Shrimp Culturing System with Suspended Biofloc Clarifier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shrimp cultivation methods face challenges such as susceptibility to environmental contaminants, natural dangers, and inefficient oxygenation and waste management, leading to reduced shrimp availability and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A shrimp culturing system featuring a culture tank with suspended shrimp cubes and an integral clarifier tank that utilizes air to aerate and circulate water, incorporating biofloc to process waste and maintain a healthy carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, thereby providing a protective and efficient cultivation environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional shrimp farms use artificial cages or ponds in natural water bodies, then shrimp cultivation can be conducted with sufficient natural oxygenation, but the system becomes highly susceptible to environmental contaminants and natural dangers
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cultivation space into multiple suspended cube modules within the tank, each providing controlled living spaces for shrimp. This segmentation allows protection from external environmental threats while maintaining manageable, modular units that can be independently managed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary controlled environment (the enclosed tank system with suspended cubes) between the shrimp and the external natural water body. This intermediary structure protects shrimp from contaminants and natural dangers while still allowing controlled water circulation and aeration
2Ease of operation
If conventional farms rely on natural water movement for oxygenation, then oxygen supply is sufficient, but waste management becomes problematic in artificial bodies of water
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs biofloc technology where microorganisms and bacteria naturally present in the water consume waste products and convert them into nutritious food for shrimp. This self-service biological waste management system eliminates the need for complex mechanical filtration while improving water quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses air injection systems and water circulation mechanisms to provide continuous oxygenation and movement of water through the cultivation system. Air stones and diffusers create bubbles that oxygenate water, while circulation pumps maintain flow patterns that prevent waste accumulation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If shrimp are cultivated in open natural environments, then oxygenation is sufficient through natural water movement, but the system cannot protect from industrial/commercial waste contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosed tank system with suspended cubes acts as an intermediary barrier that filters and controls water quality before shrimp exposure. This protective intermediary environment eliminates contamination risks from external sources while maintaining high productivity through optimized cultivation conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The biofloc system provides self-service waste processing that converts potentially harmful waste into beneficial nutrients, creating a self-regulating ecosystem that maintains water quality without external intervention while supporting high shrimp densities
4Productivity
If conventional farms use artificial ponds with controlled cultivation, then waste management is required, but the system increases operational costs and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The biofloc system allows the aquatic ecosystem to service its own waste management needs through natural biological processes. Bacteria and microorganisms naturally consume organic waste and convert it to shrimp food, eliminating the need for expensive mechanical filtration systems while maintaining high production capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the chemical and biological parameters of the water environment to favor beneficial biofloc development. By controlling factors like carbon-to-nitrogen ratios and aeration levels, the system transforms waste management from a mechanical process into a controlled biological process that reduces operational complexity
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 system maximizes shrimp growth by ensuring oxygenation and waste management, reducing the need for external filters and feed, while protecting shrimp from external dangers, thus enhancing production capacity and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing air to aerate and circulate water
Implementation Method 2
clarified water is airlifted back into the culture tank
Implementation Method 3
which nurtures a biofloc to consume the waste and assimilate nitrogen
Implementation Method 4
Excess solid waste drains via a solids removal manifold
Data Source
AI summary
The shrimp culturing system includes a culturing tank and a clarifier tank. A plurality of shrimp cubes are suspended in the culture tank by set pairs of support bars. Each shrimp cube includes a plurality of stacked frames set at predetermined intervals. Each frame supports a mesh therein providing living space for the shrimp, and each stack is interconnected by ropes, which connect to the support bars to be suspended thereby. The shrimp cubes provide maximal space for culturing shrimp. The waste water from the culture tank cycles into the clarifier tank, which nurtures a biofloc to consume the waste and assimilate nitrogen, thereby producing their own waste that can be consumed by the shrimp. Excess solid waste drains via a solids removal manifold, and clarified water is airlifted back into the culture tank. A post-larval tank can be stacked onto the clarifier tank to introduce new batches of shrimp.