Aquaculture self-cleaning system

Intellectual property
Patente en Fase Nacional
CL
CL2022001556
Patente en Fase Nacional
CA
CA3161544
Patente en Fase Nacional
UE
EP4074175
Principal investigator
MSc. Katherine Llancaleo SĂ¡nchez
PATENTSCOPE
It is a physical system (fixing disc) and a method that allows the rapid and continuous removal of solid waste that accumulates inside circular culture tank used in land-based aquaculture. The system optimizes the fluid-dynamic conditions that ensure the formation of the self-cleaning and mixing effect in the pond with low water and energy consumption. The removal of residues and mixing is carried out even when the fluid-dynamic conditions in the tank , the rotational speed of the water or the aspect ratio between the tank diameter and the height of the water, are not considered adequate or conventional according to the state of the art. The present technology does not require for its operation to generate values of circular velocity in the water that negatively affect the normal development of the species under cultivation, as well as it does not require structural modification of the existing tank .
Uses
The self-cleaning system can be used in small, medium, and large-scale land-based confined aquaculture, where it is required to generate and ensure adequate culture conditions and water quality for the species of commercial interest as well as to reduce water and energy consumption. The technology prevents the negative effects of organic solid waste accumulation at the bottom of ponds during the cultivation of first-feeding Salmo salar fry. It substantially reduces mechanical damage to the gills of the fry, thereby preventing the loss of immunity and the onset of infectious outbreaks of Saprolegnia and Flavobacteria, which can cause mortality or a loss of the productive potential of the fish. In particular, it is applicable in the aquaculture industry for mollusks, crustaceans, algae, and fish (pelagic, benthic, demersal).
Benefits
It improves the quality of the water inside the culture tank, by allowing the rapid and continuous removal of the organic solid waste that accumulates in the tank , preventing its degradation.
It ensures adequate hydraulic conditions for the safe culture of the first stages of fry development (water depth and velocity), avoiding stress or mechanical damage to the individuals.
It ensures proper self-cleaning and mixing conditions inside the culture tanks , without the need to satisfy conventional conditions of the angular velocity of water or a certain aspect ratio between pond diameter and water height, they are not considered adequate or traditional according to the state of the art.
This technology does not require high water reuse rates to create circular velocity or particle entrainment within the tanks, drastically reducing the consumption of this product, the size of the systems and equipment for their treatment and conditioning, the space for this equipment, and, the energy demand for the entire operation.
Because of the qualities of the technology, this is useful in the early stages of salmon fry culture and equally relevant for the culture of benthic species such as flatfish, mollusks, or crustaceans.
The technology is not invasive or harmful to the species under cultivation.
No modification or replacement of existing culture tanks is required.
Technological Offer
Technology is available for licensing.
Development status
TRL 5, since it has experimental tests and validation of components and/or their arrangement in a relevant environment, specifically in ponds of 2.3 meters in diameter.