Untethered Trap with Acoustic Buoyancy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bottom-dwelling sea creature traps are often lost at sea due to broken tethers, causing debris and bycatch, and can entangle other marine life or vessels.
Innovation Solution
A remotely controlled wire-cage trap system with a compressed-gas cylinder and inflatable buoyancy bladder that can be lifted to the surface without tethers, using sound control signals and a modular design for adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tether is used to connect the trap to the surface, then the trap can be located and retrieved, but the tether may break or become dislodged causing the trap to be lost, and may entangle other sea life or vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the tether component from the system entirely. The trap is equipped with a compressed gas cylinder and buoyancy bladder that enable self-lifting to the surface without requiring a physical connection to the surface vessel, thereby eliminating the entanglement hazard while maintaining retrieval capability
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical tether connection is replaced with a remote control system using acoustic signals transmitted through water. The trap contains a valve that responds to acoustic commands, allowing surface vessels to control the trap without physical contact, thus eliminating the harmful tether while preserving control and retrieval functions
2Reliability
If a tether is used to connect the trap to the surface, then the trap can be located and retrieved, but undersea debris increases due to broken tethers and lost traps
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the tether from the system, the invention eliminates the source of tether debris. The trap becomes a self-contained unit that can be remotely controlled and lifted without requiring external physical connections that can break and become debris
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a modular design where the trap can be easily replaced or recovered. The use of remote acoustic control and self-lifting capability ensures that even if a trap is lost, it can be remotely activated to surface, reducing permanent debris. The system prioritizes recovery over permanent deployment
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a remote control system with acoustic signals is used, then the tether is eliminated, but the device complexity increases with valves, transducers, and control units
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic transducer serves multiple functions: it acts as both the receiver for control signals from the surface and potentially as a transmitter for status information. The compressed gas cylinder and valve system are integrated with the existing trap structure, reducing the need for separate complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The trap contains all necessary control mechanisms (valve, buoyancy bladder, compressed gas) within itself, eliminating the need for external tether-based control systems. The trap is self-sufficient for lifting and positioning, reducing the complexity of surface-based equipment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces sea floor debris and bycatch, prevents entanglement with vessels, and allows for efficient retrieval of trapped sea life with reduced environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The remotely controlled valve is operative to respond to a sound control signal propagated through the water. The closed valve, for example, may open to inflate a buoyancy bladder which is attached to the lifting device and lifts the lifting device and attached wire-cage trap to the surface for retrieval.
Implementation Method 2
The remotely controlled valve is a subsystem comprising the valve, a microcontrolled processing unit (MCU), sound-to-electric transducers for capturing sound control signals
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a system comprising a wire cage trap and wire-cage enclosed lifting subsystem. The two systems are attached and submerged together. When ready to be retrieved, a sound control signal is conveyed to the system. The sound control signal is converted to an electric control signal, which enables inflation of a buoyancy bladder and bringing the wire-cage trap and wire-cage lifting subsystems to the surface. The invention may comprise sensors in the lifting system which can provide information about valve on-off state, gas pressure, depth and location. That information is converted from electric to sound signals and generated through the water.