Robust salmon feed delivery systems

In salmon aquaculture, fish feed represents one of the major costs of the business. Fish are fed whenever possible and useful, using remote feeding control systems with sophisticated monitoring and sensors.

Fish feed pellets are conveyed from the feed barge to individual pens using HDPE pipes which float in a loose bundle. These pipes, and their connections to feed barges and pens, can become disordered and damaged in the more exposed sites, especially in bad weather.

Maintaining and repairing feed pipe systems is expensive and challenging. It is expected that maintenance and repair costs will be substantially higher for any future more energetic sites, while current types of delivery systems may be practically unsustainable.

Interruptions to fish feeding are very expensive because of missed growth, thus a robust feed delivery system is not only important for the fish farmers to avoid missed growth, but vital for any future move further offshore.

This project will understand the dynamics of feed pipe systems, improve robustness of feed pipe systems in the most energetic existing sites, and help develop systems for future more exposed sites.