Magnetic Delayed Release Buoy for Lobster Trap Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lobster harvesting methods using tethered buoys pose hazards to ocean species like Atlantic Right Whales due to entanglement risks and reduce efficiency by limiting the duration and number of traps, as the tethered lines can entangle other marine life and result in lost traps.
Innovation Solution
A delayed release device for lobster trap buoys employs a magnetic system with a displacement actuator that secures the buoy underwater until a predetermined time, using a first magnet to keep the buoy submerged and a second magnet to release it when the magnetic field diminishes, allowing the buoy to float to the surface for trap retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tethered buoy is used to mark and retrieve lobster traps, then trap retrieval is enabled, but ocean species become entangled in the tether lines
Solution Approach 1:
The buoy is deliberately kept submerged during the trapping period through magnetic attachment, performing the action of remaining invisible and harmless to marine life in advance. The release action is prepared beforehand through the magnetic release mechanism that will activate at the predetermined time, allowing the buoy to surface only when needed for retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
A magnetic release mechanism serves as an intermediary between the buoy and the trap tether. The first magnet attaches to the buoy while the second magnet attaches to the trap, creating a controllable magnetic field connection that can be broken at will. This intermediary mechanism allows the tether to be effectively disconnected without physical intervention, solving the entanglement problem while maintaining retrieval capability.
2Reliability
If the buoy is kept tethered to the trap for extended periods, then trap location is maintained, but the number and duration of traps are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The buoy system transitions from a static tethered state to a dynamic controlled-release state. The magnetic attachment allows the buoy to remain submerged and stationary during trapping, then dynamically surface when the magnetic field is deactivated. This dynamic capability enables flexible control of buoy visibility and trap location marking duration, optimizing both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the magnetic field parameter from active to inactive to control buoy release. By deactivating the second magnet's magnetic field at the predetermined time, the magnetic attachment force is removed, allowing the buoy to surface. This parameter change enables precise control over when the trap location is marked, improving harvesting efficiency without sacrificing location reliability.
3Ease of operation
If conventional tether lines are used, then buoys can be retrieved, but traps are lost when buoys are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The retrieval system is segmented into two independent components: the buoy with its magnetic attachment mechanism, and the trap with its separate tether and recovery rope. The buoy can be released and retrieved independently through magnetic field control, while the trap remains securely attached to the seabed or recovery system. This segmentation ensures that buoy loss or retrieval operations do not compromise trap retention.
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 solution prevents entanglement hazards and allows for efficient trap recovery by keeping the buoy submerged until harvesting, reducing the risk to marine life and maintaining trap containment until retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet disposed in magnetic communication with the tether release and adapted to secure the tether based on a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
allowing the buoy to surface and draw an attached trap line
Data Source
AI summary
A delayed release device for a buoy engaged with an underwater lobster trap operates with a first magnet securing a buoy, such that the buoy is tethered to a deployed lobster trap submerged in lobster harvesting regions of the ocean. A second magnet secures the first magnet based on a magnetic field, and a displacement actuator is in communication with the second magnet for retracting the magnet in response to a predetermined condition. Based on the condition, such as a time delay, the actuator moves the second magnet distal from the first magnet for releasing the buoy when the distance reduces the magnetic field sufficiently. The actuator may include a drive screw having a threaded engagement with the second magnet, such that the drive screw is responsive to rotation for retracting the second magnet.