Design and Application of Brushless Motors in Aquaculture Feeding Equipment

1. Special Requirements for Feeding Equipment Drive Systems

 

1.1 Aquaculture Environmental Characteristics

   • High humidity environment: Requires motors with IP65 or higher protection rating

   • Corrosive media: Demands stainless steel housing or special anti-corrosion coating

   • Significant temperature fluctuations: Operational temperature range must cover -10℃ to 50℃

   • Space constraints: Requires compact motor structure with high power density

 

1.2 Feeding Operation Characteristics

   • Precision feeding control: Needs to achieve 0.1g-level feeding accuracy

   • Multi-period timed operations: Requires 10-20 start-stop cycles daily

   • Variable speed requirements: Adjustable feeding speed based on fish size

   • Low-noise operation: Noise levels must be controlled below 50dB

 

2. Key Design Considerations for Brushless Motor Selection

2.1 Motor Type Comparison

 

 

Parameter	Brushed Motor	Brushless Motor	Servo Motor
Lifespan	2,000 hours	20,000 hours	30,000 hours
Efficiency	60-75%	85-95%	90-97%
Maintenance	Regular brush replacement	Maintenance-free	Maintenance-free
Cost	Low	Medium	High

Recommended Solution: Medium/small farms should adopt BLDC motors, while large industrial aquaculture systems should use servo motors.

 

2.2 Critical Parameter Design

   • Power range: 50-500W (scalable based on operation size)

   • Speed range: 100-3,000rpm (adjustable)

   • Torque requirement: 0.2-2N·m (considering maximum feeding resistance)

   • Control precision: ±1rpm (ensures feeding uniformity)

 

3. Core System Integration Technologies

 

3.1 Waterproof and Anti-corrosion Design

   • Dual-sealed bearing structure: Prevents water and feed dust intrusion

   • 316 stainless steel shaft: Resists seawater corrosion

   • Epoxy resin potting: Protects circuit boards

   • Waterproof terminals: Specialized moisture-proof connectors

 

3.2 Intelligent Control Solutions

   • PLC + HMI control: Enables formula management

   • IoT remote monitoring: 4G/WiFi data transmission

   • Adaptive feeding algorithm: Adjusts portions based on water temperature and fish activity

   • Self-diagnosis: Alarms for jamming and material shortage

 

3.3 Feeding Mechanism Compatibility

   • Auger feeder: Paired with 10:1 ratio gearbox

   • Vibratory feeder: Utilizes PWM speed control

   • Belt conveyor: Implements encoder feedback closed-loop control

   • Pneumatic conveyor: Requires coordinated blower control (High Pressure Blower)

 

 

4. Representative Application Cases

4.1 Smart Home Aquarium Feeders

 

   • Motor specs: 24V/30W external rotor BLDC motor

 

   • Key features:

      ♦ Smartphone APP control

      ♦ Solar charging capability

      ♦ Multi-compartment feed switching

      ♦ Feeding accuracy: ±0.05g

 

4.2 Pond Cage Automatic Feeders

 

   • Motor configuration:

      ♦ Main feeder: 48V/200W internal rotor BLDC motor

      ♦ Dispersion mechanism: 36V/100W BLDC motor

 

   • Technical highlights:

      ♦ Weather-compensated feeding

      ♦ 360° rotating dispersion

      ♦ Diesel generator compatibility

 

 

4.3 Industrial RAS Feeding Systems

   • Drive solution:

      ♦ Servo motor + planetary gearbox (servo planetary gear motor)

      ♦ CANopen bus control

 

   • System capabilities:

      ♦ Integrated water quality monitoring

      ♦ Growth model-optimized feeding

      ♦ Automatic feeding records

 

5. Troubleshooting Guide

5.1 Feed Bridging Solutions

   • Technical measures:

      ♦ Add vibratory motor assistance

      ♦ Implement flexible auger design

      ♦ Program reverse pulse clearing function

 

5.2 Motor Overheat Protection

   • Solutions:

      ♦ Built-in temperature sensors

      ♦ Automatic frequency reduction

      ♦ Aluminum alloy heat-dissipating housing

 

5.3 Power Fluctuation Mitigation

   • Protection measures:

      ♦ Wide voltage design (18-36VDC)

      ♦ Supercapacitor energy storage

      ♦ Reverse connection protection

 

6. Future Development Trends

6.1 Integrated Solutions

   • Unified motor-feeding mechanism design

   • Driver board integration in motor end cover

 

6.2 Intelligent Advancements

   • Visual recognition of fish feeding behavior

   • AI-optimized feeding strategies

   • Blockchain-based feeding records

 

6.3 Renewable Energy Applications

   • Hybrid solar/wind power systems

   • Bluetooth low energy control

   • Energy recovery design

 

Through proper brushless electric motor selection and optimized system design, modern aquaculture feeding equipment can achieve:

   • 40% improvement in feeding accuracy

   • 35% reduction in energy consumption

   • 60% decrease in maintenance costs

 

These technological advancements provide critical support for the aquaculture industry's transition toward intelligent and precision farming practices. The integration of brushless motor technology represents a significant leap forward in feeding system reliability, efficiency, and operational intelligence.

 

For specific implementation cases or technical drawings, please consult with our engineering team.