The Shepherd Harvester (SH) is a remote-controlled aquatic plant and algae harvesting tool, featuring a harvesting camera. This tool is designed for managing invasive aquatic plant species and other debris in aquatic waterbodies.
Shepherd Harvester Key Characteristics:
- Remote control operated up to 1000’ range
- Floats in less than 6’ of water
- Can cut and skim 34” wide
- Adjustable to 15-16” water depth by remote control
- Operates for up to 6 hours per charge
- Solar power and battery powered
- Harvesting Camera- eliminates the requirement to pump large volumes of water for harvesting algae.
- A front conveyor to collect algae, weeds, and floating debris from the water
- A second storage bunk conveyor stores harvested material that can be offloaded easily at the shoreline when full.
How it works:
The SH allows for direct extraction of algae from the aquatic environment at costs less than 0.8% of equivalent current hydraulic pumping costs. Since algae grows in an aqueous environments to optimal concentration levels of between 300 and 1500 ppm, it has been necessary to pump large volumes of water to harvest small amounts of dry algae.
The “Shepherd Harvester Process” breaks - through the scalability and cost barriers and allows for the full worldwide commercialization of algae as a real alternative in the biofuels market.
The Shepherd Harvester consists of a moving belt that is immersed under the water surface at depths ranging from a maximum of 4 ft to less than 1 inch. The algae in the water may be exposed to air bubbles that are injected subsurface, causing the algae to float and concentrate at the surface. The floated algae is channeled using a front “V” shaped collection device that directs the algae to the belt. The belt speed can be adjusted to compensate for a larger variation in algae collection rate.