The objective of this project is to design, build and test an experimental scale feeding system tailored for prawn agricultural production, catering to prawns from their early stages of life to maturity. The Prawn Feed System (PFS) addresses the current limitations in feeding system’s versatility, particularly regarding feeding portions and scheduling. The PFS allows users to set their desired feeding times and adjust feed quantities according to specific needs. Key considerations included compatibility with a 55-gallon drum with a 2-foot diameter, preventing feed obstructions, ensuring use of food-safe materials, and allowing user input feed times.
The system (Fig. 1), was designed on SolidWorks and 3D Printed in Polylactic Acid (PLA). It features two feed towers (T) (Fig 2), each housing four compartments (C) (each 9 in3 volume), vertically stacked with swinging hatch doors (HD) that separate them, securely held in place by solenoid locks. Once the solenoid is retracted, the weight of the hatch door alone allows gravity to guide them. Control of the locks is managed through an Arduino based system with an 8-channel relay, RTC (Real-Time Clock), an LCD, and a user-friendly interface featuring six buttons for customized feeding schedules. Opposing sides of the towers have sliding doors that are moved vertically. When placing the feed, the user must lift the tower door (TD) and place the feed one tower at a time. To reset the doors the trap must be rotated to allow the hatch doors to fall back into place. An AC-DC converter, providing 12V, is plugged into a standard outlet to power the system.