Underwater Retrieval System with Horizontal Line Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fishing gear systems, particularly in deep waters, fail to prevent entanglement of marine animals due to the use of robust vertical lines, leading to environmental impact and operational challenges, as they are not designed to withstand high currents and depths, and current mitigation techniques are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A modular retrieval system with a spool assembly, flotation device, release mechanism, and controller that secures vertical lines near the ocean floor until release, using a pre-wound line in a toroidal shape to manage buoyancy and length, allowing for efficient retrieval while minimizing animal entanglement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If robust vertical lines are used to support deep water fishing gear, then the gear can withstand high currents and deep water conditions, but marine animals become entangled in the lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vertical line from the water column by deploying the fishing trap horizontally on the seabed and using a horizontal retrieval line instead of a vertical line, thereby extracting the source of entanglement while maintaining gear stability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a vertical line configuration that extends from surface to seabed, the patent inverts the approach by deploying the trap horizontally on the seabed and using a horizontal line layout, fundamentally changing the geometry to eliminate entanglement risk
2Object-affected harmful factors
If weak lines are used to mitigate entanglement, then animal entanglement is reduced, but the lines cannot withstand deep water conditions and high currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vertical line element that causes entanglement while replacing it with a horizontal line configuration that does not extend into the water column, thereby achieving both entanglement mitigation and gear reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a horizontal deployment mechanism as an intermediary between the trap and the retrieval line, allowing the use of strong lines without creating vertical entanglement hazards
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing on-call systems are used for shallow water, then entanglement is reduced, but they fail to operate in deep water and high currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the deployment parameters from vertical to horizontal orientation, and designs the system to operate at seabed depths of 100-500 meters with current speeds up to 2 knots, expanding adaptability to deep water conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic retrieval system where the trap can be deployed horizontally on the seabed and retrieved on-demand, providing adaptability to both shallow and deep water environments while maintaining entanglement mitigation
4Reliability
If heavier gear is used for offshore fishing, then the gear can withstand deep water conditions, but the risk of animal entanglement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vertical line configuration that creates entanglement risk while maintaining the use of heavy-duty horizontal lines and robust trap structures necessary for offshore fishing, thereby eliminating entanglement while preserving gear strength
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 effectively reduces marine animal entanglement by keeping lines submerged until retrieval, operates in deep waters and high currents, and is cost-effective for commercial fishermen, enhancing fishing efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
a flotation device having at least a selected amount of buoyancy
Data Source
AI summary
A retrieval system and methods of preparing and using same to retrieve underwater objects from a selected depth, including a flotation device having at least a selected amount of buoyancy, a release mechanism that is capable of releasably engaging an anchor, and a controller to actuate the release mechanism when a selected condition is achieved. The system further includes a spool assembly having a frame for carrying (i) the floatation device, (ii) the release mechanism, (iii) the controller and (iv) in combination with the flotation device, a quantity of pre-wound line having a length greater than the selected depth.