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At the request of Bedford Pumps Ltd., VisAdvies performed a test on the fish friendly Bedford Axial Flow pump. (Frame
size SAF 80.05.12.) With this test the fish survivability of the pump was evaluated. The test was carried out to the protocol and classifying method of our recently developed standard method of testing.
Method
The experiments were carried at the 12th and 13th of June 2012 in a dry dock in the Netherlands. The pump was evaluated by means of forced exposure of fish to the pump. The pump was tested for direct mortality as well as delayed mortality after 48 hours. Three representative groups of fish were used for the test, separated in two size classes:
- Cyprinidae (roach and bream) (size group 1: <= 15 cm; size group 2 > 15 cm)
- Percidae (perch) (size group 1: <= 15 cm; size group 2 > 15 cm)
- Anguillidae (eel) (size group 1: <= 45 cm; size group 2 > 45 cm)
The specifications of the performance of the pump during the test were:
- Flow: 1300-1400 l/sec
- 330 RPM
Preliminary results
The Bedford Axial Flow pump SAF 80.05.12. can be considered fish friendly in the sense that no direct mortality is observed after the exposure to the pump. Eel is the most important species in this test since this fish is an obligatory migrant to reach its spawning area in the Sargasso Sea. From the preliminary results we may state without any doubt, that the pump meets the requirements to be fish friendly.
About VisAdvies Ltd. and certification of fish survivable pumps.
VisAdvies is largely involved in the evaluation of pumping engines in the Netherlands. From this research there was a growing need for a standard method to test and classify pumps in respect of fish survivability. Therefore a working protocol and classifying method was developed. This document has reached a final stage with help and approval of a team of Dutch experts (ecologists and engineers). At this moment, the document is offered to the Dutch certification burro NeN (NeN.nl), so it will reach an official status.