A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOVING SLUDGE FROM A FISH FARM POND

Abstract: The object of the invention is a method and system for the removal of sludge from a fish farm pond. The sludge is led from a net bag (5) to a collection tank (3) through an input connection (10) and the sludge is removed from the collection tank (3) to the output line (6B). During the removal of the sludge the input connection (10) of the collection tank (3) is closed by a valve (12) and a pressure medium is led to the collection tank (3), when the sludge leaves the lower part of the collection tank (3) to the output line (6B).

Description: A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOVING SLUDGE FROM A FISH FARM POND The object of the invention is a method for removing sludge from a fish farm pond, in which method the sludge is led from a net bag to a collection tank through an input connection forming part of it and the sludge is removed from the from the collection tank along an output line. The invention is also concerned with a system for implementing the method. Fish farming takes place in net bags designed for this purpose, which are suspended from buoys. There are typically several net bags in the same fish farm pond. Fish fodder is thrown on top of the net bags and begins to drop to the bottom. The fish eat most of it with only a small amount dropping to the bottom. A great problem is formed by the fish faeces, which drop to the bottom, unless they are collected first. Both the fish fodder and the faeces partly dissolve in water, on account of which such known methods in which the bottom of the fish pond is dredged at regular intervals are not advantageous, because of the excessive delay. In order to reduce the load on the environment systems have been developed, in which collection cones are placed beneath the net bogs, and the sludge is led from them to a collection tank. An output pipe runs from each of the collection tanks through which the tank sludge is sucked by to pump to a sludge pond or other reservoir. In practice the systems have not operated satisfac¬ torily for the following reasons: first of all the suction has not been evenly distributed, when some of the tanks have remained nearly without suction, secondly during removal water is added to the sludge, when it is further diluted, and thirdly blocks have appeared in the pipe network, which have totally prevented the system from operating. Swedish publication print number 449155 shows a tank system for fish farming. Input and output pipes are connected to the net bags for water circulation and a sludge removal connection. By means of the water pumped through the input connection the water in the pond is made to circulate and its pressure level is kept slightly above that of the surroundings. The removal of sludge takes place either on the suction principle, or by raising the pressure in the fish farm ponds to such a level that flow takes place through the sludge removal connection. In a system consisting of several consecutively connected ponds the sludge flows are by necessity of different levels, for which reason a sludge removal system of this kind is poorly applicable to a large system. The intention of this invention is to create a new type of efficient and reliable sludge removal method and a system without the above mentioned deficiencies and problems. The characteristic features of the invention are presented in the accompanying Patent Claims. By using high pressure to empty the pond the pressure difference can be considerably greater than when using vacuum. Secondly, air is the most advantageous pressure medium, in which case the amount of water to be removed can be limited to the volume of the collection tanks. Other advantages and forms of application of the invention appear in connection with the examples of application presented later. In what follows the invention is described by reference to the accompanying illustrations, which show various forms of ap¬ plication of the invention. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the sludge removal system of a fish farm pond. Figure 2 shows a collection tank with its valves. Figure 3 shows one improved system. A fish farm pond contains several net bags 5 for the fish. Beneath these are located collection cones 8, which direct the sludge to the collection tank 3. On the surface of the ground there is a pressure tank 2 , driven by compressor 1, which is stored full of compressed air for carrying out emptying. Feed line 6 leads from pressure tank 2 to the first collection tank 3, which is connected to the following tank 3. Tanks 3 are connected to each other and the final tank is connected to output pipe 6B, which leads the sludge to be removed to a sludge removal pond or tank. A control line 7 is also led from pressure 2, by means of which the operating devices of tanks 3 are controlled. Lines 6 and 7 include valves 4a, 4b, 4c, by means of which the emptying is controlled. At first valve 4b of control line 7 is opened, when the operating devices close the cones 8 of the collection tanks 3. After this valve 4a of feed line 6 can be opened, when compressed air is able to empty the tanks 3 sequentially. After emptying the emptying valve 4c of control line 7 is opened, when the control line is de-pressurized and the valves of tanks 3 open. In practice it is sufficient if the tanks 3 are emptied once a day, even though the fish are fed four times during this period. The water is not able to dissolve an appreciable amount of sludge nor has the biological disintegration of the sludge been able to really get under way. A more detailed depiction of collection tank 3 is shown in Figure 2. The collection cone 8 leads the sludge through connection 10 to collection tank 3. Valve 12 is located in connection 10, it being operated by pneumatic operating device 11. Pneumatic operating device 11 consists of a return-spring loaded piston, to one side of which compressed air is led from control line 7. The Figure shows the position of the valve is shown by a broken line when compressed air is being fed to the operating device. The spring returns the valve 12 to the open position. The input pipe 6A of the input line 6 is connected to the upper part of tank 3 and output pipe 6B is connected to the lower part of the tank. Figure 3 shows the system at its most advantageous. The Figure is to that extent diagrammatic that the size of the net bags 5 is naturally relatively much greater than the tanks 3 than is shown in the Figure. The size of the tanks here is only about 30 litres, whereas the net bags may have a bottom surface area of 3 m x 3 or even 10 x 10 m. The system in accordance with the invention makes it possible to f ed a single collection tank 3 from several collection cones 14, which are connected by pipe 9 to the collection tank 3 in front of valve 12, Figure 3. In addition to this the collection tanks are in a series, as has been described above, in which case all the removal of sludge from the fish farm ponds takes place through a single system. Here the collection tanks are connected to each other by an intermediate line 6' and the input 6A is connected to the first collection tank 3 and the output pipe 6B is connected to the last collection tank. Here too the operating devices 11 of the valves 12 are connected to the control line 7. Here too both the control of the operating devices and the removal of the sludge take place pneumatically.

Claims: Patent Claims 1. A method for removing sludge from a fish farm pond, in which method the sludge is led from a net bag (5) to a collection tank (3) through an input connection (10) forming part of it and the sludge is removed from the collection tank (3) to the output line (6B) , characterized in that the input connection (10) of the collection tank (3) is closed during removal of the sludge and a pressure medium is led to the collection tank (3) , when the sludge is removed from the lower part of the collection tank (3) to the output line (6B) . 2. A method in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that air is used as the pressure medium. 3. A method in accordance with Patent Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sludge and pressure medium is led through two or more sequential collection tanks (3) to the output line (6B) . 4. A fish farm pond sludge removal system, which system consists of a collection cone (8) beneath the net bag (5) of a fish farm pond, a collection tank (3) set beneath it, the input connection (10) of which is connected to the lower end of the collection cone (8) , and an output line (6B) is connected to the lower part of the collection tank (3) , characterized in that the input connection (10) of the collection tank (3) includes a valve (12) equipped with an operating device (11) and the collection tank (3) is connected to the input line (6) and the control line (7) is connected to the operating device (11) in order to close the valve (12) . 5. A sludge removal system in accordance with Patent Claim 4, characterized in that the operating device (11) is pneumatic and the system includes a control line (7) to feed compressed air to the operating device (11) . 6. A sludge removal system in accordance with Patent Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the system includes several collection cones (8) , which are connected to the same collection tank (3) by means of a connecting pipe (9). 7. A sludge removal system in accordance with one of Patent Claims 4 - 6, characterized in that the system includes several sequential collection tanks (3) , between which there is an intermediate line (6 1 ) connected to the lower part of the previous one to the following collection tank (3) , the first of which is connected to the input connection (6) of the pressure medium and the last to the input line (6B) .

Inventors: VIIKKI PAAVO ANTERO, VIIKKI, PAAVO, ANTERO
Applicants: VIIKKI PAAVO ANTERO, VIIKKI, PAAVO, ANTERO
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A01K63
IPC codes: A01K61