Asymmetric-Flute Coanda Fish Pump for Low-Stress Sea Lice Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fish pumps, including Coanda effect pumps, fail to effectively remove sea lice from fish during transfer, causing damage to the fish due to turbulence, spinning, and uneven pressure distribution, which leads to high fish mortalities and inefficient sea lice removal.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a Coanda effect fish pump with unsymmetrical flutes of varying widths and depths in the circumferential flow gap, reshaping water velocities to reduce spinning and stress on fish, while increasing the percentage of fluid flow through the flutes to achieve nearly 100% sea lice removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional Coanda effect pumps are used to transfer fish, then fish transfer is achieved, but sea lice removal is ineffective and fish damage occurs due to turbulence and spinning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring flutes with different depths at different angular positions around the pump circumference. Specifically, flutes at certain angles have greater depth than others, creating an asymmetric flow pattern that eliminates spinning and turbulence while maintaining effective sea lice removal through optimized velocity differentials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by varying the flute depth locally around the pump circumference rather than using uniform depth. This allows different regions of the pump to have optimized flow characteristics - deeper flutes in regions where greater velocity differential is needed for sea lice removal, and shallower flutes in regions where reduced turbulence is prioritized to prevent fish damage.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform flutes are used in the Coanda effect pump, then manufacturing is simplified, but sea lice removal efficiency is reduced due to spinning and uneven pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately introduces asymmetry in flute depth configuration to improve sea lice removal efficiency. The asymmetric design creates optimized pressure distribution and eliminates spinning, which significantly enhances the velocity differential needed for effective sea lice removal, outweighing the increased manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of flute depth from uniform to variable. By adjusting the depth parameter at different angular positions, the pump achieves optimized flow characteristics that dramatically improve sea lice removal efficiency while the variations are designed to be manufacturable using standard machining processes.
3Productivity
If high velocity water flow is used to remove sea lice, then sea lice removal is effective, but fish are severely injured due to sudden turbulence and pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating zones of different flute depths around the pump circumference. This produces localized velocity differentials that are optimized for sea lice removal in specific regions while other regions provide transitional flow zones that reduce sudden turbulence, thereby protecting fish from physical injury.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by creating a progressive velocity change through the asymmetric flute configuration. The varying flute depths generate a dynamic flow pattern that gradually builds velocity differential along the fish body length, allowing effective sea lice removal while avoiding sudden pressure changes that would cause fish injury.
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 design significantly reduces fish damage and stress, allowing for efficient and effective sea lice removal, improving fish welfare and pump performance by ensuring nearly all attached sea lice are removed without harming the fish.
Implementation Method 1
Coanda effect pumps are known for their beneficial use in pumping fish
Data Source
AI summary
An improved Coanda effect fish pump that allows for improved pump performance with enhanced and unsymmetrical-irregularities features in circumferential flow gaps and orifice flutes that improve water flow distribution and pump performance. Design features improve fish quality during pumping and can be designed to remove sea lice from salmon. The features reduce spinning in the pump, correct for unsymmetrical input water pressure distribution, and reshape water velocities to more effectively remove sea lice.