Controller for seaweed farm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11877549-B2
Application number	US-202117532090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 22, 2021
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for controlling a system for growing seaweed are described. Some implementations of a method include forming a substrate loop inoculated with seaweed spores; arranging the substrate loop about a pulley; submerging the substrate loop to grow the seaweed; determining, using a seaweed farm controller, that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size; and based on the determination that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size: providing instructions to the pulley to feed a section of the substrate loop to a harvesting unit; providing instructions to the harvesting unit to separate the seaweed attached to the section of the substrate loop; providing instructions to a cleaning unit to clean the section of the substrate loop that is freed from seaweed; and providing instructions to a seeding unit to inoculate the cleaned section of substrate loop with seaweed spores.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of growing seaweed, the method comprising:
forming a substrate loop inoculated with seaweed spores;
arranging the substrate loop about a pulley;
submerging the substrate loop to grow the seaweed;
determining, using a seaweed farm controller, that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size; and
based on the determination that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size:
providing, using the seaweed farm controller, instructions to the pulley to feed a section of the substrate loop to a harvesting unit;
providing, using the seaweed farm controller, instructions to the harvesting unit to separate the seaweed attached to the section of the substrate loop;
providing, using the seaweed farm controller, instructions to a cleaning unit to clean the section of the substrate loop that is freed from seaweed; and
providing, using the seaweed farm controller, instructions to a seeding unit to inoculate the cleaned section of substrate loop with seaweed spores.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the substrate loop comprises: exposing a length of seed twine to a solution containing seaweed spores; and incubating the spores under artificial light in temperature-controlled containers with circulating aerated seawater.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein forming the substrate loop further comprises intertwining the seed twine with a length of rope having a diameter larger than a diameter of the seed twine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the substrate loop comprises:
preparing a solution comprising seaweed spores and a binding agent; and
applying the solution to the substrate loop.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the substrate loop further comprises sealing a portion of the substrate loop with water soluble film.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the substrate loop further comprises applying a fertilizer to the substrate loop.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein submerging the substrate loop comprises varying the depth of the substrate loop over time.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the substrate loop further comprises attaching a waterproof pod containing a sensor; and wherein the seaweed farm controller is configured determine that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size based on data from the sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring, using a camera, the underwater growth of the seaweed, wherein the seaweed farm controller is configured determine that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size based on image data obtained from the camera.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the weight of the seaweed attached to the substrate loop, wherein the seaweed farm controller is configured determine that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size based on said weight.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the harvesting unit is configured to untwist the section of the substrate loop.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seaweed is sea kelp, and the seaweed spores comprise one or more of meiospores, gametophytes, and juvenile sporophytes.

13. A system comprising:
a substrate loop;
a pulley on which the substrate loop is arranged and configured to move the substrate loop;
a seeding unit configured to inoculate the substrate loop with seaweed spores;
a harvesting unit configured to separate seaweed from the substrate loop;
a cleaning unit configured to free the substrate loop from seaweed; and one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
determining that seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size; and
based on the determination that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size:
providing instructions to the pulley to feed a section of the substrate loop to the harvesting unit;
providing instructions to the harvesting unit to separate the seaweed attached to the section of the substrate loop;
providing instructions to the cleaning unit to clean the section of the substrate loop that is freed from seaweed; and
providing instructions to the seeding unit to inoculate the cleaned section of substrate loop with seaweed spores.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the seeding unit is configured to apply a solution comprising seaweed spores and a binding agent to the substrate loop.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the seeding unit is configured to seal a portion of the substrate loop with water soluble film.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a suspension frame configured to vary the submersion depth of the substrate loop.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a camera trained on the seaweed, wherein the operations comprise determining that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size based on image data obtained from the camera.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the harvesting unit is configured to untwist the section of the substrate loop.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the substrate loop is one of a plurality of substrate loops, wherein the operations comprise providing instructions to the harvesting unit and the seeding unit to process different substrate loops.

20. A computer-readable storage device encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
determining that seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size; and
based on the determination that the seaweed has grown to a pre-determined size:
providing instructions to a pulley to feed a section of a substrate loop to a harvesting unit;
providing instructions to the harvesting unit to separate the seaweed attached to the section of the substrate loop;
providing instructions to a cleaning unit to clean the section of the substrate loop that is freed from seaweed; and
providing instructions to a seeding unit to inoculate the cleaned section of substrate loop with seaweed spores.

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Knoll Matthew Aaron
• Nordstrom Charles
• Davé Neil

Classifications

• A01G33/00 Primary

  Cultivation of seaweed {or algae} · CPC title

• A01C1/044

  Sheets, multiple sheets or mats · CPC title

• A01D44/00 Primary

  Harvesting of underwater plants, e.g. harvesting of seaweed · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• Y02A40/80

  in fisheries management · CPC title