Organism Concentration Control via Dynamic Flow Dilution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for counting and sorting living organisms in water, such as fish, face inefficiencies due to unstable concentration, leading to inaccurate counting and increased manufacturing costs, as they struggle to handle peak densities and require design compromises to accommodate a wide range of concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A device with in-feed channels and a chamber regulated by a lever, controlled by a computer and sensor, which continuously adjusts the flow ratio to maintain a constant concentration of organisms, using a sensor to detect density and dilute the stream with fluid as needed, allowing for real-time concentration control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the concentration of living organisms in water is allowed to vary naturally, then the handling system can accommodate peak densities, but the counting and sorting accuracy deteriorates due to unstable concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by actively regulating the concentration parameter of living organisms in water. A control system monitors the actual concentration and adjusts flow rates of additional water into the handling system to maintain the desired concentration level, thereby resolving the contradiction between handling peak densities and maintaining counting accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using sensors to continuously measure the actual concentration of living organisms in the water stream and feeding this information back to a control system. The control system then adjusts the water flow rate accordingly to maintain the target concentration, ensuring both adaptability to peak densities and measurement precision
2Measurement precision
If the flow speed is reduced to improve counting accuracy, then the measurement precision improves, but the productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter rather than the flow speed parameter to achieve counting accuracy. By maintaining optimal concentration through dynamic water addition, the system can process organisms at higher flow speeds without sacrificing measurement precision, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and measurement precision
3Adaptability or versatility
If the equipment is designed to handle a wide range of concentrations, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control to maintain a narrow, optimal concentration range rather than designing equipment to handle a wide range of concentrations. The control system dynamically adjusts water flow based on real-time concentration measurements, achieving adaptability through active control rather than passive design flexibility, thereby reducing device complexity
4Productivity
If fish are pumped from one container to another for counting, then the handling efficiency improves, but the concentration uniformity deteriorates due to clumping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter dynamically during the pumping and counting process. By continuously monitoring concentration and adding water to maintain the desired level, the system prevents clumping and maintains uniform concentration distribution, resolving the contradiction between handling efficiency and concentration uniformity
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 solution ensures a consistent and accurate counting and sorting process, increasing throughput and reducing manufacturing costs by maintaining optimal operational efficiency and minimizing variance in organism concentration, thus enabling better handling and processing of living organisms.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor positioned in the first in-feed channel for detecting the density of living organism in the flow
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a device and a fish-farm for controlling the concentration of living organisms in fluid in order to facilitate the handling of the organisms such as grading and counting. The apparatus comprises a first in-feed channel for a flow of living organisms, a second in-feed channel for a flow of fluid, a chamber containing a lever for regulating the flows from the first and the second in-feed channels through the chamber, an outlet, a computer, and a sensor. The sensor is positioned in the first in-feed channel for detecting the density of living organism in the flow, and the computer continuously and automatically regulates the ratio of flows from the first and the second in-feed channels through the chamber and towards the outlet by the lever in response to the density of living organisms in the flows determined by the sensor.