Seafood Container Channel System for Water Renewal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for transporting live seafood over long distances face high mortality rates due to water contamination and oxygen depletion, with existing solutions either being costly or environmentally unfriendly, and lacking effective means to fully immerse and flush contaminants from the seafood.

Innovation Solution

A container design that allows for full immersion of seafood in water while continuously replacing contaminated water with fresh, oxygen-rich water by using a channel system to draw out waste-laden water from the bottom and introduce cleaner water from the top, facilitated by a hinged lid with troughs and drainage slots.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If seafood is transported in containers filled with water for long distances, then the seafood can be kept alive longer, but the water becomes contaminated by body wastes and oxygen depletes over time leading to high mortality rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransportation durationVSAvoidseafood survival rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into multiple compartments with separate water circulation systems. Each compartment has its own channel network that independently circulates water, preventing contamination from spreading throughout the entire container and maintaining water quality for longer periods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The channel system continuously removes contaminated water from the bottom of the container and replaces it with fresh water from the top. The removed water can be collected and treated for reuse, enabling sustained long-distance transportation without water quality degradation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Duration of action of moving object

If large amounts of water are used to fill holding tanks for ground or sea transportation, then seafood can be transported longer distances, but the weight becomes impractical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransportation durationVSAvoidcontainer weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The container design allows water to be automatically circulated and renewed without requiring external pumping systems. The channel network uses gravity and natural convection currents to move water through the container, eliminating the need for heavy mechanical water replacement systems while enabling extended transportation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If seafood is sprayed with water in temperature controlled environments, then water circulation is provided, but contaminants and waste products are not fully flushed out from the seafood

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater circulationVSAvoidcontaminant accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of spraying water from above in a single direction, the system introduces water circulation from multiple dimensions - water enters from the top and flows downward through channels along the sides and bottom of the container, creating multi-directional flow that effectively reaches all surfaces of the seafood and removes contaminants more completely

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 maintains the freshness of seafood by effectively removing waste products and replenishing water, reducing mortality rates and operational costs, while being more environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

The channel has an inlet at the lower portion of the interior of the container, a hollow body that extends upward, and an outlet that communicates with the exterior of the container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic flow:

Data Source

PatentEP3194298B1Seafood container
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 3283688 NOVA SCOTIA
  • EP3194298B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3194298B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3194298B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A seafood storage and/or transportation container is provided. The seafood container comprises a container, the container having a bottom wall, two side walls and two end walls. The container also comprises at least one channel, the channel having an inlet at the lower portion of the interior of the container, a hollow body that extends upward, and an outlet that communicates with the exterior of the container. The at least one channel assists in removal of water from the lower portion of the container, which will be accompanied by some of the waste product from the stored seafood. When a water source is provided overhead, the container of the present invention allows the stored seafood product to be submerged in water, while also obtaining a substantially complete turnover of water within the container (including waste products). This facilitates the mixing of water in the container by drawing away the possibly contaminated water from near the bottom of the container and pulling down the cleaner, oxygen rich water from near the top of the container. Preferably, there is a lid hingedly attached to the top of the seafood container, having at least one trough that serves to trap water as it passes over the lid. The water is retained in the trough until it enters the inside of the container through a plurality of holes contained therein.