Fish transfer system and method
AssigneeThe University of New South Wales
InventorsWilliam Leslie Peirson, John Hamlyn Harris, Stefan Markus Felder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a system and method for transferring fish past a barrier between an upper and lower body of water, including an inlet conduit 11 connecting the upper body to a transfer chamber 13 adjacent the lower body, a delivery conduit 15 connecting the transfer chamber 13 to a level above the surface of the upper body, a valve 12 between the inlet conduit and the transfer chamber, and a gate 14 between the transfer chamber 13 and the lower body. The inlet conduit 11 holds sufficient water so that, once the gate 14 is closed and the valve 12 is opened, fish in the transfer chamber 13 are transported with the water in the transfer chamber through the delivery conduit 15 to an outlet 16.
Claims15
A system for transferring fish past a barrier between an upper body and a lower body of water, including an inlet conduit connecting the upper body to a transfer chamber adjacent the lower body, a delivery conduit connecting the transfer chamber to a level above a surface of the upper body, a valve between the inlet conduit and the transfer chamber, and a gate between the transfer chamber and the lower body, wherein the inlet conduit is dimensioned to hold water so that operatively, once the gate is closed and the valve is opened, the fish in the transfer chamber are transported with the water in the transfer chamber through the delivery conduit to the level above the surface of the upper body only when the gate is closed and the valve is opened.
A method for transferring fish past a barrier between an upper body and a lower body of water, wherein structures are provided including an inlet conduit connecting the upper body to a transfer chamber adjacent the lower body, a delivery conduit connecting the transfer chamber to a level above a surface of the upper body, a valve between the inlet conduit and the transfer chamber, and a gate between the transfer chamber and the lower body, the method including at least the steps of:
- a) closing the gate to seal the transfer chamber,
- b) opening the valve to connect the inlet conduit to the transfer chamber, thereby transporting any fish in the transfer chamber with the water in the transfer chamber through the delivery conduit, and
- c) discharging the fish from the delivery conduit only when the gate is closed and the valve is opened.
A method for modifying a barrier between an upper body and a lower body of water to provide a fish transfer system, including installing structures including an inlet conduit connecting the upper body to a transfer chamber adjacent the lower body, a delivery conduit connecting the transfer chamber to a level above a surface of the upper body, a valve between the inlet conduit and the transfer chamber, and a gate between the transfer chamber and the lower body to allow the fish to be attracted into the transfer chamber, wherein the inlet conduit is dimensioned to hold sufficient water so that, once the gate is closed and the valve is opened, fish in the transfer chamber are transported with the water in the transfer chamber through the delivery conduit to the level above the surface of the upper body, only when the gate is closed and the valve is opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.