Multi-hole Nozzle for Aquatic Pest Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional 'flow-through' aquaculture systems and ballast water treatment facilities face inefficiencies in eradicating harmful aquatic organisms, particularly due to high pressure drops and the need for large pretreatment tanks and chemical usage, which are costly and environmentally concerning.

Innovation Solution

A multi-tube nozzle design with adjacent nozzle tubes having a U-shaped cut and a sword-like pointed tip, allowing for efficient eradication of aquatic organisms with minimal pressure drop, eliminating the need for large pretreatment tanks and chemicals by physically damaging or killing organisms through high-speed water flow and nano-bubble implosion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional flow-through aquaculture systems use chemical treatment in pretreatment tanks to eradicate harmful aquatic organisms, then eradication effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and operational costs increase due to large pretreatment tanks and chemical usage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeradication effectivenessVSAvoidpretreatment system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the harmful aquatic organisms from the water flow using a screen, separating them from the main water current. This allows physical removal of organisms without requiring large chemical treatment tanks or complex pretreatment systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining eradication effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces chemical treatment mechanisms with a mechanical screen-based filtration system. The screen physically blocks and removes harmful organisms from the water flow, substituting chemical eradication methods with a simpler mechanical approach that reduces operational complexity and chemical usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If conventional systems use large pretreatment tanks for chemical treatment, then eradication effectiveness is improved, but the volume and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeradication effectivenessVSAvoidpretreatment tank volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The screen extracts harmful organisms directly from the water flow in-line, eliminating the need for large volume pretreatment tanks. This extraction approach allows treatment to occur within the existing water circulation system, dramatically reducing the space and volume requirements for treatment infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses hydraulic flow through the screen to achieve organism removal. The water pressure and flow dynamics enable effective filtration and organism separation without requiring large tanks, utilizing the existing hydraulic system to perform the treatment function in a compact manner.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Reliability

If chemical treatment is used to eradicate harmful aquatic organisms, then eradication effectiveness is improved, but environmental harm and operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeradication effectivenessVSAvoidchemical pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces chemical eradication methods with a mechanical screen filtration system. This substitution eliminates chemical pollution from the aquatic environment while maintaining effective removal of harmful organisms, thereby resolving the contradiction between eradication effectiveness and environmental harm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The screen system performs self-cleaning or easy maintenance through physical removal of accumulated organisms. The mechanical system requires no chemical inputs and can be maintained by simple physical cleaning, eliminating chemical pollution generation while sustaining continuous effective operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 multi-tube nozzle effectively reduces the number of harmful aquatic organisms, allowing direct water intake into culture tanks without large pretreatment systems, significantly lowering chemical usage and operational costs while maintaining high eradication efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

high-speed water flow and nano-bubble implosion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCavitation: Cavitation

Implementation Method 2

physically damaging or killing organisms through high-speed water flow and nano-bubble implosion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrodynamic Cavitation: Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Data Source

PatentEP3491918B1Multi-hole nozzle for use in aquatic pest control
Publication Date: 2021.05.19 KOWA IND
  • EP3491918B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(c)
  • EP3491918B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3491918B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a multi-tube nozzle for use in eradicating harmful aquatic organisms, which physically kills harmful aquatic organisms while feeding water and thus allows intake water to be fed directly into a culture tank or a ballast tank without the need for a pretreatment tank, chemicals, neutralizers, etc. A multi-tube nozzle (A) for use in eradicating harmful aquatic organisms includes at least three nozzle tubes (1) that are provided adjacent to each other. The nozzle tubes (1) each includes: an inlet-side opening section (2) having an inner diameter that decreases from an inlet opening toward a throat section (3) located in the middle of the tube; an outlet-side opening section (4) having an inner diameter that increases from the throat section (3) toward an outlet opening; and the throat section (3) having a smallest inner diameter. The adjacent nozzle tubes (1) are spaced apart by a distance such that the adjacent inlet-side opening sections (2) overlap each other. A wall (5) of an overlapping portion (6) of the inlet-side opening sections (2) is cut in a U shape. An uncut portion (5a) between the adjacent U-shaped cut portions (5b) forms a sword-like pointed tip.