Aquaponics system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an aquaponics system improved in manageability and economic efficiency. [Solution] An aquaponics system 100 is of a closed circulation type in which breeding water is circulated, the system being characterized by including: a first storage part 11 which stores the breeding water and aquatic organisms; a plurality of weir parts 2 which are formed on a side plate of the first storage part 11 and branch and overflow the breeding water; a second storage part 12 which is connected to the first storage part 11 in a horizontal direction and stores plants and the breeding water overflowing from the first storage part 11 through the first weir part 21(2); and a circulation part 13 which circulates the breeding water overflowing from the first storage part 11 through the second weir part 22(2) to the first storage part 11. The second weir part 22(2) may be formed on the side plate of the first storage part 11 or may be formed on a side plate of the second storage part 12.

Description

aquaponics system

[0001] This invention relates to a closed circulation aquaponics system that circulates breeding water to cultivate aquatic organisms on land and plants hydroponically.

[0002] Aquaponics systems, in which aquatic organisms and plants are raised in the same aquaculture water, have been studied. For example, as shown in Figure 11(a), a conventional aquaponics system 8 flows aquaculture water from upstream to the aquaculture tank and then to the hydroponic cultivation tank. However, because the flow rates suitable for raising aquatic organisms and plants differ, a system capable of adjusting different flow rates for the aquaculture tank and the hydroponic cultivation tank was required. For this reason, an improved aquaponics system 9 was developed, in which a water pump for supplying aquaculture water from the aquaculture tank to the hydroponic cultivation tank is used separately from a water pump for supplying aquaculture water to the aquaculture tank, allowing different flow rates to be adjusted for the aquaculture tank and the hydroponic cultivation tank, as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0003] Furthermore, water pumps have management issues, such as being fragile, being difficult to clean, and making it difficult to check for internal deterioration. For this reason, instead of using a water pump, a method of sending water to other tanks via a weir installed on the side panel of the tank may be considered. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for an aquaculture device in which multiple weirs are installed in a waterway-like tank.

[0004] JP 2009-136164 A

[0005] The improved aquaponics system 9 requires a large number of water pumps, which may reduce manageability. The aquaculture device disclosed in Patent Document 1, however, has a drawback in that the water tanks with multiple weirs are tilted or arranged vertically, which facilitates oxygen absorption into the rearing water, quickly flushes out suspended pollutants, and supplies fresh water at a moderate flow rate. However, the vertical water supply increases the power consumption of the water pumps, which may reduce the economic viability of the aquaculture device.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an aquaponics system that is easy to manage and economical.

[0007] The aquaponics system of the first invention is a closed-circulation aquaponics system that circulates breeding water, and is characterized by comprising: a first storage section that stores the breeding water and aquatic organisms; a first weir section and a second weir section formed on the side panels of the first storage section and through which the breeding water respectively overflows; a second storage section that is horizontally connected to the first storage section and stores the breeding water and plants that have overflowed from the first storage section via the first weir section; and a circulation section that circulates the breeding water that has overflowed from the first storage section via the second weir section to the first storage section.

[0008] The aquaponics system of the second invention is a closed-circulation aquaponics system that circulates breeding water, and is characterized by comprising: a first storage section that stores the breeding water and aquatic organisms; a first weir section formed on a side panel of the first storage section and allowing the breeding water to overflow; a second storage section that is horizontally connected to the first storage section and stores the breeding water and plants that have overflowed from the first storage section via the first weir section; a second weir section formed on a side panel of the second storage section and allowing the breeding water to overflow; and a circulation section that circulates the breeding water that has overflowed from the second storage section via the second weir section to the first storage section.

[0009] The aquaponics system of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the first storage section and the second storage section are formed by dividing a single aquarium horizontally.

[0010] The aquaponics system of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, the first storage section is connected to a plurality of independent second storage sections via a plurality of the weir sections.

[0011] The aquaponics system of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, at least one of the weir sections is formed by cutting out the upper part of the side plate of the first storage section to have a cross-section that is approximately U-shaped groove-shaped.

[0012] According to the first to fifth inventions, the aquaponics system includes a second storage unit that stores the culture water and plants that overflow through the first weir unit, and a circulation unit that circulates the culture water that overflows through the second weir unit to the first storage unit. Therefore, by adjusting the overflow rate based on the dimensions of each weir unit, the flow rate of the second storage unit can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the first storage unit without using a water pump. This improves the manageability and economic efficiency of the aquaponics system. Furthermore, because the second storage unit is connected horizontally to the first storage unit, the power consumption of the water pump can be reduced compared to when they are connected vertically. This improves the economic efficiency of the aquaponics system.

[0013] In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the first and second storage sections are formed by dividing a single aquarium horizontally. This reduces the installation area of ​​each storage section. Furthermore, compared to a system with multiple aquariums, the materials for the other aquariums and the piping connecting the aquariums are not required, reducing the costs of materials, construction, maintenance, and labor required for material management and arranging for construction. This further improves the economic efficiency of the aquaponics system.

[0014] In particular, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first container is connected to a plurality of independent second containers via a plurality of weirs, which allows different varieties of plants to be cultivated simultaneously, thereby improving the convenience of the aquaponics system.

[0015] In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the weir sections is formed by cutting out the upper part of the side panel of the first storage section in a generally U-shaped groove shape in cross section. This makes it easy to visually check the deterioration of the weir section from above, further improving the manageability of the aquaponics system.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 2(a) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an aquaponics system of this embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic side view showing an example of a dam unit constituting the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the operation of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c) are schematic side views showing modified examples of the dam unit constituting the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a first modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the operation of the first modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing a second modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the operation of the second modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a third modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the operation of the third modified example of the aquaponics system of this embodiment. 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic plan views showing an example of a conventional aquaponics system.

[0017] An example of an aquaponics system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, a first horizontal direction X is defined, one direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction X is defined as a second horizontal direction Y, and a direction perpendicular to each of the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y is defined as a height direction Z. The configurations in each drawing are shown schematically for the purpose of explanation, and for example, the size of each component and the size comparison between components may differ from those shown in the drawings.

[0018] (Aquaponics System 100) An example of an aquaponics system 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] The aquaponics system 100 is a closed circulation system in which aquatic organisms are cultivated and plants are hydroponically grown by circulating the same breeding water.

[0020] Here, the breeding water may be any known breeding water used in conventional aquaponics. Aquatic organisms include animals that live in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, groundwater, and oceans. Specifically, these include, for example, pelagic animals with excellent swimming ability, planktonic animals that are not able to swim, and benthic animals that live on the bottom of the water. Examples of pelagic animals include fish (medaka, Vesteral sturgeon, etc.), whales, squid, and aquatic insects. Plants are those that can be grown hydroponically, specifically, Asteraceae plants (leaf lettuce, etc.), Amaranthaceae plants (spinach, Swiss chard, etc.), Amaryllidaceae plants (leek, etc.), Umbelliferae plants (parsley, etc.), and Brassicaceae plants (watercress, wasabi greens, etc.).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1 , the aquaponics system 100 includes an aquarium 1 including a first storage section 11 for storing culture water and aquatic organisms and a second storage section 12 for storing culture water and plants. The aquaponics system 100 also includes, for example, a circulation section 13 and multiple weir sections 2 (21, 22, 23, 24). The second storage section 12 is horizontally connected to the first storage section 11 and stores culture water that overflows from the first storage section 11 via the first weir section 21. The circulation section 13 circulates the culture water that overflows from the first storage section 11 back to the first storage section 11 via the second weir section 22. In this case, by adjusting the overflow rate by adjusting the dimensions of each weir section 21, 22, the flow rate of the second storage section 12 can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the first storage section 11 without using a water pump P. This improves the manageability and economy of the aquaponics system 100. In addition, since the second storage unit 12 is connected to the first storage unit 11 in the horizontal direction (a planar direction including the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y), the power consumption of the water pump P can be reduced compared to when they are connected in the height direction Z. This improves the economy of the aquaponics system 100.

[0022] The aquaponics system 100 may include, for example, a first storage section 11 and a second storage section 12 formed by horizontally dividing a single aquarium tank 1. In this case, the second storage section 12 is horizontally connected to the first storage section 11, thereby reducing the power consumption of the water pump P. Furthermore, compared to a system including multiple aquarium tanks, the need for additional tank materials and piping connecting the tanks is eliminated, thereby reducing the associated material costs, construction costs, maintenance costs, labor hours required for material management and arranging for construction staff, and other costs. This improves the economic efficiency of the aquaponics system 100. The aquaponics system 100 may also include one aquarium tank 1 including the first storage section 11 and another aquarium tank 1 including the second storage section 12.

[0023] The aquaponics system 100 may further include, for example, a biological filtration tank A. For example, a known porous filter medium containing bacteria is used as the biological filtration tank A. The biological filtration tank A may be placed in the breeding water in the first storage unit 11, for example.

[0024] <Aquarium 1> The aquarium 1 includes a first storage section 11 for storing aquatic organisms for aquaculture and a second storage section 12 for storing plants for hydroponic cultivation. The material of the aquarium 1 is, for example, concrete or resin.

[0025] The aquarium 1 may be provided with a drain groove D recessed downward at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 2, for example. The drain groove D may be configured to connect the bottom of the first storage section 11, the bottom of the second storage section 12, and the external space of the aquarium 1, so that the rearing water in the first storage section 11 and the second storage section 12 can be drained to the external space by opening the bottom. In this case, the rearing water in the first storage section 11 and the second storage section 12 can be drained to the external space together. This improves the manageability of the aquaponics system 100.

[0026] <First Storage Section 11> The first storage section 11 stores breeding water and aquatic organisms for aquaculture. The material of the first storage section 11 is the same as that of the aquarium tank 1, for example.

[0027] 1, the first storage section 11 has a rectangular shape in a plan view and includes side plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d. The first storage section 11 has one or more dam sections 2 formed on at least one of the side plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d.

[0028] <Second storage section 12> The second storage section 12 stores breeding water and hydroponic plants. The second storage section 12 is connected to the first storage section 11 in the horizontal direction, for example. The second storage section 12 is made of the same material as the aquarium 1, for example.

[0029] The second storage section 12 has, for example, a rectangular shape in a plan view and includes side plates 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d. The second storage section 12 has, for example, one or more dam portions 2 formed on at least one of the side plates 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d.

[0030] 1, the combination of side plate 11b and side plate 12b, the combination of side plate 12a, the combination of side plate 12c and side plate 11c, and side plate 11d make up the side plates of water tank 1. Side plate 12d and side plate 11a may also be made from a single plate material.

[0031] <Circulation unit 13> The circulation unit 13 circulates the rearing water that has overflowed through the weir unit 2 to the first storage unit 11. The circulation unit 13 circulates the rearing water that has overflowed from the first storage unit 11 through, for example, the weir unit 2 to the first storage unit 11.

[0032] The circulation unit 13 includes, for example, a guide unit 131 , a water storage tank 132 , a physical filter tank 133 , and a sterilization device 134 .

[0033] <Guide unit 131> The guide unit 131 is, for example, a known water supply pipe. The guide unit 131 circulates the rearing water by guiding the rearing water that has overflowed through the weir unit 2 to the first storage unit 11, for example.

[0034] <Water tank 132> The water tank 132 is a known water tank that stores rearing water. The water tank 132 is provided in the path of the guide section 131, and rearing water flows in from the guide section 131, while the rearing water in the tank flows out to the guide section 131. The water tank 132 is provided with, for example, a water supply pump P, and the rearing water in the tank flows out to the guide section 131 using the water supply pump P as a power source.

[0035] <Physical filter tank 133> The physical filter tank 133 is a known filter tank such as a sponge that physically filters out foreign matter in the breeding water. The physical filter tank 133 is provided in the path of the guide part 131, and the breeding water flows into the physical filter tank 133 from the guide part 131, and the breeding water in the tank flows out to the guide part 131.

[0036] <Sterilization device 134> A known ultraviolet sterilization and purification device, an ozone generator, a hypochlorous acid water generator, etc., that sterilizes the breeding water is used as the sterilization device 134. The sterilization device 134 is provided in the path of the guide part 131, and the breeding water flows in from the guide part 131, while the breeding water in the tank flows out to the guide part 131.

[0037] <Weir section 2> The weir section 2 is an opening that is provided on the flow path of the rearing water in the aquaponics system 100, and controls the flow rate of the rearing water in the first storage section 11 or the second storage section 12 by controlling the overflow rate of the rearing water. A plurality of weir sections 2 are formed on the side plate of the aquarium 1. The weir sections 2 are formed, for example, by drilling into the side plate of the aquarium 1 or by cutting out the side plate.

[0038] The weir section 2 includes a first weir section 21 and a second weir section 22. In the example of FIG. 1 , the weir section 2 includes the first weir section 21 formed on the side plate 11a and the second weir section 22 formed on the side plate 11b. The weir section 2 may further include, for example, a weir section 23 formed on the side plate 12c and a weir section 24 formed on the side plate 12b. The first weir section 21 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the first storage section 11 to the second storage section 12. The second weir section 22 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the first storage section 11 to the guide section 131. The weir section 23 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the upstream of the second storage section 12 to the guide section 131. The weir section 24 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from downstream of the second storage section 12 to the guide section 131.

[0039] 2, the weir section 2 is formed by cutting out the upper part of at least one of the side plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d of the first storage section 11 so that the cross section is roughly a U-shaped groove. In this case, the deterioration state of the weir section 2 can be easily seen from above. This further improves the manageability of the aquaponics system 100.

[0040] The dimensions of the dam portion 2 are designed based on, for example, the following formulas (1) and (2).

[0041]

[0042] Here, for equations (1) and (2), Q is the overflow volume of the rearing water [m 3 / s], C is the flow coefficient [m 1 / 2 / s], b is the horizontal width of the weir section 2 [m], h is the overflow water depth [m], W is the height from the bottom of the waterway to the weir section 2 [m], and B is the horizontal width [m] in a plane perpendicular to the flow direction of the rearing water in the first storage section 11 and the second storage section 12.

[0043] For example, for the first weir portion 21, when b = 0.85 [m], h = 0.05 [m], W = 0.45 [m], and B = 0.85 [m], the overflow rate Q = 0.0009943 ... [m 3 / s] = approximately 60 [L / min]. In addition, for the second weir portion 22, when b = 0.75 [m], h = 0.03 [m], W = 0.47 [m], and B = 2.4 [m], the overflow rate Q = 0.0073485 ... [m] 3 / s] = approximately 441 [L / min]. In this way, by adjusting the overflow rate Q of each of the first and second weir sections 21 and 22 through dimensional design, the flow rate of the rearing water in the second storage section 12 can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the rearing water in the first storage section 11.

[0044] For this reason, in conventional aquaponics systems, there was a concern that if the breeding water in the second storage section 12 was flowing at the flow rate (flow rate) required for aquaculture, the plants in the second storage section 12 would not be able to absorb enough nutrients or their roots would be washed away, thereby inhibiting their growth.However, with the aquaponics system of the present invention, the flow rate of the breeding water in the second storage section 12 can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the breeding water in the first storage section 11, so the plants can be cultivated properly without being subjected to excessive flow rates (flow rates).

[0045] In addition to the above-mentioned examples, the shape of the dam section 2 may be a hole shape drilled in at least one of the side plates 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d of the first storage section 11, a shape in which the bottom of the side plate is cut out, or a mesh shape constructed using wire mesh or the like.

[0046] (Example of Operation of Aquaponics System 100) Next, an example of operation of the aquaponics system 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] First, the aquaponics system 100 causes the breeding water in the first storage section 11 to flow from upstream to downstream along the second horizontal direction Y (S11).

[0048] After S11, the aquaponics system 100 causes the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 to flow into the second storage unit 12 by overflowing the first weir unit 21 along the first horizontal direction X (S12). Also, the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 is caused to flow into the guide unit 131 by overflowing the second weir unit 22 along the second horizontal direction Y (S13).

[0049] After S12, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the second storage unit 12 to flow downstream in the second storage unit 12 along the second horizontal direction Y, and causes the rearing water to overflow the weir portion 23 and flow from downstream in the second storage unit 12 to the guide portion 131 (S14). Also, the upstream rearing water in the second storage unit 12 causes the rearing water to overflow the weir portion 24 along the second horizontal direction Y, branch off from upstream in the second storage unit 12, and flow to the guide portion 131 (S15).

[0050] Next, the aquaponics system 100 guides the rearing water that has overflowed the second weir section 22 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S13 to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131. Similarly, the rearing water that has overflowed the weir section 23 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S14 and the rearing water that has overflowed the weir section 24 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S15 are also guided to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131 (S16).

[0051] After S16, the aquaponics system 100 circulates the breeding water in the water tank 132 upstream in the first storage section 11 via the physical filtration tank 133 and the sterilization device 134 using the water pump P as a power source (S17).

[0052] By repeating the above operations, the aquaponics system 100 can circulate the breeding water. The breeding water in the first storage unit 11 and the breeding water in the second storage unit 12 may flow in the same direction or in different directions.

[0053] In the second storage unit 12, for example, the rearing water inside may flow in a direction different from the flow direction of the rearing water in the first storage unit 11. In other words, the rearing water is likely to flow to the ends of each storage unit 11, 12. This makes it easier for nutrients in the rearing water to be distributed throughout each storage unit 11, 12, and impurities are less likely to remain in each storage unit 11, 12. This improves the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0054] (First Modification of the Aquaponics System 100) The first weir section 21 (weir section 2) may be provided with a lid 20, as shown in FIG. 4(a), for example. The lid 20 may be any obstacle that can obstruct the flow of the rearing water, and may be, for example, a concrete block. That is, the horizontal width b of the weir section 2 may be adjusted by the lid 20. In this case, the overflow rate of the weir section 2 can be easily adjusted. This improves the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0055] 4(b) to 4(c), the first weir section 21 (weir section 2) may have a fixed section 201 where the lid 20 is fixed to the side panel 11a, and a movable section 202 supported by the fixed section 201, and the movable section 202 may be movable horizontally or vertically. That is, the horizontal width b of the weir section 2 may be adjusted by the movable section 202 of the lid 20. In this case as well, the overflow rate of the weir section 2 can be easily adjusted, improving the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0056] (Second Modification of Aquaponics System 100) The aquaponics system 100 may include a plurality of second storage sections 12, 12', as shown in Fig. 5. The one or more weir sections 3 included in the aquaponics system 100 of this modification have the same shape, dimensions, function, etc. as the weir section 2 described above.

[0057] <Second storage section 12'> Second storage section 12' is, for example, rectangular in plan view and has side plates 12'a, 12'b, 12'c, and 12'd. In the example of Fig. 5, the side plates of aquarium 1 are made up of a combination of side plate 11b and side plate 12'b, a combination of side plate 12'a and side plate 12a, a combination of side plate 12c and side plate 11c, and side plate 11d. Furthermore, side plate 11a, side plate 12d, and side plate 12'd, and side plate 12b and side plate 12'c may each be made up of a single plate material.

[0058] <Weir portion 3> Weir portion 3 includes, for example, weir portion 31 formed on side plate 12d (upstream side of side plate 11a), weir portion 32 formed on side plate 12'd, weir portion 33 formed on side plate 11b, weir portion 34 formed on side plate 12a, and weir portion 35 formed on side plate 12'a.

[0059] Weir section 31 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the first storage section 11 to the second storage section 12. Weir section 32 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the first storage section 11 to the second storage section 12'. Weir section 33 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the first storage section 11 to the guide section 131. Weir section 34 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the second storage section 12 to the guide section 131. Weir section 35 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from the second storage section 12' to the guide section 131.

[0060] That is, the first storage section 11 is connected to a plurality of independent second storage sections 12, 12' via a plurality of weir sections 3 (weir sections 31, 32). In this case, different varieties of plants can be cultivated simultaneously. This improves the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0061] (Example of operation of the second modified example of the aquaponics system 100) As shown in Figure 6, the aquaponics system 100 first causes the breeding water in the first storage section 11 to flow from upstream to downstream along the second horizontal direction Y (S21).

[0062] Before and after S21, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 to flow into the second storage unit 12 by overflowing the weir portion 31 along the first horizontal direction X (S22a). The downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 also flows into the second storage unit 12' by overflowing the weir portion 32 along the first horizontal direction X (S22b). The downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 also flows into the guide portion 131 by overflowing the weir portion 33 along the second horizontal direction Y (S23).

[0063] After S22a, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the second storage section 12 to flow along the second horizontal direction Y toward downstream within the second storage section 12, and causes the water to overflow the weir section 34 and flow from downstream within the second storage section 12 to the guide section 131 (S24).

[0064] After S22b, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the second storage section 12′ to flow along the first horizontal direction X toward downstream within the second storage section 12, and causes the water to overflow the weir section 35 and flow from downstream within the second storage section 12′ to the guide section 131 (S25).

[0065] Next, the aquaponics system 100 guides the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 33 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S23 to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131. Similarly, the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 34 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S24 and the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 35 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S25 are also guided to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131 (S26).

[0066] After S26, the aquaponics system 100 circulates the breeding water in the water tank 132 upstream in the first storage section 11 via the physical filtration tank 133 and the sterilization device 134 using the water pump P as a power source (S27).

[0067] By repeating the above operations, the aquaponics system 100 can circulate the breeding water.

[0068] (Third Modification of Aquaponics System 100) The aquaponics system 100 may include a plurality of first storage sections 11, 11', as shown in Fig. 7. The one or more weir sections 4 included in the aquaponics system 100 of this modification have the same shape, dimensions, function, etc. as the weir section 2 described above.

[0069] <First storage section 11'> First storage section 11' is, for example, rectangular in plan view and has side plates 11'a, 11'b, 11'c, and 11'd. In the example of Figure 7, the side plates of aquarium 1 are made up of a combination of side plate 11b, side plate 11b', and side plate 12b, a combination of side plate 12a, side plate 12c, side plate 11'c, and side plate 11c, and side plate 11d. Side plate 12'd and side plate 11'a, and side plate 11'd and side plate 11a, may each be made up of a single plate material.

[0070] <Weir portion 4> Weir portion 4 includes, for example, a weir portion 41 formed on the upstream side of side plate 11'd (upstream side of side plate 11a), a weir portion 42 formed on the downstream side of side plate 11'd (downstream side of side plate 11a), a weir portion 43 formed on side plate 11b, a weir portion 44 formed on side plate 12d (side plate 11'a), and a weir portion 45 formed on side plate 11'b.

[0071] Weir section 41 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from upstream of first storage section 11 to upstream of first storage section 11'. Weir section 42 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from downstream of first storage section 11 to downstream of first storage section 11'. Weir section 43 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from first storage section 11 to guide section 131. Weir section 44 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from first storage section 11' to second storage section 12. Weir section 45 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from first storage section 11' to guide section 131. Weir section 46 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from second storage section 12 to guide section 131.

[0072] (Example of operation of the third modified example of the aquaponics system 100) As shown in Figure 8, the aquaponics system 100 first causes the breeding water in the first storage section 11 to flow from upstream to downstream along the second horizontal direction Y (S31).

[0073] Before and after S31, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 to flow upstream of the first storage unit 11′ by overflowing the weir portion 41 along the first horizontal direction X (S32a). Also, the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 to flow downstream of the first storage unit 11′ by overflowing the weir portion 42 along the first horizontal direction X (S32b). Also, the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11 to flow branched and into the guide portion 131 by overflowing the weir portion 43 along the second horizontal direction Y (S33).

[0074] After S32a, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the first housing unit 11' to flow downstream in the first housing unit 11' along the second horizontal direction Y (S34).

[0075] After S32b or S34, the aquaponics system 100 causes the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11′ to flow into the second storage unit 12 by overflowing the weir portion 44 along the first horizontal direction X (S35). Also, the downstream rearing water in the first storage unit 11′ to flow into the guide portion 131 by overflowing the weir portion 45 along the second horizontal direction Y (S36).

[0076] After S35, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the second storage section 12 to flow along the second horizontal direction Y toward downstream within the second storage section 12, and causes the water to overflow the weir section 46 and flow from downstream within the second storage section 12 to the guide section 131 (S37).

[0077] Next, the aquaponics system 100 guides the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 43 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S33 to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131. Similarly, the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 45 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S36 and the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 46 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S46 are also guided to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131 (S38).

[0078] After S38, the aquaponics system 100 circulates the breeding water in the water tank 132 upstream in the first storage section 11 via the physical filtration tank 133 and the sterilization device 134 using the water pump P as a power source (S39).

[0079] By repeating the above operations, the aquaponics system 100 can circulate the breeding water.

[0080] (Fourth Modification of Aquaponics System 100) The aquaponics system 100 may include a first storage unit 11 and multiple second storage units 12, 12', which are connected in series, as shown in Fig. 9. The one or more weir units 5 included in the aquaponics system 100 of this modification have the same shape, dimensions, function, etc. as the weir unit 2 described above.

[0081] 9, the combination of side plate 12b and side plate 12b', the combination of side plate 12'a, side plate 12'c and side plate 11c, and the combination of side plate 11d and side plate 12d make up the side plates of water tank 1. Furthermore, side plate 11a, side plate 12a and side plate 12'd, and side plate 11b and side plate 12c may each be made from a single plate material.

[0082] <Weir portion 5> The weir portion 5 includes, for example, a weir portion 51 formed on side plate 11b (side plate 12c), a weir portion 52 formed on side plate 12b, a weir portion 53 formed on side plate 12a (side plate 12'd), a weir portion 54 formed on side plate 12'c, and a weir portion 55 formed on side plate 12'b.

[0083] Weir section 51 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from first storage section 11 to second storage section 12. Weir section 52 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from second storage section 12 to guide section 131. Weir section 53 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from second storage section 12 to second storage section 12'. Weir section 54 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from downstream of second storage section 12' to guide section 131. Weir section 55 controls the flow rate of rearing water flowing from upstream of second storage section 12' to guide section 131.

[0084] That is, the circulation unit 13 circulates the rearing water that has overflowed from the second storage unit 12 to the first storage unit 11 via the weir unit 52. In this case, by adjusting the overflow amount by adjusting the dimensions of each weir unit 5, the flow rate of the second storage unit 12 can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the first storage unit 11 without using a water pump P. This improves the manageability and economy of the aquaponics system 100.

[0085] (Example of operation of the fourth variant of the aquaponics system 100) As shown in Figure 10, the aquaponics system 100 first causes the rearing water in the first storage section 11 to flow from upstream to downstream along the second horizontal direction Y, and overflows the weir section 51 to flow from within the first storage section 11 to the second storage section 12 (S41).

[0086] After S41, the aquaponics system 100 causes the rearing water in the second storage unit 12 to flow into the second storage unit 12′ by overflowing the weir unit 53 along the first horizontal direction X (S42). Also, the rearing water in the second storage unit 12 flows into the guide unit 131 by overflowing the weir unit 52 along the second horizontal direction Y (S43).

[0087] After S42, the aquaponics system 100 causes the upstream rearing water in the second storage unit 12′ to flow downstream in the second storage unit 12′ along the second horizontal direction Y, and causes the rearing water to overflow the weir portion 54 and flow from downstream in the second storage unit 12′ to the guide portion 131 (S44). Also, the upstream rearing water in the second storage unit 12′ causes the rearing water to overflow the weir portion 55 along the second horizontal direction Y and flow to the guide portion 131 (S45).

[0088] Next, the aquaponics system 100 guides the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 52 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S43 to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131. Similarly, the rearing water that overflowed the weir section 55 and flowed into the guide section 131 in S45 is also guided to the water storage tank 132 by the guide section 131 (S46).

[0089] After S46, the aquaponics system 100 circulates the breeding water in the water tank 132 upstream in the first storage section 11 via the physical filtration tank 133 and the sterilization device 134 using the water pump P as a power source (S47).

[0090] By repeating the above operations, the aquaponics system 100 can circulate the breeding water.

[0091] According to this embodiment, the aquaponics system 100 includes a second storage section 12 that stores the culture water and plants that have overflowed through the first weir section 21 (weir section 31, weir section 32, weir section 44, weir section 51), and a circulation section 13 that circulates the culture water that has overflowed through the second weir section 22 (weir section 23, weir section 24, weir section 33, weir section 34, weir section 35, weir section 43, weir section 45, weir section 46, weir section 52, weir section 54, weir section 55) to the first storage section 11. Therefore, by adjusting the overflow rate depending on the dimensions of each weir section 2 (3, 4, 5), the flow rate of the second storage section 12 can be adjusted independently of the flow rate of the first storage section 11 without using a water pump P. This improves the manageability and economy of the aquaponics system 100. In addition, since the second storage unit 12 is connected to the first storage unit 11 in the horizontal direction (a planar direction including the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y), the power consumption of the water pump P can be reduced compared to when they are connected in the vertical direction Z. This can improve the economic efficiency of the aquaponics system 100.

[0092] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first storage section 11 and the second storage section 12 are formed by dividing one aquarium 1 horizontally. Furthermore, compared to a system having multiple aquariums, the materials for the other aquariums and the piping connecting the aquariums are not required, which reduces the costs of materials, construction, maintenance, and labor required for material management and arranging for construction workers. This reduces the installation area of ​​each storage section 11, 12. This further improves the economic efficiency of the aquaponics system 100.

[0093] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the rearing water in the second storage unit 12 flows in a direction different from the flow direction of the rearing water in the first storage unit 11. In other words, the rearing water easily flows to the ends of each storage unit 11, 12. This makes it easier for nutrients in the rearing water to be distributed throughout each storage unit 11, 12, and impurities are less likely to remain in each storage unit 11, 12. This improves the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0094] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first storage unit 11 is connected to a plurality of independent second storage units 12, 12' via a plurality of weir units 2 (weir units 31, 32). This allows different varieties of plants to be cultivated simultaneously. This improves the convenience of the aquaponics system 100.

[0095] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, at least one of the weir sections 2 is formed by cutting out the upper part of the side plate 11a (side plate 11b) of the first storage section 11 so that the cross section is roughly a U-shaped groove. Therefore, the deterioration state of the weir section 2 can be easily visually confirmed from above. This further improves the manageability of the aquaponics system 100.

[0096] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0097] 100 Aquaponics system 1 Aquarium 11 First storage section 11a to 11d Side plate (of first storage section) 12 Second storage section 12a to 12d Side plate (of second storage section) 13 Circulation section 131 Guide section 132 Water storage tank 133 Physical filtration tank 134 Sterilization device 2 Weir section 20 Lid 201 Fixed section 202 Movable section 21 to 24 Weir section 3 Weir section (of first modified example) 31 to 35 Weir section (of first modified example) 4 Weir section (of second modified example) 41 to 46 Weir section (of second modified example) 5 Weir section (of third modified example) 51 to 55 Weir section (of third modified example) 8 Conventional aquaponics system 9 Improved aquaponics system P Water pump D Drainage groove S11-17, S21-27, S31-39, S41-47 (breeding water) flow direction

Claims

1. A closed-circulation aquaponics system that circulates breeding water, comprising: a first storage section that stores the breeding water and aquatic organisms; a first weir section and a second weir section formed on the side panels of the first storage section and through which the breeding water respectively overflows; a second storage section that is horizontally connected to the first storage section and stores the breeding water and plants that have overflowed from the first storage section via the first weir section; and a circulation section that circulates the breeding water that has overflowed from the first storage section via the second weir section to the first storage section.

2. A closed-circulation aquaponics system that circulates breeding water, comprising: a first storage section that stores the breeding water and aquatic organisms; a first weir section formed on a side panel of the first storage section and allowing the breeding water to overflow; a second storage section that is horizontally connected to the first storage section and stores the breeding water and plants that have overflowed from the first storage section via the first weir section; a second weir section formed on a side panel of the second storage section and allowing the breeding water to overflow; and a circulation section that circulates the breeding water that has overflowed from the second storage section via the second weir section to the first storage section.

3. The aquaponics system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first storage section and the second storage section are formed by dividing a single aquarium tank horizontally.

4. An aquaponics system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rearing water in the second storage section flows in a direction different from the flow direction of the rearing water in the first storage section.

5. An aquaponics system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first storage section is connected to a plurality of independent second storage sections via a plurality of weir sections.

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