Aquaculture Feed Density Reduction for Waste Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aquaculture systems face challenges with water conservation and efficient removal of suspended solids, particularly from fish faeces, which settle at the bottom and are difficult to remove using conventional filtration systems, leading to increased water treatment costs and reduced production capacity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a density-reducing material like cork granulate into fish feed, which becomes incorporated into faeces during digestion, reducing their density to the point where they float to the water surface, allowing for easy removal using conventional filters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional filtration systems are used to remove suspended solids from aquaculture water, then filtration can be performed, but the systems are costly and inefficient for removing faeces that settle at the bottom
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to remove settled faeces from the bottom of tanks using complex and costly filtration systems, the invention inverts the approach by modifying the faeces themselves to float to the water surface through the addition of density-reducing materials (cork granulate, expanded glass granulate, perlite, or pumice) to the feed. This allows conventional, simple, and cost-effective surface skimming or filtration systems to efficiently remove the now-floating waste.
2Productivity
If large amounts of water are used in traditional aquaculture systems, then production capacity can be maintained, but water conservation becomes problematic in many geographical areas
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic element (suspended solids/faeces) from the water column by causing them to float to the surface through dietary modification. This enables efficient separation and removal of waste without requiring large volumes of water for flushing or dilution, thus supporting water conservation while maintaining production capacity.
3Reliability
If advanced cleaning systems with high technical standards are employed to clean waste water in recirculating aquaculture systems, then water quality can be maintained, but the systems become complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than employing complex advanced cleaning systems to treat and filter water in recirculating aquaculture systems, the invention inverts the approach by modifying waste characteristics through feed additives (density-reducing materials) to cause faeces to float. This enables simple surface skimming or filtration to effectively remove waste, maintaining water quality while dramatically reducing system complexity.
4Ease of operation
If faeces settle at the bottom of aquaculture tanks, then they can be removed, but they are difficult to remove using conventional filtration systems and increase water treatment costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention fundamentally inverts the behaviour of faeces by causing them to float to the water surface instead of settling at the bottom, through the incorporation of density-reducing materials into the feed. This simple operational change enables easy removal using conventional, cost-effective filtration and skimming systems, eliminating the need for expensive specialized bottom-suction or complex filtration 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
This approach effectively reduces the amount of suspended solids in the water, decreases the cost of filtration systems, and increases fish production capacity without increasing waste loads, while also improving the health and growth of aquatic animals by minimizing intestinal irritations and inflammation.
Implementation Method 1
the density reducing material is cork granulate and is incorporated into the animal's faeces during digestion, such that the faeces rise towards a water surface
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention discloses a feed for an aquacultural animal comprising a density reducing material. Further disclosed are uses of a density reducing material as an additive for a feed for an aquacultural animal and for manufacturing a feed for an aquacultural animal.