenance, and wireless data transmission, and can be widely used in the intelligent aquaculture of mussels and other raft-type shellfish.

[0008] Preferably, both the upper and lower spheres are shells formed by rotational molding of high-density polyethylene. The upper and lower spheres are connected by flanges around their circumference, with rubber gaskets placed on the connecting surfaces, and waterproof tape wrapped around the connecting seams. The connecting surfaces of the upper and lower spheres have good waterproof performance.

[0009] Preferably, the outer wall of the upper sphere is provided with a stainless steel protective shell, and epoxy resin is potted between the stainless steel protective shell and the outer wall of the upper sphere. The lifting lug is located on the top of the stainless steel protective shell. The stainless steel protective shell provides good corrosion resistance and can protect the electrical components inside the upper sphere.

[0010] Preferably, the surface of the stainless steel protective shell is embedded with a buoyancy difference display screen, which is a flexible LED display screen.

[0011] Preferably, a flexible CIGS solar cell is attached to the surface of the stainless steel protective shell, with the curved surface of the flexible CIGS solar cell being attached to the stainless steel protective shell and the back side being fixed with thermally conductive adhesive.

[0012] Preferably, the lower sphere is provided with a pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe above or on one side of the buoyancy difference sensor, and a double-sealed watertight gland is provided at the pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe. The double-sealed watertight gland has an IP68 protection rating. The pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe is connected to the upper sphere through a cable provided inside the float body.

[0013] Preferably, the upper sphere houses the battery, data processor, and data transmitter, with the battery located in the battery compartment inside the upper sphere, and has an IP67 protection rating.

[0014] Preferably, the surface of the upper sphere is also provided with a warning light. The warning light is located on the surface of the stainless steel protective shell and can mark the breeding location.

[0015] This utility model features a compact and reasonable float structure design, high functional integration, good sealing performance, strong environmental adaptability and wind and wave resistance. The overall structure balances lightweight and strength requirements, making it suitable for various marine aquaculture environments and significantly improving the level of intelligent, refined and automated management in mussel farming. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the present utility model.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Upper housing, 2. Lower housing, 3. Lifting lug, 4. Flange, 5. Buoyancy difference display screen, 6. Flexible CIGS solar cell, 7. Warning light, 8. Battery, 9. Polyurethane foam buoyancy material, 10. Buoyancy difference sensor, 11. Pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe, 12. Data processor, 13. Data transmitter, 14. Double-sealed watertight gland, 15. Hanging ring. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0020] Example: A floating ball for mussel farming with weighing function, such as... Figure 1 As shown. This device includes a float body, which comprises an upper sphere 1 and a lower sphere 2. Both the upper sphere 1 and the lower sphere 2 are shells formed by rotational molding of high-density polyethylene. The upper and lower spheres are connected circumferentially by flanges 4, with rubber gaskets on the connecting surfaces. Waterproof tape is wrapped around the connecting seams. The flange 4 connection structure is equipped with 12 sets of M10 stainless steel bolts, fitted with 2 mm nitrile rubber gaskets, and wrapped with waterproof tape, ensuring no leakage for 72 hours under 0.3 MPa water pressure. This connection method balances strength and sealing, and is suitable for long-term seawater immersion environments.

[0021] The upper sphere 1 has a stainless steel protective shell made of 316L stainless steel on its outer wall, with epoxy resin filling the space between the stainless steel protective shell and the outer wall of the upper sphere. A lifting lug 3 is located on the top of the stainless steel protective shell of the upper sphere 1, and the lug is connected to a safety rope. Electrical components are installed inside the upper sphere 1, specifically: a buoyancy difference display screen 10 is embedded in the surface of the stainless steel protective shell. The buoyancy difference display screen 10 is a flexible LED display screen with a power of 10 W, and its curved surface is adapted to the stainless steel protective shell for convenient real-time observation of mussel weight data. Flexible CIGS solar cells 6 are attached to the surface of the stainless steel protective shell, with their curved surfaces adhered to the stainless steel protective shell and their backs fixed with thermally conductive adhesive; the solar cells have a power of 20 W. The upper sphere 1 contains a battery 8, a data processor 12, and a data transmitter 13. The battery is located in the battery compartment inside the upper sphere, with an IP67 protection rating. The data processor 12 uses an STM32L431 low-power MCU with a built-in 16-bit ADC, supporting the conversion of buoyancy changes into weight changes and compensating for changes in seawater temperature and conductivity through algorithms. The data transmitter 13 supports 4G LTE Cat.1 and BeiDou dual-mode, with a communication range covering 15 km of near-shore aquaculture areas. It stores 32 MB of Flash data, capable of saving 30 days of historical data. The upper sphere 1's stainless steel protective shell is also equipped with a warning light 7. The warning light 7 is a 5W yellow LED with automatic light-controlled flashing and a visibility distance of ≥1 nmile.

[0022] The lower sphere is filled with polyurethane foam buoyancy material 9, which has a density of 40 kg / m³ and a closed-cell rate of ≥90%. It adheres to the inner wall of the lower sphere, maintaining over 60% buoyancy even if the outer shell breaks. The strong adhesion between the foam and the inner wall enhances structural integrity and improves damage resistance. A buoyancy difference sensor 10 is embedded in the bottom of the lower sphere. This strain gauge sensor has a range of 0~5000 N and an accuracy of ±0.5%, is powered by a battery 8, and outputs real-time buoyancy difference signals. The embedded design effectively protects the sensor and reduces external impact interference. A hanging ring 15 is located at the bottom of the buoyancy difference sensor, from which mussel farming ropes are attached. A pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe 11 is installed on the lower sphere 1 above or to one side of the buoyancy difference sensor. A double-sealed watertight gland 14 is installed at the pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe, with an IP68 protection rating. The pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe is connected to the upper sphere via a cable located inside the float body. The pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe 11 integrates three parameters: pressure, temperature, and conductivity. The pressure range is 0~1MPa with an accuracy of ±0.2%; the temperature accuracy is ±0.1℃, powered by a battery 8; and the conductivity accuracy is ±1%. The probe has an outer diameter of 22 mm and a length of 120 mm. It enters the sphere through the same stainless steel M12×1.5 double-sealed watertight gland 14, with an IP68 protection rating. The cable has an outer diameter of 6 mm and internal three-core shielded wires corresponding to the pressure, temperature, and conductivity signals, reducing the number of openings and improving sealing reliability.

[0023] All electrical components within the float body of this device are powered by battery 8. Battery 8 is a 12V / 12Ah waterproof lithium-ion battery pack, housed in the battery compartment inside the upper float 1, with an IP67 protection rating and a calendar life of 5 years. The battery compartment has a compact structure, excellent heat dissipation and fixation performance, extending battery life.

[0024] During installation, a safety rope is threaded through the lifting lugs and connected to the aquaculture raft or other safety device for secure installation. The mussel farming suspension rope is then threaded through the hanging ring, tied securely, and released into the sea area. For maintenance, the upper and lower spheres can be separated by removing the flange bolts to replace the sensor or battery. If either the upper or lower sphere is damaged individually, it can also be replaced separately. This structural design significantly simplifies the maintenance process, reduces labor costs, and improves operational efficiency.

Claims

1. A floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming, comprising a floating ball body, characterized in that: The buoy body includes an upper sphere and a lower sphere. Electrical components are installed inside the upper sphere, and the lower sphere is filled with polyurethane foam buoyancy material. A buoyancy difference sensor is embedded at the bottom of the lower sphere, and a hanging ring is installed at the bottom of the buoyancy difference sensor. A mussel farming suspension rope is hung at the bottom of the hanging ring. A lifting lug is installed at the top of the upper sphere, and the lifting lug is connected to a safety rope.

2. The floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the upper and lower spheres are shell-shaped and formed by rotational molding of high-density polyethylene. The upper and lower spheres are connected by flanges around their circumference, with rubber gaskets on the connecting surfaces and waterproof tape wrapped around the connecting seams.

3. The floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the upper sphere is provided with a stainless steel protective shell, and epoxy resin is poured between the stainless steel protective shell and the outer wall of the upper sphere. The lifting lug is provided on the top of the stainless steel protective shell.

4. The floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming according to claim 3, characterized in that: The surface of the stainless steel protective shell is embedded with a buoyancy difference display screen, which is a flexible LED display screen.

5. The floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming according to claim 3, characterized in that: The surface of the stainless steel protective shell is covered with flexible CIGS solar cells, the curved surface of the flexible CIGS solar cells is attached to the stainless steel protective shell, and the back is fixed with thermally conductive adhesive.

6. The floating ball with a weighing function for mussel farming according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower sphere is equipped with a pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe above or on one side of the buoyancy difference sensor. A double-sealed watertight gland is installed at the pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe. The double-sealed watertight gland has an IP68 protection rating. The pressure-temperature-conductivity combined probe is connected to the upper sphere through a cable installed inside the float body.

7. The ball according to claim 1 or 4 or 5 or 6, wherein: The upper sphere houses the battery, data processor, and data transmitter. The battery is located in the battery compartment inside the upper sphere and has an IP67 protection rating.

8. The ball according to claim 1 or 4 or 5 or 6, wherein: The surface of the upper sphere is also equipped with a warning light.

Images