Onboard Mussel Processing System for Shell Breakage Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mussels are sensitive to environmental changes and risk shell breakage during harvesting, leading to product loss, and current methods fail to maintain natural living conditions effectively, resulting in contamination and inefficient processing.
Innovation Solution
Processing mussels on board the vessel by removing non-mussel elements, detaching and grading them in the presence of additional water to simulate natural conditions, with cooling and oxygenation to minimize stress and breakage, and recycling water for optimal conditioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If mussels are stored on shore in cooled sea water, then storage duration is extended and processing can occur at any desired moment, but the natural living conditions are not maintained and shell breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing grading and separation of mussels directly on board the vessel before transport to shore. This preliminary processing reduces handling on shore, minimizing shell breakage risk during storage and transport to packaging facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing stage on board the vessel that acts as a buffer between harvesting and shore storage. This intermediary step allows mussels to be graded and separated in their natural environment, reducing stress and breakage before they enter the shore-based storage system.
2Productivity
If mussels are subjected to multiple processing stages on shore, then processing efficiency is improved, but the natural living conditions deteriorate and product loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary grading and separation of mussels on board the vessel before they reach shore facilities. This preliminary action ensures that only market-ready mussels undergo extensive shore-based processing, while smaller mussels are returned to breeding sites, reducing overall processing requirements and product loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential processing functions of grading and separation from the shore-based system and relocates them to the vessel. This extraction reduces the processing burden on shore facilities, allowing mussels to be handled more gently and reducing product loss during processing.
3Loss of substance
If mussels are graded and separated on board the vessel, then product loss is minimized and breeding site yield is enhanced, but processing complexity on the vessel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional equipment on board the vessel that can perform grading, separation, and sorting operations. This universal equipment handles multiple processing tasks, reducing the need for separate specialized devices and minimizing the overall complexity of the onboard processing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The grading and separation process is designed to be relatively simple and self-contained, allowing the vessel's crew to operate the system with minimal external assistance. The process leverages the natural characteristics of mussels and simple mechanical separation, reducing the need for complex automated systems.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If additional water is used for processing on board, then natural living conditions are simulated and shell breakage is reduced, but water management complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The water used for processing on board the vessel is collected and reused for subsequent processing steps. This self-service water management system reduces the need for continuous fresh water supply and simplifies waste water disposal, reducing the overall complexity of water management while maintaining the protective benefits of water-based processing.
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 method reduces mussel shell breakage, maintains natural conditions, enhances breeding site yield, and ensures efficient processing from harvesting to packaging, minimizing product loss and optimizing aquaculture by simulating natural conditions and recycling water.
Implementation Method 1
The harvested mussels are processed on board directly after the catch has been hauled aboard the vessel... in the presence of an additional amount of water... the natural living conditions of the mussels be simulated already on board the vessel by using water
Implementation Method 2
the mussels are placed in one or more storage containers on the shore in cooled sea water, which cooled sea water flows through the storage containers
Implementation Method 3
supply oxygen to the water, possibly in combination with the addition of algae to the water
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for processing mussels, wherein mussels are fished by means of a vessel and brought aboard. Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for processing mussels in which the natural living conditions of the mussels are maintained as much as possible and if necessary optimised directly after harvesting.