Research

Patents:

Reginald Donaldson

US Patent (460800)

An Aquarium Air Pump is one of the basic pieces of equipment to own for an aquarium. The basic function of an Aquarium Air Pump is to force air from the atmosphere into the aquarium . By forcing the air into the water, this creates water motion with the rising air bubbles, and also provide oxygen to the aquarium for fish to “breathe.” Air Pumps can also be used to efficiently operate some types of aquarium filtration equipment.

The present patent relates to an air pump, and more particularly, to an air pump for use in combination with a household aquarium in which fishes and aquatic plants are reared for fancy or ornamental purposes. There have been many types of air pumps for such purposes, among which is one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47(1972)-26002. This prior art pump is provided with a diaphragm fixed to a vibrator, which is integral with a permanent magnet.

This patent relates to our Automatic Aquarium Water Changer project because a constant flow of air is going to be needed to keep this fish alive when changing the water. When the water change is taking place this will cause the water level to get lower. Since the water level will get lower the pump still needs to be able to pump the same amount of air into the tank.

Daniel Scheda

US Patent (4622991)

An evaporation sensor for an aquarium is a control signal which can be used for a water topping-up device. Depending on the conditions, more or less water evaporates from the aquarium and the water level drops accordingly. When the water level drops considerably, the concentration of substances in the water increase. The increased concentration of salt, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia can be very harmful to both fish and plants who are used to being in an environment that is more or less stable (i.e. nature).

Liquid sensors are commonplace in monitoring fuel height, oil level, etc. Some of these sensors use floats that operate by interacting (floating) with the surface of whatever liquid is being monitored. This particular invention (Patent 4622991) uses a sensor container that can detect smaller changes in water height than a float sensor. The sensor container does not require a large mechanical input (like the float sensor) in order to communicate a drop in water level.

This patent pertains to our Automatic Aquarium Water Changer design project because some level of liquid monitoring is going to be needed to fill and drain the tank accurately. To perform the water change some predetermined amount of water needs to be removed and a liquid level sensor could be the perfect solution to know exactly when the correct amount of water has been removed. Similarly, a liquid level sensor is needed to determine when the tank is full. Once the waste water has been removed, clean water is added. The sensor will need to detect and stop filling the tank when the appropriate amount of water has been restored to the tank.

Kevin Wendt

US Patent (US3785342A-Self-cleaning aquarium)

A self-cleaning aquarium includes a tank with a perforated partition spaced a small distance from the bottom of the tank to define an upper display portion and a lower drainage portion. Disposed within the drainage portion and resting on the bottom of the tank is a funneling drainage plate for receiving sedimentary material in the tank which passes through the perforated partition. The drainage plate has drain openings connected to a suction tube which draws the sedimentary material and liquid in the drainage portion of the tank out of the tank and directs it through an external filter including a pump for pumping the clarified liquid back into the tank. In the preferred form the filter is a watertight container having a removable receptacle for retaining filtering material and is designed so that the receptacle can be easily removed to periodically change the filter material.

This pertains to our project because the system essentially performs an automatic water change. It will aid us in understanding important aspects of the project that were previously not considered. The patent will provide some insight into the types of filters and pumps that should be used for our project.

Allen Wright

US Patent (8844353 B2)

The patent cited below outlines a device used for water level sensing that may be used in almost all given water tank applications through the use of a floating and switch mechanism. This device may be found most useful when considering the unwanted overflow of any type of indoor reservoir. The mechanism is designed to securely mount to any given sidewall of almost all and any arbitrary tank. The sensor is also composed of a housing mechanism and a clamping mechanism. The Clamping mechanism is composed of two parts, clamped on opposite sides of the tanks wall and a screw that tightens the clamps, securely mounting the entire device to the top of any of the water tank’s sidewalls. The float sits on the inside of the tank and when the water level becomes high enough to raise the float, the switch is than activated. This switch can then be programmed to deactivate a system that could cause the reservoir or water tank to overflow.

This patent relates to our Automatic Aquarium Water Changer because sensing water levels is an important aspect of the design criteria. If the Water levels in the aquarium or waste reservoir is left unknown to the device overflow could occur. This device could act as a kill switch to the overall system which may prevent overflows and unwanted mess in a consumer's home. The device described in the patent cited below relies on basic physics and fluid mechanics and may be able to provide a necessary killswitch to our system.

Mark Zinni

US Patent (4014052)

This patent is for an apparatus that affects the continuous addition and removal of water within the tank while maintaining a predetermined water level. Being an apparatus, this invention has no moving parts and relies on water pressure to achieve its task. The apparatus housing rests on the tank wall and extends both inside and outside of the tank wall. More specifically, this design contains three connected passageways, each with a different function. A pressurized supply provides fresh liquid to the first passageway, some of which is emptied into the tank and some of which enters the second passageway. This second passageway connects the first passageway to a drain and has a constriction, or decrease in cross-sectional area, which accelerates the liquid through it and creates a low-pressure region. This low-pressure region is coupled to the liquid in the tank with a third passageway. Basically, the system wants to maintain equilibrium. So an addition of particular amount of liquid from the first passageway into the tank will result in the removal of the same amount of liquid through the third passageway into the drain. ¶

This patent pertains to our automatic aquarium water changer design because this particular invention is meant to be used in fluid circulation systems like the one we’ve incorporated into our design. In order for our product to be effective, we need to ensure that equal amounts of liquid are added and removed from the tank. This is crucial because if a steady water-level is not maintained, the tank could overflow and cause damage to a user’s home or possessions. Likewise, if the water level were to get too low, the fish could be confined to a smaller space within the tank. This invention relies on the principles of fluid mechanics rather than sensors and therefore should be a reliable solution to this particular design requirement.

Journals:

Reginald Donaldson

Common Problems And Solutions For Freshwater Aquariums

In the following article , the author talks about problems that occur with freshwater Aquariums. As talked about in the article, the major problem for aquariums is the water quality. This not a surprise to many people, as the water is the most important part of a aquarium setup. A few problems that occur in the water is Algae, cloudy water, fine particulates, dissolved minerals, bacterial bloom, and high nitrates. The simplest way to fix theses problems, according to this article, is to change out the old water with fresh clean water. Regular maintenance will extend the life of a aquarium.

This article is important to our project because this is a ongoing problem from people who own aquarium due to them not having a automatic water changer. All water changer require manual labor and most people do not have the time for frequently change the water causing their aquarium to decrease its lifespan. Us creating this automatic water changer will help many people prolong the life of their aquarium changer, which will save them a lot of money in the future.

Daniel Scheda

HOW TO AVOID 'OLD TANK SYNDROME'

In the article, it describes what many aquarium enthusiasts refer to as “Old Tank Syndrome”. “Tanks that have been running successfully for months or years may slowly turn bad, or they might suddenly crash altogether, with multiple casualties and a befuddled owner” [6]. As described in the article, Old Tank Syndrome is a function of neglecting your aquarium to a certain degree. Whether it is not testing your water, cleaning the tank, or not doing sufficient water changes. Having a healthy aquarium is not as difficult as it sounds. Testing the water with test stripes to make sure the chemical content of the water is correct only takes a short time and only needs to be done a couple times a week. Water change and substrate cleaning can be done in one fell swoop but a water change is needed more often than a substrate cleaning. Many aquaists fail to take the time to perform a water change and this is the biggest cause of “Old Tank Syndrome”. Minerals build up in the water and change the chemical content. The author refers to this mineral build up like alcoholism in humans. Alcoholics build up a tolerance to the alcohol where the fish in this case build up a tolerance to the high mineral concentration in the water. If a tank goes too long without regular water changes, the mineral concentration becomes lethal.

This article is important to our project because it reinforces the need to be vigilant about changing the water. Many people to a visual inspection of their tank but even if the tank looks clean, it can be on the brink of an ecological crash. Therefore having an automatic system that changes the water can extend the longevity of an aquarist’s tank.

Kevin Wendt

Aquarium microbiome response to ninety-percent system water change: Clues to microbiome management

The bacterial community composition and structure of water from an established teleost fish system was examined before, during and after a major water change to explore the impact of such a water-change disturbance on the stability of the aquarium water microbiome. The diversity and evenness of the bacterial community significantly increased following the 90% water replacement. This shift in network structure is due to the turnover of many taxonomic groups during the course of water replacement. These observations will inform future studies into manipulation of the microbiome by changing system environmental parameter values to optimize resident animal health.

This journal paper will help the group realize the effects of water changes on an aquarium ecosystem. This will direct our analyses and prototype specifications to ensure the water change does not harm animal life and fauna.

Allen Wright

Freshwater Aquarium Set Up: A Beginner’s Guide

The article cited describes the basic steps that should be taken to establish and maintain a freshwater fish tank. In the article the author describes the nitrogen cycle that all established freshwater tanks experience. This cycle is established between the living wildlife in the tank between the aquatic and plant life. The nitrogen cycle begins when the fish in an aquarium begin to consume food and oxygen leading them to dispose waste in the form of carbon dioxide, CO₂. This carbon dioxide then decays and forms ammonia. “The presence of ammonia triggers the growth of Nitrosamines which produce nitrites (NO₂).” [10] These Nitrites then cause the formation of nitro bacteria creating nitrates (NO₃). Both Ammonia and Nitrates may be harmful and in some cases even deadly to your water life meaning that a water change is necessary. “When changing your aquarium's water only 30 to 40% of the water should be removed at a time.” [9]

This article is important to our design concept because it helps us as a group understand not only why a water change is necessary but how the harmful gases are created in an indoor aquarium. The Article also explains important information about how much water should be extracted and re added to the aquarium. The Article explains that a maximum of 30-40% of the water should be changed and that changing more than this could result in a disturbance to the nitrogen cycle experienced by the animal and plant life in the ecosystem.

Mark Zinni

Engineering VillageTMThe first choice for serious engineering research

The journal cited below addresses research done on the efficiency of a pumice stone biofilter for the purpose of denitrification. A glass tank was packed with a 5 cm layer of pumice stone in an effort to remove nitrogen from a recirculating aquaculture system. With methanol acting as the external carbon source and the tank covered with a plastic sheet (to prevent gas exchange), it was found that the pumice stone substrate acted as a nitrification biofilter under aerobic conditions. Basically, this 121-day treatment resulted in ammonia and nitrate concentrations that were within the safety range, while the control conditions resulted in significantly higher nitrate concentrations. More importantly, using pumice stone as the substrate did not negatively affect the growth or survival of the fish living in the recirculating aquaculture system [10].

This journal pertains to our project because nitrification is a significant problem in aquarium upkeep. Fish waste products break down into nitrates and ammonia, which is toxic to most fish. Therefore a method of denitrifying water without requiring any user action could be highly useful in a automatic aquarium water changer design.

References:

1. “Patent US4622991 - Evaporation sensor for an aquarium,” Google Patents. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US4622991. [Accessed: 05-Feb-2018]
2. “Patent US3785342A – Self-cleaning aquarium,” Google Patents. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US3785342A. [Accessed: 05-Feb-2018]
3. “Patent US460800 -Air Pump,” Google Patents. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US4622991. [Accessed: 05-Feb-2018]
4. “Patent US4014052 - Apparatus for maintaining a predetermined liquid level,” Google Patents. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US4014052. [Accessed: 05-Feb-2018]
5. “Patent US 8844353 B2 - Water level sensor switch,” Google patents. [Online]. Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US8844353B2. Accessed: [06-February-2018]
6. “How to avoid 'old tank syndrome',” Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, 23-Jun-2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/2016/6/23/how-to-avoid-old-tank-syndrome. [Accessed: 05-Feb-2018].
7. Van Bonn, William. “Aquarium microbiome response to ninety-percent system water change: Clues to microbiome management.” Zoo Biology Vol. 34 No. 4 (2015): pp. 360-367. DOI 10.1002/zoo.21220.
8. Kevin. “Common Problems And Solutions For Freshwater Aquariums.” Aquarium Setup, 23 Mar. 2013, www.aquarium-setup.net/common-problems-and-solutions-for-freshwater-aquariums/.
9. Taylor, Jacob. “Freshwater Aquarium Set Up: A Beginner’s Guide,” [Online]. Available: http://ecom.cob.montevallo.edu/Taylor/Mysite/
10. “Engineering VillageTMThe first choice for serious engineering research.” Engineering Village, Elsevier, 6 Oct. 2016, www.engineeringvillage.com/search/doc/abstract.url?&pageType =quickSearch&usageZone=resultslist&usageOrigin=searchresults&searchtype=Quick&SEARCHID=69d990deM8cb7M40c5Mbab9M808808b7ab11&DOCINDEX=1&ignore_docid=cpx_61b1fea6155ffba8945M78dc10178163171&database=10485767&format=quickSearchAbstractFormat&tagscope=&displayPagination=yes.