Flow Balancer for Laminar Fish Pumping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fish farming methods, particularly for salmon, face challenges in managing sea lice infestations due to ineffective chemical treatments, high costs, and fish damage from turbulence and contact with internal tubes and pump surfaces during delousing processes.
Innovation Solution
A flow balancer system that creates a laminar water flow by using an inner guide formed from spaced bars to center fish within a tubular structure, reducing turbulence and fish damage by dissipating energy and balancing water pressure and flow, thereby enhancing sea lice removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fish are pumped through conventional systems for sea lice removal, then delousing effectiveness is improved, but fish damage increases due to turbulence and contact with internal surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing is segmented into multiple chambers with partition walls, creating separate flow paths that guide fish through the system without direct contact with high-velocity turbulent zones. The partition walls divide the pumping chamber into first and second chambers, with fish entering through the first chamber and being guided to the outlet through controlled pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide walls and partition walls act as intermediary structures between the turbulent pump flow and the fish. These intermediaries redirect water flow patterns to reduce direct impact on fish while maintaining pumping effectiveness. The guide walls specifically position fish away from high-velocity regions during the pumping process.
2Productivity
If high water flow rates are used to remove sea lice, then delousing efficiency is improved, but turbulence increases causing fish stress and damage
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the pump housing provide different flow characteristics. The first chamber handles high-velocity intake flow for effective delousing, while the second chamber and outlet region provide lower-velocity, more laminar flow zones that reduce fish stress. The partition walls create localized flow control zones with appropriate velocity characteristics for each functional requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path is segmented into distinct zones with different velocity characteristics. High-velocity flow zones are separated from low-velocity zones using partition walls, allowing the system to maintain high overall flow rates for productivity while protecting fish in specific low-turbulence zones during critical phases of pumping.
3Stress or pressure
If fish contact internal tubes and pump surfaces during pumping, then water pressure control is improved, but fish damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of internal surfaces contacting fish is extracted and eliminated. Instead of fish contacting the pump housing internal surfaces directly, the design uses external pumping action with fish contained in a protected pathway defined by guide walls and partition walls. The harmful contact interface is removed while maintaining the necessary pressure control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide walls and partition walls serve as intermediaries that maintain water pressure control without requiring direct fish contact with pump surfaces. These intermediary structures create a protected environment where pressure is controlled through hydraulic action on the water rather than through direct mechanical contact with fish bodies.
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 flow balancer minimizes fish damage and improves sea lice removal efficiency by ensuring laminar flow and balanced water pressure, reducing the stress on fish and increasing the effectiveness of delousing processes while maintaining environmental safety.
Implementation Method 1
reduce turbulence and achieve a laminar water flow system
Implementation Method 2
achieve a laminar water flow system
Data Source
AI summary
A flow balancer to reduce turbulence and achieve a laminar water flow system for fish while being pumped. The flow balancer having a tubular guide for the fish made from spaced apart blades having a width greater than a thickness of the spaced blades forming the tubular guide. The tubular guide is constructed and arranged to prevent turbulent and non-parallel water flow and allow fish to pass in a laminar water flow.