Automatic Grading System for Living Aquatic Organisms

Abstract

The invention relates to a device, a system and a method for grading live aquatic organisms in fluid into batches by using a central control system (7) that controls the grading process in a continuous manner resulting in optimisation of the grading process, said control system (7) optimizing individual grading components, namely concentration control (3) of fish, pump (4) speed and grader (5) settings, based on a software and a database (8) containing pre-set counting data.

Claims

1. A device for grading organisms, the device comprising a grading unit, said grading unit further comprising at least: a pump (4), a grader (5), a counter (6), two or more receptacles for receiving graded aquatic organisms (10), and a computer (7), characterized in that the counter (6) sends information to the computer (7) on the performance of the grading process, wherein the computer compares the information from the counter to data stored in a database (8) and sends feed-back signals to adjust the settings of each individual component of the grading unit (4, 5) to optimize the grading process.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a first in-feed channel for a flow of living organism in a fluid (1), said first in-feed channel further comprising a sensor (x) for detecting the density of living organism in the flow, a second in-feed channel for a flow of fluid (2).

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the grading device further comprises a chamber for concentration control (3), said chamber receiving the flow from the first and the second in-feed channel.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the chamber for concentration control (3) comprises a lever (xxx) for regulating the flow from the first and the second in-feed channel through the chamber.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the counter (6) is a multi-channel counter receiving graded aquatic organisms from the grader.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the counter (6) comprises image means to determine the number and size of fish passing through each channel of the counter.

7. The device according to claim 1,wherein the counter (6) comprises a flow-speed detecting means.

8. The device according to claim 1,wherein first in-feed channel for a flow of living organism in a fluid (1) retrieves the living organism from a reservoir, such as a tank, pen, pond.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises one or more out-feed lanes feeding living organism from the counter to one or more of (but not limited to) a tank, pen, pond, transport vehicle or ship.

10. A system for grading aquatic organisms, the system comprising a grading unit, said grading unit further comprising at least: a pump (4), a grader (5), a counter (6), two or more receptacles for receiving graded aquatic organisms (10), and a computer (7), characterized in that the counter (6) sends information to the computer (7) on the performance of the grading process, wherein the computer compares the information from the counter to data stored in a database (8) and sends feed-back signals to adjust the settings of each individual component of the grading unit (4, 5) during the process (on the fly) to optimize the grading process.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a first in-feed channel for a flow of living organism in a fluid (I), said first in-feed channel further comprising a sensor (x) for detecting the density of living organism in the flow, a second in-feed channel for a flow of fluid (2).

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the grading device further comprises a chamber for concentration control (3), said chamber receiving the flow from the first and the second in-feed channel.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein settings for one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5) are adjusted to grade aquatic organisms according to pre-determined criteria, said criteria being selected from size, shape, weight or number.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the settings for one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5) is adjusted through feed-back loops between the counter (6) and one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5), based on measurements from the counter (6), wherein a software calculates the optimal settings of the equipment based on data stored in the database.

15. The system according to claim, wherein settings for one or more of the chamber for concentration control (3) are adjusted through a feed-back loop between the counter (6) and the chamber for concentration control (3), based on measurements from the counter (6), wherein a software calculates the optimal settings of the chamber for concentration control (3) based on data stored in the database and updated settings parameters are sent to the chamber for concentration control (3) during the grading process.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein settings for the pump (4) are adjusted through a feed-back loop between the counter (6) and the pump (4), based on flow-speed measurements from the counter (6), wherein a software calculates the optimal settings of the pump (4) based on data stored in the database and updated settings parameters are sent to the pump (4) during the grading process.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein settings for the grader (5) are adjusted through a feed-back loop between the counter (6) and the grader (5), based on information on size distribution of the batches measured by the counter (6), wherein a software calculates the optimal settings of the grader (5) based on data stored in the database and updated settings parameters are sent to the grader (5) during the grading process.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein an application (9) on a computer or a handheld computing device sends information to the computer to modify the initial parameters for the chamber for concentration control (3), the pump (4), the grader (5) and the counter (6) to and thereby regulate flow speed, size distribution, counter and grader settings during the grading process.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the application (9) monitors the concentration of living organisms in water, flow speed and size distribution, during the grading process.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the application (9) allows a user to make manual changes to the settings of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5) to modify the grading criteria.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the application (9) allows a user to make manual changes to the settings of the suction through the first in-feed channel from a reservoir.

22. The system according to claim 10, wherein data from the counter is collected and stored in the database.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein collected data being stored in the database is used for: a) reporting,verification of count or grading, b) documentation, c) re-counting, d) budgeting, f) maintenance, and g) tracing.

24. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system is used in fish farming to grade waterborne organisms, such as fish, smolt, shrimp, crustaceans, shellfish or other organisms living in freshwater or sea.

25. A method for grading aquatic organisms, the method comprising e) feeding a flow of living organism in a fluid to a grading unit f) grading the aquatic organisms using in the grading unit, said grading process further comprising at least: feeding the flow of living organism to a pump (4), pumping the flow of living organism towards a grader (5), and grading the of living organism in the flow by a grader (5), g) determining the number, the size and the flow using a counter (6), h) feeding the graded living organism into two or more receptacles (10), characterized in that the counter (6) sends information to the computer (7) on the performance of the grading process, wherein the computer compares the information from the counter to data stored in a database (8) and sends feed-back signals to adjust the settings of each individual component of the grading unit (4, 5) during the process (on the fly) to optimize the grading process.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the device further comprises the steps of: feeding a flow of living organism in a fluid through a first in-feed channel, wherein the density of living organism in the flow is determined by a sensor in the first in-feed channel and feeding a flow of fluid through a second in-feed channel, prior to step a).

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises the step of regulating the flow from the first and the second in-feed channel in a chamber, before directing the flow through an outlet and to a pump for pumping the flow of living organism to a grader.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein settings for one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5) of claims 1-3 are adjusted to grade aquatic organisms according to pre-determined criteria, said criteria being selected from size, shape, weight or number.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the settings for one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5) is adjusted through feed-back loops between the counter (6) and one or more of the individual components of the grading unit (3, 4, 5), based on measurements from the counter (6), wherein a software calculates the optimal settings of the equipment based on data stored in the database.

30. A method according to claim 25, wherein the pump controls the speed of the fluid flow through the pipelines and into the grader and counter.

31. A method according to claim 25 for use in fish farming.

32. A method according to claim 25 for grading waterborne organisms, such as fish, smolt, shrimp, crustaceans, shellfish or other organisms living in freshwater or sea.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The skilled person will understand that the drawings, described below, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

[0056] FIG. 1: A flow-chart diagram of the system showing both flow direction as well as control signal exchange between the devices.

[0057] FIG. 2: An illustration of the system setup, including the devices comprising the system.

[0058] FIG. 3: A schematic illustration of the feedback loop controlling the concentration control mechanism settings

[0059] FIG. 4: A schematic illustration of the feedback loop controlling the pump settings

[0060] FIG. 5: A schematic illustration of the feedback loop controlling the grader slit size settings.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0061] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described, referring to the figures. These examples are provided to provide further understanding of the invention, without limiting its scope.

[0062] In the following description, a series of steps are described. The skilled person will appreciate that unless required by the context, the order of steps is not critical for the resulting configuration and its effect. Further, it will be apparent to the skilled person that irrespective of the order of steps, the presence or absence of time delay between steps, can be present between some or all of the described steps.

[0063] It should be appreciated that the invention is applicable for grading living organisms in a fluid for fish farming. In general, therefore, the concentration control chamber, the grader and the counter may be of any kind used in grading living organisms in a fluid.

[0064] FIG. 1 shows a flow-chart diagram of the system showing both flow direction and control signal exchange between the devices. The numberings are as follows: [0065] 1. A reservoir containing living organisms in fluid, such as fish in water. [0066] 2. A reservoir containing fluid only, e.g. water. [0067] 3. A concentration control chamber that, based on the measurements of a sensor unit situated upstream, controls the amount of water used to dilute the stream of organisms-containing fluid [0068] 4. A pump [0069] 5. A grader that grades the organisms by size [0070] 6. A counter that records images of the flow and analyses them in order to estimate fish count, concentration, fish size and accumulated biomass. [0071] 7. A central control software that controls the equipment [0072] 8. A database that stores data from the measurements [0073] 9. An application (“app”) that is used to operate the central control system

[0074] The system combines proven processes of grading and counting with a recently invented process for controlling concentration of fish and uses feedback from censoring devices to calibrate and adjust settings of equipment involved in the processes in order to enhance performance and process quality. The fish counter (6) performs various measurements while counting the fish. It records both size of individual fishes and the frequency by which they enter the counter. This frequency is a product of the velocity of water and the relative concentration of fish within the water.

[0075] The water velocity is affected by changing the pump (4) settings, which is done with automatic feedback control between counter and pump which is described in FIG. 5. Similar feedback loops are in place to adjust both the settings of the concentration control mechanism (4) which is described in FIG. 4 and the grader (5) which is described in FIG. 6.

[0076] The central control system (7) which handles communication and feedback control is a specially designed computer program which uses an algorithm to evaluate optimal settings for each device by interpreting the data sent from the fish counter (6). Once the optimal settings are estimated, the program sends commands to the corresponding device to update its settings. The command is received and interpreted by a controlling computer located in each of the devices. The computer then adjusts the settings of each device accordingly in real time (“on the fly”).

[0077] In case of the concentration control mechanism, the automatic feedback adjusts a parameter that is directly responsible for the gain of the concentration sensor. The concentration control mechanism adjusts relative cross sectional area between the pipe carrying fish and the pipe carrying only water depending on the concentration measured previously. The amplitude of the change is affected by the gain and thus the feedback controlled parameter.

[0078] The entire grading process can be both controlled and monitored using an application (8) for a “smart device” such as a smartphone or a tablet. The central control system (7) sends information relative to the grading process to the device so that the user is able to track the concentration of fish within the pipeline, the rate with which the water is moving through the pipeline (flow speed), the size distribution within each category as measured in the fish counter (6) and various other information related to the grading process. Thus the user is able to monitor the grading process's key performance indicators on the device and is therefore less confined to pay close attention to the mechanism itself. The user can influence the settings of each device individually by using the device and is able to change each setting even during the grading process.

[0079] Additionally the user can define working ranges for each measured variable and have the application notifying him whenever a variable is measured to be outside of the predetermined range. Thus the application serves a security role by reducing the risk of mishaps during the grading process.

[0080] FIG. 2 shows the systems mechanical setup, including the devices comprising the system. Pipes are connected to two receptacles, one containing fish within water (1) and the other containing only water (2). The pipe containing both fish and water is lead through concentration measurement equipment (11) which evaluates the concentration of fish and delivers the information to a computer program, which evaluates the correct response for the concentration control system. The pipes are combined within the concentration control system (3) where a valve controls the ratio between the two inputs of which the output flow consists of. Thus the concentration of fish in water is diluted below a set value to insure the quality of both grading and counting. After passing through the concentration control system, the fish travel onward through a centrifugal pump (4) which drives the fish from the initial receptacle (1) towards the end receptacles (10). From the pump, the fish travels into the grader (5) which sorts the fishes by size and delivers each size category into separate channels. Each channel carries the fish into the counter (6) where measurements are performed “on the fly”. After the sorting and counting, the fish is delivered into an end receptacle (10) along with the rest of the fish belonging to the same size category.

[0081] FIG. 3 shows the feedback loop controlling the settings of the concentration control mechanism (3). The initial input value of the concentration control device is pre-set to a value suitable for most types of setup. This pre-set value can be modified by the user via the on-board controller or mobile application. The concentration measured in the fish counter is then subtracted from the input value and the outcome is added to the value measured in the concentration sensor. The sum is fed into the concentration control software which in return adjusts the concentration control mechanisms settings during the control process. The concentration is measured again towards the end of the grading process in the fish counter and used as described above.

[0082] The counter (6) measures the size of fish passing through it and can thus give a measurement on the quality of the sorting performed by the grader (5). The central control (7) system receives size information for each category and evaluates the quality of the sorting process. When sorting quality deteriorates, the program adjusts and sends a parameter to both the concentration control mechanism (3) in order to reduce the concentration of fish and to the grader (5) to increase the speed of barrel rotation.

[0083] Additionally, the counter (6) measures the number of fish in each category and estimates biomass. According to user preference, the centralized control system (7) receives this information from the counter (6) and adjusts the rate of increase of the slit to ensure that the correct amount of biomass is delivered into each category of the destination receptacles (10).

[0084] FIG. 4 shows the feedback loop controlling the pump (4) settings. The initial input value for flow speed is pre-set to a value suitable for most types of setup. This pre-set value can be modified by the user via the on-board controller or mobile application. The flow speed measured at the fish counter is then subtracted from the input value and the outcome is fed into the pumping control software. The software adjusts the pump settings during the pumping process. The flow speed is measured at the fish counter and used as described above.

[0085] The feedback parameter for the pump (4) affects the frequency of the inverter driving the main propeller. Thus the parameter affects the power with which the water is pumped through the system. By measuring both the frequency by which fishes go through the fish counter (6) and the concentration of fish within the water, the velocity of the flow can be estimated. The pump parameter is controlled via the feedback control so that the velocity is within a preferred interval in order to improve the efficiency of the system. This affects the speed of fish going through the grader???

[0086] FIG. 5 shows the feedback loop controlling the grader (5) slit/gap size settings. The initial input value for the grader's (5) gap size is pre-set to a value suitable for the average size distribution for the given age of fish. Users can adjust the input values on the on-board controller or mobile application. The distribution is measured in the fish counter and the values sent to the grader control software which compares the measured distribution with the input settings. The gap size controller software applies changes to the grader settings “on the fly” during the grading process.

[0087] The fish grader's feedback control manipulates two parameters that in return affect the operation of the mechanism. The grader (5) consists of a large barrel that is segmented into several chambers. The bottom part of each chamber has an adjustable slit where the fish can escape from the chamber. As the fish is dropped into the grader, it is guided into one of the several chambers. The barrel is rotated around its centre axis by a rotary motor and thus fish that arrives later slides into a different chamber than a fish that arrived previously. As the barrel rotates, the slit in the bottom of each of the chamber is gradually increased, until finally the slit is large enough for the fish to escape through. Thus, smaller fish will escape earlier than larger fish as the rate increase in slit size is kept constant. By collecting fish depending on the location of their escape, a separation by size is acquired.

[0088] The grading process is sensitive to the frequency with which fish arrives in the grader (6). When the frequency is too high, the fish will pile up in the chambers and only the fish on the bottom of the chamber is exposed to the slit. This hinders the smaller fish from escaping through the slit and results in them being categorized with larger fish. .

[0089] At the end of the grading process the fish go through the fish counter. Within the fish counter, the flow of fish and water passes by a light source and a camera located so that it captures the silhouette created when a fish passes by the light source. The image is analysed and both size and weight of the fish are evaluated by the counters software. The measurements are then used as inputs for the feedback loop system as described above.

[0090] As used herein, including in the claims, singular forms of terms are to be construed as also including the plural form and vice versa, unless the context indicates otherwise. Thus, it should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0091] Throughout the description and claims, the terms “comprise”, “including”, “having”, and “contain” and their variations should be understood as meaning “including but not limited to”, and are not intended to exclude other components.

[0092] The present invention also covers the exact terms, features, values and ranges etc. in case these terms, features, values and ranges etc. are used in conjunction with terms such as about, around, generally, substantially, essentially, at least etc. (i.e., “about 3” shall also cover exactly 3 or “substantially constant” shall also cover exactly constant).

[0093] The term “at least one” should be understood as meaning “one or more”, and therefore includes both embodiments that include one or multiple components. Furthermore, dependent claims that refer to independent claims that describe features with “at least one” have the same meaning, both when the feature is referred to as “the” and “the at least one”.

[0094] It will be appreciated that variations to the foregoing embodiments of the invention can be made while still falling within the scope of the invention can be made while still falling within scope of the invention. Features disclosed in the specification, unless stated otherwise, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose. Thus, unless stated otherwise, each feature disclosed represents one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0095] Use of exemplary language, such as “for instance”, “such as”, “for example” and the like, is merely intended to better illustrate the invention and does not indicate a limitation on the scope of the invention unless so claimed. Any steps described in the specification may be performed in any order or simultaneously, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0096] All of the features and/or steps disclosed in the specification can be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of the features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. In particular, preferred features of the invention are applicable to all aspects of the invention and may be used in any combination.