News & Events
24 October 2007AEG Delivers Feeder to the University of New Hampshire Open Ocean Aquaculture Program
ST. ANDREWS, NB - The Aquaculture Engineering Group (St. Andrews, NB) has delivered an automated feed buoy to the University of New Hampshire’s Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center. The feed buoy is deployed at the Center’s exposed demonstration site south of the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire, USA.
Engineers at the University of New Hampshire designed their feed buoy in partnership with Ocean Spar Technologies, as part of a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The hydraulic mixing and feed distribution system was developed based upon experiences that UNH had with two previous open ocean feeders. The buoy has a cylindrical main hull fabricated of steel, 8.6 m (28.2 feet) tall, has a diameter of 6.9 m (22.5 feet), and weighs 84 tons fully loaded (including feed and fuel).
AEG was responsible for fabricating the feed buoy hull. AEG electrical engineering staff was also intimately involved in designing and installing the electrical circuitry and programming for the UNH feed buoy. Also provided to UNH are the patent-protected AEG Feed Diffusers, which will allow spread of feed over a 3 m diameter as opposed to simply exiting the end of a feed delivery pipe. The advanced AEG computer software application was installed to allow control of the UNH feed buoy manually or through distance communication using telemetry.
“Our goal is to create a safe, effective feed delivery system that can withstand the stress of extreme conditions on the open ocean,” explains Michael Chambers, operations manager for UNH’s Aquaculture Center. “This design was informed by what we learned from early feed system prototypes. It is fully automated so we can feed and monitor the fish from shore, and safe for operators to use.”
AEG has independently developed and patented the AEG water borne feeding technology. The UNH feed buoy is specifically designed for a research program having feed storage capacity of 20 metric tonnes and able to feed fish in four submerged cages. AEG supplies the aquaculture industry with its water borne AEG Open Ocean Feeder having feed storage capacity of 50, 100, 200, and 400 metric tonnes to feed upwards of 28 cages simultaneously. Although the AEG Open Ocean Feeder is intentionally not a buoy hull design, it does provide similar stability. Further, the design allows for generous working and service areas required for commercial aquaculture operations.
“We want to provide operators with the same low centre of gravity offered by buoy designs but also sufficient work space to access and maintain all of the onboard systems,” states Chris Bridger, AEG General Manager. AEG Feeders are fabricated with marine-grade aluminum so that the structure is light and strong with sufficient concrete placed in the bottom of the AEG Open Ocean Feeder to provide ‘self-righting’ stability. The centre of gravity is always at or below the water surface regardless of the feed load.
Each AEG Feeder offers the user adequate work space to store tools, complete maintenance service, and even provide direct access to allow component replacement, including the power plant, without having to disrupt other onboard systems and the feeding process. The AEG 50T Feeder provides adequate work space with this area increasing to the size of a house in the AEG 400T Feeder. All but the AEG 50T Feeder also provides sufficient space for living quarters for at least four individuals.
About AEG
The Aquaculture Engineering Group Inc. provides professionally engineered equipment and management solutions to the marine aquaculture industry, particularly those operations sited in medium- and high-energy environments. AEG Solutions must meet five sustainability criteria to ensure our product portfolio is: socially acceptable, cost-effective, eco-friendly, professionally engineered, and robust for survival. Our own line of innovative technologies coupled with those provided through strategic business partnerships allows AEG to supply turn-key systems that meet global client needs. For company details, please visit http://www.aeg-solutions.com
About the UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center
The University of New Hampshire's Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center works closely with commercial fishermen, coastal communities, private industry, and fellow marine research scientists to develop the technology and know how to raise native, cold-water finfish and shellfish in exposed oceanic environments. The Center’s goal is to stimulate the development of an environmentally sustainable and economically viable offshore aquaculture industry for New England and the US, thereby increasing seafood production, creating new employment opportunities, and contributing to economic and community development. The Center is funded through a grant with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. For Center details, please visit http://ooa.unh.edu
For more information and purchasing, please contact:
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Global Chris Bridger, General Manager Aquaculture Engineering Group Inc. Tel: +1-506-529-8467 Mobile: +1-506-467-7488 Skype: cjbridger Email: chris.bridger@aeg-solutions.com |
Australia & New Zealand Geoff Wolfenden, General Manager Jeyco Mooring & Rigging Tel: +61 89 418 7500 Mobile: +61 41 775 0033 Skype: geoff.wolfenden Email: geoff_wolfenden@jeyco.com.au |
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