Patent Publication Number: US-2023148573-A1

Title: Relocatable Aquafarming System

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/551,143 filed Aug. 15, 2017 which is a national stage entry of PCT/US2016/018445 filed Feb. 18, 2016, and which also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/118,171, filed Feb. 19, 2015, the disclosures of all three are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to the field of aquaculture and more particularly to aquafarming systems for open water operations. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     Fish farming has been performed since ancient times. Traditionally, this has been accomplished in near-shore regions, where a grid of tensioned lines can be readily maintained between permanent moorings to support one or more fish pens. Feeding and other husbandry tasks are then performed by personnel that move between fish pens in support vessels. However, near-shore fish farming creates a number of problems including polluted coastal waters. 
     To mitigate these problems, open-water aquafarming situated out to sea away from coastal waters has been developed. Managing and operating such open ocean aquaculture systems is fraught with very difficult and dangerous tasks. Day to day husbandry functions, such as feeding the fish, cleaning the pens or monitoring the environment, require teams to make daily trips to the offshore pens. When fairly close to shore (e.g., &lt;5 nm) operators may spend upwards of two hours of idle time a day traveling back and forth to the offshore aquafarm. As commercial aquafarms grow, the distance from shore and the size of the cages will increase dramatically, increasing inefficiencies in this conventional model, reducing the profitability of the farm. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides an exemplary movable aquafarming system comprising a vessel and a plurality of connected fish pens. Each fish pen includes netting enclosing a volume of seawater, and the plurality of fish pens are arranged in a line, with a first fish pen of the plurality of fish pens being disposed closest to the vessel. The vessel is configured to be moored, such as with an anchor, and when moored the first fish pen is attached proximate to the vessel, and when the vessel is not moored the first fish pen is configured to attach to the vessel with a length of a tow line, whereby the vessel can tow the plurality of fish pens to a different location. In some embodiments, when the system is moored, the first fish pen is attached to the vessel by a fender, such as a pneumatic-type fender, or a crow&#39;s foot arrangement of lines, and when the system is unmoored, the first fish pen is attached to the vessel by a tow line. In some of these embodiments, a crow&#39;s foot arrangement of lines attaches the first fish pen to the tow line. In further embodiments the exemplary aquafarming system further comprising a feeding system for transporting feed from the vessel to each of the fish pens and that can continue to deliver feed while the system is in transit. 
     An exemplary method for moving an aquafarming system comprises unmooring a vessel of the aquafarming system, where the aquafarming system includes the vessel attached to a plurality of connected fish pens. The exemplary method further comprises disposing a tow line between the vessel and a first fish pen of the plurality of fish pens and using the vessel to tow the plurality of fish pens to a different location. Then the method comprises mooring the vessel at the different location. 
     In some embodiments, the step of disposing the tow line between the vessel and the first fish pen includes disconnecting a crow&#39;s foot arrangement of lines attaching the first fish pen from a stern of the vessel, and connecting the tow line to the crow&#39;s foot arrangement of lines. In various embodiments the exemplary method further comprises determining that the aquafarming system needs to be relocated, before unmooring the vessel. In still other embodiments the exemplary method further comprises delivering feedstock to the plurality of fish pens while under tow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a high-level system architecture where multiple aquafarms are accessible to operators through cloud services, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an aquafarm utilizing multiple network adapters to provide redundant network links. 
         FIG.  3    is a high-level data cloud services architecture, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates multiple ways a user can connect to, monitor and control an aquafarm, according to exemplary embodiments. 
         FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  are a top and side views, respectively, of an aquafarming system while moored, according to exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  5 C  is a top view of the moored aquafarming system of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , providing a more detailed illustration of the vessel and fish pens thereof. 
         FIG.  5 D  is a top partial view of another exemplary aquafarming system showing an alternative attachment from the vessel to the first fish pen. 
         FIG.  6    is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of an aquafarming system unmoored and in transit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Most conventional husbandry functions involve a wide array of analog pumps and motors in various configurations. These devices need to be turned on and off in a specific way to accomplish the day&#39;s tasks without damaging the equipment or the fish. Operators are required to be physically next to the equipment, constantly monitoring the system for signs of fault or defects. Other husbandry functions include monitoring the water quality in and around the aquafarm by taking samples from multiple locations, a time consuming operation. 
     The inability to reliably communicate with aquaculture systems and automate labor intensive tasks is a significant barrier to scalable aquaculture systems. 
     As illustrated in the example of  FIG.  1   , operators  100  are able to communicate and interact with the offshore aquafarm  105  and associated husbandry equipment  104  through managed cloud services  101 . Husbandry functions provided include, but are not limited to, feeding fish, harvesting fish, cleaning the aquaculture cage and removing mortalities from the aquaculture cage. Cloud services  101  may aggregate aquafarms  105  into a single cloud environment allowing operators  100  to monitor and control one or more aquafarms  105  simultaneously. 
     According to certain embodiments of the invention, one or more uplinks  102  provide network computing and networking equipment  103  connectivity to cloud services  101 . Networking and computing equipment may include firewalls, embedded computers, switches, Internet Protocol (IP) enabled cameras and other network enabled devices which facilitate the secure, reliable monitoring, and command and control (C 2 ) of husbandry equipment  104  installed on the offshore aquafarm  105 . On-board computing and networking equipment  103  may communicate directly with husbandry equipment  104  through standardized protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), or indirectly through an electro-mechanical device which supports a protocol like TCP. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates an embodiment which utilizes two adapters  202  which serve as the uplinks  102  for the aquafarm. According to an embodiment, to guarantee network connectivity, a primary network adapter  201  is used in conjunction with a backup network adapter  202 . In one embodiment, the network adapters are configured to provide high-availability (HA) wherein if the primary network adapter  201  fails it will result in network traffic being routed through the backup network adapter  202 . In another embodiment, the network adapters are configured in parallel allowing network traffic to flow through either the primary network adapter  201  or the backup network adapter  202 . The computing and networking equipment may detect congestion through the primary network adapter  201  and choose to route traffic through the secondary network adapter  202 , thus aggregating the bandwidth available for network communications. The network adapters may leverage high-bandwidth communication technologies such as Wi-Fi as well as lower bandwidth technologies such as cellular networks or DSL. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates a high level architecture embodiment of the cloud services  300  and the external actors it may interact with. Cloud services  300  may leverage an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider or Platform as a Service (PaaS) provider to manage computing resources such as processing power and network bandwidth. In another embodiment, the cloud services  300  are self-hosted in a managed data center. A self-hosted managed data center, or elements thereof, can be located offshore, in some embodiments, such as on a vessel of the offshore aquafarm  105 . Public services  302  may host a web application which can be accessed securely by operators  301  through a variety of means. Additionally, public services  302  may expose an Application Programming Interface (API) to operators  302  providing data and C 2  resources in industry standard formats such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) or Extensible Markup Language (XML). 
     Gaining access to the cloud services may be accomplished by checking operator  301  provided credentials against expected values stored in a short term storage database  303 . In another embodiment, a 3rd party authentication mechanism  306  such as an external Active Directory, OAuth or OpenID may be used to authenticate user and ensure security. 
     Through network segmentation, virtual private network (VPN) or otherwise, private services  305  can be secured to only allow access from the aquafarm  307 . Similarly, the aquafarm  307  may be configured through a firewall, network configuration or otherwise, to limit connectivity to allowed private services  305  and nothing more. In one embodiment, private services may  305  reach out to the aquafarm  307  to initiate and maintain a network link providing a route from an aquafarm  307  to other cloud services  300 . In yet another embodiment, the aquafarm  307  may initialize and maintain a secure connection to various services hosted in the cloud  300 . 
     Data storage requirements may be satisfied through two mechanisms. Short term storage  303  may provide, among other things, instantaneous access to the most recent volatile data which has been received by the system. An example of short term storage  303  may be an in-memory cache. Long term storage  304  may provide slower access to non-volatile memory allowing data to be persisted to disk and saved for later use. Storage services may be provided by conventional database packages, such as MS SQL or MongoDB, and stored directly onto the hard drive. Other embodiments may include the use cloud based object storage provided by an IaaS such as Amazon Web Services. 
     Depending on the embodiment of this disclosure, the cloud services  300  may exist on one or many computing devices. In one embodiment, each service may exist on its own computing devices with its own dedicated resources. According to another embodiment, all of the components which make up the cloud services  300  may exist on a single computing device where resources (hard drive, memory, etc.) are shared among the services. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates examples of the many ways an operator  400  may access cloud services  406  provided by this disclosure. In one embodiment, an operator  400  may access cloud services  406  and thereby one or many aquafarms, through a web browser installed on a desktop computer  401 . Additional embodiments include access to cloud services  406  through a web browser installed on a laptop computer  402  or a smartphone  403 . This access to services is preserved when a user is collocated with a farm system, in the event of loss of (long-range) cloud connection. Offshore computing resources host the data viewing and control elements for the system, preserving local control when out of range. 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  illustrate, respectively, top and side views of an exemplary embodiment of an aquafarm  105 , in this example a relocatable aquafarming system  500  comprising a vessel  510  and fish pens  520  and  530 .  FIG.  5 C  shows an enlarged view of the vessel  510  and fish pens  520 ,  530 . The fish pen  520  closest to the vessel  510  is designated as the first fish pen  520 . The vessel  510  is configured to be readily moored and unmoored from the seafloor, such as with an anchor, in open water where the depth ranges from about 100 meters to about 1000 meters. When the vessel  510  is moored, as shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the first fish pen  520  is attached with less than 10 meters separation to the vessel  510 , and the fish pen  530  is attached proximate to the first fish pen  520 . Additional fish pens  530  can be added such that all fish pens  520 ,  530  are arranged in a line. That is, the centers of the fish pens  520 ,  530  are approximately colinear. This arrangement facilitates towing the fish pens  520 ,  530  to different locations. The linear arrangement serves to reduce drag and simplify dynamic forces required to keep the pens positioned relative to one another. 
     Vessel  510  is a ship suitable for the seas in which it will be used, with storage capacity for fish feedstock sufficient for multiple days as well as husbandry equipment  104  including equipment to deliver feedstock to the fish pens  520 ,  530  from the vessel  510 . The vessel  510  includes a means  540  to moor in open waters, such as an anchor or a suction caisson. The vessel  510  optionally includes the computing and networking equipment  103  described above, and crew&#39;s quarters. 
     When the vessel  510  is not moored, the first fish pen  520  is configured to attach to the vessel with a length of a tow line  600 , as shown in the top view of  FIG.  6   , in order to put greater separation between the vessel  510  and the fish pens  520 ,  530  for greater towing efficiency. The first fish pen  520 , when the vessel  510  is moored, is attached to the vessel  510  by way of a fender  533  such as a pneumatic-type fender. In other embodiments, as illustrated by  FIG.  5 D , a crow&#39;s foot grouping of lines  536  attaches the first fish pen  520  to the vessel  510 . Further embodiments employ both, with a crow&#39;s foot  536  attaching the fish pen  520  to the fender  533  which is attached to the vessel  510 . The first fish pen  520  can be attached to the next fish pen  530  with a plurality of lines, as can any successive fish pens  530 . When a tow line  600  is employed, one end of the tow line  600  can connect to the crow&#39;s foot  536  in order to spread the tow force across the bow of the fish pen  520 . A suitable tow line length is about 200 to 300 meters or more. A tow line with a  75 T working load tension specification is sufficient to tow two fish pens  520 ,  530  at a speed of 1 knot. 
     In various embodiments the vessel  510  is moored by a mooring system that can moor the aquafarming system  500  against all external environmental forces. In other embodiments the mooring system is configured to moor the vessel  510  up to some maximum load, beyond which the aquafarming system  500  may be set adrift. In operation, the aquafarming system  500  may be unmoored, towed to a new location, and moored again. The aquafarming system  500  can be towed to a different location for regular tasks such as crew rotations, restocking consumables, juvenile fish stocking, grading, and/or harvest operations. The aquafarming system  500  can also be moved to avoid such hazards as oil spills, algal blooms, and large storm systems. Decisions to relocate the aquafarming system  500  can be based on situational awareness of relevant environmental and aquaculture logistical constraints drawn from meteorological conditions and forecasts, satellite imagery, and aquaculture models. In some embodiments, a computing system such as computing and networking equipment  103  is utilized to process incoming data to automatically alert operators when the aquafarming system  500  should be relocated. The computing system can also recommend new mooring locations as well as transit paths, in some embodiments. In various embodiments the tow speed is on the order of one knot or less. 
     Each fish pen  520 ,  530  can include a number of devices for performing husbandry tasks, for example, cameras, water quality monitoring, wireless communications systems, and tethered Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for mortality handling or general inspection purposes. In many embodiments these devices are powered by renewable energy sources. Data and control of these systems can be facilitated by a cloud aquaculture management system such as cloud services  100 ,  300 . 
     In operation, when a decision has been made to relocate the aquafarming system  500 , excess mooring line is taken up, such as by hand, until the vessel  510  is situated approximately over the mooring location. Next, where the mooring is an anchor, a winch or bollard is used to raise the anchor to the vessel  510 . Before, after, or concurrently with the unmooring of the vessel  510 , the first fish pen  520  is disconnected from the stern of the vessel  510  and the tow line is attached to the first fish pen  520 . A sufficient length of tow line is then paid out, such as by hand. The aquafarming system  500  is then ready for movement to a new location. Once in the new location the vessel  510  is moored, the tow line is brought in, and the stern of the vessel  510  is reattached to the first fish pen  520  using the crow&#39;s foot. It should be noted that some or all of the husbandry devices such as cameras and sensors continue to operate as the aquafarming system  500  is moved to the new location. 
     Each fish pen  520 ,  530  includes a netting that encloses a volume of seawater within which fish are nurtured and harvested. The aquafarming system  500  is configured, in some embodiments, to store and deliver feedstock, even while the aquafarming system  500  is in transit. Control of the feed delivery may come from a number of sources, including manual operator control, automatic control based on biological cohort state, or some combination. The timing, frequency, rate of delivery, duration and total feedstock delivered are both controlled and automatically recorded and communicated to the supporting aquaculture cloud infrastructure. Information on total feedstock mass, age, and condition is similarly communicated and displayed to relevant stakeholders in the aquaculture organization. In all embodiments feed, typically in the form of fish feed pellets, can be delivered over distances ranging from 40 to 350 meters from the vessel  510 . Typically, one feed system is dedicated to one fish pen  520 ,  530 . Each feed system mixes feed pellets in seawater in a mixer onboard the vessel  510  and injects the mixture into a delivery pipe  550  having a rotary feed spreader  560  at the distal end to distribute the feed radially. The feed can be distributing across the water&#39;s surface at 25% or more of each fish pen&#39;s top surface area. In some embodiments the feed delivery hoses used while the aquafarming system  500  is moored are replaced by extended length feed delivery hoses for transit. 
     One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the invention as discussed above may be practiced with steps in a different order, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although the invention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. In order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention, therefore, reference should be made to the appended claims.