Session C8: An Analysis of Partial-Depth, Impermeable Guidance Structures for Downstream Fish Passage at Hydroelectric Facilities
Location
Groningen, The Netherlands
Event Website
http://fishpassage.umass.edu/
Start Date
24-6-2015 2:00 PM
End Date
24-6-2015 2:15 PM
Description
Abstract:
Impermeable guidance structures (or guide walls) are used to improve passage efficiency of out-migrating anadromous fish species. Their purpose is to guide the fish to a bypass (i.e. a sluice gate, weir, or pipe) allowing the fish to circumvent the turbine intakes and safely pass downstream. This paper details a series of experiments (nine total) performed at the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center located in Turners Falls, MA and a series of computational fluid dynamics models (24 total). The goal of the analysis was to measure the velocity components (x, y, and z) immediately upstream of the guide wall under a wide range of guide wall depths and angles to flow for a specified flow rate typical of a power canal. Multiple metrics are developed that attempt to determine whether or not a fish will 1) encounter swim speeds greater than that of the fish is capable, 2) follow a negative rheotactic behavior and swim below the guide wall, and/or 3) be entrained by the downward flow and pass below the guide wall. The presentation will discuss the history of guide walls in fish passage, introduce both the physical and computational model set-ups, and present the findings of the study.
Session C8: An Analysis of Partial-Depth, Impermeable Guidance Structures for Downstream Fish Passage at Hydroelectric Facilities
Groningen, The Netherlands
Abstract:
Impermeable guidance structures (or guide walls) are used to improve passage efficiency of out-migrating anadromous fish species. Their purpose is to guide the fish to a bypass (i.e. a sluice gate, weir, or pipe) allowing the fish to circumvent the turbine intakes and safely pass downstream. This paper details a series of experiments (nine total) performed at the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center located in Turners Falls, MA and a series of computational fluid dynamics models (24 total). The goal of the analysis was to measure the velocity components (x, y, and z) immediately upstream of the guide wall under a wide range of guide wall depths and angles to flow for a specified flow rate typical of a power canal. Multiple metrics are developed that attempt to determine whether or not a fish will 1) encounter swim speeds greater than that of the fish is capable, 2) follow a negative rheotactic behavior and swim below the guide wall, and/or 3) be entrained by the downward flow and pass below the guide wall. The presentation will discuss the history of guide walls in fish passage, introduce both the physical and computational model set-ups, and present the findings of the study.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2015/June24/52
Comments
Presenting Author Bio: Kevin Mulligan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering (EWRE) Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Hydro Research Foundation Fellow. His Doctoral Dissertation focuses on guidance structures for downstream fish passage. In particular, he is studying the design parameters of partial-depth, floating, impermeable guidance structures using both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and physical modeling efforts. In conjunction to his graduate studies, he has served on multiple positions (including the Organizing Committee and the Coordination Team) for the International Conference on River Connectivity and Best Practices and Innovations (the Fish Passage Conference Series) since its inception in 2011. He received his Master of Science Degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering with a specialization in Fish Passage Engineering in 2013. In 2009, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and became an Engineer in Training (E.I.T.).