US-12616107-B2 - Seaweed seeders and methods for using them

US12616107B2US 12616107 B2US12616107 B2US 12616107B2US-12616107-B2

Abstract

Seaweed seeders that can deposit seaweed directly along a grow-line or other grow structure are disclosed herein. In a specific embodiment, the seaweed seeder includes: a bracket; at least one cap member, where the at least one cap member is connected to the bracket; at least one motor, at least one propeller, where the at least one propeller is connected to the at least one motor; at least one main housing, where the at least one main housing includes a length, an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior space, and where the at least one main housing is connected to the at least one cap member; at least one electronic controller, where the at least one electronic controller is positioned in the interior space of the main housing, where at least one electronic controller is in electronic communication with the at least at least one motor; and an attaching member.

Inventors

Robin Littlefield
Scott Lindell
David Bailey
Benjamin Weiss

Assignees

WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20231211

Claims (15)

1 . A seaweed seeder comprising: a bracket; at least one cap member, wherein the at least one cap member is connected to the bracket; at least one motor, at least one propeller, wherein the at least one propeller is connected to the at least one motor; at least one main housing, wherein the at least one main housing comprises a length, an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior space, and wherein the at least one main housing is connected to the at least one cap member; at least one electronic controller, wherein the at least one electronic controller is positioned in the interior space of the main housing, wherein at least one electronic controller is in electronic communication with the at least at least one motor; and an attaching member.
2 . The seaweed seeder according to claim 1 , further comprising: a battery housing, wherein the battery housing is positioned in the interior space of the main housing.
3 . The seaweed seeder according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising: an auto-stop actuator.
4 . The seaweed seeder according to claim 1 , further comprising: a grow-line guide.
5 . The seaweed seeder of claim 1 wherein said at least one propeller comprises a first propeller, wherein the first propeller is positioned on the outer surface of the cap member, wherein the first propeller has an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation of the first propeller and the length of the main housing forms an angle, and wherein the angle between the axis of rotation of the first propeller and the length of the main housing is from about 2° to about 34°.
6 . The seaweed seeder according to claim 1 , wherein at seaweed seeder comprises two main housings, two cap members, two motors, two electronic controllers, and two propellers.
7 . The seaweed seeder according to, of claim 1 wherein at least one propeller is positioned on the outer surface of the main housing, wherein said propeller has an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation of said propeller and the length of the main housing forms an angle, and wherein the angle between the axis of rotation of the said propeller and the length of the main housing is from about 0° to about 90°.
8 . A method for using a seaweed seeder comprising: attaching a seaweed seeder to a grow-line, wherein the seaweed seeder comprises: a bracket; at least one cap member, wherein the at least one cap member is connected to the bracket; at least one motor, at least one propeller, wherein the at least one propeller is connected to the at least one motor; at least one main housing, wherein the at least one main housing comprises a length, an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior space, and wherein the at least one main housing is connected to the at least one cap member; at least one electronic controller, wherein the at least one electronic controller is positioned in the interior space of the main housing, wherein at least one electronic controller is in electronic communication with the at least at least one motor; and an attaching member; and activating the at least one motor to engage the at least one propeller to move seaweed seeder along the grow-line.
9 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 8 , further comprising: a battery housing, wherein the battery housing is positioned in the interior space of the main housing.
10 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 8 , further comprising: an auto-stop actuators.
11 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to any one of claims 8, 9, and 10 , wherein said at least one propeller comprises a first propeller, wherein the first propeller is positioned on the outer surface of the cap member, wherein the first propeller has an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation of the first propeller and the length of the main housing forms an angle, and wherein the angle between the axis of rotation of the first propeller and the length of the main housing is from about 2° to about 34°.
12 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 11 and wherein the seaweed seeder has two main housings, two cap members, two motors, two electronic controllers, and two propellers.
13 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 11 further comprising a second propeller, wherein the second propeller is positioned on the outer surface of the main housing, wherein the second propeller has an axis of rotation, wherein the axis of rotation of the second propeller and the length of the main housing forms an angle, and wherein the angle between the axis of rotation of the second propeller and the length of the main housing is from about 0° to about 90°.
14 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 11 , wherein the method provides about 3 wraps of seed-line per meter of grow line to about 20 wraps of seed-line per meter of grow line.
15 . The method for using a seaweed seeder according to claim 11 wherein the activating the propeller to propel the seaweed seeder along the grow-line provides the seaweed seeder with a velocity of from about 5 cm/s to about 20 cm/s.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a 35 USC § 371 National Stage application of International Application No. PCT/US23/83381 filed 11 Dec. 2023, now pending which claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119 (e) to U.S. Application Ser. No. 63/431,843, filed Dec. 12, 2022. The disclosure of each of the prior applications is considered part of and is incorporated by reference in the disclosure of this application. BACKGROUND Field Provided herein are seaweed seeders that automate the wrapping of a seed-line around a grow-line while traversing the grow-line for efficient planting of seaweed farms. Description of the Related Art The mariculture industry is rapidly expanding around the world. As mariculture farms become larger and more complex, new methods of farming are needed to maintain economic viability. For mariculture farmers to enter new markets, such as biofuel, bioplastics, and carbon credits, the cost of production needs to drop significantly. For seaweed farmers, one of the largest costs is labor. Current methods of transferring seed-line from the nursery to the seaweed farm have drawbacks. For example, wrapping the seed-line around the grow-line requires that the grow-line be unfastened at its end from the farm infrastructure to pass spools over the grow-line. A boat is then used to traverse the grow-line while the farmer manually pulls the grow-line out of the water and wraps the seed-line around the grow-line. Once at the end, the grow-line is again detached, and the empty seed spool is removed from the line and the grow-line is reattached to the farm infrastructure. The method is then repeated for each grow-line of the farm. The method is labor intensive and exposes the juvenile seaweed to the air for long periods of time. The juvenile seaweed is especially sensitive to adverse weather conditions: low temperatures, wind chill, and rain. Consequently, there is a need for new seaweed seeders and methods that can wrap a seed-line around a grow-line without having to unfasten the grow-line from the farm infrastructure or having to manually lift the grow-line and wrap the seed-line. SUMMARY Disclosed herein are seaweed seeders that can wrap seaweed seed-lines around a grow-line while traversing the grow-line. In a specific embodiment, the seaweed seeder includes: a bracket; at least one cap member, where the at least one cap member is connected to the bracket; at least one motor, at least one propeller, where the at least one propeller is connected to the at least one motor; at least one main housing, where the at least one main housing includes a length, an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior space, and where the at least one main housing is connected to the at least one cap member; at least one electronic controller, where the at least one electronic controller is positioned in the interior space of the main housing, where at least one electronic controller is in electronic communication with the at least at least one motor; and an attaching member. In another specific embodiment, a method for using a seaweed seeder includes: attaching a seaweed seeder to a grow-line, where the seaweed seeder includes: a bracket; at least one cap member, where the at least one cap member is connected to the bracket; at least one motor, at least one propeller, where the at least one propeller is connected to the at least one motor; at least one main housing, where the at least one main housing includes a length, an outer surface, an inner surface, and an interior space, and where the at least one main housing is connected to the at least one cap member; at least one electronic controller, where the at least one electronic controller is positioned in the interior space of the main housing, where at least one electronic controller is in electronic communication with the at least at least one motor; and an attaching member; and activating the at least one motor to engage the at least one propeller to move seaweed seeder along the grow-line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which are described below. The embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can utilize their teachings. Therefore, no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a seaweed seeder 100 with two main housings 202. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a seaweed seeder 100 with two main housing 202 showing how the seed spool 102 can be positioned on the main housing 202. FIG. 3 is top view of an embodiment of a seaweed seeder 100 with two transparent main housings 202. FIG. 4 is