Waterline Hatch Fish Transport Well
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fishing gear hauling systems expose fish to excessive impact, air, and gravity, leading to significant losses and reduced catch quality, with crew safety and equipment stress being additional concerns.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a hatch in the vessel's waterline region with a vertical well and transport device, utilizing a time-controlled opening and closing mechanism to minimize fish exposure to air and water flow control to prevent escape, with a transport device in a shaft separated from the well to collect and process fish efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fish are hauled over rollers and exposed to air and gravity during the hauling process, then the hauling operation can be performed, but fish are lost and quality deteriorates due to impact and exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary water-filled chamber system between the external environment and the fish handling area. Fish are transported through water-filled wells and shafts rather than being exposed to air, using water as a protective intermediary medium that prevents impact damage and maintains fish quality during the hauling operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert aquatic environment for fish transport by filling the well and shaft structures with water. This inert water environment protects fish from the harmful effects of air exposure and gravitational impact, allowing the hauling operation to proceed without fish loss or quality deterioration
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a water-filled well is used to receive catch, then fish are protected from impact, but fish may escape through the opening in the water line region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fish containment methods (such as physical barriers or active monitoring) with a hydrostatic pressure system. The water level in the well is maintained above the opening in the water line region, using water pressure to automatically prevent fish escape without requiring additional mechanical containment devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic pressure by maintaining the water level in the well above the opening level. This creates a hydrostatic barrier that prevents fish from escaping through the opening while still allowing the well to receive and protect fish from impact, utilizing water pressure as the containment mechanism
3Productivity
If the hatch is kept open to allow fish to flow into the well, then fish can be collected, but crew safety is compromised in adverse sea conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic opening and closing of the hatch rather than keeping it continuously open. The hatch is opened only during specific intervals when fish need to be collected and closed during adverse conditions, creating a periodic action pattern that balances fish collection efficiency with crew safety and vessel protection
4Device complexity
If fish are transported through a shared shaft with the well, then the system is simpler, but water level control becomes difficult and fish may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transport system into separate functional zones: a well for receiving fish from the hauling operation and a shaft for transporting fish to the processing area. This segmentation allows independent water level control in each zone, preventing fish loss while maintaining reasonable system complexity through modular design
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 minimizes fish loss and damage during hauling, maintains crew safety, reduces equipment stress, and ensures better catch quality by keeping fish in a protected environment, allowing continuous operation even in adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The transport device is arranged in a shaft separated from the well and with a water level in the well and with means for bringing the catch to flow towards the transport device
Implementation Method 2
a vertical well for receipt of at least a part of the catch, the well extending from a level below a lower edge of the opening or hatch
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
This publication relates to a system and a method for hauling fish gear, such as longlines, gillnets or demersal seine nets, into a fishing vessel (10) and collecting and transporting catch (12) to a working station, using a hatch (16) in a part of a hull exposed to the sea and arranged in a water line region (27) of the vessel (10); a vertical well (18) for receipt of at least a part of the catch through the hatch (16); a transport device for transporting the catch to the deck; and with means for bringing the catch to flow towards the transport device. The transport device (24,25) used is arranged in a shaft (19), separated from the well (18), and a closable opening or hatch (23) is arranged in a wall or bulkhead (21) between the well (18) and the shaft (19) and with a devices for opening and closing the opening or hatch (23), a bottom (22) in the shaft (19) arranged at a lower level than the lower end of the closable opening or hatch (23) and a water level in the well (18); and a device for reducing the water level in the shaft (19).