In the suburbs of Lansing, MI控制工程网版权所有, far from the Pacific coast, there is a huge tank of salt water filled with many small creatures. Watching this tank, it is not uncommon to see a live shrimp flip into the air. But Andrew Wesolek just shrugs it off. He has seen startled shrimp before. “Yeah控制工程网版权所有, they like to jump,” he notes. Wesolek oversees operations at Seafood Systems Inc., in Okemos MI控制工程网版权所有, one of America’s first indoor shrimp farms.
　　The plant is a pilot aquaculture R&D facility designed by comp

any founder and president Russ Allen, a veteran shrimp farmer. He transformed Belize and Ecuador from shrimp niche players to powerhouses. After dotting Central America’s coasts with shrimp farms, the Michigan native returned home to raise a family and show that shrimp can grow just about anywhere.

　　A Wago PLC has been programmed with a tailored shrimp feed curve that disperses food based upon variables such as stock in tank and growth state. Source: SSI

　　He transformed a pole-barn into the ideal space to growCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, breedCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, and harvest 10-limbed crustaceans. “We hope to revolutionize shrimp farming,” Wesolek adds. “The goal is to eventually produce 5 million pounds of shrimp per year out of a new, larger facility.”
　　Most farmed shrimp consumed in the U.S. come from Pacific-rim nations and Central America, so there is a desire to develop domestic supplies.
　　10 legs, big appetites
　　Keeping the stock of Pacific white shrimp fed is a labor-intensive process that has to be repeated several times daily. “I used to manually feed them at least three times a day—every dayCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有,” Wesolek said.
　　And the amount has to be just right. Excess feed degrades water quality, but underfed shrimp mature slowly, taking them longer to become high-value deep-fried jumbo shrimp. Wesolek took on the task of creating an automated feeding process using a distributed control system. He wanted something sophisticated enough to do the job right, but was easy to program because he would be doing the work himsel