Abstract:
An indoor automatic aquaculture system has an indoor breeding pond constructed in a stepwise manner for breeding aquatic or marine products in a staged-breeding approach to increase breeding density and reduce required space. Breeding water is processed in advance by a recirculating water treatment system and water quality is constantly monitored by a water quality monitor and control system to maintain the breeding water at the optimum condition. A movable feed dispensing control system is located above the breeding pond for dispensing feeds evenly thereby to increase breeding survival rate, improve breeding yield and better control breeding product quality.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an aquaculture system and particularly an indoor aquaculture system that is capable of automatically monitoring water quality, automatically replenishing breeding water and automatically dispensing feeds. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditional aquaculture systems generally utilize groundwater and adopt outdoor breeding to grow aquatic or marine products. As ground water or sea water being pumped to the breeding ponds has low oxygen content and a great amount of microbes, the breeding aquatic or marine products tend to die easily. Moreover, pumping huge amount of ground water often makes land subsidence and causes erosion of the breeding ponds. In recent years, foul breeding environments and radical weather changes have spawned various viruses that seriously threaten living conditions of the breeding creatures (such as fishes, shrimps, etc.). As a result, survival rate of the breeding creatures drops significantly. In order to resolve the impact of aforesaid deteriorating external environments and ground water to the breeding businesses, indoor breeding and recirculating water aquaculture systems have gained greater awareness and attention these days, and have become hotly pursued research and development subjects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the invention is to provide an indoor breeding and divided-pool breeding method to overcome the harmful effect resulting from external environments and to improve breeding survival rate. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a high density aquaculture system to increase breeding yield. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic aquaculture system to facilitate control of breeding water quality and dispensing of feeds in a constant time and quantity manner. 
     To achieve the foregoing objects, the indoor automatic aquaculture system of the invention mainly includes a set of breeding pond, a recirculating water treatment system, a plurality of feed dispensing apparatus, an external system and an automatic monitor and control system. Breeding creatures are bred in the indoor stepwise breeding pond and are grown is staged manner to increase breeding density and reduce space required. Breeding water is processed in advance by the recirculating water treatment system. Water quality and condition in the breeding pond is constantly monitored by a water quality monitor and control system and is maintained at the optimum condition. The automatic feed dispensing apparatus are movably located above the breeding pond to evenly dispense feeds. By means of aforesaid arrangements, breeding survival rate can be increased and breeding yield can be improved, and breeding water quality can be better controlled. 
     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a system flowchart of an indoor automatic aquaculture system of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an indoor automatic aquaculture system of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a breeding pond and a feed dispensing apparatus of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a breeding pond of the invention with a return flow design. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 for an embodiment of the invention, the indoor automatic aquaculture system includes at least one set of breeding pond  10 , a recirculating water treatment system  20 , a plurality of feed dispensing apparatus  30 , an external system  40  and an automatic monitor and control system  50 . 
     The breeding pond  10  (also referring to FIGS. 2 and 3) is housed in an indoor space  11  and laid in a desired configuration with a selected distance between neighboring breeding ponds. Each set of breeding pond  10  includes a plurality of breeding zones  12  constructed in a stepwise manner. The lowest section of the breeding pond  10  has a discharge pipe  13  and a discharge tank  14  located therebelow for collecting the grown breeding creatures. The discharge tank  14  has a discharge outlet  141  and a discharge control valve  142  for controlling and delivering breeding water in the discharge tank  14  to a physical filter device  23  so that the breeding water may be circulated and reused. The breeding zones  12  in the breeding pond  10  are connected by PVC pipes. The bottom and inner surrounding side walls of the breeding zone  12  are covered by plastic sheets. The bottom of the breeding zones  12  are inclined at a selected gradient and are fluidly communicated with one another through communication ducts  15 . Every breeding zone  12  has a main water supply inlet  16  and a main discharge water outlet  17  for recirculating water to flow in and out of the breeding pond  10 . When the breeding creatures are bred and grow for a selected time period, the breeding creatures may be transferred to neighboring breeding zones  12  through the communication ducts  15 . Then a new batch of breeding creatures may be placed in the depleted breeding zone  12 . Such a breeding method is called staged and divided-pool breeding method. By means of this method, the breeding time of every breeding zone  12  can be shortened. And the size of the breeding zone  12  can be designed and set according to the sizes of the breeding creatures. Hence annual breeding cycle and breeding density of each set of breeding pond  10  can be increased to increase the breeding yield. Moreover, a design of water return flow may be adopted for water feeding in the breeding pond  10  (as shown in FIG.  4 ). According to this design, in every breeding zone  12 , a plurality of water supply pipes  18  are provided to connect with the main water supply pipe  21  (also shown in FIG.  2 ). Each water supply pipe  18  has a water outlet  181  located on a side wall thereof. And the breeding zone  12  has a partition  19  located therein. When breeding water flows from the main water supply pipe  21  to the water supply pipes  18 , the breeding water will be ejected from the water outlets  181 . Because of the baffling of the partition  19 , the breeding water will be detoured and generate a return flow. Referring to FIG. 2, the recirculating water treatment system  20  is located in anyone indoor space  11  adjacent to a breeding pond  10 , and includes mainly a main water supply pipe  21 , a main discharge water pipe  22 , a physical filter device  23 , a sedimentation pond  24 , a quantum electrochemistry machine  25 , a water purification pool  26 , a plurality of bio filter beds  27  and an oxygen cone  28 . 
     The main water supply pipe  21  connects to a plurality of the main water supply inlets  16  in each breeding pond  10 . There is a water supply control valve  211  located between each of the main water supply inlets  16  and the main water supply pipe  21 . 
     The main discharge water pipe  22  is connected to a plurality of the main discharge water outlets  17  of the breeding pond  10 . There is a discharge water control valve  221  located between every main discharge water outlet  17  and the main discharge water pipe  22 . 
     The physical filter device  23  is located in the section of the main discharge water pipe  22  and includes a main body  231  and a filter drum  232  located in the main body  23   1 , and has a first water supply inlet  233  located at one end to connect the main discharge water pipe  22  and a waste discharge outlet  234  located at the same end, and a first discharge water outlet  235  located at another end thereof. 
     The sedimentation pond  24  is located at one side of the physical filter device  23  and has a first water supply pipe  241  bridging therebetween. Recirculating water is filtered by filters in the physical filter device  23 , then is discharged from the first discharge water outlet  235  through the first water supply pipe  241  to the sedimentation pond  24  for precipitation. The quantum electrochemistry machine  25  is located at one side of the sedimentation pond  24  and has a second water supply pipe  251  bridging therebetween. There is also a first pump  252  located in the sedimentation pond  24  for pumping recirculation water in the sedimentation pond  24 . It has a body  253  and a plurality of electrode plates located in the body  253  for removing nitrogen-contained materials and performing sterilization function. 
     The water purification pool  26  is located at one side of the quantum electrochemistry machine  25  and has a third water supply pipe  261  bridging therebetween. The water purification pool  26  has a plurality of bio filter beds  27  located therein. The bio filter beds  27  contain filters which have microbe membranes growing on the outside surfaces for decomposing ammonia- contained materials in the recirculating water. 
     The oxygen cone  28  is located in the section of the main water supply pipe  21  and is connected to the water purification pool  26  through a fourth water supply pipe  282  and a second pump  281  located in the water purification pool  26 . 
     The feed dispense apparatus  30  (referring to FIG. 3) are located above the center of the breeding pond  10 , and are driven transversely along the breeding pond  10  by means chains  31 . Each of the feed dispense apparatus  30  includes two feeding troughs  32  and a rotary disk  33  rotated and controlled by a rotor for evenly dispensing feeds in the breeding pond. The external system  40  (also referring to FIG. 2) is located outside the breeding pond  10 , and includes a replenish water pool  41  and a discharge pool  42 . The replenish water pool  41  is located in the section of the main discharge water pipe  22 , and includes a third pump  411  connecting the main discharge water pipe  22  and a fourth pump  412  to draw sea water. There is an external feed water control valve  413  located between the third pump  411  and the main discharge water pipe  22 . The replenish water pool  41  is to precipitate sea water impurities and provides water for breeding use. The discharge pool  42  is located at one side of the replenish water pool  41  and connects to the waste discharge outlet  234  of the physical filter device  23  through a waste discharge pipe  421 . Wastes and sludge in the physical filter device  23  are discharged through the waste discharge outlet  234  and waste discharge pipe  421  to the discharge pool  42 . 
     The automatic monitor and control system  50  is located beside the recirculating water treatment system  20  in anyone of the indoor space  11 , and includes a water quality monitor and control system  51  and an automatic feed dispensing control system  52 . Referring to FIG. 1, the water quality monitor and control system  51  employs a microprocessor and a plurality of sampling pumps located in the breeding pond  10  to measure water temperature, oxygen content, acid-alkali value, and oxidization and reduction of breeding water in the breeding pond  10 . The reading of the measured data may be shown on a display device of the microprocessor and may be used to control operations of the recirculating water treatment system  20 . Measurement and transmission of breeding water data performed by the water quality monitor and control system  51  may also be done through the Internet to achieve remote controlling and monitoring of the breeding system. The automatic feed dispensing control system  52  is for setting operations of the feed dispense apparatus  30  to allow the feed dispense apparatus  30  dispensing and distributing feeds in the breeding pond  10  in a constant time and quantity fashion. 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, the breeding pond  10  of the invention is located indoors to reduce impact on the breeding creatures resulting from changes of external environments (such as temperature and acid rain). The breeding pond  10  may be constructed and arranged in a stepwise manner and adopted a staged-breeding approach. Thus breeding density can be increased and space requirement can be decreased. In addition, breeding water is physically filtered in advance through the recirculating water treatment system  20  (by means of the physical filter device  23 ), has nitrogen-contained materials removed and is sterilized (by means of the quantum electrochemistry machine  25 ), has enriched oxygen content (by means of the oxygen cone  28 ), and has the ammonia-contained materials decomposed (by means of the bio filter beds  27 ) before delivering to the breeding pond  10 . Hence breeding water quality is greatly improved. Moreover, the water quality monitor and control system  51  constantly monitors water quality in the breeding pond  10 , and based on water quality conditions controls operations of the recirculating water treatment system  20  to replace or replenish breeding water to maintain breeding water at the optimum condition. As a result, breeding survival rate can be increased. Furthermore, the automatic feed dispense control system  52  can automatically control and dispense feeds by centrifugal force in a constant time and quantity fashion. The dual feeding trough  32  and the overhead movement of the feeding dispense apparatus  30  above the breeding pond  10  allow even dispensing of the feeds and allow breeding creatures to grow evenly. Thus by means of the indoor breeding system of the invention, breeding survival rate can be improved to increase breeding yield, and breeding water quality can be controlled easily, and feeds can be dispensed in a constant time and quantity manner. 
     The following table shows comparisons of breeding white shrimps by utilizing the invention and a conventional breeding system: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 The Invention 
                 Conventional System 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Area size required 
                 1 hectares 
                 12.5 hectares 
               
               
                 for growing 50 ton 
               
               
                 annually 
               
               
                 Annual harvesting 
                 7 times 
                 2 times 
               
               
                 frequency 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Harvest method 
                 Easy 
                 Difficult 
               
               
                 Grown product 
                 Feeds are evenly 
                 Feeds are not evenly 
               
               
                 quality 
                 dispensed; Breeding 
                 dispensed; Breeding 
               
               
                   
                 products grow with even 
                 products grow with not 
               
               
                   
                 sizes. 
                 even sizes. 
               
               
                 Growing Yield 
                 Indoor breeding, does 
                 Growing yield varies 
               
               
                   
                 not affect by external 
                 depending on external 
               
               
                   
                 environments. 
                 environments. 
               
               
                   
                 Stable growing yield. 
               
               
                 Investment return 
                 Stable growing yield. 
                 Not stable growing 
               
               
                 time 
                 Investment returns 
                 yield. Investment return 
               
               
                   
                 between 2-4 years. 
                 time is 
               
               
                   
                   
                 difficult to assess. 
               
               
                 Weather &amp; acid rain 
                 Indoor breeding, no 
                 Outdoor breeding, great 
               
               
                 impact. 
                 impact. 
                 impact 
               
               
                 Soil variation 
                 Breeding pond is 
                 Breeding pond bottom is 
               
               
                 impact 
                 covered by plastic 
                 naked soil, great impact. 
               
               
                   
                 sheets, no impact. 
               
               
                 Cold current 
                 Automatic temperature 
                 No temperature control 
               
               
                   
                 control. 
               
               
                 Filtering method 
                 Physical filter device &amp; 
                 Directly pumps ground 
               
               
                   
                 bio filter beds. 
                 water or sea water for 
               
               
                   
                   
                 breeding, no filtering. 
               
               
                 Water consumption 
                 Breeding by 
                 Directly pumps ground 
               
               
                   
                 recirculating water, 
                 water or sea water for 
               
               
                   
                 consumes less water. 
                 breeding, consumes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 large amount of water. 
               
               
                 Disease prevention 
                 Sterilized by electrolysis 
                 No sterilization. 
               
               
                 Control system 
                 Computer automatic 
                 None. 
               
               
                   
                 control. 
               
               
                 Feeds supply 
                 Dispensed by automatic 
                 Manual 
               
               
                 method 
                 feed dispense apparatus. 
               
               
                 Water recirculation 
                 Computer controlled 
                 None. 
               
               
                   
                 breeding water 
               
               
                   
                 replenishment. 
               
               
                 Breeding and 
                 Plannable 
                 Depends on weather 
               
               
                 harvest time 
                   
                 conditions. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.