Study of a vertical slot fish ladder : Evaluation of flow dynamics through a standardized bypass and the effect of predesigned roughness elements

Sammanfattning: Migrating freshwater fish population has been significantly declined, mostly by the obstruction of their migratory routes by hydropower dams. To diminish such impacts, fish ladders have been developed to facilitate the passage of migrating fish. However, fish ladders are associated with mortality and migratory failure, resulting in an ecological problem which has been a concern for years. The paper contained in the following pages focuses on studying the viability of an innovative modular design for a fish ladder developed by Fiskvägsteknik AB. The design is based in a vertical slot fishway (VSF) to which some roughness elements are attached to modify the flow. The aim of this bypass system is to restore the original biological continuity and diversity in the Swedish rivers, therefore solving a long-lasting ecological problem that hydroelectric production has caused over the years. Through a computational analysis, the flow has been evaluated as a function of the parameters that present an influence over its behaviour. First, a study of the changes in flow velocity influenced by four different slopes: 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 %, has been performed with the objective to find an appropriate inclination according to the capabilities of the fish species considered. The lowest slopes have resulted to be the most appropriate ones, coinciding with low values of turbulent kinetic energy and lower flow velocities. The second step has been checking the effect of roughness elements on the bottom part of the structure tilted a 5%. The flow velocity has shown a considerable decrease, falling in the range of the fish swimming capabilities established. As for the streamlines of the flow, they were altered compared to the cases without the roughness elements.