Aquaculture system, connection unit, and method for manufacturing the aquaculture system

Abstract

To provide a scalable aquaculture system for land-based aquaculture. [Solution] The aquaculture system 1 comprises one or more aquarium units 10 having aquariums 11 for cultivating aquatic products, one or more filtration units 20 having filtration equipment 21 for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units 10, and one or more connection units 30 detachably connected to the aquarium units 10 and the filtration units 20. The aquarium units 10 and the filtration units 20 have pumps 14, 24 that pump water between the aquarium units 10 and the filtration units 20 via the connection unit 30. The two or more connection units 30 are detachably connected.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aquaculture system for land-based aquaculture. [Background technology]

[0002] While natural marine resources are limited, global consumption of marine products is expanding. Therefore, a shift from fishing to raising fish is essential, and land-based aquaculture is attracting attention as a safe and secure production method (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-040950 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional land-based aquaculture, equipment is custom-designed, so changes in the scale of farming require redesign, posing challenges to flexibility in the scale of farming.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a scalable aquaculture system for land-based aquaculture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an aquaculture system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises one or more aquarium units having aquariums for cultivating aquatic products, one or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units, and one or more connection units detachably connected to the aquarium units and the filtration units, wherein at least one of the aquarium units, filtration units, and connection units has a pump that transports water between the aquarium units and the filtration units via the connection unit, and two or more connection units are detachably connected.

[0007] With this configuration, by connecting one or more aquarium units, one or more filtration units, and one or more connection units, a land-based aquaculture system of any size can be configured, making the aquaculture system scalable.

[0008] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the connection unit has a first conduit through which wastewater discharged from the aquarium unit flows, a second conduit through which treated water treated by the filtration unit flows, a third conduit that guides wastewater from the aquarium unit connected to the connection unit to the filtration unit connected to the connection unit, and a fourth conduit that guides treated water from the filtration unit connected to the connection unit to the aquarium unit connected to the connection unit, and the first conduit and the third conduit are connected, and the second conduit and the fourth conduit are connected, and the first and second conduits of two or more connection units may be detachably connected in series.

[0009] With this configuration, wastewater from the aquarium unit and treated water from the filtration unit can be transported between multiple connection units connected in series, and wastewater and treated water can be transported between the aquarium unit and the filtration unit via the connection units.

[0010] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the connection unit may further include an on-off valve provided in each of the first and second conduits.

[0011] With this configuration, for example, some of the aquarium units or filtration units in the aquaculture system can be separated from other aquarium units or filtration units by closing the on-off valves provided in the first and second conduits, respectively.

[0012] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the aquarium unit has a pump that transports treated water treated by the filtration unit from a connection unit connected to the aquarium unit to the aquarium unit, and the filtration unit may have a pump that transports wastewater from a connection unit connected to the filtration unit to the filtration unit.

[0013] With this configuration, water can be transported between the water tank unit and the filtration unit by means of the pumps provided in the two units.

[0014] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the aquarium unit may further have an on-off valve for opening and closing a drainage flow path from the aquarium unit to a connection unit connected to the aquarium unit, and the filtration unit may further have an on-off valve for opening and closing a treated water flow path from the filtration unit to a connection unit connected to the filtration unit.

[0015] With this configuration, for example, by closing the opening / closing valves of the water tank unit or the filtration unit, it is possible to prevent wastewater from being discharged from the water tank unit to the connection unit, or to prevent treated water from flowing from the filtration unit to the connection unit.

[0016] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the connection unit may further have a pump that transports wastewater from the aquarium unit to the filtration unit via a third conduit, and a pump that transports treated water from the filtration unit to the aquarium unit via a fourth conduit.

[0017] With this configuration, water can be sent between the water tank unit and the filtration unit by the pump provided in the connection unit.

[0018] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the connection unit may further include an on-off valve provided in each of the third and fourth conduits.

[0019] With this configuration, for example, by closing the on-off valves provided on the third and fourth conduits, it is possible to prevent wastewater from being discharged from the aquarium unit to the connection unit, or to prevent treated water from flowing from the filtration unit to the connection unit.

[0020] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first conduit may be provided with a connection portion for detachably connecting a fifth conduit for flowing wastewater between any two or more connection units, and the second conduit may be provided with a connection portion for detachably connecting a sixth conduit for flowing treated water between any two or more connection units.

[0021] With this configuration, for example, when some of the aquarium units or filtration units in an aquaculture system are separated from other aquarium units or filtration units, a flow path that bypasses the separated aquarium units or filtration units can be formed using the fifth and sixth conduits.

[0022] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the aquarium unit may further have a sub-aquarium into which treated water from the filtration unit flows, and the treated water from the sub-aquarium may flow into the aquarium.

[0023] With this configuration, for example, treated water whose temperature, water quality, water level, salinity, etc. have been adjusted in the sub-tank can be supplied to the water tank.

[0024] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the aquarium unit may further include a temperature adjustment mechanism that adjusts the temperature of the treatment water in the sub-aquarium.

[0025] With this configuration, treated water whose temperature has been adjusted in the sub-tank can be supplied to the water tank.

[0026] In addition, an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a water tank that is detachably connected to the end of the first conduit connected in series and the end of the second conduit connected in series.

[0027] With this configuration, water can be stored in the water tank, reducing the possibility that the first and second conduits will run out of water.

[0028] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the connection unit further has a seventh conduit connected to the first conduit and an eighth conduit connected to the second conduit, and the seventh and eighth conduits of two or more connection units may be detachably connected in series.

[0029] With this configuration, wastewater from the water tank unit and treated water from the filtration unit can be transported between the multiple connection units connected in series using the seventh and eighth conduits. The seventh and eighth conduits can also be used as water storage tanks, reducing the possibility of the first and second conduits running out of water.

[0030] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the tank may be made up of multiple separate parts.

[0031] With this configuration, for example, the tank can be assembled at the site where land-based aquaculture is carried out, making it easier to transport the tank to the site where land-based aquaculture is carried out.

[0032] Furthermore, a connection unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a connection unit that constitutes an aquaculture system.

[0033] In addition, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an aquaculture system comprising one or more aquarium units having aquariums for cultivating aquatic products, one or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units, and one or more connection units detachably connected to the aquarium units and the filtration units, wherein at least one of the aquarium units, filtration units, and connection units has a pump for supplying water between the aquarium units and the filtration units via the connection unit, and two or more connection units are detachably connected, and when the one or more connection units are two or more connection units, the method includes the steps of connecting the two or more connection units, connecting the aquarium units and the connection units, and connecting the filtration units and the connection units.

[0034] In addition, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an aquaculture system comprising one or more aquarium units having aquariums for cultivating aquatic products, one or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units, and two or more connection units detachably connected to the aquarium units and the filtration units, wherein at least one of the aquarium units, filtration units, and connection units has a pump for supplying water between the aquarium units and the filtration units via the connection unit, and the two or more connection units are detachably connected, the method comprising the steps of connecting a new connection unit to an end connection unit of the connection units connected to at least one of the aquarium units and the filtration units, and connecting at least one of the new aquarium units and the new filtration units to the new connection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] According to an aspect of the aquaculture system of the present invention, a land-based aquaculture system can be made scalable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of an aquaculture system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a water tank unit, a filtration unit, and a connection unit connected together in the embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the water tank unit, the filtration unit, and the connection unit connected in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing another example of the water tank unit, the filtration unit, and the connection unit connected in the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the water tank unit in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view showing another example of the water tank unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a water tank made up of separate parts according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a connection state between the first conduit and the water tank in the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing another example of a plurality of connection units according to the embodiment; [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection state between the first conduit and the seventh conduit and a connection state between the second conduit and the eighth conduit in the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a connection state between the first conduit and the seventh conduit and a connection state between the second conduit and the eighth conduit in the same embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] The aquaculture system, connection unit, and manufacturing method of the aquaculture system according to the present invention will be described below using embodiments. In the following embodiments, components and steps with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and repeated description may be omitted. The scalable aquaculture system according to this embodiment has one or more aquarium units, one or more filtration units, and one or more connection units that connect the aquarium units and the filtration units.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an example of the configuration of an aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment. The aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment is for land-based aquaculture and may include four aquarium units 10a-10d, two filtration units 20a and 20b, and four connection units 30a-30d, as shown in FIG. 1. When no distinction is made between the aquarium units 10a-10d, they may be referred to as aquarium units 10. The same applies to other components. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which the aquaculture system 1 includes four aquarium units 10, two filtration units 20, and four connection units 30, the aquaculture system 1 may include one or more aquarium units 10, one or more filtration units 20, and one or more connection units 30, and the number of each component included in the aquaculture system 1 is not important. However, typically, the number of water tank units 10 and the number of filtration units 20 are independently equal to or less than the number of connection units 30 .

[0039] Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of an example showing the connected aquarium unit 10, filtration unit 20, and connection unit 30. Fig. 2 also shows a perspective view of the interior of aquarium 11 and filtration equipment 21. Note that Fig. 2 omits the depiction of marine products inside aquarium 11, and omits the depiction of filter media and the like inside filtration equipment 21.

[0040] The aquarium unit 10 may have an aquarium 11 for cultivating aquatic products, a conduit 12 for conducting treated water treated in the filtration unit 20 to the aquarium 11, a conduit 13 for discharging wastewater from the aquarium 11 to the connection unit 30, a pump 14 for transporting treated water from the connection unit 30 to the aquarium unit 10 via the conduit 12, and an on-off valve 15 provided in the conduit 13.

[0041] The aquarium 11 may contain, for example, freshwater or seawater. The aquatic products to be cultivated may be, for example, seafood, seaweed, etc. The seafood may be, for example, fish, cephalopods such as squid and octopus, shellfish, crustaceans such as shrimp and crab, echinoderms such as sea urchins and sea cucumbers, etc.

[0042] The conduit 12 is for flowing the treated water from the connection unit 30 into the water tank 11. A first end of the conduit 12 may be detachably connected to a fourth conduit 34 of the connection unit 30. The fourth conduit 34 will be described later. A second end of the conduit 12 may be connected to the water tank 11. For example, the conduit 12 may allow the treated water to flow into the water tank 11 from above the water surface of the water tank 11.

[0043] Here, the detachable connection of the two conduits may be achieved, for example, by connecting flanges provided at the ends of the two conduits, or by using a connection mechanism other than flanges. When connecting the two flanges, for example, they may be connected via a sealant to prevent water leakage from between the two flanges. The connection of the two flanges may also be achieved by fastening them together using bolts and nuts, for example.

[0044] The conduit 13 is for draining wastewater from the aquarium 11 to the connection unit 30. A first end of the conduit 13 may be detachably connected to a third conduit 33 of the connection unit 30. The third conduit 33 will be described later. A second end of the conduit 13 may be connected to the aquarium 11. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the second end of the conduit 13 may be an overflow pipe that takes in water above a predetermined level and drains it to the connection unit 30 so that the water level in the aquarium 11 remains constant. Note that if water from the aquarium 11 is taken into the conduit 13 by a method other than overflow, the aquarium unit 10 may further include, for example, a water level adjustment mechanism for maintaining a constant water level in the aquarium 11. This water level adjustment mechanism may be, for example, a butterfly-type float valve for adjusting the water level, and may include a water level sensor that detects the water level in the aquarium 11 and an adjustment means for adjusting the amount of drainage so that the detected water level remains constant.

[0045] The pump 14 may send treated water from the connection unit 30 connected to the aquarium unit 10 to the aquarium unit 10 via the conduit 12. It is preferable that the flow rate of the pump 14 is adjustable. By adjusting the flow rate of the pump 14, for example, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of wastewater discharged from the aquarium 11. For example, if a large number of fish are kept in the aquarium 11 and the water quality of the aquarium 11 is likely to deteriorate, the flow rate of the pump 14 may be increased. Note that, for example, an on-off valve may be provided upstream or downstream of the pump 14 in the conduit 12. In this case, when the pump 14 is stopped, the on-off valve can be closed to more reliably stop the flow of water in the conduit 12.

[0046] The on-off valve 15 may open and close the drainage flow path from the aquarium unit 10 to the connection unit 30 connected to that aquarium unit 10. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a case where the drainage flow path through the conduit 13 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 15. The on-off valve 15 may, for example, be capable of adjusting the flow rate, or may not be capable of adjusting the flow rate. For example, if a disease occurs in the marine products of a certain aquarium unit 10 and it is desired to completely separate that aquarium unit 10 from the filtration unit 20 and other aquarium units 10, the on-off valve 15 of that aquarium unit 10 may be closed. In this case, for example, the pump 14 that supplies treated water to the diseased aquarium unit 10 may also be stopped.

[0047] The filtration unit 20 may include a filtration equipment 21 that treats wastewater discharged from the aquarium unit 10, a conduit 22 that guides the wastewater discharged from the aquarium unit 10 to the filtration equipment 21, a conduit 23 that guides treated water from the filtration equipment 21 to the connection unit 30, a pump 24 that transports the wastewater from the connection unit 30 to the filtration equipment 21 via the conduit 22, and an on-off valve 25 provided in the conduit 23.

[0048] Filtration equipment 21 is equipment for filtering wastewater discharged from aquarium unit 10. Treated water that has been filtered by filtration equipment 21 is more suitable for aquaculture than wastewater. The filtration process by filtration equipment 21 may be a process for purifying wastewater. While FIG. 2 shows a case where filtration equipment 21 has the same configuration as aquarium 11, this is just one example. Filtration equipment 21 may be, for example, one or more pieces of equipment for performing filtration connected in series.

[0049] The filtration process may include, for example, physical filtration that physically removes debris floating in the water, biological filtration that uses the action of organisms such as bacteria to change substances harmful to seafood, such as ammonia, into other substances that are safer for seafood, chemical filtration that chemically adsorbs substances harmful to seafood, or other processes. Note that the filtration process in the filtration equipment 21 is already known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The conduit 22 is for conducting wastewater from the aquarium unit 10 to the filtration equipment 21. A first end of the conduit 22 may be detachably connected to a third conduit 33 of the connection unit 30. A second end of the conduit 22 may be connected to the filtration equipment 21.

[0051] The conduit 23 is for flowing treated water from the filtration equipment 21 to the connection unit 30. A first end of the conduit 23 may be detachably connected to a fourth conduit 34 of the connection unit 30. A second end of the conduit 23 may be connected to the filtration equipment 21.

[0052] The pump 24 may deliver wastewater from the connection unit 30 connected to the filtration unit 20 to the filtration unit 20 via the conduit 22. The pump 24 preferably has an adjustable flow rate. By adjusting the flow rate of the pump 24, for example, the flow rate of the wastewater taken into the filtration equipment 21 can be adjusted. For example, if the filtration equipment 21 is capable of treating a larger amount of wastewater per unit time, the flow rate of the pump 24 may be increased. Furthermore, for example, if the number of aquarium units 10 included in the aquaculture system 1 is small, the flow rate of the pump 24 may be decreased. Note that, for example, an on-off valve may be provided upstream or downstream of the pump 24 in the conduit 22. In this case, by closing the on-off valve when the pump 24 is stopped, the flow of water in the conduit 22 can be more reliably stopped.

[0053] The on-off valve 25 may open and close the flow path of the treated water from the filtration unit 20 to the connection unit 30 connected to the filtration unit 20. Figures 1 and 2 show a case where the flow path of the treated water through the conduit 23 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 25. Note that the on-off valve 25 may or may not be capable of adjusting the flow rate, for example.

[0054] The connection unit 30 is detachably connected to the water tank unit 10 and the filtration unit 20, and may include a first conduit 31 through which wastewater discharged from the water tank unit 10 flows, a second conduit 32 through which treated water treated by the filtration unit 20 flows, a third conduit 33 that guides wastewater from the water tank unit 10 connected to the connection unit 30 to the filtration unit 20 connected to the connection unit 30, a fourth conduit 34 that guides treated water from the filtration unit 20 connected to the connection unit 30 to the water tank unit 10 connected to the connection unit 30, an on-off valve 35 provided in the first conduit 31, and an on-off valve 36 provided in the second conduit 32. Two or more connection units 30 may be detachably connected. When two connection units 30 are connected, it is preferable that they are directly connected without any intervening structure.

[0055] The first conduit 31 is for forming a flow path for drainage. A first end of the first conduit 31 may be detachably connected to the first conduit 31 of another connection unit 30. A second end of the first conduit 31 may be detachably connected to the first conduit 31 of another connection unit 30.

[0056] When an end of the first conduit 31 is not connected to a first conduit 31 of another connection unit 30, it is preferable to attach a plug member 41 to that end to prevent water leakage from that end. For example, a plug member 41 is attached to one end of the first conduit 31a shown in FIG. 1 . The same applies to the second conduit 32, the third conduit 33, and the fourth conduit 34. Note that instead of the plug member 41, for example, an on-off valve may be used to prevent water leakage from the end of the conduit.

[0057] The second conduit 32 is for forming a flow path for the treated water. A first end of the second conduit 32 may be detachably connected to a second conduit 32 of another connection unit 30. A second end of the second conduit 32 may be detachably connected to a second conduit 32 of another connection unit 30.

[0058] The third conduit 33 is connected to the first conduit 31. Therefore, wastewater from the aquarium unit 10 connected to the connection unit 30 flows through the third conduit 33 to at least one of the filtration unit 20 connected to the connection unit 30 and the first conduit 31.

[0059] The fourth conduit 34 is connected to the second conduit 32. Therefore, treated water from the filtration unit 20 connected to the connection unit 30 flows through the fourth conduit 34 to at least one of the aquarium unit 10 connected to the connection unit 30 and the second conduit 32.

[0060] By opening and closing the on-off valves 35 and 36, a specific aquarium unit 10 or filtration unit 20 can be isolated from other aquarium units 10 and filtration units 20. For example, in the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 1, closing the on-off valves 35a and 36b isolates the aquarium unit 10a and filtration unit 20a from the aquarium units 10b-10d and filtration unit 20b. In this case, wastewater and treated water flow only between the aquarium unit 10a and the filtration unit 20a. Therefore, for example, if a fish being cultivated in the aquarium unit 10a becomes ill, closing the on-off valves 35a and 36b isolates the aquarium unit 10a and the filtration unit 20a, thereby preventing the disease from spreading to the other aquarium units 10b-10d. The on-off valves 35 and 36 do not necessarily have to be capable of adjusting the flow rate.

[0061] The first conduits 31 and second conduits 32 of two or more connection units 30 may be detachably connected in series. Connecting multiple first conduits 31 in series forms a single, longer conduit through which wastewater flows. Connecting multiple second conduits 32 in series forms a single, longer conduit through which treated water flows.

[0062] In the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the dashed arrows indicate the flow of water, and the numerical values ​​written next to the arrows indicate, for example, the water flow rates. If filtration units 20a and 20b can each provide 100 liters of treated water per minute, aquarium unit 10a may take in 100 liters of treated water per minute, aquarium unit 10b may take in 60 liters of treated water per minute, aquarium unit 10c may take in 30 liters of treated water per minute, and aquarium unit 10d may take in 10 liters of treated water per minute. As an example, if large fish are cultured in aquarium unit 10a, medium-sized fish are cultured in aquarium unit 10b, small fish are cultured in aquarium unit 10c, and even smaller fish are cultured in aquarium unit 10d, the flow rates may be set to those shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, if the filtration capacity becomes insufficient as the fish in the aquarium units 10b to 10d grow larger, the filtration capacity can be easily increased, for example, by adding a filtration unit 20 to the aquaculture system 1. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to increase not only the filtration units 20 but also the aquarium units 10. Furthermore, when the grown fish are shipped, for example, the aquarium unit 10a can be removed from the aquaculture system 1. Furthermore, when the aquarium units 10 are reduced, for example, the filtration units 20 can also be reduced. Thus, the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment can provide a scalable aquaculture system 1, that is, an aquaculture system 1 in which the number of aquarium units 10 and the number of filtration units 20 can be easily increased or decreased. Furthermore, for example, if the flow rate of treated water taken in each of the aquarium units 10a to 10d can be reduced, the treatment amount in the filtration units 20a and 20b can be reduced, or some of the filtration units 20 can be turned off.

[0063] Each of aquarium unit 10, filtration unit 20, and connection unit 30 may have a support portion (not shown) for supporting, for example, conduits, pumps, on-off valves, etc. As an example, each component included in aquarium unit 10 may be disposed in a predetermined vessel such as a container, and each component included in filtration unit 20 may also be disposed in a predetermined vessel such as a container. The predetermined vessel such as a container may or may not be, for example, collapsible.

[0064] The arrangement of the ends of conduits 12 and 13 in aquarium unit 10 connected to connection unit 30, the ends of conduits 22 and 23 in filtration unit 20 connected to connection unit 30, and both ends of first to fourth conduits 31 to 34 of connection unit 30, as well as the detachable connection mechanisms at these ends, may be standardized. In such cases, aquarium units 10, filtration units 20, and connection units 30 having standardized connection portions can be arbitrarily combined to form aquaculture system 1. When the connection points of aquarium units 10, filtration units 20, and connection units 30 are standardized, it becomes possible to form aquaculture system 1 by combining aquarium units 10, filtration units 20, and connection units 30 manufactured by different manufacturers, for example.

[0065] Furthermore, the aquarium units 10 and filtration units 20 may be the same or different for each of the two or more aquarium units 10, except for the connection points with the connection unit 30, and may be the same or different for each of the two or more filtration units 20. As one example, the capacities of the aquariums 11 of the two or more aquarium units 10 may be different. As another example, the processing capabilities of the filtration equipment 21 of the two or more filtration units 20 may be different. On the other hand, it is preferable that the two or more connection units 30 have the same configuration, including the connection points with the aquarium units 10 and filtration units 20 and other points. In other words, the two or more connection units 30 may be the same.

[0066] 4 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment. This manufacturing method may be, for example, a manufacturing method used when initially manufacturing the aquaculture system 1, or a manufacturing method used when manufacturing an expanded aquaculture system 1 by adding units to an existing aquaculture system 1.

[0067] (Step S101) Two or more connection units 30 are connected. Note that, for example, when an aquaculture system 1 is initially manufactured, if the aquaculture system 1 to be manufactured includes two or more connection units 30, the processing of step 101 may be executed, and if the aquaculture system 1 to be manufactured includes only one connection unit 30, step 101 may be skipped. Also, for example, when expanding the aquaculture system 1, if the number of connection units 30 included in the aquaculture system 1 is increased, in step S101, a new connection unit 30 may be connected to an end connection unit 30 among the connection units 30 connected to at least one of the aquarium unit 10 and the filtration unit 20. When connecting the new connection unit 30, for example, the plug members 41 attached to the first and second conduits 31, 32 of the existing connection unit 30 may be removed, and the first and second conduits 31, 32 of the new connection unit 30 may be connected to the first and second conduits 31, 32 from which the plug members 41 have been removed.

[0068] (Step S102) Connect the aquarium units 10 and the connection units 30. For example, when expanding the aquaculture system 1, a new aquarium unit 10 may be connected to the newly connected connection unit 30, or a new aquarium unit 10 may be connected to the existing connection unit 30.

[0069] (Step S103) Connect the filtration unit 20 and the connection unit 30. For example, when expanding the aquaculture system 1, a new filtration unit 20 may be connected to the newly connected connection unit 30, or a new filtration unit 20 may be connected to the existing connection unit 30.

[0070] When expanding the aquaculture system 1, for example, only one of the aquarium unit 10 and the filtration unit 20 may be newly connected to the connection unit 30. In this case, for example, one of steps S102 and S103 may be skipped.

[0071] Furthermore, plug member 41 may be attached to the open end of the conduit after aquarium unit 10, filtration unit 20, and connection unit 30 are connected. The order of the processes in the flowchart of Figure 4 is merely an example, and the order of the steps may be changed as long as the same results are obtained. For example, after connecting connection unit 30 to aquarium unit 10 or filtration unit 20, multiple connection units 30, each connected to aquarium unit 10 or filtration unit 20, may be connected.

[0072] Here, the case of expanding the aquaculture system 1 has been described. However, when downsizing the aquaculture system 1, at least one of the aquarium units 10 and the filtration units 20 may be removed from the existing aquaculture system 1. Furthermore, if the removal of the aquarium units 10 or the filtration units 20 results in a connection unit 30 to which neither the aquarium units 10 nor the filtration units 20 are connected, this connection unit 30 may also be removed. In this way, the aquaculture system 1 can be downsized to a scale suitable for cultivating marine products. Furthermore, after the aquarium units 10, the filtration units 20, and the connection units 30 are removed, plug members 41 may be attached to the open ends of the conduits.

[0073] Next, a method for manufacturing the aquaculture system 1 and a method for using the aquaculture system 1 will be described. When manufacturing the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 1, for example, the first and second conduits 31, 32 of the multiple connection units 30a to 30d may be connected in series (step S101). Then, the aquarium units 10a to 10d may be connected to the connection units 30a to 30d, respectively (step S102). Furthermore, the filtration units 20a and 20b may be connected to the connection units 30a and 30b, respectively (step S103). Then, plug members 41 may be attached to the open ends of the conduits of the connection units 30a, 30c, and 30d, respectively. In this manner, the aquaculture system 1 can be manufactured.

[0074] Thereafter, water and marine products may be placed in each of the water tanks 11 of the water tank units 10a to 10d, and the on-off valves may be opened and the pumps operated to circulate water between the water tank units 10 and the filtration unit 20. In this way, land-based aquaculture of marine products can be realized.

[0075] Next, a method for expanding the aquaculture system 1 will be described. When expanding the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 1 to the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 3, first, the plug members 41 attached to the ends of the conduits of the connection units 30c and 30d in the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be removed. At this time, the on-off valves may be closed as appropriate to prevent water from flowing out from the ends where the plug members 41 have been removed. After that, a new connection unit 30e may be connected to the connection unit 30d (step S101). Furthermore, a new water tank unit 10e may be connected to the new connection unit 30e, and new filtration units 20c to 20e may be connected to the existing connection units 30c and 30d and the new connection unit 30e, respectively (steps S102 and S103). Finally, the plug members 41 may be attached to the open ends of the conduits of the connection unit 30e, and water or marine products may be placed in the water tank 11e of the added water tank unit 10e, and the closed on-off valves may be opened. In this way, the aquaculture system 1 can be expanded.

[0076] As described above, the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment can be made scalable by connecting one or more aquarium units 10, one or more filtration units 20, and one or more connection units 30 to form the aquaculture system 1. Furthermore, by appropriately opening and closing the on-off valves provided in each unit, it is possible to separate some units from the other units. Therefore, for example, if a disease occurs in one aquarium unit 10, the disease can be prevented from spreading to the other aquarium units 10 by separating that aquarium unit 10 from the other aquarium units 10. Furthermore, if the aquaculture system 1 includes two or more filtration units 20, even if the pump 24 of one of the filtration units 20 breaks down, treated water from the other filtration units 20 can be supplied to each aquarium unit 10. Therefore, even if a pump 24 breaks down, the impact on marine products due to the failure can be reduced.

[0077] Although the present embodiment has been described primarily with reference to the case where the aquarium unit 10 and the filtration unit 20 each have a pump, this is not necessarily the case. For example, if the aquarium unit 10 is located higher than the filtration unit 20, wastewater from the aquarium unit 10 may flow naturally into the filtration unit 20. Natural flow of water may refer to water flowing according to gravity. In this case, the filtration unit 20 may not have the pump 24. Instead of the pump 24, the filtration unit 20 may have a flow control valve for adjusting the flow rate of wastewater flowing into the filtration equipment 21. As another example, if the filtration unit 20 is located higher than the aquarium unit 10, treated water from the filtration unit 20 may flow naturally into the aquarium unit 10. In this case, the aquarium unit 10 may not have the pump 14. Instead of the pump 14, the filtration unit 20 may have a flow control valve for adjusting the flow rate of treated water flowing into the aquarium 11.

[0078] In this embodiment, water tank unit 10 and filtration unit 20 may not have pumps, and connection unit 30 may have a pump. In this case, as shown in Figure 5, connection unit 30 may further have pump 51 that sends treated water from filtration unit 20 to water tank unit 10 via fourth conduit 34, on-off valve 52 provided in fourth conduit 34, pump 53 that sends wastewater from water tank unit 10 to filtration unit 20 via third conduit 33, and on-off valve 54 provided in third conduit 33.

[0079] Pump 51 may be disposed, for example, on the side of fourth conduit 34 closer to water tank unit 10 than the connection point with second conduit 32. In this case, it is preferable that pump 51 be able to adjust the flow rate. By adjusting the flow rate of pump 51, for example, the flow rate of the treated water flowing into water tank 11 can be adjusted.

[0080] The on-off valve 52 may be disposed, for example, in the fourth conduit 34, closer to the filtration unit 20 than the connection point with the second conduit 32. With this configuration, the on-off valve 52 opens and closes the flow path of the treated water flowing out of the filtration unit 20. Note that the on-off valve 52 may or may not be capable of adjusting the flow rate, for example.

[0081] The pump 53 may be disposed, for example, in the third conduit 33, closer to the filtration unit 20 than the connection point with the first conduit 31. In this case, it is preferable that the flow rate of the pump 53 is adjustable. By adjusting the flow rate of the pump 53, for example, the flow rate of the wastewater flowing into the filtration equipment 21 can be adjusted.

[0082] On-off valve 54 may be disposed, for example, on the side of third conduit 33 closer to water tank unit 10 than the connection point with first conduit 31. With this configuration, on-off valve 54 opens and closes the flow path for wastewater flowing out from water tank unit 10. Note that on-off valve 54 may or may not be capable of adjusting the flow rate, for example.

[0083] As an example, if aquarium unit 10 is placed at a higher position than filtration unit 20 and wastewater from aquarium unit 10 flows naturally into filtration unit 20, connection unit 30 may not have pump 53. As another example, if filtration unit 20 is placed at a higher position than aquarium unit 10 and treated water from filtration unit 20 flows naturally into aquarium unit 10, connection unit 30 may not have pump 51.

[0084] In this way, a pump for transporting wastewater or treated water may be provided in at least one of the water tank unit 10, the filtration unit 20, and the connection unit 30. In other words, at least one of the water tank unit 10, the filtration unit 20, and the connection unit 30 may have a pump that transports water between the water tank unit 10 and the filtration unit 20 via the connection unit 30.

[0085] Furthermore, in the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment, detachable bypass conduits may be connected to any two or more connection units 30, thereby allowing wastewater or treated water to bypass some of the connection units 30. In this case, for example, as shown in Fig. 6, the first conduit 31 of the connection unit 30 may be provided with a connection part 55 for detachably connecting a fifth conduit 61, and the second conduit 32 may be provided with a connection part 56 for detachably connecting a sixth conduit 62. The connection parts 55, 56 may have, for example, flanges or other connection mechanisms.

[0086] The detachable connection between the connectors 55, 56 and the fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62 may be achieved, for example, by connecting flanges provided at the ends of the connectors 55, 56 and the fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62, or by using a connection mechanism other than flanges. Furthermore, when the fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62 are not connected to the connectors 55, 56, plug members may be attached to the connectors 55, 56 to prevent water leakage from the connectors 55, 56. Note that instead of plug members, water leakage from the connectors 55, 56 may be prevented by, for example, on-off valves.

[0087] The fifth conduit 61 may be a conduit for flowing wastewater between any two or more connection units 30. The sixth conduit 62 may be a conduit for flowing treated water between any two or more connection units 30. The fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62 may be made of a soft material such as rubber, vinyl, or flexible plastic. As an example, the fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62 may be hoses.

[0088] The connection portion 55 may be provided, for example, at the connection point between the first conduit 31 and the third conduit 33, as shown in FIG. 6, or may be provided at another location on the first conduit 31.

[0089] The connection portion 56 may be located, for example, at the connection point between the second conduit 32 and the fourth conduit 34, as shown in FIG. 6, or may be located at another point on the second conduit 32.

[0090] Fig. 7 shows a state in which water tank unit 10c and filtration unit 20c are separated and water tank unit 10d is connected to water tank unit 10b and filtration unit 20b using fifth and sixth conduits 61 and 62. Although connectors 55 and 56 are omitted in Fig. 7, fifth and sixth conduits 61 and 62 are connected to first and second conduits 31 and 32 via connectors 55 and 56, respectively.

[0091] In Figure 7, the black on-off valves 35b, 35c, 36c, and 36d are closed, while the other white on-off valves 35a, 36a, etc. are open. As shown in Figure 7, the first and second conduits 31 and 32 can be separated by closing the on-off valves 35b, 35c, 36c, and 36d on both sides of the connections between the third and fourth conduits 33c and 34c, which are connected to the aquarium unit 10c and the filtration unit 20c, and the first and second conduits 31c and 32c. In this case, the water in the aquarium unit 10c and the filtration unit 20c circulates only between them, without flowing to the other aquarium units 10 and 20. Furthermore, by connecting the first and second conduits 31b, 32b of connection unit 30b to the first and second conduits 31d, 32d of connection unit 30d using fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62, respectively, aquarium unit 10b and filtration unit 20b can be connected to aquarium unit 10d, allowing wastewater from aquarium unit 10d to be treated by filtration unit 20b, etc. For example, if a disease occurs in aquarium unit 10c, connecting fifth and sixth conduits 61, 62 as a bypass that bypasses aquarium unit 10c as shown in Figure 7 can prevent the disease from spreading beyond aquarium unit 10c.

[0092] Furthermore, aquarium unit 10 according to this embodiment may further include, for example, a sub-tank 16 into which treated water from filtration unit 20 flows, and a temperature adjustment mechanism 17 that adjusts the temperature of the treated water in sub-tank 16. FIGS. 8 and 9 are a schematic plan view and a schematic front view showing an example of aquarium unit 10 having sub-tank 16 and temperature adjustment mechanism 17. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, treated water may be sent to sub-tank 16 by pump 14. Then, treated water adjusted to a desired temperature in sub-tank 16 may flow into aquarium 11. The sent treated water from sub-tank 16 to aquarium 11 may be sent, for example, only by a conduit, or may be sent using a pump. In the former case, for example, in order to align the liquid level in the sub-tank 16 with the liquid level in the aquarium 11, a conduit may be used to connect a position below the liquid level in the sub-tank 16 with a position below the liquid level in the aquarium 11. Alternatively, water may be transported from the sub-tank 16 to the aquarium 11 through an overflow pipe that takes in water above a predetermined level and flows it into the aquarium 11 so that the water level in the sub-tank 16 remains constant. Temperature control in the sub-tank 16 may be performed continuously or batchwise. Thus, by using the sub-tank 16 and the temperature control mechanism 17, for example, treated water from the filtration unit 20 can be adjusted in the sub-tank 16 to a temperature suitable for the aquatic products being cultivated in the aquarium 11 before being introduced into the aquarium 11.

[0093] When the temperature adjustment mechanism 17 is used to increase the water temperature of the sub-water tank 16, the temperature adjustment mechanism 17 may be, for example, a heater or a heat pump. When the temperature adjustment mechanism 17 is used to decrease the water temperature of the sub-water tank 16, the temperature adjustment mechanism 17 may be, for example, a heat pump.

[0094] The temperature of the treated water in sub-tank 16 does not have to be adjusted. In this case, aquarium unit 10 does not have to have temperature adjustment mechanism 17. If aquarium unit 10 does not have temperature adjustment mechanism 17, adjustment of water quality other than temperature adjustment may be performed in sub-tank 16. As an example, if seawater is contained in aquarium 11, the salinity of the treated water in sub-tank 16 may be adjusted to be the same as the salinity of the seawater in aquarium 11, and the adjusted treated water may be sent to aquarium 11. As another example, a predetermined additive may be added to the treated water in sub-tank 16, and the treated water after the addition may be sent to aquarium 11. The additive added to the treated water may be, for example, a nutrient for the aquatic products cultivated in aquarium 11, a drug for preventing or treating aquatic product diseases, a water quality conditioner, or other additive. Furthermore, sub-tank 16 may be used to adjust the water level in aquarium 11 to a desired level, for example. In this case, the water level in water tank 11 may be measured using a water level sensor, and water may be sent from sub-tank 16 to water tank 11 via a pump or flow rate control valve so that the water level reaches a desired value.

[0095] In this embodiment, the description has been mainly given of the case where the aquarium unit 10 has one aquarium 11 or two aquariums, i.e., the aquarium 11 and the sub-aquarium 16, but it goes without saying that the aquarium unit 10 may have three or more aquariums.

[0096] Additionally, while the case where aquarium unit 10 has sub-tank 16 has been described above, filtration unit 20 may further have a sub-tank into which wastewater from aquarium unit 10 flows. The wastewater may then be subjected to temperature adjustment or other adjustments in the sub-tank before being sent from the sub-tank to filtration equipment 21. If temperature adjustment is performed on the wastewater, filtration unit 20 may further have a temperature adjustment mechanism that adjusts the temperature of the wastewater from the sub-tank.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, water tank 11 may, for example, be made up of a plurality of separate parts 71-75. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of water tank 11 made up of a plurality of separate parts 71-75. Water tank 11 shown in Fig. 10 may be made up by assembling a plurality of plate-shaped separate parts 71-75. Separate parts 71-75 may be assembled into water tank 11 by fastening them to each other using fastening means such as bolts and nuts, for example.

[0098] Furthermore, water tank 11 may be made of, for example, resin. By making water tank 11 out of resin, the weight of water tank unit 10 can be reduced, making water tank unit 10 easier to move.

[0099] Aquarium 11 may also be made of a heat-insulating material. As an example, each surface of aquarium 11 may be made of resin panel members with a honeycomb structure that have insulating properties. This configuration can improve the insulating properties of aquarium 11, and can improve heating efficiency, for example, even in cases where the water in aquarium 11 must be heated for aquaculture. Furthermore, for example, by using a honeycomb structure for the panel members, the rigidity of aquarium 11 can be increased, resulting in aquarium 11 that can withstand higher water pressure.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when water is conveyed between the water tank unit 10 and the filtration unit 20, if too much water flows into the first and second conduits 31, 32 of the connection unit 30, the desired water conveyance may not be achieved. Therefore, for example, the cross-sectional areas of the first and second conduits 31, 32 in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal directions may be made larger than the cross-sectional areas of the other conduits in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal directions. As an example, if each conduit is a pipe with a circular cross section, the inner diameters of the first and second conduits 31, 32 may be made larger than the inner diameters of the conduits 12, 13, 22, 23 and the third and fourth conduits 33, 34. By doing so, the first and second conduits 31, 32 can be used, for example, as a buffer water tank. The buffer water tank may be a tank for temporarily storing water to adjust the water volume. A flow path may be provided for allowing water to flow from the second conduit 32 to the first conduit 31 when the water level in the second conduit 32 reaches its upper limit. For example, this flow path may be an overflow pipe configured to take in water above the upper limit in the second conduit 32 and allow it to flow to the first conduit 31. By providing such a flow path, even if the pump 14 breaks down, for example, treated water will flow from the second conduit 32 to the first conduit 31, preventing the second conduit 32 from becoming full. The water tank unit 10 and the filtration unit 20 may also have a sub-tank that can temporarily store outflowing water. In this case, the sub-tank may function as a buffer tank.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the pumps 14, 24 are operated even when there is no water in the first and second conduits 31, 32, the pumps 14, 24 may malfunction. Therefore, a water level sensor may be used to acquire the water levels in the first and second conduits 31, 32, and the pumps 14, 24 may be stopped if the acquired water levels are lower than a threshold. This control may be performed, for example, by a control unit (not shown). As one example, a water level sensor may be provided for each pump 14, 24. As another example, a water level sensor may be provided at a connection point or end of any of the multiple first conduits 31, and each pump 24 may be controlled according to the water level acquired by the water level sensor. As another example, a water level sensor may be provided at a connection point or end of any of the multiple second conduits 32, and each pump 14 may be controlled according to the water level acquired by the water level sensor.

[0102] Furthermore, when the water levels in the first and second conduits 31, 32 are acquired using a water level sensor, the pumps 14, 24 may be controlled, for example, so that the water levels in the first and second conduits 31, 32 are higher than a lower threshold and lower than an upper threshold. The lower threshold may be, for example, approximately 20% of the maximum water level, and the upper threshold may be, for example, approximately 80% of the maximum water level. Such water level control may be performed, for example, by feedback control or based on the results of machine learning. In the latter case, for each combination of the number of aquarium units 10 and the number of filtration units 20 included in the aquaculture system 1, machine learning may be performed using the sum of the flow rates of one or more pumps 14 and the sum of the flow rates of one or more pumps 24 as input and the corresponding change in the water level in the first and second conduits 31, 32 as output. Then, using the learning model obtained by the machine learning, the pumps 14, 24 may be controlled so that the water levels in the first and second conduits 31, 32 are higher than a lower threshold and lower than an upper threshold. In this control, the current total flow rate of one or more pumps 14 and the total flow rate of one or more pumps 24 are input into the learning model to obtain changes in the water levels in the first and second conduits 31, 32. If the water level change predicts that the water level will rise above the upper threshold or fall below the lower threshold, the learning model may be used to identify the total flow rate of one or more pumps 14 and the total flow rate of one or more pumps 24 to prevent such an event from occurring, and the one or more pumps 14 and the one or more pumps 24 may be operated according to the identification result. Note that the change in water level may be, for example, the change in water level per unit time.

[0103] In this embodiment, the one or more pumps and one or more on-off valves included in the aquaculture system 1 may be operated, for example, manually or via a control unit. In the latter case, the control unit may control the pumps and on-off valves via, for example, a wired or wireless communication line. The on-off valves may also be electrically driven valves, such as solenoid valves.

[0104] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a case where each unit has an on-off valve, this is not necessarily the case. For example, if there is no need to stop the wastewater discharged from aquarium unit 10 or to adjust the flow rate of the wastewater, aquarium unit 10 may not have on-off valve 15, and connection unit 30 shown in FIG. 5 may not have on-off valve 54. For example, if there is no need to stop the treated water flowing out of filtration unit 20 or to adjust the flow rate of the treated water, filtration unit 20 may not have on-off valve 25, and connection unit 30 shown in FIG. 5 may not have on-off valve 52. For example, if there is no need to separate some of the aquarium units 10, etc. in aquaculture system 1, connection unit 30 may not have on-off valves 35 and 36.

[0105] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the connection unit 30 has been described as having the first and second conduits 31, 32, i.e., one set of conduits for wastewater and treated water, but this is not necessarily the case. The connection unit 30 may have two or more sets of conduits for wastewater and treated water. In this case, for example, two or more conduits for wastewater possessed by the connection unit 30 may not be connected, and two or more conduits for treated water possessed by the connection unit 30 may not be connected. In this case, for example, higher temperature wastewater or treated water may flow through one set of conduits, and lower temperature wastewater or treated water may flow through another set of conduits. In this way, water of different temperatures can be conveyed without mixing. As another example, seawater may flow through one set of conduits, and freshwater may flow through the other set of conduits. In this way, water can be conveyed without mixing between seawater and freshwater.

[0106] 11 and 12, the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment may further include water tanks 85 and 86 detachably connected to the end of the first conduit 31 and the end of the second conduit 32, which are connected in series. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of the aquaculture system 1 including the water tanks 85 and 86, and FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the connection between the first conduit 31 and the water tank 85. The connection between the second conduit 32 and the water tank 86 may also be similar to that shown in FIG. 12. In this way, when the water tanks 85 and 86 are connected to the ends of the first and second conduits 31 and 32, respectively, water can be stored in the water tanks 85 and 86, thereby reducing the possibility of the water in the first and second conduits 31 and 32 becoming contaminated. This reduces the possibility of the pumps 14 and 24 running idly and causing a malfunction. 12, the first conduit 31 and the water tank 85 are preferably connected so that the water levels therein are the same, or are arranged so that water that cannot be held in the first conduit 31, i.e., water that overflows from the first conduit 31, is stored in the water tank 85. In the latter case, for example, the water tank 85 may be arranged above the first conduit 31. The same applies to the second conduit 32 and the water tank 86.

[0107] In the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the connection unit 30 may further include a seventh conduit 37 connected to the first conduit 31 and an eighth conduit 38 connected to the second conduit 32. The seventh and eighth conduits 37a-37d and 38a-38d in two or more connection units 30a-30d may be detachably connected in series. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of an aquaculture system 1 including a connection unit 30 further including the seventh and eighth conduits 37 and 38. For ease of explanation, the aquarium units 10 and the filtration units 20 are omitted in FIG. 13. However, the aquarium units 10a-10d and the filtration units 20a and 20b may be connected to the connection units 30a-30d shown in FIG. 13, as in FIG. 1. The seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 may be similar to the first and second conduits 31, 32. In this case, the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 can also be used to transport wastewater from the aquarium unit 10 and treated water from the filtration unit 20 between multiple connection units 30 connected in series. The seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 can also be used as water storage tanks, reducing the possibility of the first and second conduits 31, 32 running out of water.

[0108] The connection unit 30 may have, for example, one seventh conduit 37, or may have two or more seventh conduits 37. Furthermore, the connection unit 30 may have, for example, one eighth conduit 38, or may have two or more eighth conduits 38. When the connection unit 30 has two or more seventh conduits 37 or eighth conduits 38, for example, two or more seventh conduits 37 may be connected directly or via other conduits, and two or more eighth conduits 38 may be connected directly or via other conduits.

[0109] In the connection unit 30, for example, the first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 may be arranged in parallel. In addition, in the connection unit 30, for example, the second conduit 32 and the eighth conduit 38 may be arranged in parallel. In addition, the cross-sectional areas of the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be larger than the cross-sectional areas of the third and fourth conduits 33, 34 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0110] The first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 may be connected via a connecting pipe 39, as shown in FIG. 13 , or via a conduit other than the connecting pipe 39, such as the third conduit 33. Alternatively, the two may be directly connected. In the connection unit 30, the first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 may be connected at one location or at two or more locations. The first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 may or may not be detachably connected. In the former case, the detachable connection may be achieved using, for example, a flange or other connection mechanism. The same applies to the connection between the second conduit 32 and the eighth conduit 38. The seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 may each be provided with an on-off valve, similar to the first and second conduits 31, 32.

[0111] The first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 may be connected so that the water levels therein are the same, or may be arranged so that water that cannot be held in the first conduit 31, i.e., water that overflows from the first conduit 31, is collected in the seventh conduit 37. In the latter case, for example, the seventh conduit 37 may be arranged above the first conduit 31. The same applies to the second conduit 32 and the eighth conduit 38.

[0112] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection between the first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37, and between the second conduit 32 and the eighth conduit 38, and Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the connection. Both Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 are views of the first and second conduits 31, 32 and the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 as viewed from the longitudinal direction. Fig. 14 shows a case where the first and second conduits 31, 32 and the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 are connected via connecting pipes 39, and the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 are disposed above the first and second conduits 31, 32. Also, Figure 15 shows a case where the first and second conduits 31, 32 are connected to the seventh and eighth conduits 37, 38 via the third and fourth conduits 33, 34, respectively, and the water levels inside the first conduit 31 and the seventh conduit 37 are equal, and the water levels inside the second conduit 32 and the eighth conduit 38 are equal.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where aquarium units 10 are connected via connection unit 30 has been described, but this is not necessarily the case. Two aquarium units 10 may be directly connected. Similarly, two filtration units 20 may be directly connected. For example, by directly connecting two or more aquarium units 10, the capacity of aquarium 11 can be substantially increased. Furthermore, by directly connecting two or more filtration units 20, the processing capacity of filtration equipment 21 can be substantially increased.

[0114] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the case where the first and second conduits 31, 32 are lengthened by connecting multiple connection units 30 to each other, i.e., the aquaculture system 1 as a whole includes one first conduit 31 and one second conduit 32, has been mainly described, but this is not necessarily the case. As an example, the connection units 30 may be connectable not only horizontally but also vertically. In this case, the first and second conduits 31, 32 may be connected to the connection unit 30 arranged on the upper side and the connection unit 30 arranged on the lower side, respectively. With this configuration, the aquaculture system 1 can also be expanded in the vertical direction. As another example, the first and second conduits 31, 32 of the connection units 30 may be connected in a star shape or a tree shape.

[0115] Furthermore, the connection unit 30 described in this embodiment is merely an example. The configuration of the connection unit 30 is not important as long as it can be detachably connected to the water tank unit 10 and the filtration unit 20, and two or more connection units 30 can be detachably connected to each other.

[0116] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for specifically implementing the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments, and is intended to include modifications within the literal scope of the claims and within the scope of equivalent meanings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1. Aquaculture system 10, 10a~10e Aquarium unit 16 Sub-tank 17 Temperature adjustment mechanism 20, 20a~20e Filtration unit 30, 30a to 30e connection units 85,86 Water tank

Claims

1. one or more aquarium units having aquariums for cultivating aquatic products; two or more filtration units each having a filtration facility for treating wastewater discharged from the water tank unit; two or more connection units detachably connected to the water tank unit and the filtration unit, At least one of the water tank unit, the filtration unit, and the connection unit has a pump that sends water between the water tank unit and the filtration unit via the connection unit, An aquaculture system, wherein two or more of the connection units are detachably connected.

2. The connection unit comprises: a first conduit through which wastewater discharged from the water tank unit flows; a second conduit through which treated water treated by the filtration unit flows; a third conduit for guiding drainage from the aquarium unit connected to the connection unit to the filtration unit connected to the connection unit; a fourth conduit for guiding treated water from the filtration unit connected to the connection unit to the water tank unit connected to the connection unit, the first conduit and the third conduit are connected; the second conduit and the fourth conduit are connected; the first conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series; The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the second conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series.

3. The aquaculture system according to claim 2 , wherein the connection unit further comprises an on-off valve provided in each of the first and second conduits.

4. the water tank unit has a pump that sends treated water treated by the filtration unit from the connection unit connected to the water tank unit to the water tank unit, The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the filtration unit has a pump that pumps wastewater from the connection unit connected to the filtration unit to the filtration unit.

5. the water tank unit further includes an on-off valve for opening and closing a drainage flow path from the water tank unit to the connection unit connected to the water tank unit; The aquaculture system according to claim 4 , wherein the filtration unit further includes an on-off valve for opening and closing a flow path of treated water from the filtration unit to the connection unit connected to the filtration unit.

6. The connection unit comprises: a pump that sends wastewater from the aquarium unit to the filtration unit through the third conduit; 3. The aquaculture system according to claim 2, further comprising a pump for pumping treated water from the filtration unit to the aquarium unit through the fourth conduit.

7. The aquaculture system according to claim 6 , wherein the connection unit further comprises an on-off valve provided in each of the third and fourth conduits.

8. The first conduit is provided with a connection portion for detachably connecting a fifth conduit for flowing wastewater between any two or more of the connection units. The aquaculture system according to claim 3, wherein the second conduit is provided with a connection portion for detachably connecting a sixth conduit for flowing treated water between any two or more of the connection units.

9. The aquaculture system according to claim 2 , further comprising a water tank detachably connected to an end of the first conduit connected in series and an end of the second conduit connected in series, respectively.

10. The connection unit comprises: a seventh conduit connected to the first conduit; an eighth conduit connected to the second conduit, the seventh conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series; The aquaculture system according to claim 2 , wherein the eighth conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series.

11. A connection unit constituting the aquaculture system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method for manufacturing an aquaculture system comprising one or more aquarium units having a tank for cultivating aquatic products, two or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units, and two or more connection units detachably connected to the aquarium units and the filtration units, wherein at least one of the aquarium units, the filtration units, and the connection units has a pump for supplying water between the aquarium units and the filtration units via the connection unit, and the two or more connection units are detachably connected, connecting the two or more connection units; connecting the water tank unit and the connection unit; and connecting the filtration unit and the connection unit.

13. A method for manufacturing an aquaculture system comprising one or more aquarium units having a tank for cultivating aquatic products, two or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium units, and two or more connection units detachably connected to the aquarium units and the filtration units, wherein at least one of the aquarium units, the filtration units, and the connection units has a pump for supplying water between the aquarium units and the filtration units via the connection unit, and the two or more connection units are detachably connected, connecting a new connection unit to an end connection unit among the connection units connected to at least one of the water tank unit and the filtration unit; and connecting at least one of a new aquarium unit and a new filtration unit to the new connection unit.

14. One or more aquarium units having aquariums for cultivating aquatic products; one or more filtration units having filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the aquarium unit; one or more connection units detachably connected to the water tank unit and the filtration unit, At least one of the water tank unit, the filtration unit, and the connection unit has a pump that sends water between the water tank unit and the filtration unit via the connection unit, The connection unit comprises: a first conduit through which wastewater discharged from the water tank unit flows; a second conduit through which treated water treated by the filtration unit flows; a third conduit for guiding drainage from the aquarium unit connected to the connection unit to the filtration unit connected to the connection unit; a fourth conduit for guiding treated water from the filtration unit connected to the connection unit to the water tank unit connected to the connection unit, the first conduit and the third conduit are connected; the second conduit and the fourth conduit are connected; the first conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series; An aquaculture system, wherein the second conduits of two or more of the connection units are detachably connected in series.

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