Center Spar Fish Pen With Reserve Buoyancy And Modular Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fish pens are expensive, difficult to assemble and install, and pose challenges in accessing and maintaining fish populations due to their offshore location and complex construction, making it hard to extract fish and provide treatment.
Innovation Solution
A fish pen design featuring an elongate center spar buoy with a reserve buoyancy buoy, upper and lower rim assemblies attached with tension members, a netting assembly independent of the structural tension members, and deployable interior panels, along with a docking station and portal door assembly for access and maintenance, allowing for flexibility and stability in water conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fish pens are anchored to the ocean floor with four spar buoys arranged in a rectangular array, then the pen provides stable enclosure and protection for fish, but the pen becomes substantially immobile and difficult to access for fish extraction and treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The fish pen is divided into modular components: a central spar buoy, multiple rim assemblies that can be independently positioned, and panel sections that can be reconfigured. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain stability while enabling access points to be moved or opened without destabilizing the entire enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic elements including removable panel sections, adjustable rim assemblies, and a portal door system that allows the fish pen configuration to change from a closed stable enclosure to an accessible state for fish extraction and treatment, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
2Strength
If fish pens use complex structural assemblies with multiple spar buoys and tension members, then the enclosure provides adequate strength and stability, but the assembly and installation become expensive and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fish pen structure is segmented into pre-fabricated modular components including the central spar, rim assemblies, and panel sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled in the water, significantly reducing assembly complexity and cost while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible netting panels and membrane structures instead of rigid frameworks in many areas, allowing the strong central spar and rim assemblies to provide structural strength while the flexible panels simplify assembly and reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating complex rigid joint requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the fish pen enclosure uses fixed spacing between spar buoys, then the enclosed volume is stable, but the pen cannot adapt to changing water conditions or be repositioned
Solution Approach 1:
The fish pen incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through movable rim assemblies that can be repositioned along the central spar, adjustable panel configurations, and a portal door system, enabling the enclosed volume to adapt to changing operational requirements while maintaining stability through the central spar anchor point.
Solution Approach 2:
The central spar buoy serves multiple functions: providing structural support, enabling repositioning of rim assemblies, serving as an anchor for the entire structure, and facilitating adaptation to different water conditions. This multi-functionality allows the pen to maintain stable enclosed volume while being versatile in operation and repositioning.
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
The design enhances the stability and accessibility of fish pens, reduces the complexity of assembly, and facilitates easier fish extraction and treatment by allowing for reorientation with prevailing currents and deployment of internal panels to manage fish populations effectively.
Implementation Method 1
A fish pen design featuring an elongate center spar buoy with a reserve buoyancy buoy
Implementation Method 2
upper and lower rim assemblies attached with tension members
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A fish pen (100) includes an elongate spar buoy (110) and a reserve buoyancy buoy (120) disposed over a top end of the spar buoy. Lower and upper rim assemblies (130, 140) are attached to the spar buoy and each other with tension members (150, 152, 154). An adjustable upper connection plate (114) on the spar buoy provides a means for tensioning the tension members. A docking station (190) and portal (185) provide easy access to the fish pen. A deployable panel system (180, 182) allows for crowding fish into a smaller portion of the pen. The panel system may be nonporous and include additional panels (184) such that a portion of the pen can be substantially isolated.