Long-Term Performance Estimation of Aquaculture Solar Aeration System for Developing World

Over the past several decades, the wild capture fisheries have become unsustainable and the practice of small-scale aquaculture has increased in the rural areas of developing countries. In aquaculture ponds, it is critical to maintain adequate levels of dissolved oxygen to ensure productivity and fish health. To provide adequate dissolved oxygen, aeration systems can be employed. However, the current aeration systems are expensive and require secure access to electricity, putting them out of reach for developing world applications. To address this need, a simple aeration system powered by solar energy, called a Solar Updraft Aerator (SUpA) is proposed. SUpA induces convection in the pond by directing absorbed solar energy to deeper pond layers, increasing the dissolved oxygen level. To be effective, SUpA needs to provide adequate dissolved oxygen even when there are multiple days of low sunlight. This research estimates the long-term performance of SUpA under different weather conditions and for a period of 15 to 18 years. Through this process, the dissolved oxygen level of the aquaculture pond is simulated with and without SUpA system to evaluate the magnitude of the influence. The results indicate that SUpA can significantly reduce the number of hours that the dissolved oxygen level is below the needed threshold.