Entrainment pump for fish

Abstract

This document describes an entrainment pump (100) for transport of fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass from a first location to a second location, where the entrainment pump (100) comprises: - a pump channel (200) extending in a length direction (L), where the pump channel (200) comprises at least one channel wall (210), a channel inlet (201), and a channel outlet (202); where the at least one channel wall (210) comprises a plurality of thorough fluid flow through openings (211) where fluid mass can flow through; - at least one entrainment device (600) arranged along the at least one channel wall (210); where the at least one entrainment device (600) is arranged to move the fluid mass from the inlet (201) to the outlet (202) of the pump channel (200).

Description

[0001] TITLE: Entrainment pump

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to an entrainment pump to transport fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass from a first location to a second location. Further, the present invention relates to the use of said entrainment pump.

[0004] Background of the invention

[0005] Transport of fish is done between many different fish handling operations, be between a fish cage and a wellboat, from a wellboat to a waiting cage, from a waiting cage to a wellboat to a slaughterhous etc. There are strict rules to fish welfare of living fish, both by fish farming, fishing, towing, transport and storing. Equipment, including fish pumps, shout be designed so that injuries are avoided and thus ensuring good fish health and low mortality. This also contributes to increased quality on the slaughtered fish. The fish farming and the fishing industry is an industry being economically strong and willing to pay. Therefore, a lot of research and development is taking place in the products the industry uses. The biomass in the industry is constantly increasing and has increased significantly since the start of farming in the 1970s. Previously, it was mostly during the release of smolt and during slaughter that biomass had to be pumped.

[0006] Sea lice have gradually become a considerable problem, and a large part of the lice treatment is now carried out onboard well boats / barges where fish pumping for treatment has increased dramatically. This means that the fish is being pumped more often than before. Based on a desire for minimal damage, both in terms of fish welfare and economy and quality of the end product, there has been a great deal of investment in this area. This has been an important contributor to the suppliers having put considerable innovation work to come up with the best solutions. Also for dead slaughtered fish is it a desire of gentle treatment of the fish during pumping to avoid damage on the fish.

[0007] Different methods for pumping of fish exists today. With increasing requirements for efficiency, large well boats, larger lifting height, and not least increasing focus on fish welfare, the fishing industry is being forced to continually find better and more gentle solutions while handling fish. This to maintain best possible quality on the fish meat and simultaneously protect living fish in a best possible way. Vacuum pumping is a pumping system giving satisfactory lifting height. Is works by a pump drawing vacuum in a tank where inlet is laid down in for example a fish cage. The vacuum created draws water and fish into the tank. When the tank is full, the pump is stopped and a check valve in the inlet of the tank is closed and thereafter the pump starts to press water into the inlet of the tank where water and fish in the tank are pushed further out of the tank and up to for example a factory. The main problem associated with this method is that fish and water are pumped into an empty tank with subsequent potential for damage to the fish. Between the changes, the pumping process stops so that fish that where just in front of the fish cage inlet move away and thus this, together with the changeover time itself, will increase the period of time during which fish are not pumped. The check valves have a great potential for damage by the fish skin scraping against them when closing or the fish getting trapped in the valves.

[0008] Another system is a pump drawing fish and water into the pump where water together with the fish passes through the impeller of the pump. The impeller is formed such that the fish is treated in the best possible and gentle way and thus the rotational speed is also severely limited. There is also a risk here that the fish may get trapped, often in connection with the rotating impeller. Furthermore, a pump system is driven by an ejector system. The water that is pumped is also used as a driving fluid. This means that water is sucked up by an external pump that pumps this water back into the system through one or more nozzle systems in order to use the ejector effect to pump fish. The challenges are that the pump sucks from the same closed system as the ejector and thus the suction will largely cancel out the ejector effect. The ejector pumps often provide a limited lift height of up to 3 meters. These ejector systems require a separate centrifugal pump or displacement pump.

[0009] NO337898B1 shows a device for pumping particles in a liquid, especially living fish in water, where a chamber absorbs liquid and particles from a liquid volume through a closed channel, as the chamber is connected to the suction side of the ejector and pump to create a negative pressure in the chamber. At the same time, gas supplied from the compressor and into the liquid column in the chamber contributes to further acceleration of the liquid flow through the chamber. The ejector is driven by liquid flow out of the pump or by gas from the compressor. The closed channel is connected to a check valve, which prevents liquid and particles from returning to the liquid volume. Liquid and particles are led out of the chamber and through the ejector, and from there into the closed channel and on to the receiving unit.

[0010] WO1 980 / 00471 describes a pump for pumping large solid particles by means of a rotary pump with an impeller consisting of a flat disc together with a number of other discs standing closely in pairs at a distance from the impeller's flat disc forming the pump's rotor. Due to friction of the fluid on the surface of the discs during rotation of the rotor, a centrifugal force arises which drives the fluid outwards towards the periphery of the discs.

[0011] Traditional pumps for pumping fluids such as water often produce a rotating / turbulent water flow out of the pump. This turbulence is detrimental for the fish, as the fish or object being pumped gets an unwanted direction and is thrown towards and pulled along the wall and gets friction against the surface which can for example damage the fish skin, fish eye etc., or get stuck across the pipe that is led out of the pump and clog the pipe together with the objects or fish that follow. Both detrimental outcomes.

[0012] It is different challenges connected to pumping of fish and / or marine animals. The fish and / or the marine animals shall preferably be transported through the system as fast, but simultaneously as gently as possible. The challenges in existing pumps may be too high pumping pressure, sharp edges in transitions in pipes, areas where the fish is not surrounded by water and so on. An easy and compact design which is cheap to produce and easy to maintain, is preferred. It is therefore a need for a pumping device than can solve many of the challenges one is facing today, without compromising the welfare of the living fish and marine animals and the quality on dead fish and marine animals.

[0013] Object of the present invention

[0014] It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an entrainment to transport fish and / or marine animals in a gentle way.

[0015] It is also an object of the present invention to provide an entrainment being easy to manufacture and easy to maintain.

[0016] It is also an object of the present invention to provide an entrainment being cheap to manufacture and maintain.

[0017] It is further an object of the present invention to provide an entrainment being scalable in relation to needed lifting height and wanted size of the fish and / or the marine animals being transported.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide an entrainment that generally safeguard the welfare of the fish during transport.

[0019] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pumping device having an easy start-up.

[0020] These objects are being achieved by a pumping device as defined in claim 1 . Further embodiments of the pumping device are specified in the dependent claims.

[0021] Summary of the invention Throughout the description of the invention, the following terms means:

[0022] The term “entrainment pump” is used to describe a device transporting fluid and fish and / or marine animals from one place to another.

[0023] The term “water” is the medium in which the fish and / or marine animals to be pumped are and can be water or seawater (i.e. salt water).

[0024] The term “entrainment device” is used to describe a device transporting fluid and fish and / or marine elements in the fluid from one place to another.

[0025] The term “fluid” is the medium where the fish and / or marine animals to be transported are, and can be water, seawater (i.e. salt water), air or a mixture of two or more of these.

[0026] The term “fish and / or other marine animals” comprises preferably fish, living or dead, but is not limited to comprise only fish, it may comprise other current living or dead creatures such as shrimps, fry and smolt or other creatures that are in the sea (or in a cage / pond), in a storage tank in water or on a vessel or on land, or similar, and that are to be transported (i.e. pumped) from one location to another.

[0027] In a first aspect, an entrainment pump is provided to transport fish and / or other marine animals in a mass of fluid from a first location to another location. The entrainment pump comprises a pump channel extending in a longitudinal direction L, where the pump channel comprises a channel inlet for intake of fish and / or other marine animals in a mass of fluid and a channel section with at least one channel wall. The at least on channel wall comprises a plurality of thorough fluid flow openings through which fluid mas can flow through. At least one entrainment device is arranged along the at least one channel wall. The at least one entrainment device is arranged to move the fluid mass from the inlet to the outlet of the pump channel. In embodiments, the entrainment pump comprises at least two entrainment devices arranged around the pump channel.

[0028] In embodiments, the entrainment pump comprises at least three entrainment devices arranged around the pump channel.

[0029] In embodiments, the entrainment pump comprises at least four entrainment devices arranged around the pump channel.

[0030] In embodiments, the entrainment devices are evenly distributed around the pump channel.

[0031] In embodiments, at least two entrainment devices are arranged one after the other in longitudinal direction of the pump channel along the at least one channel wall.

[0032] In embodiments, at least two entrainment devices are arranged one after the other in longitudinal direction of the pump channel along each channel wall.

[0033] In embodiments, the pump channel comprises three channel walls.

[0034] In embodiments, the three channel walls forms a triangular cross-section.

[0035] In embodiments, the three channel walls forms an isosceles triangular crosssection.

[0036] In embodiments, the pump channel comprises four channel walls.

[0037] In embodiments, the four channel walls forms a four-sided cross-section.

[0038] In embodiments, the four channel walls forms a square cross-section.

[0039] In embodiments, the entrainment device is a conveyor belt. In embodiments, the conveyor belt is a belt comprising at least one transversal fin.

[0040] In embodiments, the conveyor belt is a belt comprising a plurality of transversal fins.

[0041] In embodiments, the fins are equally distributed across the length of the belt.

[0042] In embodiments, the fin(s) has an adjustable angle of inclination.

[0043] In embodiments, at each channel wall, two partitions are arranged projecting out from the outer surface of the pump channel, wherein the at least one entrainment device at each channel wall is arranged between the two partitions.

[0044] The two partitions are preferably parallel.

[0045] In embodiments, the pump channel together with the entrainment device are surrounded by a cover to prevent leakages of fluid mass.

[0046] In embodiments, the entrainment pump comprises end section with an opening, where the end sections are arranged with their openings aligned with the channel inlet and channel outlet respectively.

[0047] In embodiments, the entrainment pump comprises an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe arranged on the end section so that the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are arranged with the channel inlet and the channel outlet respectively.

[0048] In embodiments, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are having an inlet end, and an outlet end respectively, configured to be attached to an inletting pipe and an outletting pipe respectively.

[0049] In embodiments, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe is attached by means of flange connections to the inletting pipe and the outletting pipe respectively. In embodiments, the pump channel is straight.

[0050] In embodiments, each entrainment device is controlled individually via a control unit.

[0051] In embodiments, each conveyor belt is controlled by a control unit.

[0052] In embodiments, the control unit controls the speed of each belt of the conveyor belt.

[0053] In embodiments, the control unit is controlled by means of signals from sensors arranged in the pump channel.

[0054] In another aspect, it is provided a use of the entrainment pump to transport fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass between two locations.

[0055] The entrainment pump comprises a straight pump channel without movable parts. The pump channel comprises channel walls with thorough fluid flow openings. Water and fluid and fish and / or marine animals are transported through the pump channel by means of entrainment devices arranged outside the pump channel. The entrainment pump comprises entrainment devices transporting fluid and fish and / or marine animals through the pump channel. The entrain devices may be conveyer belts, where the belt on the conveyor belt pulls the fluid masses in the flow direction of the pump, so that the fluid masses with fish and / or marine elements are pulled through the pump channel. The fluid masses are sucked from the pump channel through the thorough fluid flow openings of the entrainment devices giving direction to the fluid masses by being pulled towards the outlet of the pump channel together with the fishes and / or marine animals. The conveyor belt can preferably have at least one fin arranged transversally on the belt of the conveyor belt, i.e. transversal of the flow direction. More preferably, the conveyor belt may have a plurality of fins arranged transversally of the belt of the conveyor belt. The fin(s) pulls a larger part of the fluid mass, so that the fluid mass flows with larger force and thus more efficient. The more fins used, the larger force and efficiency the pump achieves. The fins may be straight or inclined, fixed or adjustable arranged. If the fins are inclined, and when they are inclined so that they are tilted towards the flow direction, a larger force on the water is achieved than when they are inclined in the opposite direction. Thus, the tilt of the fins can be adjusted i.e. for rotational speed and larger force.

[0056] Fish and / or marine animals are pumped through the pump channel together with a fluid mass, preferably a fluid mass of fresh water or salt water, when the pump is in operation. The pump channel is preferably straight and can therefore easily be inserted in a straight pipe section. The pump channel comprises at least one channel wall, or at least three channel walls. When the pump channel has one channel wall it is typically circular, oval or semicircular. When the pump channel has three or more channel walls, the channel is typically triangular, square, etc.

[0057] The channels walls comprise fluid flow through openings where fluid alternating can flow between the pump channel end the entrainment device on its way through the pump. The fluid flow through openings are preferably formed as elongated slots, where the slots preferably extend in an elongated direction of the pump channel, i.e. flow direction. The fluid flow through openings are preferably parallelly arranged in a transverse direction of the pump channel. The fluid flow through openings might be a plurality of elongated slots distributed in both the elongated direction and the transverse direction of the pump channel. In a further embodiment the fluid flow through openings can be a plurality of bars arranged between two flanges. The plurality of bars can be arranged two flanges, so that the bars extend lengthwise of the pump channel, or where the bars are arranged transversely of the length of the pump channel.

[0058] The entrainment pump has at least one entrainment device arranged on the outside of the pump channel, that is where fish and / or marine animals are not moving through the pump channel. The entrainment device is typically a conveyor belt. A conveyor belt comprises typically a belt running around two wheels or pulleys. The belt is a closed loop and rotates around the wheels or pulleys and can transport objects from one side to the other side of the conveyor belt. There may also be multiple wheels or pulleys arranged within the closed loop of the belt. The belt is arranged such that the outer side of one part of the loop faces down towards the channel wall, i.e. the side of the belt facing the pump channel itself. The outer side of the other part of the loop faces away from the pump channel, i.e. out from the pump channel. The belt rotates such that when the belt is facing down towards the channel wall, it moves in the flow direction of the pump and in that way pulls the fluid mass from the inlet to the outlet of the pump, and when the belt is facing away from the channel wall it moves in the opposite direction of the flow direction.

[0059] The entrainment device is arranged between two partition walls extending up from the channel wall. The partition walls are preferably standing parallel to each other.

[0060] The pump channel has preferably four channel walls arranged in a square, preferably with a square cross section, where at least one entrainment device on the outside of each channel wall is arranged as described above, totally four entrainment devices arranged in the pump. In another embodiment it is arranged two or more entrainment devices on the outside of each channel wall. Then the entrainment devices are preferably arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the pump channel. By two entrainment devices at each channel wall the total amount of pumps is eight, etc.

[0061] Each conveyor belt is typically driven by an electric motor, or hydraulic motor, where the motor is attached to a shaft connected through the centre of one of the wheels or pulleys of the belt of the conveyor belt. The shaft extends preferably out through the partition wall to a relatively dry area where a motor is arranged. Each conveyor belt is driven by one motor.

[0062] When the entrainment devices are in operation, for example in that the belt of the conveyor belt is turned / rotated, a suction side will be created on the inside of the channel walls because of the fluid mass that is moving by the conveyor belt. This suction can cause the fish and / or marine animals being sucked by the fluid mass moved by the belt against the channel walls and become stuck in that position against the wall where the fish and / or marine animal comes close to the wall, so that it does not leave the pump in the outlet end of the pump, or it slides along the wall. In both situations, there is a risk that the fish and / or marine animal becomes injured if it is partially sucked into the fluid flow through openings of the walls, as it is in danger of doing in such a situation. The fluid flow through openings should not have any sharp edges against the inner of pump channel, but preferably have rounded edges, to reduce the risk of injuries from contact with the walls of the fluid channel as described.

[0063] The challenge described in the paragraph above is particularly relevant if the entrainment device is driven with constant and / or equal speed. It may therefore be advantageous to regulate or vary the speed continuously to avoid or at least reduce that fish and / or marine animals are stuck in a position against the wall or possibly dragged along the wall, but that they alternately release the wall in their movement through the pump. This also prevents fish and / or marine animals from accumulating and / or clogging the pump channel or outlet of the pump channel / pump. It also prevents that the fluid flow through openings from being covered so that the fluid is prevented from flowing both ways through these openings.

[0064] In the situation where each channel walls has two or more entrainment devices installed one after the other in longitudinal direction of the channel wall / pump channel, the entrainment devices can at each pumping wall drive alternating with different speed, for thereby be able to move or regulate the suction from the entrainment devices, i.e. the suction against the fluid flow through openings, forth and back to prevent constant suction from occurring against the fluid flow through openings of the pumping wall where the fish and / or marine animal accumulates or slides along the wall(s), but escapes / get hooked as the speed changes. This can be regulated by for example a control unit, that is either pre-programmed or reacts on objects that are “stuck” or slide along the wall(s), react for example by means of sensors or cameras. Dead fish and / or marine animals have the highest risk of being stuck to or slides along the pumping wall.

[0065] The entrainment pump shall typically lift and / or move fluid mass with fish and / or marine animals a certain height and / or length that requires that the entrainment devices are provides a certain speed for what is to be transported / moved from one location to another by means of the entrainment pump. If the entrainment devices are to be driven and regulated at different speeds as described in the paragraph above, it is important at when the entrainment devices are stepped / regulated up and down at different speeds, that the fluid mass together with the fish and / or marine animals maintain a total speed that does not fall below a level that make the fluid mass together with the fish and / or marine element unable to lift and / or move through the pump and further to desired location.

[0066] A pump with a straight pump channel will be easier to insert in a straight pipe section, for example between a waiting cage or a slaughterhouse. In contrast to a pump with a circular / partially circular pump channel that may need to have a pipe entering the pump in a different direction than the pipe exiting the pump.

[0067] For the fish and / or marine animals, a straight pump channel will be gentler, as the fish and / or marine animals will not meet walls or other obstacles in the same way as for example with a pump channel that are more or less circular.

[0068] A straight pump channel will mor or less cancel turbulence out of the pump, such that the fish and / or marine animals maintains their direction further to their location. This avoids or significantly reduces the risk of the fish and / or marine animals changing direction to move along pipe walls, and / or clogging the outlet pipe by, for example, the fish standing across. By placing entrainment devices / conveyor belts around the fish channel / at each channel wall, a more efficient pumping unit is achieved requiring a lower energy consumption. The flow of fluid together with fish and / or marine animals is influenced the whole way through the pump and the fluid does not bounce back against the flow. A more stable water flow is achieved, and more effect from the incoming energy. The energy is used to make a straight water flow, not turbulence. Experiments have shown that one uses down to 1 / 3 of the energy with the pump of the present invention compared with traditional pump used for same purpose.

[0069] When the conveyor belt rotates, that part of the belt facing away from the pump channel also contributes to moving the fluid mass, but in opposite direction of desired direction and in the opposite direction of the belt facing the pump channel moving the fluid mass. It thus makes a negative contribution to the flow direction. This is not desired, as one wants that the fluid mass and thus also the fish and / or marine animals shall move in one and same direction, that is, from inlet to outlet of the pump. To reduce this negative contribution of the flow direction, one can reduce the access to the fluid mass for this part of the belt moving in opposite direction of desired flow direction. This part of the belt can for example be enclosed by walls shutting off from that point the belt turns, i.e. where the belt turns away from the channel wall. These walls should preferably be as close as possible the belt of the conveyor belt itself. Since the belt has fins extending up from the belt, the fins should preferably bend away from the walls. This can be achieved by making the fins in a flexible material enabling bending of the fins so that they project as short distance from the belt of the conveyor belt as possible as they pass an obstacle, for example the wall. This can also be achieved by adjustably arranging the fins, for example hinged, so that they also can adjust the inclination in response to the fluid mass when the belt faces down towards the channel wall as described above, can also be adjusted to lie flat, or approximately flat down against the belt when they meet the wall as the belt faces away from the pumping wall and that they preferably lie flat until they have reached the point where they meet the wall when the belt faces the pumping wall again. The entrainment pump should be primed with water before start-up. This is done using a pump, for example a diaphragm pump. Shutoff valves can also be arranged on both the inlet and outlet.

[0070] The entrainment pump is scalable, and will work in all sizes, as all parts of the pump can increase proportionally.

[0071] Description of figures

[0072] Preferred embodiment of the invention will be discussed in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0073] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the entrainment pump without a cover, inlet and outlet, and motor.

[0074] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the same embodiment as Figure 1 of the entrainment pump without cover and motor.

[0075] Figure 3 shows Figure 2 seen from the inlet end.

[0076] Description of preferred embodiments of the invention

[0077] The following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention refers to accompanying drawings. The same referencing numbers are used in the different embodiments for the same or similar elements. The following detailed description does not limit the invention or the scope of protection; the scope of protection being defined by the skilled person’s interpretation of the scope of the accompanying patent claims.

[0078] Reference throughout the description to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a specific feature, structure or characterizing part described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter of the application. Accordingly, the appearance of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the description is not necessarily referring to one and the same embodiment.

[0079] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the entrainment pump 100 with an inlet 700 and an outlet 800. The pump 100 comprises a pump channel 200. Through the pump channel 200 fish and / or marine elements are pumped, together with a fluid, preferably fresh water or salt water, when the entrainment pump 100 is in use. The pump channel 200 is preferably straight, as shown in the figures, so that the pump 100 can easily be inserted in a pipe section / pipe stretch.

[0080] The pump channel 200 is shown with four channel walls 210 arranged in a square. The pump channels 200 is not limited to four channel walls 210, it may have one, three, or more than four channel walls 210. When the pump channel 200 has one channel wall 210, it is typically circular, oval or semicircular.

[0081] Each channel wall 210 is formed with a plurality of fluid flow through openings 211 , here shown as a plurality of elongated straight slots stretching in the longitudinal direction of the channel wall 210 arranged side by side in a transversal direction of the pump channel 200. The fluid flow through openings 211 can in another embodiment be a plurality of elongated slots arranged distributed in the longitudinal and transversal direction of the pump channel 200. The fluid flow through openings 211 can in a third embodiment be a plurality of circular openings distributed in the longitudinal direction and transversal direction of the pump channel 200. In a fourth embodiment the fluid flow through openings 211 can be a plurality of bars (not shown) being arranged between two flanges. The plurality of bars can be arranged between two flanges extending lengthwise of the pump channel 200. Or the plurality of bars can be arranged between two flanges extending transversal of the longitudinal extension of the pump channel 200, where the bars are arranged along the longitudinal extension of the pump channel 200. Figure 1 shows further four entrainment devices 600 in the shape of a conveyor belt 600 arranged on the outside of the pump channel 200 arranged above each channel wall 210. The entrainment devices 600 is shown arranged between two partition walls 300 attached to the channel walls 210, and projects out from the outer surface 212 of the channel walls 210, here shown attached to the side edges of the channel walls 210 in longitudinal direction, where the channel walls 210 are attached to each other, i.e. at the comers of the pump channel 200. The entrainment devices 600 are shown to extend along the whole length of each respective channel wall 210. The entrainment pump 100 may have fewer than four conveyor belts 600, or more than four conveyor belts 600, depending on the number of channel walls 210, the length of the pump channel 200 and desired effect. Each respective channel wall 210 can have more than one entrainment device 600 in length direction of each respective channel wall 210, preferably two or three. The conveyor belt 600 is shown to have a plurality of fins 620 equally distributed across the length of the conveyor belt 600. The plurality of fins 620 is shown standing perpendicular to the belt 610 of the conveyor belt 600. They may also be inclined in both directions. Preferably inclined so that they slope towards the channel outlet 202 of the pump channel 200, and thus a larger force on the water is achieved than when they are inclined the opposite way. The inclination of the fins 620 might be adjusted, for example for lower rotational speed and larger force.

[0082] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the same embodiment as in Figure 1 of the entrainment pump 100. The figure shows end sections 410 as part of a house enclosing the pump channel 200. The end section 410 arranged at the channel inlet 210 of the pump channel 200 and the channel outlet 202 of the pump channel respectively. Further, an inlet 700 and outlet 800 are arranged at the end sections 410 at the channel inlet 210 of the pump channel 200 and the channel outlet 202 of the pump channel respectively. Each end section 410 is arranged with a thorough opening allowing through-flow of fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass from the channel inlet 201 and channel outlet 202. Figure 3 shows Figure 2 seen from the front at the inlet end 710. Here fluid flow through openings 211 are shown by a plurality of elongated straight slots extending in the length direction of the channel wall 210 and arranged side by side in transversal direction of the pump channel 200.

[0083] Each entrainment device 600 is preferably enclosed within a space, where on top of the partition walls 300, on the side facing away from the pump 100, a top cover (not shown in any figures) is arranged which prevents fluid mass from escaping to the surroundings from the space 400 of the entrainment device 600, the fluid mass is not prevented from coming out from or in to the pump channel 200. Instead of a top cover, the entrainment pump 100 can be enclosed by an outer casing which also prevents fluid mass from escaping to the surroundings from the space 400 of the entrainment device 600, the fluid mass is not prevented from coming out from or into the pump channel 200.

[0084] Table 1

Claims

Patent claims1 . An entrainment pump (100) for transport of fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass from a first location to a second location, where the entrainment pump (100) comprises:- a pump channel (200) extending in a length direction (L), where the pump channel (200) comprises at least one channel wall (210), a channel inlet (201 ), and a channel outlet (202); where the at least one channel wall (210) comprises a plurality of thorough fluid flow through openings (211 ) where fluid mass can flow through;- at least one entrainment device (600) arranged along the at least one channel wall (210); where the at least one entrainment device (600) is arranged to move the fluid mass from the inlet (201 ) to the outlet (202) of the pump channel (200).

2. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 1 , where the entrainment pump (100) comprises at least two entrainment devices (600) arranged around the pump channel (200).

3. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 1 , where the entrainment pump (100) comprises three entrainment devices (600) arranged around the pump channel (200).

4. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 1 , where the entrainment pump (100) comprises four entrainment devices (600) arranged around the pump channel (200).

5. Entrainment pump (100) according to one of the claims 2-5, where the entrainment devices (600) are equally distributed around the pump channel (200).

6. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where at least two entrainment devices (600) are arranged one after the other in longitudinal direction of the pump channel (200) along the at least one channel wall (210).

7. Entrainment pump (100) according to one of the claims 1 -3 or 5-6, where the pump channel (200) comprises three channel walls (210).

8. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 7, where the three channel walls (210) forms a triangular cross section.

9. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where the pump channel (200) comprises four channel walls (210).

10. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 9, where the four channel walls (210) forms a square cross section.11 . Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where the entrainment device (600) is a conveyor belt (600).12 Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 11 , where the conveyor belt (600) has a belt (610) comprising at least one transversal fin (620).

13. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 11 , where the conveyor belt (600) has a belt (610) comprising a plurality of transversal fins (620).

14. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 13, where the belt fins (620) are equally distributed over the length of the belt (610).

15. Entrainment pump (100) according to one of the claims 12-14, where the fin(s) (620) has / have an adjustable angle of inclination.

16. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where there at each channel wall (210) is arranged two partition walls (300) projecting out from the outer surface (212) of the pump channel (200), where the at least one entrainment device (600) at each channel wall (210) is arranged between the two partition walls (300).

17. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where the pump channel (200) together with the entrainment device (600) is enclosed by a cover (410) configured to prevent leakages of fluid mass.

18. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 17, where the entrainment pump (100) comprises end sections (420) with an opening, where the end sections (410) are arranged with their opening aligned with the channel inlet (201 ) and the channel outlet (202). respectively.

19. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 18, where the entrainment pump (100) further comprises an inlet (700) and an outlet (800) arranged on the end sections (420) so that the inlet (700) and outlet (800) are aligned with the channel inlet (201 ) and the channel outlet (202), respectively.

20. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 19, where the inlet pipe (700) and outlet pipe (800) has an inlet end (701 ) and an outlet end (801 ), respectively, configured to be attached to an inlet end pipe and an outlet end pipe of the entrainment pump (100), respectively.

21. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 19, where the inlet (700) and the outlet (800) are configured to be attached to the inletting pipe and the outletting pipe, respectively, with flange connections.

22. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where the pump channel (200) is straight.

23. Entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim, where each entrainment device (600) is individually controlled via a control unit.

24. Entrainment pump (100) according to one of the claims 11 -22, where each conveyor belt (600) is controlled by a control unit.

25. Entrainment pump (100) according to claim 24, where the control unit controls the speed of each conveyor belt (600).

26. Entrainment pump (100) according to one of the claims 23-25, where the control unit controls by means of signals from sensors arranged in the pump channel (200).

27. Use of an entrainment pump (100) according to any preceding claim for transport of fish and / or other marine animals in a fluid mass between two locations.

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