Flattened Tuna Feed Geometry for Slower Sinking in Fish Cages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tuna species in aquaculture often fail to consume compound feed due to its rapid sinking, leading to unconsumed feed and variability in fish size and growth rate.
Innovation Solution
A feed for tuna species is designed with a flattened shape and specific dimensions to reduce settling velocity, characterized by a flattening ratio greater than 110 and a volume-to-area ratio less than 0.110, produced by pressing and deforming a molded product into a flattened radial cross-section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If compound feed is used for tuna species, then nutrition and stability are improved, but settling velocity increases causing unconsumed feed
Solution Approach 1:
The feed is transformed from a conventional compact shape to a flattened shape with extended surface area in the horizontal plane. This dimensional change increases the feed's interaction with water in the horizontal dimension while maintaining vertical stability, thereby reducing settling velocity without compromising nutritional stability
Solution Approach 2:
The feed's geometric parameters are specifically optimized with a flattening ratio of at least 110 and a volume-to-area ratio of at most 0.110. These parameter changes fundamentally alter the feed's hydrodynamic properties, reducing settling velocity from typical values to 15.0 cm/s or less while preserving the compound feed's nutritional composition
2Speed
If compound feed sinks rapidly, then feed delivery to fish is improved, but fish consumption decreases due to inability to recognize feed
Solution Approach 1:
By flattening the feed in the horizontal dimension, the feed creates a more gradual descent profile that remains visible longer in the water column. This dimensional transformation allows tuna species to detect and recognize the feed as edible before it reaches the bottom, significantly improving consumption rates
Solution Approach 2:
The flattened shape design预先 (in advance) ensures that the feed maintains a slower settling velocity throughout its descent, giving tuna species sufficient time to recognize and approach the feed before it reaches the cage bottom, thereby preventing unconsumed feed accumulation
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional feed shape is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but size variation and growth rate variability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is adapted to produce feeds with specific geometric parameters (flattening ratio ≥110, volume-to-area ratio ≤0.110). This parameter-based approach allows for standardized production of uniformly shaped feeds that ensure consistent settling behavior and equitable distribution among fish, reducing size variation while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
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 feed promotes early consumption by tuna species, reducing size variation and enhancing growth rate by decreasing settling velocity in fish cages.
Implementation Method 1
the settling velocity of the feed for fish farming in fish cages can be decreased
Implementation Method 2
Compound feed is relatively dense and sinks rapidly
Data Source
AI summary
A feed for farming tuna species includes a body portion flattened with a length in a thickness direction orthogonal to a width direction and to a longitudinal direction, being shorter than a length in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The feed satisfies (A) and/or (B): (A) when a maximum length in the longitudinal direction is defined as a (mm), a maximum length in the width direction is defined as b (mm), and a maximum length in the thickness direction is defined as c (mm), a flattening ratio f1 calculated by Formula (1) is about 110 or greater: f1=a×b/c (1); and (B) when a volume of the feed for fish farming is defined as V (cm3), and an area of the feed for fish farming in a plan view is defined as A (mm2), (V/A)1/2 is about 0.110 or less.