Ethohydraulic Experiments Investigating Retention Rates of an Electrified Bar Rack

Bar racks at water intakes of hydropower plants serve mainly to protect the turbines from floating debris. Additionally, they can be utilized downstream migrating fish in order prevent a potentially harmful turbine passage. The Rack FishProtector consists common bar rack equipped with electrodes mounted on upstream side bars. application low voltage current creates an electric field which is actively avoided by fish. Thus, hybrid barrier consisting mechanical and behavioral formed. An unscaled model (bar spacing sb = 50 mm, thickness tb 20 mm) was used experiments investigate retention rate experimental setup only one possible migration route (downstream, passage) average flow velocity 0.43 m/s. Ethohydraulic were performed three indicator species barbel (Barbus barbus), bream (Abramis brama) roach (Rutilus rutilus) additionally perch (Perca fluviatilis) selected trials. twelve trials included four reference without present (Nday 2, Nnight 2) eight 6, 2). results show that could increased significantly electrical during night day even more pronounced effect night. differences between functionality system as well other influencing parameters are discussed. No significant influence applied or size identified.