Living Marine Resource Production Through Upwelling Pipe Culture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marine resource production devices require large amounts of power to draw deep sea water, leading to nutrient salt dilution and inefficient phytoplankton culture, necessitating large areas and high costs, and are not stable against seasonal fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
A method and device using an upwelling pipe to draw deep sea water to the surface, incorporating a light-transmitting pipe for sunlight irradiation and phytoplankton culture, with sensors to control conditions, allowing phytoplankton culture in a small area with controlled sunlight and flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If deep water is drawn using pumps or impellers, then deep water can be supplied to surface region, but power consumption increases and device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes natural density differences between deep water and surface water to drive spontaneous upwelling through the semi-permeable membrane, eliminating the need for external power sources. The osmotic pressure generated by salt concentration differences automatically propels deep water upward
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a semi-permeable membrane to create osmotic pressure-driven fluid flow. The membrane allows selective passage of water molecules based on salt concentration gradients, converting chemical potential energy into mechanical fluid motion without mechanical pumps
2Area of stationary object
If deep water is supplied to a wide range of surface water, then large area coverage is achieved, but nutrient salt concentration is diluted and phytoplankton proliferation is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates localized high-concentration nutrient zones at the membrane surface where deep water upwells, rather than dispersing nutrients over a wide area. This concentrated nutrient delivery optimizes conditions for phytoplankton growth in specific regions
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from horizontal dispersion of nutrients across surface water to vertical concentration at the membrane interface. By utilizing the vertical dimension of the membrane surface, the system maintains high nutrient concentrations in a compact space
3Area of stationary object
If phytoplankton is cultured in surface water region, then large area is available, but culture is not controlled and stable production cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The semi-permeable membrane serves as a controlled interface that separates the culture environment from the surrounding sea. This thin film barrier enables precise control over nutrient supply, light exposure, and environmental parameters, creating a stable and controllable culture system
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors to detect phytoplankton growth conditions and adjusts operational parameters accordingly. This feedback mechanism maintains optimal culture conditions and ensures stable, controllable production despite environmental fluctuations
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
Efficient phytoplankton culture is achieved with a simple structure and low cost, maintaining nutrient salt concentration and stability against environmental fluctuations, enabling zooplankton and fish production.
Implementation Method 1
a deep water drawing means for drawing deep water that exists in a deep region of the sea to a surface region of the sea with an upwelling pipe
Implementation Method 2
incorporating a light-transmitting pipe for sunlight irradiation
Implementation Method 3
a phytoplankton culturing means for culturing the phytoplankton in the upwelling pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A deep water drawing step of drawing deep water that exists in a deep region of the sea to a surface region of the sea with an upwelling pipe (1); and a phytoplankton culturing step of culturing the phytoplankton in the upwelling pipe (1) are included to produce, as a basic producer of a food chain, a living marine resource, such as fishes and shellfishes, with phytoplankton produced in the phytoplankton culturing step.