The invention concerns a system for transferring solid food articles to a storage and for storing solid food articles in liquid.

Background

When fish is slaughtered or killed, it is common that the fish is transported for further processing in large receptacles or containers filled with a liquid such as water. In most cases water is added to the transportation or storage tank, and the slaughtered fish is dropped into the water from above. It is also common to add a quantity of ice to the water to keep the temperatures low and thus slow any degradation of the fish. The tanks are normally transported by lorries or vessels.

There are some disadvantages related to this method and when using simple, open receptacles where the fish is dropped into the water from above, some fish may be floating on the surface and are not submerged in the water. This is unfavorable as the cooling will be reduced, and air is accessible. Both the access of air and the reduced cooling will contribute to accelerate fish degradation, and the quality of the fish will be reduced.

Further, the use of ice is a disadvantage as it increases weight which is not fish, and as the ice occupy a volume which could have been replaced by fish.

Similar disadvantages and problems also occur for other solid food articles, whether it is other types of sea food or other food articles.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a system without the above said disadvantages and problems.

Further, another main object of the invention is to increase the relative proportion of fish to water in the tank, meaning the volume of water should be reduced and the volume of fish should be increased. Increasing the amount of fish in each tank will improve both sustainability and the economics of the transportation and/or storage. This means that less fuel may be required for the transportation, corresponding to a reduced carbon footprint and/or simplified and/or smaller size equipment may be used for the storage.

The invention may further have one or more of the following objects:

- increase the amount of solid food articles, such as fish, that can be stored submerged in liquid in a tank of a given volume, i.e. increase the density of food articles in the liquid.

- prevent that solid food articles, such as fish, float and are only partially submerged in the liquid in which they are transported or stored.

- remove or reduce the need for adding ice to the liquid in which food articles, such as fish, are transported.

- provide a system where solid food articles, such as fish, are transported in a liquid flow. This may for example be to transport the fish from the slaughter- and/or killing area to a storage- and/or transport tank.

- provide a system where solid food articles, such as fish, are transported in a liquid flow from a killing- and/or slaughter area to a transport- and/or storage tank where the liquid level in the storage tank is higher or lower than the liquid level where the fish is let into the system.

- provide a system where solid food articles, such as fish, are transported in liquid from a killing- and/or slaughter area to a transport- and/or storage tank, wherein the storage tank may be located higher or lower than the killing and/or slaughter area.

- store fish at slaughterhouses and processing facilities for food articles.

Summary of the invention

The objects above are met by a system according to the characterizing part of the independent patent claims. Further advantages features are stated in the corresponding dependent claims. The invention relates to a system for transferring solid food articles in liquid to and from a storage tank, the system comprises an open receptacle having an a inlet for liquid and an inlet and an outlet for the solid food articles, the inlet for food articles is at the upper part and the outlet is at the lower part of the receptacle. The system further comprises a closed storage tank having an inlet for the food articles and outlet for the liquid, the inlet and outlet are both arranged at a lower part of the tank. A first pipe is arranged between the outlet of the receptacle and the inlet of the storage tank, for transferring liquid and food articles from the receptacle to the storage tank, and a second pipe is arranged between the outlet of the storage tank and the inlet for liquid of the receptacle, to allow circulation of the liquid. The system further comprises a circulation pump arranged to circulate the liquid in the system and a gas pressure regulator arranged at an upper part of the storage tank, to release or extract gas in the storage tank, in accordance with a volume of solid food articles introduced to the system through the inlet for food articles in the receptacle.

Preferably, the solid food articles according to the invention are fish, such as Atlantic salmon, tilapia, tuna, barramundi, Pangasius, Coho salmon and trout.

The liquid according to the invention is preferably water, preferably saltwater or sea water, i.e. an aqueous solution containing a salt such as sodium chloride.

The gas according to the invention is preferably surrounding air.

According to the invention, the system comprises an open receptacle having an inlet for the liquid and an inlet and outlet for the food articles. Preferably, the inlet for food articles is at an upper part and the outlet is at a lower part of the receptacle, wherein the upper part of the receptacle is situated above, preferably at a level above, the lower part of the receptacle.

According to the invention, the system comprises a closed storage tank having an inlet for the food articles and an outlet for the liquid, and a gas pressure regulator to release or extract gas in the storage tank, and thereby regulate the pressure in the storage tank. Preferably, the inlet and outlet of the closed storage tank are both arranged at a lower part of the tank, and the gas regulator is arranged at an upper part of the closed storage tank, wherein the upper part of the storage tank is situated above, preferably at a level above, the lower part of the closed storage tank.

The receptacle according to the invention, is an open container or a hopper in the sense that the pressure in the receptacle will be the same as the pressure in the surroundings of the system. The receptacle may comprise walls and bottom but is being open at the top or has a top with an inlet of a suitable size to receive the solid food articles. That the receptacle is defined as open does not preclude that the receptacle may be equipped with a lid or a similar arrangement to close the receptacle when desired, e.g. when food articles are not to be added.

The inlet for solid food articles in the receptacle, is arranged to receive solid food articles without liquid, or without liquid other than any liquid present in the solid food articles. When the system is running, i.e. when the system is in operation, the receptacle will be partly filled with liquid, and the inlet for solid food articles should preferably be above the liquid level, more preferably through the top.

The outlet for solid food articles in the receptacle is an outlet for solid food articles in liquid, and is arranged at the lower part of the receptacle, meaning below the liquid level in the receptacle when the system is in operation.

The storage tank according to the invention, is a closed container, and preferably of a suitable size and shape for the transportation of food articles, for example on a lorry or on the deck of a transport vessel. The storage tank is closed in the sense that any flow of liquid, gas, and food articles in and out of the storage tank may be controlled. In an alternative embodiment, the storage tank is an integrated tank on a boat.

When the system is in operation, the storage tank will be partly filled with liquid, and the inlet for solid food articles and outlet for liquid is being arranged at the lower part of the tank, meaning below the liquid level in the tank when the system is in operation. The inlet for solid food articles in the storage tank is an inlet for solid food articles in liquid, while the outlet of the storage tank is for liquid only. In this way the solid food articles will be introduced into the storage tank below the liquid level, and will remain in the tank while the liquid will be circulated.

The first and second pipes arranged between the receptacle and the storage tank may comprise one or more pipes depending on the location of the system. The receptacle and storage tank may be located at different sites and at different levels and the pipes connecting them must be designed and adjusted accordingly. The pipes are also referred to as a circulation system.

Preferably, the system may comprise a plurality of storage tanks connected to the same receptacle. This enables filling and emptying of several storage tanks while food articles are inserted at the same place. Correspondingly, the system may comprise several open receptacles for filling of one or more storage tanks. Several open receptacles may for example be of interest if there is a plurality of work stations where personnel is in the process of killing and/or gutting fish. Further, the system preferably comprises one or more open receptacles to receive fish when the system is running in reverse, and the storage tanks are being emptied. The circulation system must be amended to reflect the number of storage tanks and receptacles, and may comprise a plurality of first and second pipes as mentioned above, and a plurality of valves regulating to which storage tank the flow of water and solid food articles should be directed.

A gas pressure regulator is arranged at an upper part of the storage tank. The gas pressure regulator will primarily regulate the pressure of the gas in the storage tank, and when the system is in operation, it will adjust the pressure of the gas located above the liquid level in the storage tank. Preferably, the gas regulator is arranged above the maximum expected water level in the tank, preferably at the top. When the system is in operation, solid food articles will be introduced into the inlet of the receptacle, mixed with the liquid in the receptacle, and pumped into the storage tank through the first pipe, by the circulation pump. The liquid will be circulated through the second pipe and return to the receptacle, while the solid food articles remain in the storage tank. Thus, preferably, the available volume to liquid and solid food articles in the storage tank, needs to increase in accordance with the volume of solid food articles introduced into the system through the inlet for food articles in the receptacle. To increase the available volume for liquid and solid food articles in the storage tank, the gas pressure regulator extracts or releases gas from the storage tank in accordance with the volume of solid food articles introduced into the system through the inlet for food articles in the receptacle.

When the system is being prepared for operation, liquid should be added into the storage tank until the remaining volume is equal to the volume of solid food articles to be stored. This means that, if it is desired to receive 600I of solid food articles into the system and transfer them to the storage tank, 600I gas should remain in the tank when the system is ready for operation. For instance, if the storage tank is 10001, only 4001 liquid should be in the tank when the system starts. Depending on localization of the storage tank in relation to the receptacle, and the design of the first and second pipe, the gas pressure above the liquid level in the storage tank must be regulated to fill the first and second pipe and to give a suitable liquid level in the receptacle. If the storage tank is located below the receptacle, the gas pressure above the liquid level in the storage tank must be higher than the surrounding pressure to ensure a suitable liquid level in the receptacle. Contrary, if the storage tank is located above the receptacle, the gas pressure above the liquid level in the storage tank must be lower than the surrounding pressure to ensure a suitable liquid level in the receptacle. By suitable liquid level it is herein meant a liquid level above the outlet for food articles and that the depth of the liquid is sufficient to receive the articles without damaging them. The necessary depth will depend on the type and speed of the introduced articles, and is obvious to a skilled person. As said above, the gas pressure regulator is arranged to release or extract gas in the storage tank in accordance with a volume of solid articles introduced into the system. If the pressure above the liquid level in the storage tank is not regulated, the volume available to liquid and solid articles inside the storage tank may not increase, and as more solid food articles are introduced into the system, the liquid level in the receptacle will increase until the pressure is regulated.

The volume of solid articles introduced in to the system may be given from the operator of the system as the volume or as the number of articles wherein the articles have an average volume. The introduced or added volume may also be measured by a level indicator in the receptacle. The level indicator may for instance be a level switch, radar or echo meter, a pressure gauge or any other suitable device. The regulation may be performed continuously or at intervals, wherein the gas pressure of the storage tank is regulated for instance when the liquid level in the receptacle is above or below a set limit. Further, the regulation may be performed manually by an operator, or by a computer system receiving and/or sending signals to the level indicator and the gas pressure regulator. In a preferred embodiment, all regulations are registered and stored, and may be used for documentation.

The total volume of solid food articles introduced to the system at any time may be calculated from the measurements given above, by a level indicator in the storage tank or by a flowmeter on the gas pressure regulator. The total number of articles may be calculated based on the volume, if the average size of each article is known.

Once the storage tank is full, or has reached a desired level, the introduction of solid food articles into the receptacle is stopped, and the system is preferably run until the last articles has entered the storage tank.

The receptacle, storage tank and first pipe of the system are preferably of a size and material suitable for the articles and liquid to be transported therein, which will be obvious to a skilled person. The second pipe is preferably arranged to transport liquid only, and may thus have a smaller radius than the first pipe. In a preferred embodiment, a grid or screen is arranged at the outlet of the storage tank, to prevent the solid food articles to flow out of the storage tank and into the second pipe. Similarly, a grid or screen may be arranged in the receptacle, to prevent the solid food articles to flow out of the receptacle and into the second pipe, when the system is run in reverse.

The invention further concerns a system for storing solid food articles in liquid. The system comprises:

- a storage tank to retain liquid wherein the liquid has a first liquid level,

- an open receptacle which is open towards the surroundings for receiving solid food articles added to the system, the receptacle having a second liquid level, and

- a circulation system for liquid and solid food articles, wherein the circulation system is arranged to circulate liquid with solid food articles from the open receptacle and to the storage tank. The system further comprises a gas pressure regulator to manipulate the gas pressure inside the storage container, to achieve a level difference between the first and the second liquid level. The circulation system may comprise or consist of a first pipe and a second pipe as described above, and may further comprise a pump.

A system according to the invention may comprise a cooler to cool down the liquid in the system. The use of a cooler may reduce or eliminate the need for adding ice to the liquid, in order to keep the temperature sufficiently low. The reduction of ice will give more volume available to food articles, and thus make it possible to store more articles in the storage tank.

The storage tank is preferably equipped with a cooling loop which comprises a cooler, wherein the liquid in the storage tank is circulated through the cooler by means of a pump. Alternatively, a cooling agent can be circulated through a heat exchanger within the storage tank, or the liquid may be cooled in the first or second pipe or even in the receptacle. Other systems for cooling the liquid in the storage tank, which are obvious to a skilled person, may also be used. When the system comprises a plurality of storage tanks, as mentioned above, the tanks may have common or separate cooling system.

The gas pressure regulator may comprise one or more units selected from a list consisting of: compressor, vacuum pump, open/close valve, and control valve.

The storage tank may preferably comprise closing means and the transitions between the storage tank and the first and second pipe or the circulation system, may comprise pipe fittings to disconnect the storage tank from the remaining system.

The circulation pump and/or the circulation system may preferably be arranged to reverse the flow, so that liquid and solid food articles can be transported out of the storage tank, whereupon the solid food articles can be separated from the liquid by means of a drainage grid in the receptacle. The liquid inlet to the receptacle, will be acting as a liquid outlet when the system is operated in reverse, and correspondingly the outlet for solid food articles in liquid will be acting as an inlet to the receptacle. Attachment points between the first and second pipe and the receptacle, giving the position of the inlet and outlet, may preferably be reconfigured to achieve that the inlet for liquid is above the water level when the system operating to insert fish into the storage tank, and that the outlet for solid food articles in liquid, acting as the inlet to the receptacle when the system is run in reverse, may be above the water level. Alternatively, the system comprises several receptacles as mentioned above, wherein one or more receptacles are configured to guide the solid food articles out of the system.

In case the system is run in reverse, the gas pressure regulator is arranged to allow for the introduction or injection of gas into the storage tank, in accordance with a volume of solid food articles removed from the system, possibly through the inlet for food articles in the receptacle. To run the system in reverse is especially advantageous if the storage tank is an integrated part of the location, such as a tank on a boat. In a different aspect, the invention relates to a method for transferring and storing solid food articles in liquid to a storage tank. The method comprises the steps of: a) providing a system as described above, b) adding liquid to the system, c) adjusting the gas pressure in the storage tank in order to achieve a desired liquid level in the open receptacle, d) inserting solid food articles to the liquid in the open receptacle, e) running the circulation pump to transfer the solid food articles in the first pipe from the open receptacle and into the storage tank.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises a step for extracting or releasing gas from the storage tank in order to compensate for the increase in volume as a consequence of solid food articles being added to the liquid.

The method may preferably further comprise a step of circulating the liquid via a cooler to prevent the temperature in the liquid from rising above a given level.

Preferably, the solid food articles will enter the storage tank below the liquid level.

The liquid is preferably added to the system in step b) above until the gas volume in the storage tank corresponds to the volume of the solid food articles to be added into the storage tank. The tank and the remaining of the system may be filled separately, before the tank is connected to the system. This will be an advantage when several tanks may be connected to the system. The gas pressure above the water level of the storage tank must then be adjusted to give the suitable level in the receptacle before and during connection of the tank to the system.

The gas pressure in the storage tank can be adjusted to below 1 atmosphere in order to raise the liquid level in the storage tank to above the liquid level of the receptacle. The gas pressure in the storage tank can be adjusted to above 1 atmosphere in order to lower the liquid level of the storage tank to below the liquid level of the receptacle.

According to the invention, the elevation difference between the liquid level in the storage tank and the open receptacle will, in cases where the liquid level in the storage tank is at its highest, be limited relative to when the liquid evaporates, which depends on both pressure, temperature, and the type of liquid. When gas is extracted from the storage tank, the pressure will be reduced, and the liquid level will rise. When the gas pressure becomes sufficiently low, the liquid will begin to evaporate. If the liquid is water, the difference in water level may preferably not be more than approx. 10 meters. This means that the liquid level in the storage tank preferably is less than approx. 10 meters higher than the liquid level in the open receptacle. For the use of this system, a 10-meter level difference will in most cases be sufficient.

The method may preferably comprise a further step for counting the number (n) of solid food articles to be added, as well as to register the volume increase (AV) in the mixture of food articles and liquid in the system, and to use the aforementioned parameters combined with the density (p) of the solid food articles to calculate the average mass (m) of the solid food articles introduced into the system through the formula m = (AV x p) / n. This might be of interest when the average size of the food products are not know, such as when the articles are fish from a fish cage.

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment”, "one aspect" or "an aspect" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment and/or aspect, is included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the context of the description and claims relative terms such as front, top, center, bottom, side, lower, upper, downward, upward, outward, sideward, clockwise, counterclockwise, vertical, and horizontal etc. are all related to the system when installed, ready for use and in operation. The expression "to" and "from" relates to filling of the storage tank, and will obviously be opposite when the system is reversed.

The invention will, in the following, be described with an example given to illustrate the invention, and should not be used to interpret the invention, as it is defined in the enclosed claims, in a restrictive manner.

Example

The invention will, in the following, be described with the help of the enclosed figures, showing a preferred embodiment of the system. The different parts of the figures are not necessarily to scale in relation to each other, as the figures are merely for illustrating the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of the invention in one possible embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic drawing of the invention, where the system is installed on a sea vessel.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is a system 1 for transferring and storage of solid food articles 5, such as fish 5’. For the sake of legibility, the solid food articles 5 will hereinafter also be referred to as fish 5’. It should not be interpreted that the system 1 is exclusively suitable for fish 5’, as the system 1 can be utilized for most solid food articles 5, which desirably should be stored in a liquid 6. The liquid 6 will hereinafter also be referred to as water, and in many instances it will be water or saltwater, but other liquids 6 can also be utilized.

The expression storage has to be interpreted in a wide sense, and is not limited to long-term storage in a facility, for example. It could mean storage during transport, intermediate storage between process steps, etc. The same applies for storage tanks being used as a component in the system, and in several cases, a transport container would be just as suitable a term.

The system 1 comprises in a preferred embodiment a storage tank 10, an open receptacle 20, and a circulation system 30 comprising a first pipe 37 and a second pipe 38.

The storage tank 10 is closed and of a suitable size and shape for the transportation of fish 5’, for example on a lorry or on the deck of a transport vessel. The storage tank 10 is closed in the sense that any flow of liquid 6, gas 9, and fish 5’ in and out of the storage tank may be controlled. The storage tank has an inlet 11 for liquid and solid food articles, and an outlet 16 for liquid. The storage tank 10 may also be equipped with a cooling loop 13 which comprises a cooler 14, wherein the liquid 6 in the storage tank is circulated through the cooler by means of a pump 15. Alternatively, a cooling agent can be circulated through a heat exchanger within the storage tank. Other systems for cooling the storage tank, which are obvious to a skilled person, man also be used.

The use of a cooler 14 may reduce or eliminate the need for adding ice to the liquid, in order to keep the temperature sufficiently low. This will make it possible to store more fish 5’ in the storage tank 10.

The open receptacle 20 is open in the sense that it comprises an inlet 21 of a suitable size in order to introduce fish 5’ down into the receptacle and into the liquid 6 in the open receptacle 20. In regular language a preferred embodiment of the open receptacle may be a tub, meaning a receptacle with four walls and a bottom, but open at the top. Additionally, the open receptacle 20 comprises openings to be connected to the circulation system 30, that is an inlet 22 for liquid and an outlet 23 for liquid and solid food articles. That the receptacle 20 is defined as open does not preclude that the open receptacle 20 may be equipped with a lid or a similar arrangement to close the receptacle 20 when desired, and when fish 5’ is not to be added to the receptacle 20.

The circulation system 30 comprises first and second pipes 37, 38, or ducts that connect the open receptacle 20 with the storage tank 10. In a preferred embodiment, the circulation system 30 constitutes a circulation loop that goes from the open receptacle 20 and into the storage tank 10 via a first pipe shown as an inlet duct 37, out from the storage tank 10 and back to the open receptacle 20 via a second pipe shown as a return duct 38. Additionally, the circulation system 30 may comprise one or more pumps 32 to create and maintain circulation, and valves 36 to close down the circulation in different places in the circulation system 30. Furthermore, the passage between the storage tank 10 and the return duct 38 may be equipped with grates, screens 34 or the like, which can be installed to prevent fish 5’ from circulating out of the storage tank 10 with the liquid 6 via the return duct 38 while a new batch of fish 5’ is introduced via the inlet duct 37.

It is advantageous if the inlet duct 37 and the return duct 38 are connected to the storage tank 10 near the bottom of the storage tank 10, preferably at the very bottom. It may also be advantageous if the pipe connections to the open receptacle 20 are near the bottom of the open receptacle 20.

The pump(s) 32 and circulation system 30 may also be arranged to allow the circulation to turn, so that the circulation loop goes from the storage tank 20 and to the open receptacle 10 via the inlet duct 37.

An alternative to having a cooling loop 13 on the storage tank, is to arrange a cooler 14 into the circulation system to, for example, cool the liquid passing through the return duct 38.

The storage tank 10 may be connected to a gas pressure regulator 12. This gas pressure regulator 12 can function as a vacuum pump, a compressor, a control valve, an open/close valve, or a combination of one or more of the aforementioned. The object of the gas pressure regulator 12 is to carry out one or more of the following operations: to extract gas, release gas, allow for the introduction of gas, and inject gas. This is to manipulate the gas pressure in the storage tank 10. The purpose of manipulating the gas pressure is to raise or lower the liquid level 7 in the storage tank 10, and thereby increasing or decreasing the available volume for liquid and solid food articles. In the event the gas pressure is lowered in the storage tank 10 by extracting gas 9 from the storage tank 10, the storage tank 10 may be placed in a higher position vis-a-vis the open receptacle 20, while both the storage tank and the open receptacle can simultaneously maintain a suitable liquid level 7, 8.

The closed storage tank 10 can also be placed on a level below the open receptacle 20 by operating with an overpressure within the closed tank. Killing and/or slaughter of fish 5’ may be carried out below deck on a vessel, while the storage tank 10 has to be placed above deck, or on deck higher than the place where killing and/or slaughter is carried out. In this event, one may add fish in the open receptacle 20 below deck where killing and/or slaughter is carried out, and then it will be transported with the liquid flow up and into the storage tank 10.

Correspondingly, the storage tank 10 can be placed below deck, while the open receptacle 20 can be placed above deck or on a deck in an elevated position vis-a- vis the storage tank 10. In this case it is necessary to maintain a gas pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure in the storage tank 10. The elevated gas pressure in the storage tank 10 is necessary in order to maintain a sufficient gas volume in the storage tank 10, which can be reduced as fish 5’ is introduced in the system 1.

The gas amount in the storage tank also has to be adjusted as fish is added to the liquid 6 in the system 1. Should the gas amount remain unadjusted, the liquid level (the second liquid level 8) will also increase in the open receptacle 20 as more fish is added to the liquid 6.

The gas 9 in the storage tank 10 will in many instances be air; however, other gases 9 man also be utilized.

The elevation difference between the liquid level in the storage tank 10 and the open receptacle 20 will, in cases where the liquid level in the storage tank is at its highest, be limited relative to when the liquid evaporates, which depends on both pressure, temperature, and the type of liquid 6. When gas 9 is extracted from the storage tank 10, the pressure will be reduced, and the liquid level will rise. When the pressure becomes sufficiently low, the liquid will begin to evaporate. If the liquid is water, it may not be able to raise the liquid level more than approx. 10 meters. This means that the liquid level in the storage tank 10 (the first liquid level 7) preferably is not more than approx. 10 meters higher than the liquid level in the open receptacle 20 (the second liquid level 8). Preferably, the gas pressure will not be increased above the liquid level in the open receptacle 20. For the use of this system 1 , a 10-meter level difference will in most cases be sufficient.

The storage tank 10 may be equipped with valves 36 towards the inlet duct 37 and the return duct 38. The valves 36 can be closed, and the inlet duct 37 and the return duct 38 can be disconnected from the storage tank 10. The system 1 may be equipped with pipe fittings 39 of a suitable type to disconnect the storage tank 10. In this way it is possible to replace the storage tank 10 when it is full, and connect the inlet duct 37 and the outlet duct 38 to a new, corresponding storage tank. The storage tanks 10 may then be equipped with a separate cooling loop, which follows each individual storage tank.

The system 1 may also comprise a plurality of storage tanks 10 connected to the same circulation system 30, which may comprise several pipes, ducts and valves, and enables the filling process of the individual storage tank 10 to be controlled by opening and closing valves 36. A filled storage tank 10 may thus continue to be connected to the system while another tank is being filled. Correspondingly, several open receptacles 20 can be connected to the same system 1 for filling of one or more storage tanks 10. Several open receptacles 20 may for example be of interest if there is a plurality of work stations where personnel is in the process of killing and/or gutting fish.

The system can also be considered as a system for transport of fish 5’, wherein the fish 5’ is transported in a liquid flow from a killing and/or slaughter location, to a transport or storage tank 10.

The invention is also related to a method for adding, storing, and transporting solid food articles 5, such as fish 5’ in a liquid 6. In a possible variant of the method, the following steps are included:

- filling the system 1 with liquid 6,

- adjusting the gas pressure in the storage tank 10 by means of the gas pressure regulator 12 to obtain desired liquid levels 7, 8 in the storage tank 10 and the open receptacle 20. The liquid level in the storage tank 10 should be adjusted so that the volume of gas 9 in the storage tank 10 corresponds to the volume increase of the liquid 9 when the desired amount of fish 5’ has been added to the system 1 ,

- introducing fish 5’ in the liquid 6 in the open receptacle 20,

- circulating the liquid 6 in order to transport the fish 5’ from the open receptacle 20 to the storage tank 10 via the inlet duct 37,

- releasing or extracting gas 9 from the storage tank 10 as food articles are being introduced into the system 1.

When the storage tank 10 has been filled with the desired amount of fish 5’, valves may be closed and the storage tank can be disconnected from the rest of the system 1. Alternatively, a different but corresponding storage tank can be connected to the circulation system 30 in order to continue to introduce fish 5’.

As previously mentioned, it is currently a challenge to introduce a sufficiently high proportion of fish into the tank, relative to the water volume. By extracting water from the storage tank, during the filling process, fish will be introduced, and the contents will be compressed, giving a higher proportion of fish, compared to a scenario where you only depend on the fish gliding into the tank and displacing water through their own volume in order to facilitate compression/distribution. This is very advantageous, producing positive results in trials. The effect was surprising.

In one possible embodiment where the storage tank 10 is placed lower than the open receptacle 20, the gas pressure regulator 12 is opened towards the surroundings, so that the gas pressure in the storage tank 10 is equal to atmospheric pressure. The liquid level in inlet duct 37 would then be at the same elevation as the first liquid level 7. The liquid 6 is circulated as normal; however, the inlet duct 37 will partly be filled with air from the same elevation level as liquid level 7. As fish is introduced down through the inlet duct 37, the first liquid level 7 will rise. At this point, the gas pressure regulator 12 must close before the first liquid level 7 reaches the top of the storage tank 10, and the duct or pipe connecting the gas pressure regulator 12 with the storage tank 10.