Enhancing Design, Management, and Transfer of Floating Raceway Technology for the Small Farm

UK will provide engineering expertise to the entire project, but most of the research effort will be focused on objective 2. Overall Research Scope The applied research portion of this project creates a unique collaboration in to enhance floating raceway technology for the small farm. It brings together faculty with the University of Kentucky Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, aquaculture investigators with Kentucky State University, suppliers of control systems, and suppliers of devices to move water. The research effort would focus on two areas. 1) Intensive production of largemouth bass and 2) improvement of control systems to manage risk and minimize energy consumption in floating raceways on the small farm. Objective 2 summary (UK’s major contribution): Assess raceway design and evaluate control systems to minimize energy consumption and manage risk. This task focuses on engineering issues and will feature Dr. Joseph Dvorak at UK research investigators working in collaboration Dr. Kenneth Semmens with KSU aquaculture. 2.1. Document design, review selection of materials, and evaluate performance of floating raceway suspended design for the small farm. 2.2. Evaluate performance of a variable speed device for reduced energy consumption vs traditional grid airlift. 2.3. Slow Rotational Paddlewheel design and evaluation. 2.4. Select and evaluate a more affordable emergency aeration system for floating raceways on the small farm. 2.5. Evaluate practical methods to obtain accurate data from dissolved oxygen sensors.