Fish passage | Advertorial feature
Can a hydraulic fishway save migratory fish, water and money?
Finnish fishway innovator Fishheart claims nimble device solves several problems for hydropower plants – and has the test results to prove it.
WHAT STARTED AS A wild idea at the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Northern Finland, in 2016, is functioning reality in 2023. Fishheart is a hydraulic fishway device that is installed in the tailwater of a hydropower plant. In a nutshell, the Fishheart unit produces an attraction flow that hints the fish of a way upstream and lures them in. Inside the Fishheart tubing, artificial intelligence detects the fish and collects real-time data with photos and video. Finally, the fish are transported inside water over the hydropower plant unharmed and are free to continue their journey further up the river. Fishheart claims several benefits for hydropower plants: the mobile device can be repositioned in the tailwater for best results. The system suits all species of migratory fish. Fishheart also saves water: the system can be set up to not use any water from the reservoir, as it is able to produce the attraction flow from the tailwater. The icing on the cake is the cost – a Fishheart unit comes at a considerably lower price tag than a technical or nature-like fishway.
Customized performance for every hydropower plant Every hydropower station is a unique complex with specific conditions.
Therefore, every Fishheart hydraulic fishway is a tailor-made solution to perfectly fit its location. As the actual floating Fishheart unit is located below the dam, variations in hard pipelines onshore and flexible pipelines in the water are the answer to changing water heights, long distances, or high head dams.
By designing the pipelines and adjusting the rise velocity of the fish, the Fishheart fishway system can be adapted to meet the demands of even the highest dams. The Fishheart fishway is usually placed in the eddy area close to the dam wall and the turbine outlets, where the fish gather to rest after fighting the turbine flows. The entrance of the fishway can be optimally positioned with water flow behind the system, creating a natural countercurrent for the fish.
Two attraction flows and safe elevation for
all fish The Fishheart fishway set-up includes a control container with electrical system hardware, a monitoring unit, and a control unit. The system works automatically and can be operated completely remotely. Programs can be tailored to suit different fish species, different seasons, and variations in local conditions.
Fishheart’s multiple attraction flows give the fish a strong feeling of a natural migratory route upstream. When the fish swim closer to the Fishheart entrance, encouraged by the outer attraction flow, they sense the inner attraction flows coming from inside the unit’s tubing. During transfer over the dam, the fish are constantly within water,
protecting them from mechanical damage that can cause bruising and raise the risk of infection.
Fishheart hydraulic fishway in action at Fortum Power and Heat Leppikoski Hydropower Station in river Kiehimänjoki, Central Finland. The floating unit can be seen in the tailwater below the dam on the left, and the control unit up on the bank next to it. Photo by Mikko Törmänen
30 | July 2023 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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