Data-driven recirculating aquaculture system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410078-B2
Application number	US-202218059816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Nov 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is disclosed, which includes a main tank, in which fish or shellfish are farmed; a first reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the first reactor is a batch reactor that operates under anoxic conditions; a second reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the second reactor is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR); a feed stream fluidically connected to the main tank; and a data-driven controller operably connected to the first reactor, the second reactor, and the feed stream, wherein the data-driven controller is configured to bring and maintain the system (RAS) at a desired state.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) comprising:
a main tank;
a first reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the first reactor is a batch reactor that operates under anoxic conditions;
a second reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the second reactor is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR);
a feed stream fluidically connected to the main tank; and
a data-driven controller operably connected to the first reactor, the second reactor, and the feed stream, wherein the data-driven controller is configured to bring and maintain the system at a desired state,
wherein the first reactor comprises a first motor controller connected to the data-driven controller to control the outlet stream from the main tank and to control the inlet stream to the first reactor, and wherein the second reactor comprises a second motor controller connected to the data-driven controller to control the outlet stream from the main tank and to control the inlet stream to the second reactor.

2. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sensor in at least one of the main tank, the first reactor, and the second reactor configured to measure at least one of pH, oxygen reduction potential (ORP), dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, feed concentration, mass+protein content, oxygen uptake rate (OUR), ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, COD levels, levels of biofloc in the first reactor, levels of biofilm in the second reactor, and/or feed input, wherein the at least one sensor is operably connected to the data-driven controller.

3. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , further comprising at least one camera configured to view at least one of the main tank, the first reactor, and the second reactor, wherein the camera is operably connected to the data-driven controller.

4. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , wherein the first reactor further comprises:
a stirrer;
a gas flow inlet; and
a dissolved oxygen controller attached to the first reactor and connected to the data-driven controller, wherein the dissolved oxygen controller is configured to control (i) air flow by sparging nitrogen or carbon dioxide, and (ii) control stirrer speed.

5. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , wherein the data-driven controller is configured to monitor and control biofloc in the first reactor and biofilm in the second reactor.

6. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , further comprising a feed control configured to adjust an amount and ratio of feed and recycled biofloc, wherein the data-driven controller is configured to control a carbon source by adjusting the feed control.

7. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , wherein the second reactor further comprises a dissolved oxygen controller connected to the data-driven controller, and a pH controller for controlling alkalinity.

8. The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) of claim 1 , wherein the data-driven controller is configured to bring and maintain the system at the desired state by using a model of the RAS and data-driven iterative optimization using machine learning.

9. A method of operating a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) comprising:
farming fish or shellfish in a main tank, which has a feed stream fluidically connected thereto;
operating a first reactor under anoxic conditions, the first reactor being fluidically connected to the main tank;
operating a second reactor, which is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) fluidically connected to the main tank;
operating a data-driven controller connected to the first reactor, the second reactor, and the feed stream, to bring and maintain the system at a desired state;
controlling, via a first motor controller connected to the data-driven controller, the outlet stream from the main tank and the inlet stream to the first reactor; and
controlling, via a second motor controller connected to the data-driven controller, the outlet stream from the main tank and the inlet stream to the second reactor.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
measuring, via at least one sensor in at least one of the main tank, the first reactor, and the second reactor, one or more variables selected from at least one of pH, oxygen reduction potential (ORP), dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, feed concentration, mass+protein content, oxygen uptake rate (OUR), ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, COD levels, levels of biofloc in the first reactor, levels of biofilm in the second reactor, and/or feed input; and
relaying the measured variable to the data-driven controller.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring and controlling, via the data-driven controller, biofloc in the first reactor and biofilm in the second reactor.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting, via the data-driven controller, an amount and ratio of feed and recycled biofloc.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling dissolved oxygen and alkalinity in the main tank and/or second reactor.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data-driven controller uses a model of the RAS and data-driven iterative optimization using machine learning to bring and maintain the RAS at the desired state.

15. A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) comprising:
a main tank;
a first reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the first reactor is a batch reactor that operates under anoxic conditions;
a second reactor fluidically connected to the main tank, wherein the second reactor is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR);
a feed stream fluidically connected to the main tank;
a plurality of sensors in the main tank, the first reactor, and/or the second reactor configured to measure two or more of pH, oxygen reduction potential (ORP), dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, feed concentration, mass+protein content, oxygen uptake rate (OUR), ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, COD levels, levels of biofloc in the first reactor, levels of biofilm in the second reactor, and/or feed input; and
a data-driven controller operably connected to the first reactor, the second reactor, the feed stream, and the plurality of sensors,
wherein the data-driven controller is configured to bring and maintain the RAS at a desired state by using a model of the RAS and data-driven iterative optimization using machine learning,
wherein the data-driven controller is configured to control, via a first motor controller connected to the data-driven controller, the outlet stream from the main tank and the inlet stream to the first reactor, and
wherein the data-driven controller is configured to control via a second motor controller connected to the data-driven controller, the outlet stream from the main tank and the inlet stream to the second reactor.

Assignees

• Univ Florida State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Vadivel Ashwin
• Anubi Olugbenga Moses

Classifications

• C02F2301/046

  Recirculation with an external loop · CPC title

• C02F2209/06

  pH · CPC title

• C02F2209/38

  Gas flow rate · CPC title

• C02F2209/006

  comprising a software program or a logic diagram · CPC title

• C02F2209/07

  Alkalinity · CPC title