Offshore Fish Farm Cage Height Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore fish farms in the open sea are high-maintenance and prone to damage from rough conditions, requiring heavy construction and significant effort for installation and maintenance, while nearshore farms are susceptible to disease and predators and have limited capacity.
Innovation Solution
A fish farm design featuring an elongate support pile anchored to the seabed with a cage structure suspended by traction cables, allowing for height adjustment and submersion during storms, enabling the cage structure to withstand rough sea conditions and reducing maintenance needs, with a transition piece providing flexibility and additional functionalities like a platform for operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a floating cage structure is used for offshore fish farming, then the fish farm can be located in the open sea, but the structure becomes heavy and requires high maintenance due to rough sea conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The fish farm system is divided into separate components: a fixed support pile anchored to the seabed and a detachable cage structure. This segmentation allows the cage to be removed or adjusted independently, reducing maintenance complexity and improving reliability in rough sea conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage structure is designed to be dynamically adjustable in height and position along the support pile using height-adjusting means. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to varying sea conditions, reducing maintenance requirements by allowing the cage to be positioned optimally at different times.
2Strength
If a heavy floating cage structure is used to withstand rough sea conditions, then the fish farm can operate in the open sea, but the installation and maintenance effort increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the support pile (which provides strength against sea conditions) from the cage structure, the system achieves the required strength without requiring the entire structure to be heavy and difficult to install. The support pile remains fixed and provides structural integrity, while the lighter cage can be easily installed and maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The height-adjusting means enable the cage to be easily positioned at different heights along the support pile, facilitating simple installation and maintenance operations without requiring heavy lifting equipment or complex assembly procedures.
3Productivity
If the cage structure is kept above water for normal operation, then fish raising can proceed normally, but the cage is exposed to damage during storms
Solution Approach 1:
The cage structure can be dynamically adjusted in height along the support pile. During normal operations, it is positioned above water for optimal fish raising. During storms, it can be lowered below the water surface using the height-adjusting means, protecting it from storm damage while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for preliminary action by positioning the cage below the water surface before storms arrive, preventing damage in advance. The height-adjusting means enable operators to lower the cage proactively in response to weather forecasts or early warning signs of impending storms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described is a fish farm for raising fish in the open sea. The fish farm comprises an elongate support pile which is anchored on an underside to the seabed, and a cage structure which is arranged round the support pile and comprises walls which are substantially impenetrable to the fish for raising. The cage structure is suspended from the support pile by means of suspending means such as traction cables, wherein height-adjusting means can vary the length of the suspension so that the cage structure can be moved along the support pile between a position in which the cage structure is situated above water and a position in which the cage structure is situated under water. Also described is a method for constructing the fish farm at open sea.