Aquaculture System

Abstract

To provide an aquaculture system capable of appropriately adjusting the water levels of a plurality of tanks when water is fed from a filtration facility to the plurality of tanks by utilizing the natural flow of water. [Solution] The aquaculture system 1 comprises a plurality of tanks 10 for cultivating marine products, a filtration equipment 20 for treating wastewater discharged from the plurality of tanks 10, a treated water flow path 30 for guiding treated water treated by the filtration equipment 20 to the plurality of tanks 10, a wastewater flow path 40 for guiding wastewater discharged from the plurality of tanks 10 to the filtration equipment 20, a pump 50 for transporting wastewater from the plurality of tanks 10 to the filtration equipment 20 via the wastewater flow path 40, and an adjustment mechanism 60 for adjusting the water level for the plurality of tanks 10, and the filtration equipment 20 is positioned higher than the plurality of tanks 10 so that the treated water can flow naturally into the plurality of tanks 10 via the treated water flow path 30.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventional land-based aquaculture systems typically include a pump for transporting water from aquatic tanks for cultivating marine products to a filtration facility, and another pump for transporting water from the filtration facility to the aquatic tanks. This configuration requires at least two pumps, which increases the cost of implementing land-based aquaculture. To address this issue, a system has been developed that combines a single pump with gravity flow to reduce the number of pumps and conserve energy (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-176339 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In aquaculture systems that use gravity flow, it is possible to arrange multiple tanks in parallel to achieve more efficient land-based aquaculture, but in such a configuration, the balance of the water levels in the multiple tanks may be lost, causing some tanks to overflow while the water level in others drops significantly. In such cases, even if multiple tanks are installed, there is a problem in that they cannot be used effectively.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an aquaculture system that can appropriately adjust the water levels of multiple tanks when water is supplied from a filtration equipment to multiple tanks using the natural flow of water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides an aquaculture system comprising a plurality of tanks for cultivating aquatic products, a filtration equipment for treating wastewater discharged from the plurality of tanks, a treated water flow path for guiding treated water treated by the filtration equipment to the plurality of tanks, a wastewater flow path for guiding wastewater discharged from the plurality of tanks to the filtration equipment, a pump for transporting wastewater from the plurality of tanks to the filtration equipment via the wastewater flow path, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the water levels for the plurality of tanks, wherein the filtration equipment is positioned at a higher position than the plurality of tanks so that the treated water flows naturally into the plurality of tanks via the treated water flow path. This configuration allows the water levels of multiple tanks to be adjusted, for example, so that the water level in each tank is constant or the water levels in multiple tanks are the same, preventing the water levels in each tank from becoming unbalanced.

[0007] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism may include a plurality of water level adjustment mechanisms provided in the plurality of water tanks, respectively, for adjusting the water level to a constant level. This configuration allows the water level to be adjusted to a constant level for each tank.

[0008] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the water level adjustment mechanism may include a detection unit that detects the water level in the tank, an inflow adjustment valve for adjusting the amount of treated water flowing into the tank, and a control unit that controls the inflow adjustment valve using the water level detected by the detection unit so that the water level in the tank remains constant. With this configuration, the water level can be controlled to a constant level by adjusting the inflow amount according to the detection result of the water level.

[0009] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the water level adjustment mechanism has a float that rises and falls according to the water level in the tank, an inflow rate adjustment valve for adjusting the amount of treated water flowing into the tank, and a connecting means for connecting the float and the inflow rate adjustment valve, and the amount of treated water flowing in may be adjusted by the inflow rate adjustment valve according to the rise and fall of the float. With this configuration, the inflow adjustment valve is adjusted in accordance with the rise and fall of the float according to the water level, thereby making it possible to keep the water level constant.

[0010] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the water level adjustment mechanism may include a detection unit that detects the water level in the tank, a discharge adjustment valve for adjusting the amount of wastewater discharged from the tank, and a control unit that controls the discharge adjustment valve using the water level detected by the detection unit so that the water level in the tank remains constant. With this configuration, the water level can be controlled to a constant level by adjusting the discharge amount in accordance with the detection result of the water level.

[0011] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the water level adjustment mechanism has a float that rises and falls according to the water level in the tank, a discharge adjustment valve for adjusting the amount of wastewater discharged from the tank, and a connection means for connecting the float and the discharge adjustment valve, and the amount of wastewater discharged may be adjusted by the discharge adjustment valve according to the rise and fall of the float. With this configuration, the discharge amount adjustment valve is adjusted in accordance with the rise and fall of the float according to the water level, thereby making it possible to keep the water level constant.

[0012] In addition, in an aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the water level adjustment mechanism is a discharge adjustment valve that adjusts the amount of wastewater discharged from the tank, and has a valve seat with a valve hole, and a valve body that opens and closes the valve hole from the downstream side and is biased upward, and the water pressure in the discharge adjustment valve may change depending on the rise and fall of the water level in the tank, causing the valve hole to open and close. With this configuration, the water level can be maintained constant according to the balance between the water pressure according to the water level and the upward biasing force on the valve body.

[0013] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism may include one or more communication channels that connect the multiple water tanks. With this configuration, the plurality of water tanks are connected by the communication flow path, so that the water levels in the plurality of water tanks can be made the same.

[0014] Furthermore, the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention may further include one or more on-off valves that open and close the one or more communication flow paths, respectively. With this configuration, for example, if a disease occurs in aquatic products in a certain tank, the disease can be prevented from spreading to other tanks by closing the opening / closing valve of the communication flow path that connects that tank to other tanks.

[0015] In addition, in the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism may further include a plurality of water level adjustment mechanisms provided in the plurality of water tanks, respectively, for adjusting the water level to a constant level. With this configuration, the water levels of the multiple tanks can be adjusted using the communication flow path and the water level adjustment mechanism. Therefore, even if one of the communication flow path and the water level adjustment mechanism stops functioning properly, the other can still adjust the water levels of the multiple tanks.

[0016] In addition, the aquaculture system according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a plurality of on-off valves that open and close the flow paths for the plurality of tanks in the drainage flow path. With this configuration, for example, if a disease occurs in aquatic products in a certain tank, the disease can be prevented from spreading to other tanks by closing the on-off valve of the drainage flow path of that tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to an aspect of the aquaculture system of the present invention, the water levels of multiple tanks can be adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an aquaculture system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a water level adjustment mechanism in the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a water level adjustment mechanism in the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a water level adjustment mechanism in the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a water level adjustment mechanism in the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a water level adjustment mechanism in the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the aquaculture system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An aquaculture system according to the present invention will be described below using an embodiment. In the following embodiments, components with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and repeated description may be omitted. The aquaculture system according to this embodiment sends water by gravity from a filtration facility to multiple tanks, and has an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the water levels in the multiple tanks.

[0020] Figures 1 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of an aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 shows a case where an adjustment mechanism 60 provided in the aquaculture system 1 includes water level adjustment mechanisms 100a and 100b, and Figure 7 shows a case where the adjustment mechanism 60 includes a communication flow path 200. Figures 2 to 6 are diagrams showing examples of the water level adjustment mechanisms 100a and 100b.

[0021] The aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of aquariums 10a, 10b, a filtration system 20 that treats wastewater from the aquariums 10a, 10b, a treated water flow path 30 that guides treated water from the filtration system 20 to the aquariums 10a, 10b, a drainage flow path 40 that guides wastewater from the aquariums 10a, 10b to the filtration system 20, a pump 50 provided in the drainage flow path 40, and an adjustment mechanism 60 that adjusts the water levels of the aquariums 10a, 10b. The adjustment mechanism 60 may include water level adjustment mechanisms 100a, 100b provided in each of the aquariums 10a, 10b to maintain a constant water level, as shown in FIG. 1, or may include a communication flow path 200 that connects the aquariums 10a, 10b, as shown in FIG. 7. When the aquariums 10a, 10b are not particularly distinguished from each other, they may be referred to as aquariums 10. The same applies to other components.

[0022] It is assumed that water flows from the filtration equipment 20 to the plurality of aquariums 10 by gravity. That is, water is sent from the filtration equipment 20 to the plurality of aquariums 10 without using the power of a pump. Furthermore, although this embodiment will mainly describe a case where the aquaculture system 1 includes two aquariums 10, the number of aquariums 10 included in the aquaculture system 1 may be three or more.

[0023] The aquarium 10 is for cultivating marine products. The aquarium 10 may contain, for example, freshwater or seawater. The marine 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. In this embodiment, the case where the marine products to be cultivated are fish will be mainly described.

[0024] The multiple water tanks 10 are typically arranged in parallel. That is, treated water is supplied from the filtration equipment 20 to each of the multiple water tanks 10. In addition, it is generally preferable that the multiple water tanks 10 are each arranged at the same height. It is also preferable that the multiple water tanks 10 have, for example, the same capacity.

[0025] The filtration equipment 20 treats wastewater discharged from the multiple aquariums 10. The treatment of wastewater may be, for example, a filtration process. It is preferable that the treated water treated by the filtration equipment 20 is more suitable for aquaculture than wastewater. The treatment by the filtration equipment 20 may be a filtration process for purifying the wastewater. Although FIG. 1 shows the filtration equipment 20 as having a similar configuration to the aquariums 10, this is merely an example. The filtration equipment 20 may be, for example, one or more pieces of equipment for performing filtration connected in series.

[0026] 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 convert substances harmful to seafood, such as ammonia, into other substances that are safer for seafood, chemical filtration that chemically adsorbs or adsorbs and breaks down substances harmful to seafood into other safe substances, or other processes. Note that the filtration process in the filtration equipment 20 is already known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] The filtration equipment 20 is positioned higher than the multiple aquariums 10 so that the treated water flows naturally through the treated water flow path 30 to the multiple aquariums 10. With this configuration, the treated water flows from the filtration equipment 20 to the multiple aquariums 10 by gravity without using a pump, thereby promoting energy conservation. In land-based aquaculture, water can be allowed to flow by gravity from the filtration equipment 20 to the multiple aquariums 10, or from the multiple aquariums 10 to the filtration equipment 20. However, since the aquariums 10 are typically heavier, the former is preferred. Furthermore, the relative positions of the multiple aquariums 10 and the filtration equipment 20 in a planar view are not important. For example, the filtration equipment 20 may be positioned at the same position as the multiple aquariums 10 in a planar view. In this case, the filtration equipment 20 is positioned above the multiple aquariums 10, allowing for effective space utilization. As another example, the filtration equipment 20 may be positioned at a different position from the multiple aquariums 10 in a planar view.

[0028] The treated water flow path 30 is a flow path for guiding treated water treated by the filtration equipment 20 to the multiple water tanks 10. For example, the treated water flow path 30 may have a single upstream flow path 30c through which treated water from the filtration equipment 20 flows, and multiple downstream flow paths 30a, 30b that branch off from the flow path 30c and guide treated water to the water tanks 10a, 10b, respectively. The downstream flow paths 30a, 30b are flow paths for each of the multiple water tanks 10a, 10b. For example, the flow paths 30a, 30b may introduce treated water into the water tanks 10 from above the water surface in the water tanks 10.

[0029] The drainage flow path 40 is a flow path that guides wastewater discharged from multiple aquariums 10 to the filtration equipment 20. For example, the drainage flow path 40 may include multiple upstream flow paths 40a, 40b that guide wastewater from each of the aquariums 10a, 10b, respectively; a single midstream flow path 40c that combines the wastewater from the flow paths 40a, 40b and guides it to the pump 50; and a single downstream flow path 40d that guides wastewater discharged from the pump 50 to the filtration equipment 20. The upstream flow paths 40a, 40b are each a flow path for each of the multiple aquariums 10a, 10b. For example, wastewater discharged from the bottoms of the aquariums 10a, 10b may flow into the multiple flow paths 40a, 40b. This configuration reduces the possibility of air being entrained in the wastewater flowing through the drainage flow path 40, thereby preventing air entrapment in the pump 50.

[0030] The pump 50 is a water pump that sends wastewater from the multiple aquariums 10 to the filtration equipment 20 via the drainage flow path 40. It is preferable that the pump 50 be capable of adjusting the flow rate. As described below, when the water levels of the aquariums 10a, 10b are adjusted to a constant level by the water level adjustment mechanisms 100a, 100b, or when the water levels of the aquariums 10a, 10b are adjusted to be the same by the communication flow path 200, the flow rate of the pump 50 can be adjusted to adjust the flow rate of the treated water flowing into each aquarium 10. As an example, when the fish in the aquariums 10 are still small and the water quality is unlikely to deteriorate, the flow rate of the pump 50 can be reduced to reduce the flow rate of the treated water flowing into each aquarium 10. As another example, when the fish in the aquariums 10 grow large and the water quality is likely to deteriorate, the flow rate of the pump 50 can be increased to increase the flow rate of the treated water flowing into each aquarium 10.

[0031] The adjustment mechanism 60 is a mechanism for adjusting the water levels of the multiple aquariums 10. Preferably, the adjustment mechanism 60 adjusts the water levels of the multiple aquariums 10, thereby balancing the water levels of the multiple aquariums 10. In this embodiment, (1) a case in which the adjustment mechanism 60 includes multiple water level adjustment mechanisms 100a, 100b provided in each of the multiple aquariums 10 to adjust the water levels to a constant level, and (2) a case in which the adjustment mechanism 60 includes one or more communicating flow paths 200 that connect the multiple aquariums 10, are described, but the adjustment mechanism 60 may also include both the water level adjustment mechanism 100 and the communicating flow paths 200.

[0032] (1) Water level adjustment mechanism A water level adjustment mechanism 100 is provided for each aquarium 10, and adjusts the water level of the aquarium 10 to a constant level. For example, if the water levels of multiple aquariums 10 are set to be the same, the water levels of all the aquariums 10 will be the same. Below, several examples of water level adjustment mechanisms 100 will be described, but it goes without saying that water level adjustment mechanisms 100 other than the examples described below may also be used.

[0033] (A) Inflow adjustment according to water level As shown in Figure 2, the water level adjustment mechanism 100 may have a detection unit 101 that detects the water level of the water tank 10, an inflow rate adjustment valve 102 that adjusts the amount of treated water flowing into the water tank 10, and a control unit 103 that controls the inflow rate adjustment valve 102 using the water level detected by the detection unit 101 so that the water level in the water tank 10 remains constant.

[0034] The detector 101 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire the height of the liquid surface position in the water tank 10, and may be, for example, a water level gauge.

[0035] The inflow rate control valve 102 is provided in the flow paths 30a, 30b of the treatment water flow path 30 for each of the multiple water tanks 10. It is not particularly limited as long as it can change the amount of treatment water that flows into the water tanks 10. For example, it may be a valve that can finely adjust the flow rate, or it may not. In the latter case, for example, the amount of treatment water that flows into the water tanks 10 may be adjusted only between two positions: fully open and fully closed. The inflow rate control valve 102 may be a valve driven by a driving means such as a solenoid or a motor. The driving means may be controlled by a control unit 103, for example.

[0036] The control unit 103 may perform feedback control using the water level detected by the detection unit 101, for example. For example, when the detected water level exceeds a target water level, the control unit 103 may control the inflow rate adjustment valve 102 to reduce the amount of water flowing into the water tank 10, and when the detected water level falls below the target water level, the control unit 103 may control the inflow rate adjustment valve 102 to increase the amount of water flowing into the water tank 10. If the inflow rate adjustment valve 102 is capable of finely adjusting the flow rate, for example, the flow rate may be adjusted by the control unit 103 to adjust the inflow rate so that the amount of wastewater discharged from the water tank 10 to the wastewater flow path 40 and the amount of treated water flowing into the water tank 10 from the treated water flow path 30 are equal.

[0037] By using such a water level adjustment mechanism 100, the inflow of treated water can be adjusted so that the detected water level remains constant, and the water level in the aquarium 10 can be maintained constant. The target water level may be the same for all of the multiple aquariums 10, for example. It is also preferable that the amount of water in the aquaculture system 1 as a whole is adjusted so that the water level in each aquarium 10 can be adjusted to the target water level. This is because if the amount of water in the aquaculture system 1 as a whole is too much or too little, it will be impossible to adjust the water levels in all of the multiple aquariums 10 to the target water level.

[0038] In addition, separate control units 103 may be used in the water level adjustment mechanisms 100a and 100b that adjust the water levels of the multiple water tanks 10a and 10b, respectively, or a single common control unit 103 may be used.

[0039] (B) Inlet adjustment using a float 3, water level adjustment mechanism 100 may include a float 111 that rises and falls according to the water level in water tank 10, an inflow rate adjustment valve 112 for adjusting the amount of treated water that flows into water tank 10, and a connecting means 113 that connects float 111 and inflow rate adjustment valve 112. The amount of treated water that flows in may be adjusted by inflow rate adjustment valve 112 according to the rise and fall of float 111. This water level adjustment mechanism 100 may be, for example, a float valve that maintains a constant water level by automatically opening and closing the valve according to fluctuations in the water level.

[0040] Float 111 may be any float that floats on the water in aquarium 10 and rises and falls in response to the rise and fall of the water level in aquarium 10. Float 111 may be, for example, a resin float with air inside. Float 111 may be, for example, a float used in a float valve.

[0041] The inflow rate control valve 112 is not particularly limited as long as it can change the amount of water that flows into the water tank 10. For example, it may be a valve that can finely adjust the flow rate, or it may not. The inflow rate control valve 112 may be, for example, a butterfly valve. The inflow rate control valve 112 may be adjusted to decrease the inflow rate when the float 111 rises in response to the water level, and to increase the inflow rate when the float 111 descends in response to the water level. Note that the inflow rate control valve 112 may be closed when the float 111 rises above a predetermined height. In order to be able to adjust the inflow rate for each of the multiple water tanks 10, it is preferable that the inflow rate control valve 112 be provided in each of the flow paths 30a and 30b in the treated water flow path 30 for each of the multiple water tanks 10.

[0042] The connecting means 113 may be, for example, a rod-shaped member, one end of which is fixed to the float 111 and the other end of which is connected to the inflow control valve 112 so that the opening degree of the valve changes in accordance with the rise and fall of the float 111.

[0043] By using such a water level adjusting mechanism 100, the amount of inflow of treated water can be adjusted so that the height of the float 111 is constant, and the water level in the water tank 10 can be maintained constant.

[0044] (C) Adjustment of the discharge side according to the water level 4, water level adjustment mechanism 100 may have a detection unit 121 that detects the water level of water tank 10, a discharge adjustment valve 122 that adjusts the amount of wastewater discharged from water tank 10, and a control unit 123 that controls discharge adjustment valve 122 using the water level detected by detection unit 121 so that the water level in water tank 10 remains constant. Detection unit 121 may be the same as detection unit 101, for example.

[0045] The discharge amount adjustment valve 122 may be the same as the inflow amount adjustment valve 102, except that it is provided in the drainage flow path 40. In order to be able to adjust the discharge amount for each of the multiple aquariums 10, it is preferable that the discharge amount adjustment valve 122 is provided in each of the flow paths 40a, 40b in the drainage flow path 40 for each of the multiple aquariums 10, for example.

[0046] The control unit 123 may perform feedback control using the water level detected by the detection unit 121, for example. For example, when the detected water level exceeds a target water level, the control unit 123 may control the discharge amount adjustment valve 122 to increase the amount of water discharged from the water tank 10, and when the detected water level falls below the target water level, the control unit 123 may control the discharge amount adjustment valve 122 to decrease the amount of water discharged from the water tank 10. If the discharge amount adjustment valve 122 is capable of finely adjusting the flow rate, for example, the control unit 123 may adjust the flow rate to adjust the discharge amount so that the amount of wastewater discharged from the water tank 10 to the wastewater flow path 40 and the inflow amount of treated water flowing from the treated water flow path 30 into the water tank 10 are equal.

[0047] By using such a water level adjustment mechanism 100, the amount of wastewater discharged can be adjusted so that the detected water level remains constant, and the water level in the aquarium 10 can be maintained constant. Note that the target water level may be the same for all of the multiple aquariums 10, for example. It is also preferable that the amount of water in the aquaculture system 1 as a whole is adjusted so that the water level in each aquarium 10 can be adjusted to the target water level.

[0048] In addition, separate control units 123 may be used in the water level adjustment mechanisms 100a, 100b that adjust the water levels of the multiple water tanks 10a, 10b, respectively, or a single common control unit 123 may be used.

[0049] (D) Adjustment of the discharge side using a float 5, water level adjustment mechanism 100 may have float 131 that rises and falls according to the water level in water tank 10, discharge adjustment valve 132 for adjusting the amount of wastewater discharged from water tank 10, and connection means 133 that connects float 131 and discharge adjustment valve 132. The amount of wastewater discharged may then be adjusted by discharge adjustment valve 132 according to the rise and fall of float 131.

[0050] Float 131 may be any float that floats on the water in aquarium 10 and rises and falls in response to the rise and fall of the water level in aquarium 10. Float 131 may be the same as float 111, for example.

[0051] The discharge amount adjustment valve 132 may have, for example, a valve seat 132a having a valve hole and a valve element 132b that opens and closes the valve hole of the valve seat 132a from the upstream side. The valve element 132b may be, for example, a ball-shaped valve element. When the valve element 132b moves upstream, the valve hole of the valve seat 132a is opened, and wastewater is discharged from the water tank 10 through the valve hole. On the other hand, when the valve element 132b moves downstream and seats on the valve seat 132a, the valve hole of the valve seat 132a is closed, and wastewater is no longer discharged from the water tank 10. In this way, the discharge amount adjustment valve 132 is opened and closed by the valve element 132b moving toward and away from the valve seat 132a. To be able to adjust the discharge amount for each of the multiple water tanks 10, it is preferable that a discharge amount adjustment valve 132 be provided in each of the flow paths 40a and 40b of the drainage flow path 40 for each of the multiple water tanks 10.

[0052] The connecting means 133 may be, for example, a rod-shaped member, one end of which is fixed to the float 131 and the other end of which is fixed to the valve body 132b. The longitudinal length of the connecting means 133 may be determined so that the water level in the water tank 10 is at a desired height.

[0053] The discharge amount adjustment valve 132 may further include, for example, a guide member that guides the vertical movement of the valve element 132b, and may further include a casing that houses the valve seat 132a, the valve element 132b, and the like.

[0054] When the water level in water tank 10 rises, float 131 also rises accordingly. As float 131 rises, valve element 132b, which is connected to float 131 by connecting means 133, also rises, opening the valve hole in valve seat 132a and increasing the amount of wastewater discharged. On the other hand, as the water level in water tank 10 drops, float 131 also drops accordingly. As float 131 drops, valve element 132b also drops, closing the valve hole in valve seat 132a, reducing the amount of wastewater discharged or preventing it from being discharged at all.

[0055] By using such a water level adjustment mechanism 100, the amount of wastewater discharged can be adjusted so that the height of the float 131 remains constant, and the water level in the water tank 10 can be maintained constant.

[0056] (E) Discharge side adjustment using a biased valve element 6, water level adjustment mechanism 100 is a discharge adjustment valve that adjusts the amount of wastewater discharged from water tank 10, and includes valve seat 141 with a valve hole, and valve element 142 that opens and closes the valve hole from the downstream side, and may optionally further include guide member 143 that guides the vertical movement of valve element 142, and biasing means 144 that biases valve element 142 upward. As the water level in water tank 10 rises and falls, the water pressure in water level adjustment mechanism 100, which is a discharge adjustment valve, changes, opening and closing the valve hole.

[0057] The valve element 142 may be, for example, a ball-shaped valve element. The valve element 142 is biased upward. The valve element 142 may be biased upward by, for example, a biasing means 144, or may be biased upward by the buoyancy of the valve element 142. In the latter case, the water level adjustment mechanism 100 does not need to be equipped with the biasing means 144, and the valve element 142 may be a resin sphere filled with air. In this case, it is preferable that the valve element 142 has a specific gravity smaller than that of water. In this embodiment, a case in which the valve element 142 is biased upward by the biasing means 144, as shown in FIG. 6, will be mainly described.

[0058] The biasing means 144 may be, for example, a spring or rubber. The spring may be, for example, a coil spring. As an example, the biasing means 144 may be a compression coil spring whose lower end is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 143 and whose upper end has the valve body 142 fixed thereto, and which presses the valve body 142 against the valve hole of the valve seat 141 when there is no water in the water tank 10.

[0059] The water level adjustment mechanism 100, which is a discharge adjustment valve, is preferably provided, for example, in each of the flow paths 40a, 40b of the drainage flow path 40 for each of the multiple water tanks 10, so as to be able to adjust the discharge amount for each of the multiple water tanks 10.

[0060] As the water level in the aquarium 10 rises, the water pressure at the position of the valve disc 142 rises accordingly. When the downward force acting on the valve disc 142 in response to the water pressure becomes greater than the upward force acting on the valve disc 142 in response to the biasing force, the valve disc 142 moves downward, the valve hole opens, and wastewater is discharged. On the other hand, as the water level in the aquarium 10 drops, the water pressure at the position of the valve disc 142 decreases accordingly. When the upward force acting on the valve disc 142 in response to the biasing force becomes greater than the downward force acting on the valve disc 142 in response to the water pressure, the valve disc 142 moves upward, the valve hole closes, and wastewater is no longer discharged.

[0061] By using such a water level adjustment mechanism 100, the valve body 142 moves up and down depending on the balance between the spring force acting on the valve body 142 and the water pressure acting on the valve body 142, thereby maintaining a constant water level in the aquarium 10.

[0062] In addition, for example, when the water level adjustment mechanism 100 adjusts the amount of treated water flowing into the aquariums 10 as in (A) and (B) above, the aquaculture system 1 may further include, for example, an on-off valve provided in each of the channels 40a, 40b for each of the multiple aquariums 10 in the drainage channel 40 through which wastewater discharged from the multiple aquariums 10 flows. By including such on-off valves, in the aquaculture system 1, for example, if a disease occurs in one aquarium 10, the on-off valve can close the channel 40a or 40b through which wastewater from that aquarium 10 flows, thereby preventing the disease from spreading to the other aquariums 10.

[0063] Furthermore, for example, in the case where the water level adjustment mechanism 100 adjusts the amount of wastewater discharged from the aquariums 10 as in the above (C), (D), and (E), the aquaculture system 1 may further include, for example, an on-off valve provided in each of the flow paths 30a, 30b of the treated water flow path 30 through which the treated water flows to the plurality of aquariums 10. By including such on-off valves, in the aquaculture system 1, for example, if a disease occurs in a certain aquarium 10, the on-off valve can close the flow path 30a or 30b through which the treated water flows to that aquarium 10, preventing the treated water from flowing into that aquarium 10. As a result, discharge of wastewater from that aquarium 10 can be prevented, and the spread of the disease to other aquariums 10 can be prevented.

[0064] (2) Connecting flow paths 7, the communicating flow path 200 is a flow path that connects a plurality of aquariums 10a, 10b. An aquaculture system 1 including three or more aquariums 10 may, for example, be provided with two or more communicating flow paths 200 that connect the three or more aquariums 10 in series. In this case, for example, a first aquarium 10 and a second aquarium 10 may be connected by a first communicating flow path 200, and the second aquarium 10 and a third aquarium 10 may be connected by a second communicating flow path 200. Furthermore, an aquaculture system 1 including three or more aquariums 10 may, for example, be provided with three or more communicating flow paths 200 that connect the three or more aquariums 10 in a circular manner. In this case, for example, the first aquarium 10 and the second aquarium 10 may be connected by a first communication flow path 200, the second aquarium 10 and the third aquarium 10 may be connected by a second communication flow path 200, and the third aquarium 10 and the first aquarium 10 may be connected by a third communication flow path 200. Furthermore, multiple aquariums 10 may be connected by multiple communication flow paths 200 to form any shape, such as a star shape or a tree shape.

[0065] The communicating flow path 200 may be arranged so that water in one aquarium 10 flows with water in another aquarium 10, for example, at the ideal water level or below the ideal water level. By providing the aquaculture system 1 with one or more such communicating flow paths 200, the water levels of the multiple aquariums 10 can be adjusted to be the same. Therefore, when the total inflow and outflow rates of the multiple aquariums 10 are the same, the communicating flow path 200 can maintain the water levels of the multiple aquariums 10 at a constant level.

[0066] As an example, the opening of the communicating flow path 200 within the aquarium 10 may be located at the ideal water level for that aquarium 10. In this case, when the water level in one aquarium 10 is at the ideal level, water will flow from that aquarium 10 to another aquarium 10 via the communicating flow path 200, and when the water level is insufficient, water can be prevented from flowing to another aquarium 10 via the communicating flow path 200.

[0067] 7, the aquaculture system 1 may further include one or more on-off valves 201 for opening and closing one or more communicating channels 200. By opening and closing the communicating channels 200 with the on-off valves 201, for example, if a disease occurs in one aquarium 10, by closing the on-off valves 201 of all communicating channels 200 connecting that aquarium 10 to the other aquariums 10, water can be prevented from flowing from the diseased aquarium 10 to the other aquariums 10 via the communicating channels 200, thereby preventing the spread of the disease. In this way, it is preferable that the on-off valves 201 are kept open except when a specific aquarium 10 is to be isolated from the other aquariums 10.

[0068] 7, the aquaculture system 1 may further include a plurality of on-off valves 41a, 41b that respectively open and close the channels 40a, 40b in the drainage channel 40 for the plurality of aquariums 10. By opening and closing the channels 40a, 40b with the on-off valves 41a, 41b, for example, if a disease occurs in one aquarium 10, the channel 40a or 40b through which drainage water from that aquarium 10 flows can be closed, preventing water from flowing from the diseased aquarium 10 to other aquariums 10 and preventing the spread of the disease. Needless to say, similar on-off valves 41a, 41b may be provided in the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG.

[0069] 7 may further include, for example, a plurality of on-off valves provided in the flow paths 30a, 30b of the treated water flow path 30 for each of the plurality of aquariums 10. In this case, when isolating a diseased aquarium 10, the on-off valves can be closed to prevent treated water from flowing into that aquarium 10, thereby preventing water from overflowing from the diseased aquarium 10. Needless to say, a similar on-off valve may also be provided in the aquaculture system 1 shown in FIG.

[0070] Next, a method of using the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. First, water is filled into the multiple aquariums 10 and the filtration equipment 20, and the water is circulated by operating the pump 50. At this time, the water level in each aquarium 10 is adjusted by the water level adjustment mechanism 100 or the communicating flow path 200 included in the adjustment mechanism 60. For example, the water level in each aquarium 10 may be maintained constant by the water level adjustment mechanism 100. Alternatively, for example, the water level in the multiple aquariums 10 may be made the same by the communicating flow path 200. Then, by placing aquatic products in each aquarium 10, land-based aquaculture of aquatic products can be realized.

[0071] For example, by increasing the amount of water pumped by the pump 50 as the fishery products grow larger, the flow rate of treated water flowing into each tank 10 can be increased, and the water quality of each tank 10 can be maintained at a suitable level.

[0072] Furthermore, if a disease occurs in the marine products of one of the aquariums 10, that aquarium 10 can be isolated from the other aquariums 10 by closing a valve to prevent the inflow of treated water into that aquarium 10 or the discharge of wastewater from that aquarium 10, or by closing the on-off valve 201 of the communication flow path 200 that connects that aquarium 10 to the other aquariums 10. In this way, the disease in one aquarium 10 can be prevented from spreading to the other aquariums 10.

[0073] As described above, in the aquaculture system 1 according to this embodiment, the treated water flows by gravity from the filtration equipment 20 to the multiple aquariums 10. This means that only the pump 50 for sending wastewater discharged from the multiple aquariums 10 to the filtration equipment 20 is required, thereby achieving energy savings and reducing costs. Furthermore, the water levels in the aquariums 10 can be adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 60. Specifically, the water level adjustment mechanism 100 can adjust the water level in each aquarium 10 to be constant, and the communicating flow path 200 can ensure that the water levels in the multiple aquariums 10 are equal. Therefore, when the treated water flows by gravity from the filtration equipment 20 to the multiple aquariums 10, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the water levels in the multiple aquariums 10 are unbalanced, causing some aquariums 10 to overflow while others run out of water. Furthermore, by closing at least one of the on-off valves provided in the flow paths 30a and 30b of the treated water flow path 30 for each of the plurality of aquariums 10, the on-off valves 41a and 41b provided in the flow paths 40a and 40b of the wastewater flow path 40 for each of the plurality of aquariums 10, and the on-off valve 201 provided in the communication flow path 200, it is possible to isolate one aquarium 10 from the other aquariums 10. Therefore, for example, even if a disease occurs in the marine products of one aquarium 10, the disease can be prevented from spreading to the other aquariums 10.

[0074] 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]

[0075] 1. Aquaculture system 10, 10a, 10b aquariums 20 Filtration equipment 30 Treated water flow path 40 Drainage channel 41a, 201 On-off valve 50 pump 60 Adjustment mechanism 100, 100a, 100b water level adjustment mechanism 101, 121 Detector 102, 112 Inflow control valve 103, 123 Control section 111, 131 float 113, 133 Connection means 122, 132 Discharge control valve 132a, 141 valve seat 132b, 142 valve body 200 Connecting flow path

Claims

1. a plurality of tanks for cultivating marine products; a filtration facility for treating wastewater discharged from the plurality of water tanks; a treated water flow path that guides the treated water treated by the filtration equipment to the plurality of water tanks; a drainage flow path that guides the drainage water discharged from the bottoms of the plurality of water tanks to the filtration equipment; a pump that sends wastewater from the plurality of water tanks to the filtration equipment through the wastewater flow path; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the water levels of the plurality of water tanks; the adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of water level adjustment mechanisms provided in the plurality of water tanks, respectively, for adjusting the water level of each water tank to a constant level; An aquaculture system, wherein the filtration equipment is positioned at a higher position than the plurality of tanks so that the treated water flows naturally into the plurality of tanks through the treated water flow path.

2. The water level adjustment mechanism includes: a detection unit for detecting the water level of the water tank; an inflow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the inflow rate of treated water into the water tank; 2. The aquaculture system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that controls the inflow adjustment valve using the water level detected by the detection unit so that the water level in the aquarium is constant.

3. The water level adjustment mechanism includes: a float that rises and falls according to the water level of the water tank; an inflow rate adjusting valve for adjusting the inflow rate of treated water into the water tank; a connecting means for connecting the float and the inflow rate adjusting valve, The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the inflow rate of the treated water is adjusted by the inflow rate adjustment valve in response to the rise and fall of the float.

4. The water level adjustment mechanism includes: a detection unit for detecting the water level of the water tank; a discharge control valve for controlling the amount of wastewater discharged from the water tank; 2. The aquaculture system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that controls the discharge adjustment valve using the water level detected by the detection unit so that the water level in the aquarium is constant.

5. The water level adjustment mechanism includes: a float that rises and falls according to the water level of the water tank; a discharge control valve for controlling the amount of wastewater discharged from the water tank; a connecting means for connecting the float and the discharge amount adjusting valve, The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge amount of the wastewater is adjusted by the discharge adjustment valve in accordance with the rising and falling of the float.

6. The water level adjustment mechanism is a discharge adjustment valve that adjusts the amount of wastewater discharged from the water tank, a valve seat having a valve hole; a valve body that opens and closes the valve hole from the downstream side and is biased upward, The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the water pressure in the discharge amount adjustment valve changes in response to the rise and fall of the water level in the aquarium, thereby opening and closing the valve hole.

7. The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes one or more communication channels that connect the plurality of aquarium tanks.

8. The aquaculture system according to claim 7, further comprising one or more on-off valves that open and close the one or more communication flow paths, respectively.

9. The aquaculture system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of on-off valves that open and close the drainage flow paths for the plurality of tanks, respectively.

Images