TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Symposium 1 - the National Sea ...

Program to Facilitate the Preliminary Design of Land-
Based Recirculating Aquaculture Facilities
Terrence McCallum
Masters Student, Recirculating Aquaculture Research Group,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Canada, E3B 5A3
M. Rifai
Masters Student, Recirculating
Aquaculture Research Group,
University of New Brunswick
Introduction
T. Pugsley
Professor of Chemical Engineering,
Recirculating Aquaculture Research
Group, University of New Brunswick
1
M. Couturier
Professor of Chemical Engineering,
Recirculating Aquaculture Research
Group, University of New Brunswick
Sizing and costing equipment for land-based recirculating aquaculture facilities can be
tedious and time consuming. Through the use of a Windows-based computer program,
developed by the Recirculating Aquaculture Research Group at the University of New
Brunswick, those calculations needed for a typical grow-out facility can be facilitated. This
is a useful tool when trying to explore various operating scenarios of such facilities. This
paper will describe the capabilities of this program and the typical outputs produced as well
as sample cost breakdowns.
Design Approach
The program is designed to size equipment based on a desired level of annual production.
In order to reduce equipment requirements, a continuous production strategy is employed.
Continuous production is achieved by purchasing a new batch of juveniles or fry every 2
to 4 months. Batches grow in parallel and reach final market size at uniform intervals. The
advantages of this production strategy are that it reducing the size and cost of equipment
by avoiding large peaks in biomass and allows for consistent cash flow since product is
sold throughout the year.
The preliminary steps performed by the program involve the determination of the growout
period from juvenile or fry to the desired market size, the number of batches needed to