Drum filter for suspended solids removal in production system in aquaculture

Abstract

In Brazil, aquaculture has a growth rate of approximately 10% per year. This, together with environmental legislation and the need to develop sustainable systems, has led to the growth of production systems with low water renewal in aquaculture. Thus, water recirculation (RAS) systems have become a trend in the production of freshwater and marine organisms. Water recirculation systems use treatment steps that maintain the water quality parameters, removing nitrogenous compounds, suspended solids and eliminating harmful microorganisms in the rearing system. The control of the suspended solids in these systems is fundamental, since they guarantee the good functioning of the biological filter, help in the maintenance of the levels of dissolved oxygen and reduce the concentrations of microorganisms in the rearing environment. For the removal of solids from the system, the rotary drum filter is recognized as one of the most efficient alternatives. These filters have high rates of solids removal, in addition to high energy efficiency. Currently, there is no company producing this equipment in Latin America, and there is a market demand for the development of this product. In addition, there is no specialized technical staff in the projection, installation and maintenance of the drum filters in Brazil. This project aims to develop the technology to produce rotary drum filter, to be used in aquaculture systems in Brazil. The project in phase 1 will be developed in two stages. The first stage provides the development of the technical design of the equipment, with exploded view and in 3D. At this stage, it will be possible to predict the best constructive way and compatibility of the components. The second stage provides for the construction of a small scale operational prototype. Subsequently, prototype tests will be carried out on aquaculture systems under recirculation. In this way, it will be possible to identify the technical aspects developed, evaluating the chosen materials and suppliers, seeking to achieve the operational, constructive and economic efficiency of the product. The project will have as responsible researcher the Engineer and PhD in Aquaculture Gabriel Passini who has experience in marine fish production and water recirculation systems. Dr. Marcelo Roberto Pereira Shei, is a majority partner of the Altamar company that has experience in the development of projects and equipment for aquaculture. For technical support of the project, Sérgio Bruno Metallurgical engineer with experience in the metallurgical industry, where he has been acting as Supervisor and Director of Industries since 1989, and will act in the projection, construction and insertion stages of the product to the market. The project will still be technically supported by the companies FF-Projetos (Sorocaba-SP) and Aquainspiration LTDA (Florianópolis-SC), in the areas of technical project design and sizing aquaculture filtration systems, respectively. (AU)