Recirculating Mixed-Cell Raceway Aquaculture for Building Retrofit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aquaculture fish farm systems are too complex and expensive for small-scale farmers to operate profitably, requiring costly upgrades and specialized infrastructure that are not feasible for repurposing agricultural-style buildings.
Innovation Solution
A recirculating aquaculture Mixed-Cell Raceway (MCR) system designed for retrofitting into long narrow agricultural-style buildings, utilizing existing water, electricity, and waste systems, incorporating water treatment functions like CO2 stripping, oxygenation, and biofiltration within a compact envelope, with gravity-assisted and pumped water pathways for efficient fish growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional aquaculture fish farm systems are used, then fish growth and water treatment functions are achieved, but system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple water treatment functions (CO2 stripping, oxygenation, biofiltration, mechanical filtration) and fish growth functions into a single integrated Mixed-Cell Raceway system. The growth cells and water treatment section are merged into one unified structure, eliminating the need for separate conventional aquaculture systems and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The Mixed-Cell Raceway system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as both fish growth environment and water treatment facility. The system handles CO2 stripping, oxygenation, biofiltration, and mechanical filtration all within the same integrated structure, making it a universal solution for both fish rearing and water treatment.
2Reliability
If conventional aquaculture systems with complex plumbing and water treatment equipment are installed, then water treatment functions are achieved, but installation cost and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into distinct functional segments: growth cells for fish rearing and a water treatment section for water processing. Each segment has a specific function, and the modular design allows for easier installation and maintenance compared to conventional integrated systems. The segmentation enables specialized construction of each component based on its specific requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-service features where the water treatment process is integrated into the fish growth environment itself. The mixed-cell design allows water to be treated in-situ within the growth cells, eliminating the need for separate external water treatment equipment and reducing installation complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If agricultural-style buildings are repurposed for aquaculture, then investment cost is reduced, but system adaptability to existing infrastructure is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system design accommodates local variations in existing agricultural building infrastructure. The Mixed-Cell Raceway can be configured to fit different building layouts and existing utility arrangements, allowing adaptation to specific local conditions while maintaining the integrated water treatment and fish growth functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes vertical space and three-dimensional configuration to adapt to existing building footprints. By arranging growth cells and water treatment sections in multiple dimensions, the system can fit into existing agricultural buildings without requiring extensive horizontal modification, thus reducing investment costs while maintaining adaptability.
4Reliability
If fish are handled for monitoring and management, then fish health can be assessed, but labor requirements and fish stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual fish handling with automated monitoring technologies. Sensors and detection systems can monitor fish health, growth, and behavior non-invasively, eliminating the need for physical handling and reducing both labor requirements and fish stress while maintaining reliable health assessment capabilities.
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
Enables cost-effective aquaculture operations with minimal disruption, reducing labor and stress on fish by allowing fish to grow without handling, and maximizing the use of existing infrastructure for profitable farming.
Implementation Method 1
A majority of the waterflow moves under force of gravity from the fish-containing growth cells to the treatment section
Implementation Method 2
The lifting pumps then re-elevate and distribute the filtered waterflow back to each of the fish-containing growth cells
Implementation Method 3
The treatment section includes three functional treatment reservoirs fluidly connected to each other through progressively lower weirs until the waterflow reaches lifting pumps
Implementation Method 4
collect all functions of water treatment including, but not limited to, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) stripping, oxygenation, biofiltration, mechanical filtration, and pumping
Implementation Method 5
collect all functions of water treatment including, but not limited to, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) stripping, oxygenation, biofiltration, mechanical filtration
Implementation Method 6
Solids are collected at the center drains by the rotation of the waterflow in each fish-containing growth cells
Data Source
AI summary
A recirculating aquaculture Mixed-Cell Raceway (MCR) system enables the implementation of a compact commercial-size fish culturing system in long and narrow agricultural-style buildings commonly used to house and grow animals. The system can be retrofitted to existing agricultural-style buildings or in new constructions. The system is entirely contained within the footprint of a single rectangular MCR. The MCR can be divided into several growth cells equal in width and length. One or more growth cells are dedicated to water quality treatment and pumping. Each growth cell follows diameter-to-depth ratio guidelines previously developed for round tanks to quickly force the removal of solids being generated because of the feeding fish being cultured. All growth cells are in alignment, co-planar, and all the functions are integrated into the MCR's footprint. Minimal disturbance to the building is necessary, and existing utilities are reused so that plumbing, electrical infrastructure, and construction costs are reduced.