Proceedings of the ASME 2024

International Design Engineering Technical Conference

IDETC2024
August 25-28, 2024, Washington, DC, USA

IDETC2024-####

AUTOMATED MECHANICAL MULTIPLEXING MANIFOLD: ENABLING PRECISION AQUACULTURE IN EMERGING

MARKETS

Conor Briggi1, Jeffrey Costello1, Anna Duncan1, Penelope Herrero-Marques1, Francisco

Sepulveda1, ZhiYi Liang1, Amos G. Winter, V1
1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

ABSTRACT
Aquaculture is a steadily growing segment of food
production worldwide, but farmers in both established and
emerging markets are facing ever-greater challenges of
sustainable intensification. These challenges include, but are
not limited to, the implementation of ethical farming practices,
minimization of recurring costs, and minimization of
environmental impacts. Implementation of precision
aquaculture, which often includes automation and monitoring,
is one method for achieving sustainable intensification.
However, the cost of precision aquaculture is prohibitively high
for many farmers; a significant barrier to adoption. This cost
barrier is a critical issue in developing markets where the
aquaculture industry is expanding rapidly
This article proposes a scheme for the automation of one
aspect of fish food distribution, the selection and routing of fish
food to each of the fish pens. Using principles of mechanical
multiplexing, a full-scale prototype of an automated pen
selector manifold was designed and constructed. The manifold
selector system featured a modular design to make adding feed
pens easier for developing markets, by making expansion costs
more accessible. Functional tests demonstrated equivalent or
better performance and a cost reduction of 78% compared to
existing market solutions. Additional steps are outlined to fully
productize and implement the proposed solution in emerging
markets and, through reverse innovation, in existing world
markets.
Keywords: Aquaculture, Multiplexing, Manifold,
Automation, Fish Farming.
many aquaculture farmers are facing high operating costs and
are unable to address concerns on environmental impact and
ethics of farming. Feeding is an especially important part of the
aquaculture process which can directly impact cost,
environmental impact, and ethic of operation.
1.1.1 Aquaculture Feeding Systems
Grow-out is a critical step in the fish aquaculture process
During grow-out, fish are raised to their final size before
harvesting. Effective feeding during the grow-out phase is
essential to the productivity of the farm. Manual feeding ,
where farm workers may hand-cast feed pellets directly to the
surface of the pen is commonplace in both existing and
emerging markets. Although this method allows visual
monitoring of the feeding behavior of the fish, manual feeding
is prone to food waste by overfeeding, injuries to the fish, and
non-uniform food distribution. It is common for 30% of the
total volume of food to be wasted, even in well-managed fish
farms [2]. Food waste increases operating costs and pollutes the
water.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Aquaculture Background

Aquaculture, the art and science of breeding, raising, and
harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. The global
aquaculture market had a valuation of $204 billion in 2020 and FIGURE 1: Fishing farm surface hand feeding [4]
is projected to grow with a compound annual growth rate of
3.6% through 2026[1]. In spite of the projected market growth,

1 © 2024 by ASME
 In contrast, precision aquaculture systems may employ
submerged, waterborne feeding systems, as in Figure 2.
Submerged feeding systems pump feed mixed with water
directly into the cages, supplying food to the fish with less food
waste, lower risk of injuries to the fish, and greater food
distribution uniformity. However, the capital cost to install such
a precision aquaculture system is prohibitively high for
emerging markets.
FIGURE 2: Innovasea FlowFeeder system [5]
1.2 Project Background
Throughout this project, a collaborative effort was
established with Innovasea Systems Inc., a leader in the
precision aquaculture segment.
This partnership with the industry experts at Innovasea was
critical in identifying a problem with aquaculture feeding
practices. Furthermore, Innovasea Systems possesses the
requisite capabilities to undertake the productization and
commercialization of the proposed “automated mechanical
multiplexing manifold” solution.
1.2.1 Motivation
In developing economies, fish farming emerges as a crucial
source of clean and sustainable protein, addressing significant
nutritional needs. However, the operation of these farms is
often hindered by substantial expenses, attributed to fixed and
high variable costs with the associated risks.
In emerging markets fish farms, a major component of the
fixed costs is attributed to the construction of pens. Notably,
when these pens are constructed using locally sourced
materials, they represent only a minor fraction of the overall
system costs, suggesting potential areas for cost optimization
and efficiency improvement in the broader operational
framework of these aquaculture ventures (variable cost)
The variable costs are dominated by feed cost, which is
around 50-60% of total cost for developed farms and expected
to be even higher for emerging market farms [7].
By implementing precision aquaculture technologies, the
variable costs and risk are both dramatically lowered. The feed
conversion ratio (FCR) was reduced by 30% on farms utilizing
precision aquaculture technologies [2].
The greatest barrier to adoption of precision aquaculture
technologies is capital cost. Innovasea, who already offers a
suite of precision aquaculture tools and services, recognize that
their solutions are prohibitively expensive for the smallest scale
aquaculture installations.
This article seeks to address one specific problem
associated with the feeding process - the automatic, sequential
routing of waterborne food to multiple fish cages. Presently, the
Innovasea solution, often called a “manifold selector valve” is
too costly and too complicated.
1.2.2 Functional Requirements
To effectively realize the objectives of creating a selector
valve manifold suitable for emerging markets, the team
formulated a comprehensive set of functional requirements.
This process involved an in-depth examination of current
solutions and extensive research to ensure the manifold's
relevance and adaptability across diverse markets, both
developed and developing. The requirements are as follows:
● Must cost less than $2,000 USD.
● Must work with up to 50 PSI.
● Must work with up to 180 GPM.
● Must be able to operate in Emerging Markets.
● Must be independent of the feed distribution system
(vessel).
● Must be independent of feed type.
● Must operate on a feed rate up to 150 kg/min.
● Must shear less than 3% of the pellets
● Should have remote operation.
● Should have automatic operation.
● Should use power of 24v or compressed air.
● Should select up to 9 different cages.
● Could have a flow meter.
● Could be manufactured from HDPE.
These requirements were tailored to meet the specific
needs of emerging market fish farms, aiming to reduce costs
and risks while significantly enhancing yield and efficiency.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Concept Generation
Prior to generating new concepts for a new manifold
selector valve system, several meetings were held with
Innovasea to see how their engineers previously went about
tackling the problem. They shared several examples of
manifolds that were rotational in nature, as well as a linear slide
system prototype that cost roughly $17,000 to create. Engineers
asked the team to create a manifold that had consistent sealing,
would work for multiple pens, and meet the previously stated
design requirements at a significantly lower price. In order to
generate these concepts, the team first discussed design
strategy, developed governing equations to constrain the
solution net, and ideated as many solutions as possible.
2.1.1 Strategy
From the functional requirements, developing a cost
effective and innovative manifold selector valve could be
thought of in terms of two strategies. The first strategy was
2 © 2024 by ASME
designing modularity in the manifold. Fish farms can have helps visualize the effects of various pipe diameters on system
varying numbers of pens and it is important that the design is performance as predicted by Eqn. 2.
compatible with systems with 2 to 12+ pens at a time. In
addition to general design flexibility, there was an added benefit
if the manifold could easily expand to accommodate more pens
as a farmer grows their business. In an ideal world, the farmer
would only have to buy a new modular section of the valve
manifold rather than replacing the system entirely. The second
strategy was to incorporate as many off-the-shelf components
as possible into the design to keep overall system
manufacturing costs down. Cost is one of the manifold’s
greatest design constraints since the product is aimed towards a
developing market. Off-the-shelf components also make repair
replacements accessible all over the world. Most of Innovasea’s
fish farming systems are based far from their manufacturing
headquarters in the US, making it ideal for the manifold
selector valves to have replaceable parts that can be locally
sourced. This would assure that fish farming systems are not
down for repair for weeks as they wait for part shipments. This
is crucial since time of repair while the feeding system is FIGURE 3: Graph of valve diameter [in] and its effect on distance
[m] to pen vs pump pressure [PSI]
broken will affect the overall health of the fish and directly
impact the farmers income and the ecological impact of the
The gray dotted line represents the maximum pressure
system.
constraint at 50 PSI. Selecting 2” diameter piping meant that
the system would only be capable of servicing pens at 66
2.1.2 Initial Analysis and Governing Equations
meters compared to 3” piping at 464 meters and 4” piping at
The project sponsor provided information on their current
distances greater than 1 kilometer. While 4” piping would give
feeding system to help define the requirements for the
the system great range, 4” valves and 4” piping are significantly
manifold. The system would operate with a maximum
more expensive than 3” components. Additionally, while
operating pressure of 50 PSI at a maximum flow rate of 180
extended range would be a bonus, it was not necessary given
GPM. The sponsor’s current system utilizes 3” diameter
the typical distances currently serviced by the corporate
UV-protected HDPE piping. The manifold will service pens as
sponsor. Due to these findings, the team decided to move
far as 500 m away from the feeding barge, with 300 m being
forward using 3” piping.
the typical pen distance. With these values in mind, the team
developed a set of governing equations to determine the pipe
2.1.3 Initial Concepts
sizing to be used in the new valve manifold.
During initial concept generation, ideas were proposed on
The objective of this engineering analysis was to select
creating manifolds with bespoke forms of sealing such as
pipe sizing that would maximize the number of pens that could
flexible balloon seals similar to those in medical heart stents,
be serviced while meeting pressure, flow, and cost
magnetic morse taper sealing systems using solenoid
specifications. Due to the large spacing between pens,
technology, spring loaded morse-tapers, and classic cam locks
maximizing the number of pens meant increasing the maximum
that mechanically lock in place.
distance serviced by the system. To better understand the
Most system structure ideas fell into the categories of a
relationship between pipe sizing and distance serviced, the team
rotational valve system, cascading automatic mechanical
derived the following relation between pressure and pipe
valves, and multiplexing manual mechanical valves.
diameter from Darcy’s Law.

Darcy's Law for Single Pipe Flow:

2
𝐿 ρ𝑉𝑎𝑣𝑔
∆𝑃 = 𝑓 𝐷 2
(1)
Pressure proportionality with Diameter:
2 2
𝑃∝
𝑓
𝐷
𝑉𝑎𝑣𝑔
2
∝
𝑓
2𝐷 ( )∝
π𝐷
4𝑄
2
1
5
𝐷
(2)

It quickly became evident that selecting a smaller diameter FIGURE 4: System Categories – Rotation Selection (a), Cascading
pipe would drastically increase operating pressures. Figure 3 (b), and Multiplexing (c)

3 © 2024 by ASME
2.2 Down Selection
2.2.1 The Technology Frontier
When broaching a new problem in global development, a
technology frontier is a useful, qualitative tool which shows the
relative relationship between performance and price of
commercially available, off-the-shelf solutions. In this case, the
technology frontier is a tool which can be used to aid the down
selection process between the three contending concepts; a
cascade of actuated valves, mechanically-multiplexed manual
valves, and a bespoke system of valve sealing and selection. To
satisfy the problem of automatically redirecting the flow of
waterborne feed for aquaculture systems, four off-the-shelf
solutions were identified, then plotted qualitatively on a
technology frontier, as shown in Figure 5.
FIGURE 5: Technology Frontier
The solutions included low performance, low cost
manually operated valves, a slightly more performant cascade
of manual valves, a cascade of automatically actuated valves,
and an off-the-shelf (OTS) automatically actuated manifold
valve, which was considered the premier existing solution. An
example of an automatically actuated valve as well as a
commercially available manifold valve array is shown in Figure
6. Having plotted each of these solutions in Figure 5 using their
estimated cost and performance metrics the relative location of
the “Design Target” was identified, relative to the off-the-shelf
solutions. To penetrate resource-constrained and developing
markets, an ideal solution should offer comparable performance
to the most performant off-the-shelf solution but at a
significantly reduced cost.
FIGURE 6: Automatically Actuated Valve (a) and Commercially
Available Manifold Array (b) [9]
2.2.2 Cascading vs. Mechanical Multiplexing
The selection of a cascade or “branching” strategy versus a
strategy of mechanically multiplexing was the first and highest
priority in the down selection process. The selection of a
concept had immediate implications on size, cost, and
complexity of the final device.
FIGURE 7: Diagram of a Cascading System (a) and Internal
Diagram of a Multi-Selection Valve (b) [10]
Firstly, a cascade of multi-port valves was analyzed. A
sketch of the proposed concept appears in Figure 7. Each blue
branch cluster represents a single valve with one inlet port
connection and three outlet port connections. Immediately, this
concept was at a disadvantage, as it already appeared on the
technology frontier in Figure 5. Accordingly, the focus when
analyzing this concept was to determine whether there were
overlooked improvements to be made that were particularly
relevant to resource-constrained markets. One improvement
suggested was to use valves that already had multi selection to
increase the number of pens serviced while decreasing the
number of automated valves required. In order to determine if
this idea drastically decreased the cost of an automated cascade
system, multi-selection electrical 3” ball valves were evaluated
for their potential cost. It was found that the cost of a single
24V 3:1 electrically actuated 3” ball valve is $3,595 [11]. A
system servicing 6 pens would therefore cost $10,785 since
three of these valves would be required. The cost of a 2:1 3”
ball valve is $1,334 [12], resulting in a 6 pen system cost of
$5,336. Although the number of pens fed in these systems does
not scale linearly, the upfront cost of expanding a cascading
system could be cost prohibitive to developing markets.
Mechanical multiplexing was, at the outset of down
selection, a more nebulous design concept. The idea was
focused on achieving the greatest number of actions, or
actuations, with the fewest number of actuators. In this case,
two primary actions were required: first, selection of the correct
valve, corresponding to the fish pen to be fed and, second,
opening and closing of the corresponding valve. A unique
advantage of mechanical multiplexing was the opportunity to
use off-the-shelf mechanical valves with minimal modification.
If this scheme could be achieved reliably, with low-cost
actuators, it was apparent that the cost of the final device could
be less than a solution with automated valves, with a lower cost
per additional pen serviced. Mechanical multiplexing was
selected as the best design option for achieving the desired cost
of the Design Target on the technology frontier. However, this
decision was made with a caveat that the multiplexing system
4 © 2024 by ASME
had to cost less and function equally if not better than an
electrically automated six pen cascading valve system.

FIGURE 8: Initial Multiplexing Design

Further development of the mechanical multiplexing

concept arrived at a solution with two primary subsystems, a
high-torque rotary actuator to selectively open and close valves
and a linear actuator for moving between each valve to select
which would be opened and closed. An early concept sketch
appears in Figure 8. In the latter sections of this paper, both cost
and performance are addressed to determine if this concept
could truly depart from the technology frontier and disrupt
existing technologies.
2.3 Initial Testing
After selecting a multiplexing system architecture, the
team identified two critical modules which required preliminary
testing. The results of these preliminary tests would determine
the feasibility of the chosen multiplexing system with
mechanical valves. The two modules consisted of valve torque
risk reduction testing, and system indexing and actuation tests.
FIGURE 9: Valve torque testing results
The second risk reduction test measured valve actuation
torque as a function of bolt preload for one of the Banjo
Corporation valves. The team first tightened all valve bolts to
preloads of 5, 10, and 15 Nm. For each preload, a digital torque
wrench was used to measure peak torque when closing the
valve. This was repeated 10 times for each preload value,
resulting in 30 independent torque measurements. The results,
shown in Figure 10, showed a linear dependence between
actuation torque and bolt preload. Blue error bars indicate the
95% confidence intervals and red data points represent average
actuation torque per preload. While each average actuation
torque is statistically significantly different, the total spread of
actuation torques remains less than 5 Nm.

2.3.1 Valve Torque Risk Reduction Testing

Valve torque risk reduction testing was conducted to
characterize the selected three-inch, full port ball valves from
the Banjo Corporation. Characterizing the valves was crucial
for determining key design parameters such as system operating
torque, valve manufacturing consistency, and the effect of
preload on valve actuation torque. Determining these
parameters allowed the team to begin sourcing adequate
actuators and sizing components, giving a much clearer picture
about projected system cost and performance.
The first risk reduction test measured actuation torque for a
series of 6 Banjo Corporation 3”, full port ball valves, for a
fixed bolt preload (Figure 9). The team first tightened each bolt
to a preload of 5 Nm. After establishing a consistent preload,
the team utilized a digital torque wrench to measure peak
torque when closing each valve. This process was repeated 10
times for each of the 6 valves, resulting in 60 independent FIGURE 10: Torque testing on valves with different bolt preloads
torque measurements. The mean actuation torque was 16.08
Nm, with a standard deviation of 1.38 Nm. This standard The team utilized these results to determine a safety factor
deviation reveals the data set has a relatively tight spread, for actuation, which would account for manufacturing
indicating that manufacturing variations between the valves variations, as well as increased actuation torques due to
were minimal. The results are shown in Figure 9 below. corrosion and wear from operating in salty, hot, and
unfavorably ocean conditions. Literature about how valve
actuation torque changes over time in salty ocean environments
was limited, so the team utilized approximations based on
friction coefficients for various materials. The Banjo valves are

5 © 2024 by ASME
made from polypropylene and Teflon. Since literature about
friction coefficients between polypropylene and Teflon was
limited, the team assumed a friction coefficient of 0.05 as an
initial approximation, which is similar to that of Teflon on
Teflon. With a safety factor of 4, this coefficient would
quadruple to 0.2. This is similar to the performance of wet
brake material on cast iron, which likely serves as a suitable
proxy for corroded and worn valves. A wiper motor was
selected to serve as the high-torque rotary actuator in the design
due to the low cost and global availability compared to other
high-torque options. The selected wiper motor was rated for 32
Nm, meaning that to achieve a safety factor of 4 on the 16 Nm
needed for valve actuation, a 1:2 gear ratio with a maximum
operating torque of 64 Nm was required.
2.3.2 System Indexing and Actuation Tests
Preliminary valve torque tests indicated that the selected
wiper motor would satisfy the torque requirement of the design.
The question remained of whether this actuator would be
sufficiently precise and accurate in its indexing capabilities.
The system has two indexing modes: linear indexing and rotary
actuation. Inaccurate and imprecise positioning in both modes
would potentially result in system failure with the destruction
of critical components.
FIGURE 11: System Indexing Diagram
The team designed an actuator tester to experimentally
validate the wiper motor’s performance. This tester was quickly
constructed from electromechanical limit switches and a
combination of 3D printed and laser cut wooden components.
The design featured a 1:2 gear ratio and two encoding wheels
with bumps that actuated the limit switches. With a 20-tooth
gear, the encoding wheels provided an angular resolution of 18
degrees. The system was controlled using a programmable
logic controller.
FIGURE 12: Initial testing set-up (a) and bench prototype for
system indexing (b)
To evaluate the repeatability of the wiper motor, the system
was first homed using a “home” encoder wheel. After returning
to the home position, a fixed angle (a multiple of 18 degrees)
was commanded. The resulting angle was then measured using
a protractor attached directly to the base platform. This was
repeated for a total of 28 trials. The results are shown in Figure
13 below.
FIGURE 13: Repeatability Testing Results
Two outlier peaks are clearly present around 56° and 95°,
with a main peak occurring at 76°. These two outlier peaks
account for 36% of the trials and are around 18° away from the
main peak. This indicates that they were an effect of encoder
discretization rather than motor performance. When ignoring
outliers, the wiper motor achieved a repeatability within 2
degrees.
This repeatability testing confirmed that the wiper motor
would be able to provide a sufficient level of repeatability for
system indexing applications. This testing also confirmed that
the actuator tester encoding scheme was unreliable and
unsuitable for the final design. Moving forward, the team will
pivot to more appropriate components for encoding such as
potentiometers and contactless inductive sensors.
2.4 Preliminary Analysis
Prior to the build stage of the prototype, preliminary
structural analysis was completed on the critical aspects of the
design to ensure structural integrity with the significant
actuation loads. Initial efforts were completed with traditional
hand calculations followed by a detailed Finite Element Model
(FEM) of the system. The results are outlined in the sections
below and informed system design through dimensional
analysis of many critical components.
2.4.1 Hand Calculations
Hand calculations of component level structural analysis
were completed in a parametrized Excel spreadsheet for rapid
design modification and optimization. This consisted of
parameter definition, derived parameter generation, and stress
6 © 2024 by ASME
calculations using a traditional formulaic approach. The entire
analysis is shown in Figure 14 below.
FIGURE 14: Traditional Formulaic Analysis
The first three boxes in the top row consist of geometric
and material definitions for the T-Beams, valves, and carriage.
The final box in that row defines the initial parameters for the
system, including key values such as the factor of safety (FOS),
actuation system gear ratio, and the applied torque.
The second row provides frame module derived
parameters, such as the bearing force of 71 lbf and the total
valve length of 47”. Valve assembly bolt tension calculations
were performed, finding that the prying of the T-Beam due to
the carriage bearing under torque generated a bolt tensile load
of 220 lbf, which was within significant margins. In addition,
the T-Beam webs were assessed for bending due to the system
weight on the web; these also showed significant margins of
safety. The critical failure mode comes from the T-Beam flange
bending due to the bearing load, which under conservative
assumptions of flat plate bending, are still found to be adequate.
The third row shows calculations on the actuation system
itself, with the first box providing the geometric definition of
the nylon torque adaptor we created in lieu of the handle. Then,
bolt shear, plate bearing, and fin bending are checked. These all
have adequate margins with conservative assumptions,
providing confidence in moving forward with the refined
design.
2.4.2 Finite Element Model
Before the final build, the team completed a FEM on the
system, primarily looking at the valves and T-Beam flanges
under full actuator capability. We wanted to ensure there would
not be shearing of the valve stem or significant deformation of
the T-Beams, given that the amount of deformation in the frame
would directly correspond with control challenges. The FEM,
shown in Figure 15 below, consists of 6 valves, the T-Beams
and the L-Beams modeled in Abaqus. All elements are simple
linear tetrahedral elements. Fasteners between systems are
modeled as 2D elements with designated stiffnesses to
represent bolt capabilities. Loads and boundary conditions are
applied to reaction surfaces directly with distributed couplings.
FIGURE 15: FEM Assembly Isometric View
The model results were extremely promising, as shown in
Figure 16 below. The flat plate bending assumption for T-Beam
flange bending was found to be very conservative, with actual
margins found to be much higher. In addition, the T-Beam
stiffness was found to be very high due to the web acting as a
backup stiffener. This helps significantly for the actuation
system controllability. The valve stem maximum stress was
approximately 600 psi, which demonstrated adequate margins
for the individual valves even under jam conditions.
FIGURE 16: FEM Analysis Results
2.4.3 System Modularity
The system modularity was a primary consideration during
the initial design and analysis phase. However, the analysis
demonstrated that the modularity was simple to incorporate but
would depend on various use cases and performance in
functional tests. The manifold needed to operate in a variety of
settings, including ship-based and land-based. Keeping the
mounting structure simple, with beams that could have
fasteners or clamps in a variety of locations enabled that
flexibility. Another consideration for modularity was for the
number of pens required in the system. Given that the torque
was reacted in a closed loop at each valve of the system (i.e.
mounting points will see relatively no load), the frame structure
7 © 2024 by ASME
between the valves had minimal stress. In other words, there is
significant design freedom to incorporate modularity at a later
point, through simple or convenient joint structure without
significant structural concerns. As such, the team opted to
denote methods of incorporating modularity but focused on
functional performance for the initial prototype.
3. PROTOTYPE DESIGN
3.1 Final Prototype Review
The final CAD of the system broken into modules can be
seen below in Figure 17.
FIGURE 17: Final System CAD broken into modules
The manifold consists of 270 parts of which only 33 were
custom made. This aligned with the initial strategy of using as
many off-the-shelf components as possible. The high number of
off-the-shelf components makes maintenance and repair
possible all over the globe. The frame can easily be modulated
and new valves can be added on to the system without complete
deconstruction and repurchasing. This modularity is a huge
benefit in a market that is expected to grow with customers that
hope to expand.
An additional feature of this system is that more than one
valve can be actuated at the same time, meaning the feeding
sequence can be run continuously. As previously mentioned,
the sponsor’s current manifold system has to be flushed, shut
down, and rebooted to feed the following pen. With this design,
two pens can be opened at the same time allowing for a
seamless transition between pens.
3.1.1 Frame Module
After the conceptualization design process, the team
determined the frame should be capable of linking six valves
together, provide a smooth track for indexing, support weight of
the actuation system, and withstand the maximum 64 Nm
actuation torque. The frame should provide a modular concept
in its design to allow new valves and pens to be added. CAD of
the frame can be seen below.
FIGURE 18: Frame Top View (a), Frame Front View (b)
FIGURE 19: Frame Side View (a), Top View (b), Adaptor (c)
The frame base was composed of two 4’ aluminum L-bars
and directly bolted onto the 6 3” ball valves that had bolts
already installed. The top of the frame provided the smooth
surface for the actuation system to travel along the valves and
was also responsible for handling the actuation torque
transferred from the carriage. The top frame is two 6’
aluminum T-bars that are directly bolted onto the top of the ball
valves. The T-bars were purposefully made longer to account
for the extra length of the carriage as it travels over the top of
the valves and centers the fin over the custom handles. The 3D
printed endcaps of this design were a safety feature to prevent
injury on the sharp edges of the bars and also stopped the
carriage from running off the track by triggering a limit switch.
The custom handles were made by water jetting ½” nylon
and press fit onto the handle geometry already in place on the
valve (seen in yellow in Figure 19c) The handles had two offset
posts that allowed the actuation fin to lock in place and rotate
the valves 90º. After the fin rotated the handles 90º it was still
able to travel from valve to valve without collision whether the
valves were opened or closed.
3.1.2 Carriage Module
The carriage module was designed to support the weight of
the actuation system, to guide the actuator system reliably to
the center of the valves, and transfer the actuating torque from
the fin to the frame. CAD of the carriage system can be seen
below in Figure 27a.
FIGURE 20: Carriage Isometric (a) and Drive System (b)
8 © 2024 by ASME
 The carriage for the sake of rapid prototyping consisted
partially of pre-purchased stock components as well as a simple
indexing sensing system and drive wheels. The body of the
carriage was composed of the excess length from the frame
T-bars. This frame provided a flat mount for the actuation
system plate as well as a flat surface to install thrust bearings
with a tight tolerance to the T-bar frame that allowed the
carriage to always drive over the center of the valves. The
T-bars were strong enough to resist and transfer the 16 Nm of
torque during actuation.
Many options for moving the actuation system across the
frame were also discussed such as belt drive, rack and pinion
systems but wheels were chosen because of their simplicity and
flexibility. The acrylic wheels allowed the carriage to slip under
actuation and self-align with the valves. Wheels gave the
carriage an additional advantage of removability for
maintenance. Theoretically if the actuation system required
maintenance the frame system could remain intact and on the
feeder barge while the motor and carriage are removed and
repaired on land. The wheels were attached to the carriage with
D-shafts and set screws and rotated through nylon bushings.
The wheels were driven by a 20 RPM DC motor connected by
two 60 tooth metric gears (Figure 20b). The motor was
purposefully chosen to drive the carriage slowly as to not
overshoot the valves during indexing.
3.1.3 Indexing Module
The indexing module was responsible for sensing valve
positions, providing feedback to the linear drive system, and
utilizing that feedback to center the carriage directly over a
selected valve. This was accomplished by implementing a
linear encoding scheme involving an inductive proximity
sensor and custom valve attachments. The custom valve
attachments held M3 screws that served as valve indicators. As
the carriage rolled along the track, the inductive proximity
sensor would detect these M3 screws and therefore detect valve
position. Figure 21a shows an overview of the indexing system.
The inductive proximity sensor is mounted directly to the
carriage with a 3D printed piece shown in orange. Figure 21b
shows the custom indexing valve attachment. This attachment
was 3D printed and clipped directly to the top of each valve.
The slot feature allowed for adjustment of M3 screw
positioning.
FIGURE 21: Indexing Overview (a) and Valve Attachment (b)
The selected setup only allows for incremental encoding.
This means that at any given moment, the carriage does not
know its absolute position along the track, only whether or not
it is over a valve. As it was not functionally necessary to have
absolute position measurements, the primary motivation behind
selecting this simple encoding scheme was cost reduction. To
compensate for this, the team implemented a homing sequence.
During this homing sequence, the carriage drove forward until
it triggered a limit switch at the end of the track. Once the limit
switch was triggered, the system registered as being in “State
0” or “Home.” Once in State 0, valve position was updated
based on readings from the inductive proximity sensor and
tracked in software. Undergoing this homing sequence every
time the system turned on assured correct indexing and
eliminated the most critical risks associated with incremental
encoding.
3.1.4 Actuation Module
The actuation module was responsible for accurately
opening and closing the valves. From the valve torque testing
detailed in Section 2.3.1, the valves require an actuation torque
of 16 Nm. As previously discussed, the actuation module would
operate with a safety factor of 4, meaning a 2:1 gear ratio was
required with a maximum operating torque of 64 Nm. This was
achieved by using 24 and 48 tooth steel gears. Another central
requirement was the ability to accurately open and close the
ball valves. From repeatability testing conducted in Section
2.3.2, it was determined that the selected wiper motor was
capable of an angular repeatability less than 2 degrees, which
was sufficient for the desired application. As such, the wiper
motor was incorporated into the final design. The final key
component of the actuation module was rotary encoding. To
minimize costs, the team used a 10kΩ, 10 turn potentiometer to
track fin position. The potentiometer was coupled directly to
the output shaft rotating the fin. This provided a direct and
absolute encoding scheme. A CAD model of the actuation
system can be seen below in Figure 22.
FIGURE 22: Actuation Overview (a), Left View (b), Right View (c)
The wiper motor is pictured in black. The orange
components are 3D printed supports for the potentiometer
mounting platform. The potentiometer, pictured in blue, is
coupled to the output shaft with a set screw. 6061 aluminum
was used for all of the support pieces due to its low cost and
ease of machining. In a final product, this would likely be
replaced with stainless steel or another material that can better
withstand corrosive marine environments. All pieces were
made with a combination of water jetting, milling, and turning
in the case of the output shaft.
9 © 2024 by ASME
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
FIGURE 23: Final Prototype of the Automated Mechanical
Multiplexing Manifold.
4.2 Test Results
The final prototype, as shown in Figure 23, met, if not
exceeded, expectations. The indexing system accurately
positioned the actuation module over the center of the valves.
Any centering errors were compensated for by wheel slippage
acting as a self-centering mechanism. The actuation system was
able to open and close all six valves on command. There has
been no error in overturning or under turning valves, which
greatly decreases the risk of pellet shearing in this prototype.
Thus far in testing, the prototype is functioning consistently and
shows no visible or noticeable signs of wear and tear.
4.2.1 Demonstration
The goal when demonstrating the manifold selector valve
prototype was to showcase each of the core hardware and
software features promised by the original functional
requirements. Namely, the manifold should operate
automatically; each pen should be actuated individually for the
duration of its feeding sequence. Importantly, an arbitrary
order of valves may be programmed - they do not need to be
directly sequential.
A physical demonstration showed the capability of the
prototype to perform a feeding sequence, but also the unique
ability to actuate multiple pens simultaneously. This
functionality of simultaneous actuation can be used to flush the
system of food debris, smoothly transition between feeding
cycles without stopping the flow of water, or for concurrent
feeding of multiple pens.
4.2.2 Financial Analysis
Following the realization of the prototype, an in-depth
financial analysis was done on the cost of the prototype and
then the cost analysis of producing 100 units. Simple cost per
part calculations were done for single prefabricated parts and
electrical components. Separate bulk order pricing was done
for all bolts, nuts and washers. Assumptions were made using
best manufacturing knowledge of given processes for the
fabrication cost of custom parts. Fabrication fell into three
categories: 3D printing, water jetting, and standard machining
which included using a mill and a lathe. 3D Printing costs were
broken down into the number of spools required to make all of
the components which amounted to less than one and the actual
cost of using the machine was considered negligible for the
prototype. Water Jetting cost was done per hour of machine use
which we estimated to be approximately $50 per hour, not
including the cost of stock. Machining cost was estimated per
hour to be $105 per hour. Total stock and prefabricated part
costs amounted to $1,753.25, electrical parts cost 1,658.64, and
fabrication cost was $940, which brought the total prototype
cost to 4,351.89. This is 25.6% of Innovasea’s $17,000 price for
their 6-pen manifold prototype, to give a relative comparison
for our design.
The cost was scaled for fabrication of 100 manifold
systems. The same assumptions were made for fabrication cost
per hour, but the number of machining hours were decreased
for reduced setup time and jigs would expedite the process. The
3D printed parts were priced based on the number of filament
rolls that would need to be purchased and similar logic was
applied to the number of boxes of nuts and bolts required for
100 systems. With these assumptions, it would cost
approximately $347,176.30 for 100 systems. This is
$151,137.30 in prefabricated parts, $165,864 for electrical
parts, and $30,175 in fabrication cost. This brings the cost of a
single system down to $3,471.76, which is only 21.6% of the
$17,000 baseline.
Our financial goal for the system was to keep costs under
$3,000 for the one system. While the calculations show the
system falls short of that goal, there are a couple assumptions
that we did not make that could have brought this final cost
down. This scale up assumes that no bulk order stock discounts
were made for the purchasing of such a large quantity of valves
or aluminum stock. The partner company also is capable of
in-house manufacturing. This would further reduce the cost of
fabrication for custom parts from the assumptions we made for
both prototyping and production. On the other hand, there are
also additional modifications that may need to be added to this
prototype to make it ready for deployment such as
waterproofing, replacing aluminum components with steel bars,
and replacing the 3D printed plastic components with more
durable plastics. More details on these potential modifications
are provided in Section 3.3.2. These changes will add
additional costs that cannot be projected without further
investigation.
A financial benefit of this system that goes beyond single
unit cost is the modularity and capability to scale the number of
pens serviced by the system after initial purchase. Since the
target market for this design is developing markets, it was
important to keep growth in mind during the design. In a
system that uses a simple one valve to one pen automated
electrical ball valve the price of adding a pen to a feeder system
is at least $1,500, the price of a 3” electrical ball valve (this
does not include software or reworking of infrastructure).
Therefore, the upfront cost of this system is less than the
upfront cost of the multiplexing system that has been designed.
However, the marginal cost of adding a pen is significantly
lower and, as a farmer adds pens to their farm, the price gap
rapidly decreases. The cost of adding a single valve to the
10 © 2024 by ASME
multiplexing system is only $383, a fraction of the typical
system cost. As seen in Figure 23, if a fish farmer plans to only
ever have two or three pens, they would be better off with two
off-the-shelf automated ball valves but, after they have more
than three pens, the multiplexing system is drastically cheaper.
FIGURE 23: Expansion price of standard systems vs. the new
multiplexing system prototype
While the initial cost of this system is more than the
automated valve system, the expansion cost of the multiplexing
solution is what sets it apart from any current industry
manifold. It is the low expansion cost that can put this design
even closer to the technology frontier goal of having industry
standard performance coupled with low cost. The established
industry is more likely to have farms with three or more pens
and, since this solution provides the same function but cheaper
cost, it opens up a door for reverse innovation and easy
penetration to developed markets as well as those still
developing.
4.2.3 Requirement Verification
After initial functional testing of the manifold under
stand-alone mode (not connected to the system), we identified a
critical factor in determining the high-level requirements
regarding the specific deployment environment. As a result, the
system must be robust enough to withstand high levels of
salinity and corrosion, which are inherent characteristics of
marine environments. This consideration plays a key role in the
material selection and in ensuring adequate sealing of the
electrical components during operation.
In addition, considering Innovasea's objective to penetrate
emerging markets with a more cost-efficient solution, it is
imperative to adopt a logistical perspective. This implies
including in the requirements aspects related to the life cycle of
the system, such as maintenance routines, availability of
replacement parts as well as the reparability of the system.
These factors will significantly influence the choice of
components based on their availability in the global market.
In conclusion, when evaluating the various modes of
operation that aquaculture systems can adopt and after a
thorough analysis of systems present in emerging markets, it
becomes necessary to establish specific requirements for
emergency modes of operation. This will allow operators to
manipulate valves locally and manually in critical situations,
thus providing a holistic solution that could cope with the
environment, failures, and arduous working conditions of this
industry.
The functional requirements outlined in Section 1.2.2 are
shown in the table below with the verification. All
requirements have been met with the exception of the cost. The
requirement was a cost under $2,000 and the productionized
version is expected to be $3,471.76. However, this is a
significant improvement from the initial point of $17,000 and,
with the modularity of the design, is still considered a success
by Innovasea, our industry partner.
● Must cost less than $2,000 USD
o Did Not Meet
● Must work with up to 50 PSI
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must work with up to 180 GPM
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must be able to operate in Emerging Markets
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must be independent of the feed distribution system
(vessel)
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must be independent of feed type
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must operate on a feed rate up to 150 kg/min
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Must shear less than 3% of the pellets:
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Should have remote operation.
o Met - Test Verified
● Should have automatic operation.
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Should use power of 24v or compressed air.
o Met - Test Verified
● Should select up to 9 different cages.
o Met - Analytically Verified.
● Could have a flow meter.
o Met - Analytically Verified
● Could be manufactured from HDPE.
o Met - Analytically Verified
4.3 Future Work
The current prototype shows significant progress in
meeting the requirements established by Innovasea, marking an
initial milestone in the design of a more cost-efficient system.
However, the team recognizes that this model is still
preliminary and far from being a finalized product. There is an
imperative need to deepen the design of its subsystems and to
integrate the lessons learned from functional tests under real
operating conditions.
Along these lines, the team has identified three key areas
that will be the focus of research and development for the next
11 © 2024 by ASME
iteration of the system, with the goal of achieving greater Improved
robustness and functionality. These areas are: 7 Indexing Refined sensor system
Accuracy
● Modularization: This aspect is crucial to facilitate the
scalability of the system. Modularization will allow a Linear encoding (incremental
8 Indexing Performance
more flexible adaptation to different environments and to absolute)
needs, improving efficiency and facilitating the upgrade Rotary encoding (finer
or repair of specific components without affecting the 9 Actuation resolution and limits Performance
system's integrity as a whole. temperature drift)
● Material Selection: A review and optimization of the
materials used is essential to ensure that they meet the 10 Actuation Solid state motor control Performance
required strength standards and can withstand the harsh TABLE 1: Recommended Actions for Productionization
conditions of the marine environment. This includes
evaluating their durability against factors such as There are three assembly level actions for productionizing
corrosion, salinity, and other stressors specific to the system. The first two actions consist of material change
aquaculture environments. recommendations. The initial build primarily consisted of
● Functional Tests: It is imperative to conduct tests that available and easy to manufacture materials for rapid
simulate actual operating conditions, including prototyping, like 6061 aluminum and 3D printed plastics. In
operational pumping testing. These tests will help order to improve corrosion resistance and durability, these
determine the exact power requirements for the carriage should be modified to stainless steel or other plastics. The third
motors and the torque capacity needed for valve opening action is to add waterproofing to the system to isolate it from
and closing. This data is critical to ensure that the system the environment. Due to schedule and time constraints, the
not only performs under ideal conditions but is also team did not incorporate waterproofing into the prototype.
reliable and efficient in real-world operating scenarios. However, this could be done through adding a cover around the
By addressing these areas with a detailed and methodical frame system, attaching to the bottom of the T-Beam web, and a
approach, it is hoped that significant progress will be made cover around the carriage itself, for a secondary layer of
toward creating a second version of the system that not only protection. Clean attachment surfaces enable good sealing
meets Innovasea's expectations but also sets a new standard in locations, but the covers will also need to enable easy access for
the aquaculture industry. repairs and maintenance.
There are also three recommendations for productionizing
4.3.1 Productization the frame and carriage. The frame should be split into
As with any initial prototype, there are a number of actions individual modules for each valve such that the system can
required to move the design to a productionized version. A expand or contract depending on the number of pens at the
preliminary list of considerations and recommendations are given farm. This could be done with simple lap joints on the
provided in Table 2 below based on testing and the team’s frame sections, leaving the interface surfaces clean for the
understanding of system requirements and performance. carriage rolling and mounting. For the nylon adaptor plate
assemblies that interface with the fin of the actuation system,
ID Module Description Improvement the shoulder bolts were countersunk after an interference was
found in initial testing. The bolt length should be reduced to
Material Change: AL6061 to Corrosion reduce part count and improve design simplicity. For the
1 Assembly
Stainless Steel Resistance carriage, it is currently held on through gravity which limits
functionality in rough seas or non-horizontal orientations. A
Material Change: 3D printed retention system would enable different packaging and
R&M
2 Assembly plastics to plastics with improved performance.
Improvement
increased durability Finally, the electro-mechanical systems (indexing and
Add cowling on carriage and actuation) can be improved with a series of minor changes. The
3 Assembly Waterproofing
frame indexing system accuracy could be improved with a refined
sensor system, such as an additional hall-effect sensor or better
Add underhung lap joint Modularity for
4 Frame nodes (bigger ferrous point for ease of identification).
connections # Pens
Switching from an incremental to absolute linear encoding
Optimized shoulder bolt Cost indexing system would further improve performance of the
5 Frame system. Similarly, the actuation system could be improved with
sizing Improvement
rotary encoding with finer resolution and limited temperature
Performance drift, which was present with the potentiometer. Using a solid
6 Carriage Add retention system
Packaging state motor control for the actuation system would also have
dramatic improvements.

12 © 2024 by ASME
4.3.2 Implementation
The implementation of this system can range from on land
aquaculture to the open ocean feeding for which it was
designed. This allows for a larger market share and more
possible customers. In the open ocean farming system, the
manifold must be incorporated into the size constraints of the
feeder barge and be hooked up to the main feed line system. On
land, size is less of a constraint but in both systems, it is very
important that the frame be placed on a level surface to avoid
added difficulty during the carriage indexing and risk of slip.
The system requires an electrical hookup that is capable of
powering the actuation and drive motors. In open water
environments, this should not be an issue since current feed
barges created by the project sponsor have generators on board
with plenty of capacity.
Due to the harsh environments this device is expected to
operate in, regular maintenance will be required to keep the
track and components clean of debris and built-up corrosion
regardless of what kind of preventative weathering housing is
installed. This will ensure smooth operation and consistent
performance. The electro-mechanical components are all held
within the carriage, which could be removed for ease of
maintenance in a suitable environment. The remaining
components have high resilience and could then be cleaned
with more aggressive methods (i.e. power washing) after
removal of the carriage.
Due to the corrosive environment, the carriage system and
valves will have a limited lifetime. This was a primary design
consideration; the selected valves are mechanical, able to be
disassembled and repaired, and consist of durable materials
which should lead to an increased performance relative to
currently fielded solutions. Regular maintenance and particle
build up removal would prolong the life of the valve and
possibly avoid valve replacement all together. If the carriage
operation fails due to electrical components reaching their
limits, it can simply be removed, inspected, and repaired with
replacement components in the field. After removal of the
carriage, mechanical operation of the valves is still possible,
increasing operational resiliency of the entire system.
It is advised that during times of predicted inclement
weather and storms that the carriage be removed from the frame
and taken indoors. This precaution will reduce likelihood of
damage and prolong carriage operational life by protecting the
most fragile, expensive, and difficult to replace components.
5. CONCLUSION
Through thorough research and partnership with
Innovasea, the team was able to develop an intimate
understanding of the aquaculture industry landscape and switch
design perspectives for emerging market fish farmers.
Brainstorming and risk reduction testing helped to refine the
design space and develop a successful prototype. The prototype
passed all functional testing and a productionized version is
expected to cost only 22% of the baseline solution. This
represents a breakthrough in performance and cost, causing a
pareto shift in the technology frontier. While more work needs
to be done to bring this prototype to a final product in the
market, all analysis thus far shows a promising future for its
ability to disrupt and succeed in aquaculture developing
markets and established industry.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The team would like to acknowledge the following people
who helped contribute to this work.
● Rafi Cordero – Design Partner, Innovasea
● Craig McCarthy – Design Partner, Innovasea
● Cakky Forrest – Administrator, MIT GEAR Lab
● Amy Carleton – Communications Instructor, MIT
● Coby Unger – Manufacturing, MIT Hobby Shop
● Wade Warman – Manufacturing, MIT LMP
● Dan Gilbert – Manufacturing, MIT LMP
● William Cormier – Manufacturing, MIT LMP
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14 © 2024 by ASME