AU670331B2 - Intensive aquaculture farming - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Name of Applicant DOUGLAS OLIVER JAMES EDWARDS Actual Inventor(s) Douglas Oliver James EDWARDS Address for Service GRANT ADAMS COMPANY Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 9 S National Mutual Centre 144 Edward Street BRISBANE QLD 4000

AUSTRALIA

gee.o: "Invention Title 'INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE FARMING' Details of Associated Provisional Applications Numbers PL5673 The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

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TITLE: "INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE FARMING" FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a aquaculture and in particular to the above ground aquaculture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to raise fish, crustaceans, and the like, both fresh water and salt water species, in the sea, in dams and in tanks. In all circumstances, the close quartering of living creatures is attended by various disease and other like problems. In ground dams or ponds put many fish in a common body of water which adds to the risk of disease. Holding fish in the ocean limits control *of water quality and involves continuing maintenance costs in keeping perimeter nets in place. Tanks enable greater 15 control of water quality but putting large tanks or many small tanks in place adds to establishment problems.

The various known techniques involve either or both of high establishment costs and high labour costs.

There is a continuing developmental program seeking better 20 techniques in which greater control of the environment is provided and also control over costs associated with the system such as labour.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to 25 provide improvements in the field of aquaculture.

Specific means by which the general object is achieved and advantages attendant thereto will hereinafter become apparent.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION The invention achieves its object in provision of an aquaculture system for sustaining aquatic life forms comprising: at least one cell comprised of two or more vertically stacked tanks or troughs in each of which a level of water is maintained; a feed line to the or each cell, said feed line branching within a cell to each tank or trough in -R U-BI l~ II~L~II~ W.

said cell delivering water thereto from a water treatment nmeans to a first end of each tank or trough, the feed line branches being independently gated or valved at their respective tank or trough to enable control of flow to their respective tank or trough; a return line from the or each cell connected to the tanks or troughs therein in parallal at a second end of each tank or trough, by which water is drained therefrom and returned to the water treatment means, the return line being independently connected to respective tanks or troughs at a removable plug fitted drain or valved drain in addition to an overflow; and a water treatment means to which return water flows under gravity to be reconditioned for recirculation 15 via said feed line.

i: In its preferred form, the aquatic system comprises a plurality of cells of stacked tanks or troughs to increase the stocking rate per square metre of ground e space. Ideally, the plurality of tanks or troughs are 20 manifolded to a common water treatment plant. Preferably, at each level in a bank of stacked tanks or troughs, the tanks or troughs are in adjoining pairs. In a large o system, banks of stacked pairs of tanks or troughs are arranged side by side with access spaces therebetween wherein means by which levels can be worked is provided.

These means may be ladders and the like preferably fixedly mounted to a rolling track for movement along the length of a tank or trough. Each tank can be sheet steel construction with anticorrosive coatings with support thereto at the rim thereof to hang the tank or trough off a supporting frame. Additional supporting frame work might be provided thereunder. Ideally, the system of tanks or troughs is housed inside a building such as a greenhouse type structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION L- The invention will now be described with reference to various preferred embodiments having features as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the general layout of an aquaculture system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a isometric view of an aquaculture system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded detail of the construction of a trough for use in the system of FIGS.

1 and 2.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a means by which return water can be fed into a tank or trough.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of a means whereby air can be fed to a tank or trough.

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view at the outlet end of a preferred form of the tank or trough.

S.FIG. 7 is an end view of a cell comprising pairs of vertically stacked tanks or troughs.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of bed rails to a tank or trough.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view showing how a tank or trough can be supported.

FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating the flow of water in a typical system.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the aquaculture system of FIG. 1 there are a plurality of tanks or troughs such as that which is numbered 10, as seen in the figure, which c-n be identical in character, with water therein wherein the organisms of choie are raised. The water .i trough is conditioned by a treatment plant preferably having associated therewith a water return reservoir 11 from which water is pumped by pump 13 to filters shown Ib- ENREMrepresented schematically at 15 with waste collection at 14. A compressor at 12 feeds line 16 with compressed air to aerate the water in the troughs by bubbling out at outlets 17. Filtered water is fed to end 18 of the tanks or troughs whereat it is sprayed into a tank or trough to cause a flow through the tank or trough to an outlet at the other end where water is flowed back preferably by gravity to water return reservoir 11. A slight slope to the tank or trough assists flow therethrough. Tile inlet water at 18 is ideally sprayed therein to bring about a further degree of aeration in the tank or trough. This parallel connection of the tanks or troughs is enabled by manifolding the respective lines to the thanks or troughs from a central treatment area. The tanks or troughs can be closely spaced in pairs with access ways therebetween as will be l seen in greater detail in FIG. 2.

As seen in FIG. 2 troughs may be provided in pairs, such as pair 19 and 20, and the pairs can be stacked one above the other in two cells or banks 21 and 22. This is done on a suitable support frame 23 with a gap 24 therebetween as a service way. The service way 24 can be fitted with any suitable means by which to access the troughs at any chosen height, such as a rolling ladder, for example. Each tank is fitted with an overflow such as at 25 in trough 20 and a drain S•with a plug or valve (not shown) feeding to a line 27 and from there to the return line 28, connected to each "0 "bank of tanks or troughs and feeding the overflow to the 30 water return reservoir of FIG. 1. At the inlet end of each tank or trough, such as end 29 of trough 20, there is provided an inlet pipe 30 across the end from which water is sprayed into the trough. The inlet 30 is fed by pipe 31, joined with the other cells or banks to water inlet 32. The aeration inlet 33 is below the I ii trough water level and it is fed from line 34 which is fed from inlet 35 from the compressor of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3 is seen an exploded view of a tank or trough in accordance with the invention. Sheet material is given the generally U-shape cross-section as seen in FIG. 3 to create the body 36 of a trough with a flange 37 with vertical outer lip 38 to catch over a rail 39 therebeneath. A similar flange 40 on the other side overlaps a further supporting rail 41. The ends of the trough can be closed with sheet material forming an end wall 42 with flange 43 thereabout. The flange 43 is connected to the end of body sheet 36 and it can be attached thereto by connectors and sealed. A silicone type sealant can be used. A number of screws or rivets may assist in holding the end wall against water pressure therein. The end walls can have an upper flange as shown overlapping end support rails 44 connected to side rails and support framing by pins FIG. 4 shows a detail of means by which water 20 may be sprayed into a tank or trough. Pipe 46 is a vertical riser with water flowed therein from the top down to each level within a cell whereat at each level a o take off pipe 47 fitted to a T-piece joint in line 46 is fitted with a saddle clamp 48 to establish side connectors 49 and 50 whereat pipe lengths 51 and 52 can be fitted. The ends of pipes 51 and 52 are blocked off by suitable means such as end cap 53. The two pipes 51 and 52 are provided with outlets such as 54 by which water in line 46 is delivered to a tank or trough by 30 spraying onto the water surface therein. Plastic pipe and plumbing fittings of standard form enable the above structure to be established using off the shelf components. The spray inlets may simply be rows of drilled holes. The spray bars 51 and 52 can be poly pipe with their saddle applied to the riser or to a side 'b I I Iline projected thereof depending on the geometry of the system. Projecting the spray bars off the riser to locate them over the end of a tank or trough puts the spray bars in a position whereat dripping therefrom is into the tank.

In FIG. 5 is seen the air inlet means. Again, poly pipe, UV stabilised if desired, is used. The feed line 55 is dropped down by a vertical run 56 connected at a right angled joint therebetween with side feeds 58 and 57 extended from a T joint to respective right angle connectors to vertical tank lengths 59 which feed downwardly to beneath the water surface whereat a further T connector can be used from which to support feed tubes 60 and 61. The ends of tubes 60 and 61 are capped by a standard screw cap. The tubes 60 and 61 are i'0' drilled right the way through horizontally to provide outlets whereat air can bubble up through the water in the respective tank. Many of these holes are provided S.along the length of the tubes to achieve good aeration.

20 The joints may be such as to receive their respective tube lengths by screw thread therein so that the assembly can be disassembled whenever servicing is required. This may be required in situations where 0 algae have built up and caused blockages.

FIG. 6 shows a view into corner 67 of discharge end 62 of a tank fitted with an overflow 63 *:Goo: with a suitable strainer therein extended by a suitable pipe to the water return line 64 which extends down the bank of tanks to collect the overflow from each. A **goo* 30 drain at the base of the tank is extended by tube into the return line 64. The drain may be fitted with a lug 66 co plug the outlet. The overflow might be set at heights of 300 mm or 400 mm according to the species raised therein. A height of 300 mm might be used for crayfish and 400 mm for various fishes. The outlet

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might be 50 mm in diameter with a stainless steel screen inserted therein. The height of water in a tank might be selected by provision of multiple outlets at respective heights, each valved to enable selection of a desired water depth. The drain outlet may be 50 mm in diameter with a complementary plug. If the overflow strainer is removable it is conveniently put in the drain to rrevent animals being drawn thereto. The drain need not be valved although some form of valving might replace the plug if desired. In operation of the tank, the animals therein can be herded to the feed end by use of a suitable transverse screen moved from the discharge end along the tank for this purpose.

FIG. 7 shows an end view of cell 68 supported between top rail 69 and bottom rail 70. A further pair of top and bottom rails exist at the other end. Between the top and bottom rails 69 and 70 are extended vertical support posts 71 and 73 attached to the top and bottoni rails. A similar set of posts extend between the top and bottom rails at the other end. The tanks are supported between the vertical posts on support rails :extended therebetween at the top of each tank and at the bottom by bedding rails such as rail 74 beneath tank These supporting rails are seen in greater detail 25 in FIGS. 8 and 9.

S'FIG. 8 is a plan view with tank removed to show the supporting rails. Bedding rail 74 between posts 71 and 72 has a similar rail 76 at the other end.

Extended across these rails can be lengthwise support rails 77 and 78. Rails 79 and 80 are the transverse rails from which the tank walls are hung. FIG. 9 shows the means of attaching these rails and tank to the vertical posts.

In FIG. 9 the end wall 81 of tank 75 is shown between posts 71 and 71. The body of the tank (not I d L- I ~I shown for convenience) would have its top lengthwise edge caught over rail 80 on the left hand side (in the sense of the drawing). A pin 83 is passed through a complementary end 89 of rail 82 through a mount attached to post 72 and into rail 80. By this means the top support rails to the tank are attached to the support posts. Pin 84 performs the same function at post 71.

FIG. 10 shows the water circuit. A cell with tanks 87 to 90 drains to downpipe 91 with all cells in the system in parallel therewith feeding their water in respective downpipes to common return line 92 with a solid waste strainer 93 therein before filling into return tank 94. Gravity can be the means by which this flow is maintained. A pump 96 removes water from tank 94 via a stainer 95 to feed water to a sand filter 97 and via a feed line 98 to vertical feed lines such as line 99 feeding to tanks 87 to 90. The sand filter may be any of the common types, chosen according to capacity to meet the desired flow rate. These filters permit reverse flushing. What solids are not strained by strainer 93 may settle in the tank 94 or be caught by strainer 95. What is left will be retained in the filter 97. The size of tank 94 will depend on how many co••e: 25 tanks or troughs might be needed to be emptied at the same time if no water is to be lost from the system.

*.The above described system creates an aquatic raceway where the rate of feed of water through the system depends on the feed rate of water to a tank or trough, its cross-sectional geometry and the height of water therein. In any given system the rate of flow of water through the system depends on the flow rate selected at the punp which effects the flow rate of return water. The stacking of modules in cells increases the number of animals which can be maintained I I I I I I per square meter of ground space. The use of a cellular or modular approach permits a high degree of prefabrication at a central location with despatch of parts to users of the system looking to upgrade their plant with added tanks or troughs. The additions are readily put in place without skilled labour. The provision of water conditioning systems and recycling enable an aquatic form of battery style production with total management of individuals, groups, sizes, weights, species, all grouped in cells or separated in cells for the purposes of breeding, research, growth, finishing and harvesting.

In the above apparatus there is provided a means whereby to realise intensive aquaculture in modular cells. Each cell can be made from aquaplate sheeting, covered on both sides by an impermeable long life product, as is used in domestic water supply, of .o food grade standard. This extends the life of the cell, being anti-corrosive in character. The aquaplate can be curved suitably to form an elongate cell with end plates attached to complete the cell. The cells can be formed or mounted in pairs with a supporting Duragel RHS steel framework which enables creation of walkways and/or service ways between banks of cells.

Within a tank or trough, cleaning can be by use of vacuum type pool cleaners with fish herded to one end. Each tank or trough and whole cells can be totally drained, if required. The draining of one or more tanks or troughs does not affect the rest of the system, a tank or a whole cell being worked on being able to be isolated from the rest of the system by valves on its various supply lines. The system can be housed inside a building, such as a greenhouse type structure for greater environmental control. In such a closed system, predator problems do not exist. The setting of the 11 overflow from a cell sets the depth of water to suit a species. With an anti-corrosive coating, saline systems can be run so that the full range of aquaculture is possible with the system.

Being a modular construction, an add on modular system is able to be offered. Users can acquire a basic system and expand capacity when desired by simple addition of extra cells in parallel with existing cells expanded sideways over new ground space.

Alternately additional tanks or troughs might be added to existing cells taking the cells or banks of tanks or troughs to greater height.

The raceways or troughs can be made up from sections cut off rolls of 1200 mm wide sheet steel coated on both sides with a plastic film or the like to give anti-corrosion properties. This can be the now familiar food grade coating commonly employed in lining fresh water tanks for servicing homes from rain water.

The side and end rails can be dowelled at each vertical post to complete a supporting framework for the sheet material troughs. Each trough can be 1000 mm wide, 500 mm deep, made up in 1200 mm sections, each section overlapped by 50 mm by the next section along the trough to permit joining of sections to create a tank of chosen length.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art .that the various forms set out herein of the invention might be varied, added to, and scaled to suit a range of specific goals such as might be needed to accommodate a specific organism in the system with said variations and additions remaining within the scope of the invention hereinbefore set forth and specifically claimed in the claims set out hereunder.

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Claims (7)

1. An aquaculture system for sustaining aquatic life forms comprising: at least one cell comprised of two or more vertically stacked tanks or troughs in each of which a level of water is maintained; a feed line to the or each cell, said feed line branching within a cell to each tank or trough in said cell delivering water thereto from a water treatment means to a first end of each tank or trough, the feed line branches being independently gated or valved at their respective tank or trough to enable control of flow to their respective tank or trough; a return line from the or each cell connected 15 to the tanks or troughs therein in parallal at a second end of each tank or trough, by whch water is drained o therefrom and returned to the water treatment means, the return line being independently connected to respective tanks or troughs at a removable plug fitted drain or 20 valved drain in addition to an overflow; and a water treatment means to which return water flows under gravity to be reconditioned for recirculation via said feed line.

2. An aquaculture system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the tanks or troughs are mounted in pairs with pairs within cells stacked one above the other in spaced apart banks with service ways therebetween.

3. An aquaculture system as claimed in Claim 2 wherein each service way is provided with one or more rolling ladders on rails to give access to the tanks or troughs at all levels thereof within a cell.

4. An aquaculture system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein each tank or trough is formed from sheet material bent into a generally U-shape in cross- section with end plates applied thereto to create a tank or trough. (c S RA4 4,SoVT -_TO 12a An aquaculture system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the tanks or troughs are formed in sheet steel with an anti-corrosive food grade coating applied thereto. os

6. An aquaculture system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the feed line to a tank or trough is fitted with multiple orifices applied to a transverse length of feed pipe extended across the end of a tank or trough to spray water onto the water surface therein.

7. An aquaculture system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the overflow to a respective return line is set to thereby set the water height inside said tank or trough.

8. An aquaculture system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein t. water treatment means includes a pump to power the flow of water through the aquaculture system and a filter means downstream therefrom to filter water prior to return to the tanks or troughs. 15 9. An aquaculture system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the water treatment means additionally provides a compressor feeding air to subsurface injectors within tanks or troughs via valved lines to each cell. 20 10. An aquaculture system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this twenty-third day of January 1996. DOUGLAS OLIVER JAMES EDWARDS 25 By his Patent Attorneys SGRANT ADAMS COMPANY. 'e g ABSTRACT: 'INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE FARMING' Aquaculture is enabled in stacked tanks (19, in modular cells with service ways (24) therebetween. Each tank (10) has a water feed (18) at one end with water therein draining to an outlet (63). All the tanks are run in parallel with return water flowed to return tank (11) to be pumped through a filter and via feed line (16) back to the tanks. Tanks may be elongate raceways (36) in sheet steel hung from support rails (39, 41) extended between support posts. A rolling ladder can be provided in the service ways (24) to gain access to the stacked tanks. S e es oo oooo o o