Fish farming system, fish farming method, and fish farming program

Abstract

Provided are a fish farming system, a farming method, and a farming program that can reduce power consumption without impeding the growth of fish. [Solution] A fish farming system 100 includes a breeding tank 10 for breeding fish, a biological filtration tank 30 for circulating and filtering the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10, a pump P for circulating the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 to the biological filtration tank 30, and a control device 200 for controlling the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P. The control device 200 estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes raised in the breeding tank 10 according to the relationship between the number of fishes raised in the breeding tank 10, the type of fishes, and the size of the fishes, and controls the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P to the biological filtration tank 30 according to the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the ammonia concentration calculated according to the amount of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fish farming system, a farming method, and a farming program. [Background technology]

[0002] In fish farming systems, the presence of ammonia (NH3) in the breeding tank hinders the growth of fish. Therefore, in order to purify the breeding water used in aquaculture, a pump is used to circulate the breeding water between the breeding tank and the filtration tank. By increasing the flow rate of the circulating breeding water, the concentration of ammonia in the breeding water can be kept low, maintaining the health of the fish and preventing disease and death, and allowing many fish to grow efficiently.

[0003] For example, a technology has been proposed in which a standard ammonia concentration in an aquarium is set according to the type of fish and the rearing density, and if the ammonia concentration in the aquarium is outside this set range or above the standard value, the control device gives a command to a pump associated with the ammonia removal device to adjust the ammonia concentration to an appropriate value (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-078648 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the electricity consumed by pumps in fish farming systems accounts for approximately 20% of the total running costs of the systems, and there is a demand for reducing the power consumption of pumps in fish farming systems.

[0006] The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned concerns, and aims to provide a fish farming system, a farming method, and a farming program that can reduce power consumption without hindering the growth of fish. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fish farming system of this embodiment includes a breeding tank for breeding fish, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering the breeding water in the breeding tank, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding tank to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, wherein the control device estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes raised in the breeding tank based on the relationship between the number of fishes raised in the breeding tank, the type of fishes, and the size of the fishes, and controls the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank based on the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the ammonia concentration calculated based on the amount of the breeding water in the breeding tank.

[0008] The fish farming method of this embodiment is an aquaculture method performed in a fish farming system including a breeding tank for breeding fish, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering the breeding water in the breeding tank, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding tank to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, characterized in that the method estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fish raised in the breeding tank in accordance with the relationship between the number of fish raised in the breeding tank, the type of fish, and the size of the fish, and controls the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank in accordance with the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the ammonia concentration calculated in accordance with the amount of the breeding water in the breeding tank.

[0009] The aquaculture program of this embodiment is executed by a fish aquaculture system including a breeding tank for breeding fish, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering the breeding water in the breeding tank, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding tank to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, and is characterized in that the aquaculture program estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fish raised in the breeding tank based on the relationship between the number of fish raised in the breeding tank, the type of fish, and the size of the fish, and controls the flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank based on the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the ammonia concentration calculated based on the amount of the breeding water in the breeding tank. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fish farming system, a farming method, and a farming program that can reduce power consumption without hindering the growth of fish. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the technical concept of the fish farming system and farming method of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a biological filtration tank according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration diagram of a control device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of an occurrence amount database according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an upper limit database according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of a filtration capacity database of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of an occurrence amount transition database according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] In this specification, fish farming may be referred to as "land-based farming". This "land-based farming" refers to farming that does not use the ocean or rivers of the natural world, but uses the farming plant technology described in this embodiment from spawning to hatching, and from young fish to adult fish. Therefore, the fish farming system and farming method of this embodiment are distinct from farming technologies that use the ocean or rivers of the natural world, and are not comparable to farming technologies that use the ocean or rivers of the natural world. However, this does not exclude the case where the farming plant of this embodiment is installed in or near the ocean or rivers of the natural world.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the technical concept of the fish farming system and the fish farming method of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the fish farming system 100 of the present embodiment includes a breeding tank 10, a water temperature regulator 20, a biological filtration tank 30, a flow meter 40, an electromagnetic valve 50, a pump P, an inverter INV, a first ammonia sensor 60, a second ammonia sensor 70, a microorganism number measuring device 80, a size measuring device 90, a control device 200, and a circulation pipe 300. The fish farming system 100 may include components other than those shown in FIG. 1. The breeding tank 10, the water temperature regulator 20, the biological filtration tank 30, the flow meter 40, the electromagnetic valve 50, and the pump P are connected in a circulating manner by the circulation pipe 300. In FIG. 1, the control device 200 is disposed near the breeding tank 10, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the control device 200 may be configured by a cloud server through a network (not shown). The fish farming system 100 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. Other configurations may also be provided.

[0014] The breeding tank 10 is an aquarium for breeding fish. The breeding tank 10 is disposed downstream of the pump P and upstream of the water temperature regulator 20. The breeding tank 10 has a cylindrical shape and holds breeding water W suitable for breeding fish inside. The breeding water W flows into the breeding tank 10 from the pump P disposed upstream and flows out to the water temperature regulator 20 disposed downstream. This circulates the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10. By circulating the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10, fish can be bred in an environment close to nature. This provides an ideal living environment for fish, and effectively promotes the growth of fish. The number of fish bred in the breeding tank 10 is grasped in advance by the control device 200. For example, the control device 200 excludes the number of dead fish from the number of fish bred in the breeding tank 10. This allows the amount of ammonia generated to be accurately estimated.

[0015] The breeding water W is composed of fresh water, sea water, etc. depending on the fish. The salinity of the breeding water W is set to different concentrations depending on the type of fish. By making the breeding aquarium 10 cylindrical, it can withstand the high pressure caused by the presence of the breeding water W, and as a result, the durability of the fish farming system 100 can be improved.

[0016] The shape of the breeding tank 10 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a rectangular shape, a polygonal shape, an elliptical shape, etc. By making the shape of the breeding tank 10 various shapes, the degree of freedom in designing the fish farming system 100 can be increased.

[0017] The amount of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 is set to a predetermined amount. The amount of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 can be set to an appropriate amount depending on the volume of the breeding tank 10 and the type and size of the fish to be breed in the breeding tank 10. When the amount of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 decreases, the breeding water W is supplied from a supply port (not shown), and when the amount of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 increases, the breeding water W is discharged from a discharge port (not shown). The amount of the supplied breeding water W and the amount of the discharged breeding water W are grasped by the control device 200. This allows the ammonia concentration to be calculated accurately. A size measuring device 90 is arranged in the breeding tank 10.

[0018] The size measuring device 90 measures the body length of the fish in the breeding tank 10. The body length of the fish is one example of the size of the fish. The size measuring device 90 includes, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device. The size measuring device 90 measures the body length of the fish using the LiDAR device. When measuring the body length of the fish using the LiDAR device, the LiDAR device is placed adjacent to the breeding tank 10, which is the measurement target. The LiDAR device may be placed in a position where the LiDAR device can irradiate the fish in the breeding tank 10 with a laser, and may be placed in the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10, on the surface of the breeding water W, or through a wall that constitutes the breeding tank 10.

[0019] The size measuring device 90 uses a LiDAR device to irradiate a laser light around the fish and collect data of the light reflected from the body surface of the fish. The laser light can be irradiated and the data of the light reflected can be collected even while the fish is moving. The size measuring device 90 constructs a 2D model of the body shape of the fish from the collected data. The size measuring device 90 can measure the body length of the fish by analyzing the constructed 2D model. The size measuring device 90 may construct a 3D model of the body shape of the fish from the collected data. The size measuring device 90 can measure the body length of the fish by analyzing the constructed 3D model. The size measuring device 90 may measure the fish migrating in the breeding tank 10 multiple times using a laser from the LiDAR device, and calculate the average value of the measured body lengths as the body length of the fish in the breeding tank 10.

[0020] The size measuring device 90 measures the size of the fish using a LiDAR device, but is not limited to this. For example, the size measuring device 90 may measure the size of the fish by reflection of ultrasonic waves or image processing based on an image captured by an imaging device. The size measuring device 90 may also measure at least one of the body length, thickness, weight, volume, or surface area of ​​the fish as the size of the fish. A water temperature regulator 20 is disposed downstream of the breeding aquarium 10. The breeding water W flowing out of the breeding aquarium 10 flows into the water temperature regulator 20 through the circulation piping 300.

[0021] The water temperature regulator 20 adjusts the temperature of the breeding water W circulated and supplied from the breeding aquarium 10. The water temperature regulator 20 is disposed downstream of the breeding aquarium 10 and upstream of the biological filtration tank 30. The water temperature regulator 20 has a temperature sensor, and adjusts the temperature of the breeding water W flowing in from the breeding aquarium 10 to a temperature appropriate for the fishes being raised in the breeding aquarium 10 based on the control of the control device 200. For example, when the temperature of the breeding water W flowing in from the breeding aquarium 10 is low for the fishes being raised in the breeding aquarium 10, the control device 200 heats the breeding water W by a heater included in the water temperature regulator 20. The heater is, for example, a heater or a heat pump type heating device. Also, when the temperature of the breeding water W flowing in from the breeding aquarium 10 is high for the fishes being raised in the breeding aquarium 10, the control device 200 cools the breeding water W by a cooler included in the water temperature regulator 20. The cooler is, for example, a water-cooled or air-cooled radiator, a heat pump type cooling device, etc. The temperature of the breeding water W can be appropriately adjusted by the water temperature regulator 20, and the breeding environment of the fishes breeding in the breeding aquarium 10 can be kept stress-free, thereby improving the fish farming efficiency. A biological filtration tank 30 is disposed downstream of the water temperature regulator 20. The breeding water W flowing out from the water temperature regulator 20 flows into the biological filtration tank 30 through the circulation piping 300. A first ammonia sensor 60 is disposed between the water temperature regulator 20 and the biological filtration tank 30.

[0022] The first ammonia sensor 60 can measure the concentration of ammonia (ppm) before the ammonia is filtered in the biological filtration tank 30. The first ammonia sensor 60 can measure the concentration of ammonia in the breeding water W at a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval can be set to any timing such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months. This allows the concentration of ammonia to be measured in real time or at regular intervals. The first ammonia sensor 60 is configured with an existing electrochemical sensor. When the first ammonia sensor 60 is configured with an electrochemical sensor, the concentration can be measured by utilizing an electrochemical reaction specific to ammonia. As the electrochemical reaction specific to ammonia, an existing method can be adopted in which a change in current caused by a reaction on a specific electrode is measured to estimate the concentration of ammonia. The first ammonia sensor 60 may be configured with an optical sensor. When the first ammonia sensor 60 is configured with an optical sensor, the concentration of ammonia can be measured by irradiating ammonia with light of a specific wavelength and detecting changes in absorption or fluorescence.

[0023] The biological filtration tank 30 circulates and filters the breeding water W in the breeding aquarium 10. The biological filtration tank 30 is disposed downstream of the water temperature regulator 20 and upstream of the flow meter 40. The biological filtration tank 30 is an example of a filtration tank. The biological filtration tank 30 is formed, for example, from a porous ceramic material, and the formed holes function as a habitat for microorganisms. The breeding water W in the breeding aquarium 10 is circulated to the biological filtration tank 30 by a pump P. The biological filtration tank 30 decomposes ammonia generated by the fishes being raised in the breeding aquarium 10 using microorganisms.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the biological filtration tank 30 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the biological filtration tank 30 includes at least a nitrite biological filtration tank 31 and a nitrate biological filtration tank 32. The nitrite biological filtration tank 31 decomposes ammonia generated from the fish kept in the breeding aquarium 10 into nitrite. Ammonia is generated from the decomposition of fish waste, undigested feed, and other organic matter. The presence of a high concentration of ammonia is harmful to the growth of fish. Therefore, in the nitrite biological filtration tank 31, certain nitritizing bacteria (e.g., Nitrosomonas genus, etc.) use ammonia as an energy source and convert it into nitrite. Nitrite is converted into nitrite ions (NO2 - This process is generally called nitritation. Downstream of the nitrite biological filtration tank 31, a nitrate biological filtration tank 32 is disposed.

[0025] The nitrate biological filtration tank 32 decomposes the nitrite decomposed by the nitrite biological filtration tank 31 into nitrate. Nitrites produced in the nitritation process are also harmful to fish if present in high concentrations. Therefore, in the nitrate biological filtration tank 32, nitrifying bacteria (e.g., Nitrobacter genus, Nitrospira genus, etc.) use nitrites as an energy source and convert them into nitrates. Nitrates are converted into nitrate ions (NO3 - ) This process is commonly called nitration.

[0026] Ammonia in the breeding water W circulated from the breeding tank 10 is filtered through the nitrite biological filtration tank 31 and nitrate biological filtration tank 32 that constitute the biological filtration tank 30, thereby nitrifying the harmful ammonia in the breeding water W into a harmless substance. This improves the water quality of the breeding water W, and makes it possible to maintain a healthy growth environment for the fishes raised in the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10. A microorganism count measuring device 80 is disposed in the biological filtration tank 30.

[0027] The microorganism count measuring device 80 is a device for measuring the number of microorganisms living in the biological filtration tank 30, and the number of microorganisms is measured by using DNA quantification using a fluorescent method. In this method, the amount of DNA is measured using a dye that specifically binds to the DNA of the microorganisms and emits fluorescence. Specifically, a fluorescent DNA-binding dye is added to a sample of the microorganisms collected from the biological filtration tank 30, and then the amount of fluorescence is measured to quantify the amount of DNA in the sample, i.e., the number of microorganisms. In this process, a fluorescent PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique is used to amplify the copy number of a specific microbial DNA region, and the number of microorganisms can be accurately estimated by measuring the change in the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent dye that binds to the amplified DNA fragments over time. When DNA quantification using the fluorescent method is used, not only living microorganisms but also dead microorganisms can be detected, so it is effective in understanding the dynamics of the entire microbial population in the biological filtration tank 30 in detail. The microorganism count measuring device 80 uses DNA amplification by fluorescent PCR and a fluorescent detector to irradiate light of a specific wavelength to the fluorescent dye bound to the DNA, and analyze the intensity and pattern of the generated fluorescence, thereby accurately measuring the number of microorganisms present in the biological filtration tank 30. In the above embodiment, the microorganism number measuring device 80 measures the number of microorganisms present in the biological filtration tank 30 using DNA amplification by fluorescent PCR and a fluorescence detector, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the microorganism number measuring device 80 may quantitatively measure the number of microorganisms present in the biological filtration tank 30 using a device such as a flow cytometer that performs nuclear staining and measures the resulting fluorescence in an analytical method called flow cytometry. A flow meter 40 is disposed downstream of the biological filtration tank 30. The breeding water W flowing out of the biological filtration tank 30 flows into the flow meter 40 through the circulation piping 300.

[0028] The flow meter 40 measures the flow rate of the culture water W circulating mainly through the culture aquarium 10 and the biological filtration tank 30 via the circulation piping 300. The flow meter 40 is disposed downstream of the biological filtration tank 30 and upstream of the solenoid valve 50. The culture water W flowing out of the flow meter 40 flows into the solenoid valve 50 via the circulation piping 300. The flow rate measured by the flow meter 40 is notified to the control device 200.

[0029] The solenoid valve 50 switches the flow rate of the rearing water W circulating through the circulation piping 300 between on and off based on a signal from the control device 200. The solenoid valve 50 is disposed downstream of the flow meter 40 and upstream of the pump P. The solenoid valve 50 is, for example, a normally open solenoid valve, and is in an open state when no power is supplied from the control device 200, and closes when power is supplied from the control device 200. The solenoid valve 50 is not limited to being normally open, and may be a normally closed solenoid valve. The rearing water W flowing out of the solenoid valve 50 flows into the pump P through the circulation piping 300.

[0030] The pump P circulates the breeding water W in the breeding aquarium 10 to the biological filtration tank 30 through the circulation piping 300. The pump P is disposed downstream of the solenoid valve 50 and upstream of the breeding aquarium 10. The breeding water W discharged from the pump P is circulated through the circulation piping 300 to the breeding aquarium 10 again via the breeding aquarium 10, the water temperature regulator 20, the biological filtration tank 30, the flowmeter 40, and the solenoid valve 50. The flow rate discharged by the pump P is controlled by the inverter INV. The pump P includes a pump drive motor. Therefore, the control device 200 controls the flow rate of the breeding water W by the pump P by controlling the rotation speed of the pump drive motor that drives the pump P by varying the drive frequency by the inverter INV. This allows the control device 200 to control the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P in stages. The pump drive motor may be a component other than the pump P. The breeding aquarium 10 is disposed downstream of the pump P. Since the flow rate of the pump P can be adjusted by the inverter INV, the concentration of ammonia can be adjusted accurately. A second ammonia sensor 70 is disposed between the pump P and the breeding aquarium 10.

[0031] The second ammonia sensor 70 can measure the concentration of ammonia (ppm) after the ammonia is filtered in the biological filtration tank 30. The second ammonia sensor 70 can measure the concentration of ammonia in the breeding water W at a predetermined interval. Any timing such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months can be set as the predetermined interval. This allows the concentration of ammonia to be measured in real time or at regular intervals. The measurement of the concentration of ammonia by the first ammonia sensor 60 and the measurement of the concentration of ammonia by the second ammonia sensor 70 can be performed simultaneously. The second ammonia sensor 70 is configured with an existing electrochemical sensor. When the second ammonia sensor 70 is configured with an electrochemical sensor, the concentration can be measured by utilizing an electrochemical reaction specific to ammonia. As the electrochemical reaction specific to ammonia, an existing method can be adopted in which a change in current caused by a reaction on a specific electrode is measured to estimate the concentration of ammonia. The second ammonia sensor 70 may be configured with an optical sensor. When the second ammonia sensor 70 is configured with an optical sensor, the concentration of ammonia can be measured by irradiating ammonia with light of a specific wavelength and detecting changes in absorption or fluorescence.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration diagram of the control device 200 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the control device 200 includes a processor 110, a storage device 120, a communication device 130, an input device 140, and an output device 150. The processor 110 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 110 executes a program 121 stored in the storage device 120, causing the control device 200 to operate as a computer and perform various processes. The program 121 is an example of an aquaculture program.

[0033] The storage device 120 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory that operates as a main storage device, such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), and a storage that operates as an auxiliary storage device, such as a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 120 is an example of a storage device. The storage device 120 stores a program 121 executed by the processor 110, and various databases (a generation amount database 122, an upper limit value database 123, a filtering capability database 124, and a generation amount trend database 125) used when executing the program 121.

[0034] The communication device 130 is a communication module that communicates with a server device (not shown) via a network. The input device 140 accepts user operations. The input device 140 is a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, or the like. The output device 150 displays information to the user. The output device 150 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The input device 140 and the output device 150 may be formed integrally.

[0035] As described above, the control device 200 can increase the flow rate discharged by the pump P to improve the ability of the biological filtration tank 30 to filter ammonia from the breeding water W (hereinafter, also referred to as the "filtering ability"), but the power consumption consumed by the pump P increases. In response to this, the control device 200 can reduce the power consumption consumed by the pump P by decreasing the flow rate discharged by the pump P, but the filtering ability of the biological filtration tank 30 to filter ammonia from the breeding water W decreases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 200 estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding aquarium 10 according to the relationship between the number of fishes kept in the breeding aquarium 10, the type of fishes, and the size of the fishes, and controls the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P to the biological filtration tank 30 according to the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the ammonia concentration calculated according to the amount of water in the breeding aquarium 10.

[0036] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph in the generation amount database 122 of this embodiment. The graph in the generation amount database 122 stores the amount of ammonia generated by fish kept in the breeding aquarium 10 corresponding to the type and body length of the fish. The graph in the generation amount database 122 stores a line G1 representing the amount of ammonia generated by "salmon" and a line G2 representing the amount of ammonia generated by "trout" as fish. The line G1 is displayed as a dotted line, and the line G2 is displayed as a dashed line.

[0037] The vertical axis of the graph in the generation amount database 122 represents the amount of ammonia generated per minute per fish kept in the breeding aquarium 10 (mol / fish·min), and the horizontal axis represents the body length of the fish.

[0038] The control device 200 estimates the amount of ammonia generated by the fish kept in the breeding tank 10 according to the relationship between the number of fish kept in the breeding tank 10, the type of fish, and the size of the fish. Specifically, the control device 200 calculates the amount of ammonia generated per fish (mol / fish·min) corresponding to the body length of the fish measured by the size measuring device 90 based on the line for the type of fish in question among the lines included in the graph of the generation amount database 122 in Fig. 4. The control device 200 then multiplies the calculated amount of ammonia generated per fish (mol / fish·min) by the number of fish kept in the breeding tank 10 to estimate the amount of ammonia generated by the fish kept in the breeding tank 10.

[0039] As shown by lines G1 and G2 in the graph of the generation amount database 122 in FIG. 4, the amount of ammonia generated varies depending on the type and body length of the fish. Therefore, the control device 200 can accurately estimate the amount of ammonia generated from the breeding aquarium 10 according to the type and size of the fish by estimating the amount of ammonia generated by the fish raised in the breeding aquarium 10 with reference to the graph of the generation amount database 122 in FIG. 4. For example, if the fish raised in the breeding aquarium 10 are "salmon," the amount of ammonia generated per "salmon" (mol / fish·min) can be calculated by plotting the body length of the fish measured by the size measuring device 90 on line G1 in the graph of the generation amount database 122 in FIG. 4. Then, the amount of ammonia generated from the breeding aquarium 10 in which the "salmon" are raised can be accurately estimated by multiplying the calculated amount of ammonia generated per "salmon" by the number of "salmon" raised in the breeding aquarium 10.

[0040] The control device 200 controls the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P to the biological filtration tank 30 in accordance with the ammonia concentration calculated based on the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the water volume (L) of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10.

[0041] First, the control device 200 calculates the ammonia concentration (ppm) in the breeding tank 10 by dividing the estimated amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding tank 10 by the volume (L) of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10. The volume (L) of the breeding water W in the breeding tank 10 can be calculated from the size of the breeding tank 10. The size of the breeding tank 10 can be calculated backwards from the breeding density that is preset for each fish.

[0042] The control device 200 controls the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P to the biological filtration tank 30 according to the calculated ammonia concentration. First, the control device 200 calculates the upper limit of the ammonia concentration that is tolerable by the fish kept in the breeding aquarium 10 according to the relationship between the type of fish kept in the breeding aquarium 10 and the size of the fish measured by the size measuring device 90.

[0043] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the upper limit database 123 of this embodiment. The upper limit database 123 stores upper limits of ammonia concentration corresponding to the type of fish and the body length of the fish. The upper limit of ammonia concentration corresponding to the type of fish and the body length of the fish is an ammonia concentration that is permitted based on the relationship between the type of fish and the body length of each fish. The upper limit of ammonia concentration corresponding to the type of fish and the body length of the fish is obtained in advance by experiments and stored. The upper limit of ammonia concentration corresponding to the type of fish and the body length of the fish may be set to any value based on an input operation by the user.

[0044] When referring to the upper limit value database 123 in FIG. 4, the control device 200 selects, for example, an upper limit value of 50 mm for the body length of the fish when the body length of the fish is 1 mm or more and less than 75 mm, selects an upper limit value of 100 mm for the body length of the fish when the body length of the fish is 75 mm or more and less than 150 mm, and selects an upper limit value of 200 mm for the body length of the fish when the body length of the fish is 150 mm or more (or 150 mm or more and less than 250 mm). The information on the type of fish is received in advance based on an input operation by the user via the input device 140. For example, when the type of fish is "salmon" and the body length is 100 mm, the control device 200 refers to the upper limit value database 123 in FIG. 4 and calculates "8 ppm" as the upper limit value of the ammonia concentration corresponding to the type of fish "salmon" and the size of the fish "100 mm" kept in the breeding aquarium 10.

[0045] The control device 200 can reduce the concentration of ammonia in the breeding aquarium 10 by increasing the flow rate discharged by the pump P, but the power consumption consumed by the pump P increases. In contrast, the control device 200 can reduce the power consumption consumed by the pump P by decreasing the flow rate discharged by the pump P, but the concentration of ammonia in the breeding aquarium 10 increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 200 controls the inverter INV so that the estimated amount of ammonia generated in the breeding aquarium 10 and the concentration of ammonia calculated according to the amount of water in the breeding aquarium 10 are equal to or less than the upper limit calculated based on the upper limit database 123, and the flow rate of the breeding water W by the pump P circulated to the biological filtration tank 30 is set. This keeps the concentration of ammonia in the breeding water low, maintains the health of the fish, prevents disease and death, and allows many fish to grow efficiently. As a result, the power consumption of the pump P in the fish farming system 100 can be reduced without impeding the growth of the fish in the breeding aquarium 10.

[0046] The control device 200 can convert the filtering capacity α (ppm / pass) of the biological filtration tank 30 based on the measured number of microorganisms present in the biological filtration tank 30. The filtering capacity α can be expressed as the concentration of ammonia that decreases when the breeding water W passes through the biological filtration tank 30. The filtering capacity α of the biological filtration tank 30 is quantitatively calculated from the difference ΔX between the ammonia concentration X measured by the first ammonia sensor 60 arranged upstream of the biological filtration tank 30 and the ammonia concentration X' measured by the second ammonia sensor 70 arranged downstream of the biological filtration tank 30.

[0047] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of the filtration capacity database 124 of this embodiment. The graph of the filtration capacity database 124 stores a line G3 showing the relationship between the filtration capacity α of the biological filtration tank 30 and the number of microorganisms measured by the microorganism number measurement device 80. The line G3 is displayed as a solid line. As shown in the graph of the filtration capacity database 124 in FIG. 6, as the number of microorganisms living in the biological filtration tank 30 increases, the filtration capacity α of the biological filtration tank 30 also increases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 200 controls the inverter INV to control the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated by the pump P to the biological filtration tank 30 according to the calculated amount of ammonia concentration generated and the number of microorganisms measured by the microorganism number measurement device 80. Specifically, the control device 200 refers to the filtration capacity database 124 shown in FIG. 6 and calculates the filtration capacity α corresponding to the number of microorganisms measured by the microorganism number measurement device 80. When the number of microorganisms living in the biological filtration tank 30 is large, the filtering ability α of the biological filtration tank 30 is high, so the inverter INV is controlled according to the calculated filtering ability α to reduce the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated to the biological filtration tank 30 by the pump P. On the other hand, when the number of microorganisms living in the biological filtration tank 30 is small, the filtering ability α of the biological filtration tank 30 is low, so the inverter INV is controlled according to the calculated filtering ability α to increase the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated to the biological filtration tank 30 by the pump P. This keeps the concentration of ammonia in the breeding water low, maintains the health of the fish, prevents disease and death, and allows many fish to grow efficiently. As a result, the power consumption of the pump P in the fish farming system 100 can be reduced without impeding the growth of the fish in the breeding tank 10.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of the generation amount transition database 125 of this embodiment. The graph of the generation amount transition database 125 stores a line G4 showing the relationship between the generation amount of ammonia and time transition. The line G4 is displayed as a solid line. As shown in the graph of the generation amount transition database 125 of FIG. 7, the generation amount of ammonia increases immediately after the timings T1 and T2 of feeding the fish in the breeding aquarium 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 200 refers to the generation amount transition database 125 shown in FIG. 7 and estimates the generation amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding aquarium 10 according to the relationship between the number of fishes kept in the breeding aquarium 10, the type of fishes, and the size of the fishes, as well as the timings T1 and T2 of feeding the fishes. Then, the control device 200 controls the flow rate of the breeding water W circulated to the biological filtration tank 30 by the pump P using the inverter INV according to the estimated generation amount of ammonia and the calculated concentration of ammonia. Therefore, the flow rate of the breeding water W can be controlled taking into consideration the amount of ammonia generated that increases at the feeding times T1 and T2, and the ammonia concentration can be accurately calculated and controlled. This allows the ammonia concentration in the breeding water to be kept low, maintaining the health of the fish and preventing illness and death, and allowing many fish to grow efficiently. As a result, the power consumption of the pump P in the fish farming system 100 can be reduced without impeding the growth of the fish in the breeding tank 10.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and the components can be modified and embodied in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, all the components shown in the above-described embodiment may be appropriately combined. Of course, various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the biological filtration tank 30 is disposed as an example of a filtration tank, but this is not limited thereto. For example, an inanimate filtration tank may be disposed as an example of a filtration tank. This can reduce the maintenance cost of the biological filtration tank 30.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the flow rate of the rearing water W circulating through the circulation pipe 300 is controlled by the pump P, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the flow rate of the rearing water W circulating through the circulation pipe 300 may be controlled by turning on / off the solenoid valve 50. This makes it possible to reduce equipment costs and power consumption.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes in the breeding tank 10 is estimated according to the relationship between the number of fishes in the breeding tank 10, the type of fishes, and the size of the fishes, but this is not limited to the above. Furthermore, the amount of ammonia generated may be estimated according to the temperature of the breeding water W measured by the temperature sensor of the water temperature regulator 20. When the temperature of the breeding water W is high, the activity of the fishes in the breeding tank 10 increases, so that the amount of ammonia generated increases. When the temperature of the breeding water W is low, the activity of the fishes in the breeding tank 10 decreases, so that the amount of ammonia generated decreases. Therefore, the flow rate of the breeding water W can be controlled in consideration of the amount of ammonia generated, which increases or decreases due to changes in the breeding water W measured by the temperature sensor of the water temperature regulator 20, so that the concentration of ammonia can be accurately calculated and the concentration of ammonia can be controlled. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the pump P in the fish farming system 100 without impeding the growth of the fishes in the breeding tank 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10: Breeding tank 20:Water temperature regulator 30: Biological filtration tank 31: Nitrite biological filter tank 32: Nitrate biological filtration tank 40:Flowmeter 50: Solenoid valve 60: First ammonia sensor 70: Second ammonia sensor 80: Microorganism count measuring device 90: Size measuring device 100: Fish farming system 110: Processor 120: Storage device 121: Program 122: Generation amount database 123: Upper limit database 124: Filtration capacity database 125: Generation volume trend database 130: Communication equipment 140: Input device 150: Output device 200: Control device 300: Circulation piping INV: Inverter P: Pump

Claims

1. A fish farming system including a breeding tank for breeding fishes, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering breeding water in the breeding tank, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding tank to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling a flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, The control device includes: estimating the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding tank according to the relationship between the number of the fishes kept in the breeding tank, the type of the fishes, and the size of the fishes; The flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank is controlled according to the estimated amount of generated ammonia and the concentration of the ammonia calculated according to the amount of water in the breeding aquarium. A fish farming system comprising:

2. The filtration tank is a biological filtration tank that decomposes the ammonia using microorganisms.

2. The fish farming system according to claim 1 .

3. A size measuring device for measuring the size of the fish in the breeding tank is further provided, The control device includes: calculating an upper limit of the ammonia concentration that is tolerable by the fishes raised in the breeding tank according to a relationship between the type of the fishes raised in the breeding tank and the size of the fishes measured by the size measuring device; The flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank is controlled so that the ammonia concentration calculated based on the estimated amount of ammonia generated and the amount of the breeding water in the breeding aquarium is equal to or lower than the calculated upper limit value.

3. The fish farming system according to claim 2 .

4. The biological filtration tank is A nitrite biological filtration tank that decomposes the ammonia into nitrite; A nitrate biological filtration tank that decomposes the nitrite decomposed by the nitrite biological filtration tank into nitric acid.

4. The fish farming system according to claim 3 .

5. The biological filtration tank further includes a microorganism number measuring device for measuring the number of microorganisms remaining in the biological filtration tank. The control device includes: The flow rate of the rearing water circulated to the filtration tank by the pump is controlled according to the calculated amount of generated ammonia concentration and the number of microorganisms measured by the microorganism number measuring device.

5. A fish farming system according to claim 4.

6. The control device includes: The amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding tank is estimated according to the relationship between the number of the fishes kept in the breeding tank, the type of the fishes, the size of the fishes, and the timing of feeding the fishes.

6. A fish farming system according to claim 5.

7. The flow rate of the rearing water by the pump is controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the pump drive motor by varying the drive frequency of an inverter.

7. A fish farming system according to claim 6.

8. The flow rate of the rearing water by the pump is controlled by turning on or off a solenoid valve.

7. A fish farming system according to claim 6.

9. The size of the fish is the body length of the fish. A fish farming system according to claim 7 or 8.

10. A fish farming method carried out in a fish farming system including a breeding aquarium for breeding fishes, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering breeding water in the breeding aquarium, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding aquarium to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling a flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, estimating the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding tank according to the relationship between the number of the fishes kept in the breeding tank, the type of the fishes, and the size of the fishes; The flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank is controlled according to the estimated amount of generated ammonia and the concentration of the ammonia calculated according to the amount of water in the breeding aquarium. A method for cultivating fish, comprising carrying out a treatment.

11. A fish farming system includes a breeding tank for breeding fishes, a filtration tank for circulating and filtering breeding water in the breeding tank, a pump for circulating the breeding water in the breeding tank to the filtration tank, and a control device for controlling a flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump, the fish farming program being executed by the fish farming system, estimating the amount of ammonia generated by the fishes kept in the breeding tank according to the relationship between the number of the fishes kept in the breeding tank, the type of the fishes, and the size of the fishes; The flow rate of the breeding water circulated by the pump to the filtration tank is controlled according to the estimated amount of generated ammonia and the concentration of the ammonia calculated according to the amount of water in the breeding aquarium. A culture program for executing a process.

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