Aquaculture Pump System and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016174531-A1
Application number	US-201414575571-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a constant flow variable speed pump for use in a recirculating aquaculture application. The pump includes a housing with an inlet and an outlet, an impeller positioned within the housing, and a motor coupled to the impeller and configured to rotate the impeller within the housing, causing water flow through the recirculating aquaculture application. The pump also includes a controller in communication with the motor and configured to drive the motor. The controller is configured to adjust a speed of the motor to maintain a first flow rate through the recirculating aquaculture application between a first start time and a first stop time according to a first user-defined schedule, and to maintain a second flow rate through the recirculating aquaculture application between a second start time and a second stop time according to a second user-defined schedule.

First claim

1 . A recirculating aquaculture system for housing aquatic life, the system comprising:
a culture tank; a fluid circuit including the culture tank, a drain line exiting the culture tank, and a return line entering the culture tank; at least one of a biofilter, an oxygen cone, a regenerative air blower, a degassing column in communication with the fluid circuit; and a variable speed pump in communication with the fluid circuit and configured to pump water through the fluid circuit into and out of the culture tank, the variable speed pump including:
a motor, and
a controller configured to operate the motor to maintain a constant flow rate through the fluid circuit despite pressure and water condition changes within the fluid circuit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the constant flow rate is a user-defined flow rate.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the motor to maintain a first constant flow rate for a first time period according to first user-defined schedule, and operate the motor to maintain a second constant flow rate for a second time period according to a second user-defined schedule.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first user-defined schedule is an aquatic life feeding schedule and the second user-defined schedule is an aquatic life resting schedule.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the variable speed pump further includes a user interface configured to receive user input including a user-defined flow rate and user-defined schedules.

6 . The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the fluid circuit and the variable speed pump.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the motor to maintain a new constant flow rate through the fluid circuit based on input from the at least one sensor.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one sensor includes one of a water quality probe, a water flow rate sensor, an oxygen gas flow rate and pressure sensor, and a water pressure sensor.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the fluid circuit is formed by plumbing.

10 . A constant flow variable speed pump for use in a recirculating aquaculture application, the pump comprising:
a housing including an inlet and an outlet; a motor in communication with the housing, the motor causing water flow through the recirculating aquaculture application; and a controller in communication with the motor and configured to drive the motor, the controller configured to adjust a speed of the motor to maintain a first flow rate through the recirculating aquaculture application between a first start time and a first stop time according to a first user-defined schedule, and to maintain a second flow rate through the recirculating aquaculture application between a second start time and a second stop time according to a second user-defined schedule.

11 . The pump of claim 10 , wherein the first user-defined schedule is an aquatic life feeding schedule and the second user-defined schedule is an aquatic life resting schedule.

12 . The pump of claim 10 further comprising a user interface in communication with the controller and configured to receive user input regarding parameters of the first user-defined schedule and the second user-defined schedule.

13 . The pump of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a speed of the motor to maintain a third flow rate through the recirculating aquaculture application based on user input through the user interface.

14 . The pump of claim 10 , wherein the controller includes a variable speed drive.

15 . The pump of claim 10 , wherein the controller adjusts the speed of the motor to maintain one of the first flow rate and the second flow rate based on one of a sensed power consumption of the motor and a sensed flow rate within the recirculating aquaculture application.

16 . A method of operating a variable speed pump in an aquaculture system, the method comprising:
obtaining at least one of a current speed parameter or a power consumption parameter of the aquaculture system; determining a reference parameter based on a user-defined flow rate through the aquaculture system; calculating a difference value between the current speed parameter or the power consumption parameter obtained and the reference parameter; updating a pump motor speed based on the difference value; and driving a motor of the variable speed pump at the updated pump motor speed to maintain the user-defined flow rate.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising updating the pump motor speed using one of proportional, integral, and derivative control based on the difference value.

18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising periodically repeating the steps of obtaining, determining, calculating, updating, and driving the motor to maintain the user-defined flow rate despite changes to conditions within the aquaculture system.

19 . The method of claim 16 further comprising measuring a parameter within the aquaculture system using a sensor.

20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising adjusting the pump motor speed automatically based on a measurement provided by the sensor.

Assignees

• Pentair Water Pool & Spa Inc

Inventors

• Boothe Brian J
• Losordo Thomas
• Stiles Jr Robert W

Classifications

• F04D13/08

  for submerged use · CPC title

• A01K63/006

  Accessories for aquaria or terraria · CPC title

• F04D15/0066

  by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine · CPC title

• A01K63/045

  Filters for aquaria · CPC title

• A01K63/047 Primary

  Liquid pumps for aquaria (air pumps for aquaria A01K63/042) · CPC title