WO2018224429A1

WO2018224429A1 - Aquaculture module with rope grid

Info

Publication number: WO2018224429A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/064596
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gonzalo CEA
Original assignee: Nv Bekaert Sa; Inchalam Sa - Industrias Chilenas De Alambre
Priority date: 2017-06-08
Filing date: 2018-06-04
Publication date: 2018-12-13
Also published as: CL2017001468A1

Abstract

An aquaculture module (102), said module comprising a surface grid, said surface grid comprising a first group (112) of ropes and a second group (124) of ropes, the ropes of the first group crossing the ropes of the second group, said module further comprising an aquaculture net (134) in the form of an open basket, said aquaculture net suspending to two ropes (114, 122) of the first group and to two ropes (126, 132) of the second group, both said surface grid and said aquaculture net being kept floating on the water surface, both said surface grid and said aquaculture net being kept in place by ropes, chains, anchors, weights (142) or a combination thereof.

Description

Title: AQUACULTURE MODULE WITH ROPE GRID

Description

Technical Field

[0001 ] The invention relates to an aquaculture module comprising an aquaculture net and to a system comprising several such aquaculture modules.

Background Art

[0002] Aquaculture nets or fish-farming nets are used to raise aquatic life such as fish. The aquaculture net keeps the aquatic life controlled and contained and protects the aquatic life inside the net against predators such as sharks, sea lions, crocodiles, piranhas, snakes and fishes that chew the nets.

[0003] The aquaculture nets are suspended on a floating cage that is usually built from tubes and bars. Very often walkways are provided and connected to the raft to allow human inspection and maintenance.

[0004] The whole construction of raft with aquaculture net is rather complex, occupies a lot of space and requires a huge investment.

Disclosure of Invention

[0005] It is a primary object of the invention to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0006] Viewed from one aspect, the invention aims at providing a simplified

aquaculture system.

[0007] From another aspect, the invention will save space in comparison with existing aquaculture systems.

[0008] Looking from still another aspect, a purpose of the invention is to save investment costs for aquaculture systems and to increase the return on invested capital.

[0009] According to the invention, there is provided an aquaculture module. The aquaculture module comprises a surface grid. The surface grid comprises a first group of ropes and a second group of ropes. The ropes of the first group cross the ropes of the second group. The module further comprises an aquaculture net in the form of an open basket. The aquaculture net is suspended to two ropes of the first group and to two ropes of the second group. Both the surface grid and the aquaculture net are kept floating on the water surface. Both the surface grid and the aquaculture net are kept in place by ropes, chains, anchors, weights or a combination thereof.

[0010] The surface grid composed by ropes replaces the prior art raft and

simplifies to a large extent the aquaculture module. In addition, the use of the rope grid substantially reduces the investment costs.

[001 1 ] The ropes may be synthetic ropes or, preferably, steel ropes provided with a metal coating or a polymer coating or a combination of an intermediate metal coating and a top polymer coating. The polymer can be a PVC, a polyamide or a PET.

[0012] The aquaculture net may be a synthetic net but is preferably a metal net, such as a chain link fence made of steel wires provided with a metal coating, a polymer coating, or a combination. This metal coating can be a thick zinc alloy coating, such as a zinc aluminium coating, a copper nickel coating, or a copper nickel tin coating.

[0013] A metal net is preferable since it can be used offshore in zones of high energy, i.e. in zones where high wind currents or heavy ocean currents are frequent. In addition, a metal net offers a better protection than a synthetic net against big predators such as sharks, sea wolfs, crocodiles, piranhas, snakes and fishes that chew the nets.

[0014] In case a chain link fence is used, this fence has a stiff and a flexible

direction. The stiff direction is the average direction when following one wire in the chain link. Having regard to the material of the wire, usually metal, and preferably steel, and to the diameter of the wire, this "wire" direction has low deformation since the wire keeps its rigidity. The wire has a zigzag-like pattern, with maxima and minima. Where two adjacent wires of a chain link fence are "hooked" in each other with the maxima of one wire in the minima of the adjacent wire, a flexible movement may exist. This is the flexible direction and is about perpendicular to the wire or stiff direction.

[0015] In a preferable embodiment of the invention, the aquaculture net has one or more side walls. These side walls comprise wires in a wavy form with maxima and minima, wherein the maxima of one wire interlock with minima of a neighboring wire to form patterns of a series of diamonds. At least one of these side walls comprises at least two parts wherein the wire direction in one of said parts is different from the wire direction in another of said parts.

[0016] Preferably the wire direction in one of the parts forms a first angle with the wire direction in another of the parts, and this first angle is larger than 45°, e.g. larger than 60°, e.g. larger than 75°.

[0017] In an embodiment the two parts of the aquaculture net form an upper part and a lower part in the side wall.

[0018] Preferably the wire direction in the upper part forms a second angle with a vertical, where this second angle is smaller than 15°, e.g. smaller than 10°, e.g. about 0°.

Preferably the wire direction in the lower part forms a third angle with a horizontal, where this third angle is smaller than 15°, e.g. smaller than 10°, e.g. about 0°.

[0019] The lower part is defined as that part of the side wall deepest in the water or closest to the bottom net, the top or upper part is that part of the side wall closest to the water level or closest to the raft.

[0020] The advantages of the aquaculture net with two or more wire directions are a homogeneous load distribution combined with a steady volume during fish farming operations. The upper part of the net wall has a vertical wire orientation which distributes the net weight homogeneously at least in the splash zone, i.e. in the upper zone, while the horizontal wire orientation of the lower part of the net wall keeps the net shape stable, thus avoiding volume reductions and fish damage. [0021 ] In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the aquaculture module further comprises a bottom grid. This bottom grid comprises a third group of ropes and a fourth group of ropes. The ropes of the third group cross ropes of the fourth group. The aquaculture net has a bottom that is connected to this bottom grid in order to give more stability to the form of the aquaculture net, even in zones of high energy. The bottom grid may be connected to the same anchoring or mooring system as the surface grid.

[0022] Buoys, floats, watertight pipes or a combination hereof are keeping the surface grid and the aquaculture net floating.

[0023] In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided aquaculture system with two or more aquaculture modules as described above. The aquaculture modules are arranged adjacent to each other. Since there is no raft and no walkway, no volume is lost and more fish may be raised.

Brief Description of Figures in the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 is an upper view of an aquaculture system according to the

invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a side view of such an aquaculture system;

[0026] Figure 3 is perspective view of such an aquaculture system;

[0027] Figure 4 is a detailed view of part of an aquaculture module according to the invention.

Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] Reference is made to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3.

Figure 1 shows an upper view, Figure 2 a side view and Figure 3 a perspective view of an aquaculture system 100 according to the invention. The aquaculture system 100 has five aquaculture modules 102, 104, 106, 108 and 1 10, positioned adjacent to each, thus making efficient use of the available space.

[0029] Each module has an upper grid and an aquaculture net suspending on the upper grid. The detailed explanation will now be done for the first aquaculture module 102.

[0030] A first group 1 12 of ropes has five ropes 1 14, 1 16, 1 18, 120 and 122

running substantially parallel. A second group 124 of ropes has four ropes 126, 128, 130 and 132 running substantially parallel. The first group 1 12 of ropes crosses the second group 124 and forms the upper grid for the first aquaculture module 102.

[0031 ] A aquaculture net 134 in the form of a basket with a bottom and an open surface is suspended on the upper grid, and more particularly connected with the ropes 1 14, 122, 126 and 132.

[0032] Several buoys, floats or watertight pipes 136, 137, 138 and 140 keep the aquaculture module 102, i.e. the upper grid and the aquaculture net 134 floating. More details will be shown and described with reference to Figure 4.

[0033] An aquaculture net 134 may have dimensions ranging from 5m x 5m x 5m (length x width x depth) over 30m x 30m x 30m up to 60 m x 60 m x 30 m and more.

[0034] The net 134 may be made of a chain link fence of metal wires, e.g. carbon steel wires where the steel wires are provided with a corrosion-resistant coating and / or an anti-fouling coating, preferably stainless steel wires provided with an anti-fouling coating. The chain link fence structure allows some flexibility and shifting of one steel wire with respect to an adjacent steel wire. The chain link fence can also be made of copper alloy wires or of titanium wires. Such a net may weigh several metric tonnes, which makes the net adapted for use in high energy zones offshore.

[0035] Such nets have been disclosed in various embodiments in patent

applications WO 2007/031352, WO 2009/089970, WO 2009/089971 , WO 2009/095135 and in WO 2013/053603. [0036] A counterweight or an anchor 142 is provided to moor a rope to the bottom of the river, the pond, or the sea. A chain (not shown) may be provided between the rope and the anchor.

[0037] Figure 4 provides a more detailed view of how the aquaculture module 102 is kept floating on the water. In addition, it also shows part of a bottom grid.

[0038] With respect to the various buoys that keep the aquaculture module 102 floating: The ropes 1 14 and 126 where the aquaculture net 134 is hung are provided with quite a lot of buoys 136, 137.

Bigger, more voluminous buoys 136 are situated at the points where a rope of the first group 1 12 crosses with a rope of the second group 124. As a matter of example, buoys 136 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE PN8 PE80) and may have a volume of 6200 liters, a diameter of 2 meter, a height of 2 meter, a thickness of 1 17.6 mm and a weight of 702.6 kg/m.

Smaller, less voluminous buoys 137 are situated in-between. These buoys 137 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE PN10 PE100), may have a volume of 1500 liters, a diameter of 1 meter, a height of 2 meter a thickness of 72.5 mm and a weight of 213.3 kg/m.

Inside the grid, other buoys 138 are positioned at points where ropes of the first group 1 12 cross with ropes of the second group 124. These types of buoys 138 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE PN10 PE100), may have a diameter of 0.45 m, a length of 2 meter, a thickness of 33.1 mm and a weight of 43.8 kg/m. Still other buoys 140 suspend the a rope outside the perimeter of the aquaculture net. These buoys may have a volume of 3500 liters.

[0039] With respect to the bottom grid: a third group of ropes 144, 146 and 148 crosses a fourth group of ropes 150, 152 and 154 and forms the bottom grid. The bottom grid is connected to the bottom 156 of the aquaculture net 134.

[0040] The ropes are preferably high-carbon steel ropes provided with a zinc or zinc alloy coating (5% aluminium, or 10 % aluminium, or 5% aluminium and 0.5 to 3% magnesium) or a polymer coating or both. The diameter of the ropes may range between 20 mm and 50 mm or more. Although the invention is particularly adapted to be used in high energy zones offshore, it can also be used inshore or midshore. It is particularly suitable for raising all types of pelagic fish, such as salmon, tilapia, cobia, seriola, tuna, seabass, seabeam, pargo, cod...

List of Reference Numbers

100 aquaculture system

102 first aquaculture module

104 second aquaculture module

106 third aquaculture module

108 fourth aquaculture module

1 10 fifth aquaculture module

1 12 first group of ropes

1 14 first rope of first group of ropes

1 16 second rope of first group of ropes

1 18 third rope of first group of ropes

120 fourth rope of first group of ropes

122 fifth rope of first group of ropes

124 second group of ropes

126 first rope of second group of ropes

128 second rope of second group of ropes

130 third rope of second group of ropes

132 fourth rope of second group of ropes

134 aquaculture net

136 big buoy at border of surface grid

137 smaller buoy at perimeter rope of surface grid

138 buoy at crossing point of ropes inside surface grid

140 buoy outside surface grid

142 counter weight

144 first rope of third group of ropes in bottom grid 146 second rope of third group of ropes in bottom grid

148 third rope of third group of ropes in bottom grid

150 first rope of fourth group of ropes in bottom grid

152 second rope of fourth group of ropes in bottom grid

154 third rope of fourth group of ropes in bottom grid

156 bottom of aquaculture net 134

Claims

1 . An aquaculture module,

said module comprising a surface grid,

said surface grid comprising a first group of ropes and a second group of ropes,

the ropes of the first group crossing the ropes of the second group, said module further comprising an aquaculture net in the form of an open basket,

said aquaculture net suspending to two ropes of the first group and to two ropes of the second group,

both said surface grid and said aquaculture net being kept floating on the water surface,

both said surface grid and said aquaculture net being kept in place by ropes, chains, anchors, weights or a combination thereof.

2. The aquaculture module of claim 1 ,

wherein said aquaculture net is a metal net.

3. The aquaculture module of claim 2,

wherein said metal net is a chain link fence of coated steel wires.

4. The aquaculture module of claim 1 ,

wherein said ropes are coated steel ropes.

5. The aquaculture module according to one of the preceding claims,

said module further comprising a bottom grid,

said bottom grid comprising a third group of ropes and a fourth group of ropes,

the ropes of the third group crossing the ropes of the fourth group, said aquaculture net having a bottom that is connected to said bottom grid. The aquaculture module of claim 1 ,

wherein buoys, floats, watertight pipes or a combination hereof are keeping the surface grid and the aquaculture net floating.

An aquaculture system,

said aquaculture system comprising two or more aquaculture modules according to any one of the preceding claims,

said aquaculture modules being arranged adjacent to each other.