Evaluation of the effects of shear stress on crucian carps passing through turbines

Abstract

Turbine-passed fish is inevitably exposed to one or more physical forces, such as fast pressure change, blade strikes and shear stress, which can lead to injury or fatalities. The injury mechanisms of these forces to fish and related criteria are necessary for fish-friendly-turbine design and optimization. The effects of shear stress on crucian carps are studied in a specially designed experimental system. Crucian carps are exposed to a submerged water jet at velocities ranging from 5m/s to 20m/s. High-speed, high-resolution digital videos of the exposure process was recorded for motion-tracking analysis. Fish sizes, flow directions and water jet velocities are key factors considered during the tests. Injury rate, degree of severity, site of trauma, and death rate of crucian carps after tests were studied according to repeated tests with different factors. Injuries such as shedding of fish scales, tearing of gill cover, laceration of eyeballs are observed at different water jet velocity and with different size of crucian carps. The injury mechanisms were concluded and design criteria for fish-friendly-turbine are proposed according to the study.