Submerged Beacon for Locating Drifting Fishing Gear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fishing gear location methods are inadequate for quickly and easily locating drifting or lost fishing gear across varying seabed conditions and weather, leading to uncontrolled drifting and ecological issues like 'ghost fishing'.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a submerged beacon with a radio-acoustic transmitter-receiver, control unit, and release mechanism, allowing ascent to the surface upon receiving a specific code, coupled with geolocation and tracking elements to facilitate precise location of drifting gear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drifting gear is used to improve fishing effectiveness, then fishing efficiency is improved, but the gear drifts in an uncontrolled manner causing ecological damage
Solution Approach 1:
A submerged beacon is attached to the fishing gear before deployment. This beacon remains on the gear during fishing operations and can be remotely activated to surface later, allowing the gear to function normally during use while enabling subsequent location and recovery operations
Solution Approach 2:
The submerged beacon acts as an intermediary between the fishing gear and the locating system. It carries a radio-acoustic transmitter that can be remotely activated to signal the gear's position, mediating between the submerged gear and surface-based detection systems without requiring continuous active transmission
2Measurement precision
If traditional location methods are used, then gear can be located, but the process is slow and difficult regardless of seabed conditions or weather
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual visual search and traditional acoustic methods with a radio-acoustic transmission system. The beacon transmits radio-frequency signals that can be detected by surface vessels equipped with appropriate receivers, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual search operations
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon is designed to transmit signals periodically or in response to remote activation commands. This allows surface vessels to systematically search for and detect the beacon's position through periodic signal transmission and reception cycles
3Productivity
If a submerged beacon with radio-acoustic transmission is used, then rapid location is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon system is divided into separate functional modules: a submerged beacon attached to the gear, a radio-acoustic transmitter unit, and a control system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture by distributing functions across multiple elements
Solution Approach 2:
The submerged beacon is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a fishing gear attachment during operations and as a location signal device during recovery operations. The same beacon structure houses both the fishing gear connection points and the radio-acoustic transmission equipment
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
Enables rapid and efficient location of drifting fishing gear, reducing ecological impact by allowing fishermen to direct searches effectively, regardless of seabed relief or weather conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a housing containing a transmitter-receiver of a radio-acoustic signal
Implementation Method 2
a release mechanism enclosed in a sealed tank constituting a buoyancy reserve
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for locating drifting gear, noteworthy in that it comprises at least the following steps: - anchoring a submerged beacon to one of the ends of the drifting gear, said submerged beacon being equipped with means that ensure it will rise to the surface and comprising a casing enclosing a transceiver of a radio-acoustic signal associated with a control unit, and a release mechanism allowing said beacon to rise in response to reception of a code and an order by said control unit, - geolocating the start point of the drifting gear, in order to allow the fisherman to delineate the region of its location by estimating the drift of his drifting gear from the start point so as to direct the search for said drifting gear in the estimated direction, - locating the drifting gear using the submerged beacon.