Fish Pen Outlet Basin with Slanted Grating for Sludge Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Closed fish pens face challenges such as increased water pressure leading to buoyancy system strain, sludge accumulation with poor settling properties, and difficulty in maintaining optimal water exchange rates, which can result in water flow turbulence and poor water quality.
Innovation Solution
An outlet basin system with a cylinder-shaped housing, a slanted grating, and a fine-meshed bottom plate to separate particulate material and dead fish, guiding them to specific outlet hoses, and a self-adjusting strainer regulator to maintain effective water flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water exchange rate is increased to improve water quality, then water flow turbulence increases and settling properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet basin is divided into multiple functional zones: an inlet zone for water entry, a separation zone with vertical walls for particle settling, and an outlet zone with grating and bottom plate for removing sludge and dead fish. This segmentation allows different water flow rates in different zones, enabling high overall exchange while maintaining calm settling areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the outlet basin have different structural properties: the inlet portion has open design for water entry, the intermediate portion has vertical walls for settling, and the outlet portion has grating and bottom plate for removal. This local differentiation optimizes each zone's function while managing water flow turbulence locally.
2Productivity
If water pressure is increased to maintain water exchange, then buoyancy system strain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet basin extracts and removes particulate material, sludge, and dead fish from the water column before water exits the fish pen. This prevents accumulation of harmful substances that would otherwise require higher water pressure and increased buoyancy system strain to manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet basin uses gravity and natural water flow to achieve separation and removal of particulate material without requiring additional pumping power or increased water pressure, thereby avoiding extra strain on the buoyancy system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sludge accumulation is allowed to improve settling, then water quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet basin performs preliminary separation of particulate material from water flow before water exits the fish pen. The vertical walls and grating structure pre-remove sludge and dead fish, preventing their accumulation in the main water body and maintaining water quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet basin acts as an intermediary structure between the fish pen interior and exterior water environments. It captures and removes harmful particulates through its grating and bottom plate system, preventing direct discharge of poor-quality water while maintaining overall water exchange.
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 system effectively manages water flow and particulate separation, reducing strain on the buoyancy system, improving water quality by ensuring efficient removal of sludge and dead fish, and maintaining optimal water exchange rates.
Implementation Method 1
a slanted grating covering the entire annular space, the lowermost portion of the slanted grating being positioned just below the opening in the housing
Implementation Method 2
a slanted bottom plate sealingly covering the entire annular space; a lower through opening at the lowermost portion of the bottom plate
Implementation Method 3
Water is pumped into the fish pen at the upper portion of the fish pen through a horizontal supply pipe
Data Source
AI summary
An outlet basin for a fish pen is provided with at least one outlet hose extending from the outlet basin to a surface. The outlet basin includes a cylinder-shaped housing which is provided, at its upper portion, with a mounting collar arranged to be attached to a bottom portion of the fish pen, and which is provided, at its lower portion, with a through opening. The outlet basin further includes a cylinder-shaped outlet channel which, in a portion, is housed in the housing, the outlet channel is provided, at its upper portion, with a strainer covering the cross section of the outlet channel, an elongated annular space between the housing and the outlet channel, a slanted grating covering the entire annular space, the lowermost portion of the slanted grating being positioned just below the opening of the housing, a slanted bottom plate sealingly covering the entire annular space, and a lower through opening at the lowermost portion of the bottom plate.