Preliminary design of a system for the use of wastewater in pelagic fishing vessels

Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Guayaquil, Ecuador

^* Corresponding author: ptownsen@espol.edu.ec

Abstract

The development of a sustainable solution for the management of wastewater from holds on fishing vessels, a resource currently discarded without any treatment that represents an economic and environmental waste. It is proposed to design a blood collection and treatment system for a pelagic vessel, locating it at the bow peak, in such a way that the stability of the vessel is not compromised by the addition of weights. To this end, an integrated design of the system was presented considering the DAF method, which introduces fine air bubbles to adhere to suspended particles and float to the surface to be separated from the water. With which an admissible flow of 6.50 m³/hr was calculated and after processing 22 tons of blood collection, 1.76 tons of raw material are obtained. In addition, the behavior of the prototype vessel was analyzed under five load conditions, concluding that the criteria of intact stability are met, which validates its viability. Finally, it was determined that the initial investment would be $38,990 and with the current prices of raw materials in the local market, a recovery of that investment was estimated in the first 12 months.