Modular Aquaculture Breeding System with Adjustable Buoyancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fish breeding facilities are inflexible in size and shape, making them difficult to adapt to varying water bodies and conditions, and are costly to transport and maintain, with single buoyancy bodies bearing the weight of large tanks and complex air dome roofing posing energy and structural challenges.
Innovation Solution
A modular breeding system comprising interconnected support modules with adjustable buoyancy bodies and flexible breeding tanks, allowing for variable size and shape configurations, easy assembly and disassembly, and maintenance outside of water, with quick-connect mechanisms and buoyancy adjustment via fillable hollow chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a single buoyancy body is used to support a large breeding tank, then the tank can be held in water, but the structure becomes difficult to transport and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The breeding facility is divided into multiple support modules, each with its own buoyancy body and breeding tank. This segmentation allows the system to be disassembled into smaller, more manageable units that are easier to transport and maintain, while still providing large total breeding capacity when assembled together.
2Productivity
If the breeding facility size is increased to meet breeding needs, then more fish can be raised, but transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The facility uses multiple standardized support modules that can be assembled in different quantities to achieve desired breeding capacity. This allows scaling productivity without proportionally increasing transportation complexity, as modules can be transported separately and assembled on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables dynamic configuration where the number and arrangement of support modules can be adjusted based on specific breeding requirements and water body conditions, optimizing both capacity and transport efficiency for each deployment scenario.
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-size breeding facility is used, then construction is simpler, but adaptability to different water bodies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The breeding facility consists of standardized support modules with uniform buoyancy bodies and breeding tanks that can be assembled in various configurations. This segmentation maintains construction simplicity through standardization while enabling adaptability to different water body sizes and conditions through flexible arrangement of modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized support modules are designed to be universally applicable across different deployment scenarios. Each module can function independently or be combined with others, allowing the same basic design to adapt to various water body types, sizes, and breeding requirements without requiring custom designs.
4Productivity
If maintenance is performed on water in unfavorable weather, then operational continuity is maintained, but mechanical damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular architecture allows individual support modules to be disconnected and removed from the water for maintenance. This segmentation enables maintenance to be performed on land in controlled environments, eliminating weather-related mechanical damage risks while maintaining operational continuity through quick reassembly of modules.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If air dome roofing is used to cover the breeding tank, then waterfowl can be protected, but energy consumption increases and structural stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The air dome roofing structure is removed entirely from the design. Instead, the breeding tanks are left open or covered with simpler, more stable structures. This extraction eliminates the energy consumption and structural stability issues associated with air domes while still allowing for predator protection through alternative means such as netting or natural barriers.
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 modular design enables flexible adaptation to different water bodies, simplifies maintenance, reduces transportation costs, and enhances stability and ease of assembly, while allowing for precise buoyancy control and efficient water management.
Implementation Method 1
buoyancy bodies (3) having a fillable hollow chamber (17)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a support module (2) for placing in a body of water, comprising at least one float (3) and securing means (5) for at least indirectly maintaining, on the at least one float, a breeding pond (22) used to receive fish which are to be breed and/or other aquatic creatures for breeding. A volume and/or weight of the at least one float is measured such that the support module floats in the body of water. A plurality of floats (3) and a support frame (4) are provided. The plurality of floats are secured to the support frame by fixing means (7) and the support frame comprises securing means (5) for maintaining the breeding pond and connecting means (6) for connecting the support module (2) to an adjacent constructional unit.