Guidelines for mortality modelling

One way of fish downstream migration is passage through the turbine at hydropower installations, which can be related to injury and mortality, caused by several damage mechanisms. This guideline presents both basic and more detailed methods to quantitatively assess the fish passage through a hydropower turbine. The methods consider boundary conditions of the hydropower plant, as well as biological attributes and behaviour of the relevant fish species, which influence the survival statistics significantly. Adequate mortality modelling requires a detailed understanding of underlying processes in order to develop suitable mitigation measures. Within the scope of the FIThydro project, the work focused on Kaplan turbines and particular European setups. Work included the deployment of BDS (Barotrauma Detection System) sensors at three test cases, live fish experiments in a laboratory facility, theoretical work on mortality modelling as well as comprehensive CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations of three test case turbines for various operating conditions applying the Biological Performance Assessment (BioPA) approach. The good agreement of experimental pressure measurements by BDS sensors and the calculated nadir pressures using a numerical model of the hydraulic turbine confirm the suitability of both approaches for clarification of pressure regimes, which fish experience during turbine passage. Research work on mortality models led to a generalized modelling approach, which consolidates different existing approaches and enables a wider range of application. Modelling guidelines have been developed, to include state-of-the-art research results to practical application.     «

One way of fish downstream migration is passage through the turbine at hydropower installations, which can be related to injury and mortality, caused by several damage mechanisms. This guideline presents both basic and more detailed methods to quantitatively assess the fish passage through a hydropower turbine. The methods consider boundary conditions of the hydropower plant, as well as biological attributes and behaviour of the relevant fish species, which influence the survival statistics sign...     »