Live Fish Transport Container with Integrated Filtration and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional live fish containers face challenges in maintaining water quality and fish health during long-distance transportation due to inadequate filtration and cooling systems, leading to high logistical costs and limited transport duration, with issues such as ammonia nitrogen accumulation, refrigerant leakage, and equipment corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A live fish container design incorporating a protein skimmer, dry filtering tank, and a water cooler with a refrigerating unit, which enhances water purification and cooling efficiency, reduces equipment complexity, and prevents refrigerant leakage, while maintaining a healthy environment for fish transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional filtration and cooling systems are used in live fish containers, then the basic cooling function is provided, but water purification performance is insufficient leading to ammonia nitrogen accumulation and fish disease
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration system is segmented into multiple functional units: a protein skimmer for removing organic matter, a dry filter for mechanical filtration, and a wet filter for biological filtration. This segmentation allows each unit to specialize in specific purification tasks, achieving comprehensive water quality improvement while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple filtration mechanisms (protein skimming, dry filtration, wet filtration) and cooling functions into an integrated water treatment system. The protein skimmer, dry filter, and wet filter are merged into a coordinated purification sequence, while the cooling apparatus is integrated with the filtration system to provide both temperature control and water quality management in a unified system.
2Temperature
If refrigerating units with evaporators are installed in live fish containers, then cooling function is provided, but refrigerant leakage and equipment corrosion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful evaporator component that causes refrigerant leakage and corrosion is extracted and removed from the system. Instead of using an evaporator that contacts the water, the patent employs a cooling apparatus that circulates coolant through separate channels, achieving water cooling without the reliability issues associated with traditional evaporators in live fish containers.
Solution Approach 2:
A coolant serves as an intermediary substance that transfers thermal energy from the water to the refrigeration system without direct contact between the refrigerant and the live fish water. This intermediary approach allows efficient heat exchange while preventing refrigerant leakage and corrosion into the water environment.
3Productivity
If live fish are transported at room temperature with high fish-to-seawater ratio, then transportation cost is reduced, but fish survival rate decreases due to poor water quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous water circulation and purification through the protein skimmer, dry filter, and wet filter units. The cooling apparatus continuously circulates chilled water through the tank, maintaining constant water quality and temperature throughout the transportation period. This continuous action ensures fish survival without requiring excessive water volumes or frequent stops.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key water parameters by actively controlling temperature through the cooling apparatus and maintaining water quality through the filtration system. By continuously adjusting and optimizing temperature and purity parameters, the system enables extended transportation at efficient fish-to-water ratios while maintaining high survival rates.
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 solution extends the transport duration and distance of live fish while reducing logistical costs by effectively removing contaminants and maintaining water quality, ensuring the health and safety of the fish, and minimizing equipment maintenance and corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
a protein skimmer (20) is installed in an interior of the cargo room (3)
Implementation Method 2
a water cooler (14) is installed in the driver unit (4)
Implementation Method 3
a refrigerating unit, which includes a compressor (11), an expansion valve (13) and a condenser (12) having a cooling fan (12a)
Implementation Method 4
a dry filtering tank (30) is installed at a one upper side in an interior of the live fish water tank (6)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a container for transporting live fish, in which a protein skimmer is installed together with a fish tank in an interior of a cargo room of the container, bubbles discharged from the protein skimmer are stored in a large-capacity bubble tank, a water cooler having a refrigerating unit is installed in a container driver unit such that water discharged from the fish tank is cooled and resupplied to the fish tank, or water cooled by the water cooler can be brought into contact with the external air while the water is being injected into a dry filtering tank installed on the fish tank, and a filtering member impregnated with microorganisms that have been cultured therein is arranged in the dry filtering tank.