Fish Lift Container Guided by Rails to Prevent Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fish lifts face issues with trouble-free raising and lowering of containers, jamming due to tilting or deposits, and increased guiding currents in the underwater swim-in zone, which affect the efficient transportation of fish.
Innovation Solution
The fish lift uses a container guided on two rails to prevent jamming, with laterally opening sides for fish entry and exit, and a flushing channel to maintain water flow and prevent material accumulation, along with a floating design and dual water supply systems to manage water levels and currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the container is guided close to the inner wall of the shaft to maximize space utilization, then the transport capacity is improved, but the container may jam due to tilting, freezing, or deposits between the container and shaft wall
Solution Approach 1:
Rails are introduced as intermediary elements between the container and the shaft wall. These rails provide a defined guidance path that maintains optimal spacing, preventing direct contact between the container outer wall and shaft inner wall, thereby eliminating jamming causes while preserving transport capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance system changes the positional parameters of the container by defining specific rail positions that maintain optimal clearance. This parameter optimization prevents the container from contacting the shaft wall while maximizing space utilization in the shaft.
2Productivity
If the container is lowered quickly to improve operational speed, then the productivity is improved, but the guiding current in the swim-in zone increases which may harm fish
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of increased guiding current is extracted and managed separately through a dedicated flushing channel. This channel provides a separate water flow path that controls the guiding current in the swim-in zone independently from the container lowering operation, allowing rapid container movement without harmful current effects on fish.
Solution Approach 2:
A flushing channel acts as an intermediary water flow system that mediates between the container lowering action and the swim-in zone. This separate flow path controls the guiding current strength, preventing harmful effects while maintaining operational speed.
3Ease of manufacture
If material accumulates at the bottom of the shaft to be flushed out, then the shaft cleaning is improved, but the lowering of the container may be impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing channel is designed to prevent material accumulation before it becomes problematic. By continuously or periodically flushing the shaft bottom through a dedicated channel, material buildup is prevented in advance, ensuring smooth container lowering without obstruction while maintaining effective cleaning capability.
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 ensures smooth and efficient fish transportation with reduced jamming, prolonged maintenance intervals, and controlled guiding currents, enhancing the operational reliability and performance of the fish lift.
Implementation Method 1
the container (7) floating up and down in the shaft (6)
Implementation Method 2
water located under the container (7) in the shaft (6) flows out when the container is lowered can be derived from the shaft and as a result a bottom area of the shaft can be flushed
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The fish lift (1) has a shaft (6) comprising an upper opening (8) with an upper lock output (9) at a level (N3) of upper water (3). The shaft has a lower aperture (10) with a lower lock input (11) at a level (N5) of underwater (5). A container (7) moves between an upper position (S3) and a lower position (S5). The container is arranged, such that rails (12, 13) are guided in the shaft so as to avoid a contact between the container and an inside wall of the shaft in the upper position, the lower position and an intermediate position between the upper and the lower positions. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a fish lift.