Fish diversion system
AssigneeEugene Water & Electric Board
InventorJon R. Wollander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A diversion system for use in a watercourse for routing fish away from the intake, for example, of a hydroelectric plant. The system includes a plurality of upright screens arranged in zigzag fashion crosswise of the watercourse to provide a plurality of channels converging to outlets separate from the plant intake. The screens thus divert the fish and water-borne debris to the separate outlets while the main stream flows through the screens to the intake. Additionally, rotary sprayers are used to backwash the screens while in place from time to time to remove accumulated debris from the screens. The screens extend from the bottom of the watercourse to the water level while spanning the watercourse from one side wall to the other.
Claims7
A fish diversion system including an elongated watercourse extending from a water inlet to a water outlet and having a bottom and opposite side walls, characterized in that a screen arrangement rises from the bottom to a height substantially at the water level in the watercourse and extends from one side wall to the other, the arrangement including at least a pair of upright screens converging away from the inlet and toward the outlet and spaced relatively closely apart crosswise of the watercourse at the area of convergence to provide an exit for fish, incidental water and debris, the screens being operative to screen out fish and debris and to direct same to the exit while enabling screened water to flow through the screens to the outlet, and bypass means is provided for separating the exit from the outlet and directing the exiting fish, debris and incidental water away from the outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.