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COST Aquaponics Training School Belgium

COST Aquaponics Conference and further Plans

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Yes – we are still alive, and no – we did not forget about posting on Developonics. We are currently just busy with publishing our research as well as already planing new aquaponics related projects. What else have we done? In March, Simon has been presenting the model on decoupled aquaponic systems that he developed at the COST Aquaponics Conference “Research Matters”. Unlike in one-loop recirculating aquaponics systems, decoupled two- or three-loop systems (i.e. comprising of a RAS & hydroponic system, or RAS, hydroponic, and remineralization system respectively) follow the principle of a one-way nutrient flow. This makes it possible to ensure optimal conditions for both fish and plants; i.e. the fish are held in optimal RAS conditions, and the hydroponic water can be supplemented with macro- and micronutrients to ensure an optimal nutrient solution. Read more

Digestion Experiment at ZHAW

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Simon, Boris, and Zala are currently preparing some aquaponics experiments at ZHAW in Wädenswil (Switzerland). Two of them comprise sludge digestion for nutrient and water recycling. We hope to see the performance of both digster types on the nutrient dynamics on the system. The results will be published in a open access peer-review journal. Below some pictures of motivated young scientists. 🙂

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process control

The need for Process Control in next-generation Aquaponic Systems

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In chemical engineering, processes are procedures encompassing mechanical, chemical, physical, electrical and biological steps to create a product from one or more substances. Decades of research and development have led to detailed knowledge of processes that shape our world today: from sawing off a piece of metal, to creating carbon nanotubes, everything that is industrially produced today comes from sets of very specific and controlled steps (i.e. process control (PC)).

Aquaponics -being an emerging field that deals with live organisms that can often be poorly understood-, can benefit from systematic engineering approaches found in process and chemical engineering disciplines. These approaches generally entitle breaking out a large process (a full aquaponic system in this case) into smaller sub-processes that can be studied both in isolation and in interaction with others. Read more