Oral Presentation International Conference on River Connectivity (Fish Passage 2018)

Advances in Biological Performance Assessment of Turbines within the Industry Context (#197)

Pedro Romero-Gomez 1 , Josef Michelcic 1
  1. Andritz Hydro GmbH, Linz, UPPER AUSTRIA, Austria

Turbine manufacturers are increasingly considering engineering strategies to enhance the survival of migratory fish that are exposed to turbine flows. This presentation will show the ongoing research activities at Andritz Hydro to enhance evaluations of biological performance of hydroturbines and to demonstrate how such evaluations drive design features within the industry practices. These biological evaluations typically take place in the context of rehabilitation projects of low-head Kaplan turbines but are not necessarily restricted to such scenarios. In the R&D section, we have identified two technical aspects that industry can contribute to the field of fish passage. First, we will summarize the wide variety of projects that have included fish survival assessments, with particular focus on a pump-turbine project with the challenging task of preventing the Redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) from being transported between the water reservoirs. Unlike usual project provisions, this entails maximizing mortality rates ─and not fish survival─ of the target species. Second, we are presenting the latest advancements in fish trajectory modeling with the use of Lagrangian particles and the results from implementing such method in our projects. After a brief introduction of the particle-based method, we will discuss its advantage as well as cost-benefits. Our goal is to seek opportunities for collaboration with research institutions in order to advance the field of fish passage with an active participation from industry players.