Fast rotating vanes of turbines and pomping stations cause physical damage to passing fish. In addition to the visible injuries as a result of these vanes (decapitation, tears and scale damage) can also severe internal, non-visible damage caused as a result of pressure gradients, acceleration and turbulences through electric hydropower turbines and pumps. These non-visable damages, such as internal bleedings, ruptures of intestines or swim bladder, bubbles in blood, tissue and eyes, are much harder to trace.
The Sensor Fish (SF) brings a fish friendly solution in this type of research. The SF has been developed to measure physical conditions (pressure gradients, acceleration and rotation) during passage of fish by hydropower plants and pumping stations. The SF is weightless in water ('neutrally buoyant') and it flows easily through pumps and pipes. The electronics of the SF is encased in a waterproof polycarbonate housing.
Data is stored with a frequency of 2000 samples / s on the SF, for a maximum of 4 minutes (480,000 for recording data). During a passage the SF measures the following physical conditions:
• Pressure (kPa)
• acceleration (g-force), and
• rotations (x, y, z; revolutions / s).
Data will be transfered from the SF with an infrared modem. After collecting the data the SF is ready for a new run.
Contact our employees for more information.