Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Mollusk culturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-10
2001-05-01
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Mollusk culturing
C119S236000, C119S238000, C119S239000, C119S211000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Aquaculture systems have been around for many years. Various devices have been proposed for providing aerating systems for all types of fish. See for example, U.S. Patents 463,397 to Walton; 3,196,833 to Glancy; 3,418,973 to Saito; 3,661,119 to Sanders; 3,709,195 to Tabb; 3,795,225 to Ogui; 4,257,351 to Scura et al.; 4,317,429 to Leighton et al.; 4,972,801 to Hunt; 5,092,268 to Taylor; 5,320,068 to Redditt; and 5,762,024 to Meilahn.
Glancy '833, Saito '973, Sanders '119, Ogui '225, and Hunt '801 each describe various fish tank systems that are generally landlocked and do not allow for the easy use of seawater for aeration purposes, and thus would not provide a good environment for the culture of live seafood such as clam seeds.
Walton, Sr. '397 and Leighton et al. '429 each describe floating panels having screened bottoms but do not describe techniques for aerating any water flow through the screens.
Tabb '195 describes a method for hatching and growing marine organisms using an airpumped floatation raft. However, Tabb '195 requires a separate pump 46 to pump in seawater, and does not aerate the water passing into the enclosed raft and does not provide any screened units for supporting separated culture environments for different sizes of seafood, nor for providing either any upwelling nor downwelling water flows into the enclosed raft.
Meilan '024 describes an aquaculture system wherein seawater can be pumped along with oxygen into a floating aquaculture container. However, Meilan '024 requires both an electric type water pump 30 and a separate oxygen diffuser 58
FIG. 5
, the latter of which requires an “oxygen generator or bottles of liquid oxygen. . . (for) injecting the oxygen into pressurized sea water”, column 5, lines 12-15. Furthermore, Meilan does not describe being able to raise and lower the floating container with the same air supplies, nor does the system describe both upwelling and downwelling water flow aeration of the seafood.
Redditt '068 describes an “automatic oxygenation system for aquaculture” where oxygenated seawater can be pumped into the floating container. However, Redditt '068 requires both an electric type water pump 190 and separate aerator 175 FIG.
8
. Furthermore, Redditt '068 does not describe being able to raise and lower the floating container with the same air supplies, nor does the system describe both upwelling and downwelling water flow aeration of the seafood.
Both Meilan '024 and Reddit '068 require mechanical operating electrically powered pumps that must operate under a constant load while pumping water. These types of pumps generally require extensive maintenance due to their multiple moving parts such as bearings and seals that can fail and need to be replaced. Furthermore, these types of electric pumps generally require power sources to be located in or close to the water locations causing an inherent potential for electrical shock to both workers and the organisms being cultured.
Scura et al. '351 describes a “bivalve production flume”, title, with “upwelling” features for seawater cultivation. However, Scura et al. '351 requires elaborate seafloor trenches and complex distribution system, and does not use any floatation boxes nor airpumps for both the upwelling and downwelling operations.
The aeration type systems of the prior art can inherently can create the potential for gas bubble disease by mixing both pressure pumped water and a separate pumped oxygen source.
None of the cited patents individually nor in combination describe a system having the capability of using a airpump to aerate seawater in either an upwell or downwell process within a floatation box holding seafood such as clam seeds, where the box is also floated by the same airpump. into a floatation box unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first objective of the present invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration and air ballast floatation system powered by the same airpump, where the floated box can be raised and lowered for maintenance, and cleaning operations.
The second object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an air ballast floatation system powered by an airpump which eliminates the need for any lifting machinery, pumps, nor the addition of costly floating docks.
The third object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration system powered by an airpump where an adapter can be used to allow for both upwelling and downwelling operations.
The fourth object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump with airlift intake that does not rely on mechanical nor separate electric pumps to aerate the water supply.
The fifth object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump with an adjustable length airlift intake for allowing water from different depths to be pumped into the aquaculture system.
The sixth object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump that does not operate under a constant load while the aerated water is flowing into the system.
The seventh object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump that does not require extensive maintenance since the system does not require multiple moving parts such as bearings an seals that can fail and need to be replaced.
The eighth object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump that does not require electric power supplies located in or close to the water locations eliminating the potential for electrical shock to both workers and the organisms being cultured.
The ninth object of this invention is to provide an aquaculture system for live seafood having an aeration powered airpump that eliminates the potential for gas bubble disease by using only pumped air to transfer water from the ambient water environment to the culture system. The novel systems use a fiberglass floatation box that contains upwelling and downwelling units that contain different sized screens in which the cultured organisms are housed according to the particular growth stage. Water flow is directed into a flotation box by the pumping system directing the flow of water up or down through the screens and out the drains. In order for the downwelling process to be obtained, an adapter is fitted over the upwelling-pumping head. Water is transferred from the ambient water source via airlifts into the upwelling modules. Aerated water travels up through the screen bottom in the upwelling units and is expelled into the ambient water source through side drains. This process increases the water flow rate and aeration of the surrounding water. Smaller upwelling diameters can be utilized to increase the amount of water flow through the well which fluidizes the clam bed allowing maximized flow rates which invigorates the food source and oxygen supply as well as flushing unwanted feces from the system.
Live seafood such as clam seeds can be purchased and placed at a selected density on selected screen sizes in the upwelling units. With the attachment of the downwelling option, clam seed of a much smaller size can be cultivated. Filter attachments and bag filters can be incorporated over downwelling supply tubes filtering ambient water source particles to the downwell. Screens can be fitted over the outlet drains for fin fish culture. The clam seed can be graded and separated by size according to their growth rates and the larger clam seed can be placed on larger mesh screens in separate upwelling units. Clam seeds can be cultivated over several months and grow much quicker using the upwelling and downwelling aerated seawater.
The upwell and downwell module boxes use a self sustaining floatation system that eliminates
Abbott Yvonne R.
Jordan Charles T.
Law Offices of Brian S. Steinberger
Steinberger Brian S.
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