Fish Pump Bypass Flow Mixing to Prevent Upstream Swimback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Anadromous fish, such as salmon and sturgeon, can swim back upstream when the flow speed of a fish pump is reduced, causing damage to the fish and/or the pump, particularly when the pump speed is increased again.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an apparatus with an upstream bypass chamber and a conical diffuser to mix additional water with the primary communication channel, reducing the quantity of fish being pumped while maintaining a sufficient flow rate to prevent fish from swimming back upstream, using a bladeless centrifugal pump.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pump speed is reduced to decrease fish pumping quantity, then the fish pumping rate decreases, but the water flow rate becomes insufficient allowing fish to swim back upstream
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water flow into two separate paths: a primary communication channel that carries fish through the pump, and a bypass channel that carries additional water around the pump. This segmentation allows independent control of fish transport and flow rate maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
A bypass channel acts as an intermediary pathway that introduces additional water flow into the primary communication channel downstream of the pump. This mediator water flow compensates for the reduced main flow, preventing fish from swimming back upstream while the pump operates at reduced speed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the pump is stopped or slowed to reduce fish pumping, then energy consumption decreases, but fish can swim back upstream causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass channel pre-introduces additional water flow into the primary communication channel before the pump outlet, establishing a sufficient downstream flow rate in advance. This preliminary action ensures that even when the pump operates at reduced speed or stops, the combined flow maintains enough velocity to prevent fish from swimming back upstream.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass water acts as a protective intermediary that maintains adequate flow velocity in the primary channel, creating a protective current that prevents fish from swimming back upstream against the flow, thereby avoiding damage to both fish and pump.
3Reliability
If additional water is mixed into the primary communication channel to maintain flow rate, then fish can be protected from swimming back, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass channel extracts a portion of the water supply from the main system, routes it through a separate bypass path, and reintroduces it downstream. This extraction and reintroduction mechanism allows flow rate maintenance without requiring modifications to the pump itself or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes hydraulic principles by employing a bypass channel that relies on water pressure and flow dynamics to automatically regulate the mixing of bypass water with the primary channel flow, maintaining sufficient downstream velocity without requiring additional mechanical components or complex control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Maintains a high flow rate downstream to prevent anadromous fish from swimming back upstream, minimizing damage to the fish and pump by adjusting the water flow without altering the pump's speed.
Implementation Method 1
the upstream bypass chamber comprises a conical diffuser configured to slow the flow of water into the primary communication channel
Implementation Method 2
a bladeless centrifugal pump
Data Source
AI summary
A method of reducing the quantity of fish being pumped by a fish pump whilst maintaining a sufficient flow rate such that fish cannot swim back upstream into the pump includes providing an apparatus having: a primary communication channel for delivery of water and fish therethrough; a fish pump having an inlet and an outlet and arranged on the primary communication channel and configured to pump water and fish along the primary communication channel; and an upstream bypass chamber arranged on the primary communication channel upstream of the fish pump inlet; wherein the upstream bypass chamber is configured to mix a flow of water into the primary communication channel; providing fish and water to the primary communication channel; operating the fish pump to pump the fish and water along the primary communication channel; and mixing a flow of water into the primary communication channel at the upstream bypass chamber.