Aquatic animal passage with counter
AssigneeFrench Development Enterprises, LLC
InventorWilliam L. French
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for counting animal traffic in an aquatic animal passage system includes chutes positioned across the aquatic animal passage system and a sensor positioned to sense an animal moving through or in the aquatic animal passage system. The chutes and the aquatic animal passage system are formed with precast concrete segments and may include a protective liner or coating coupled to their outer surface to protect animals from contacting the outer surface of the precast concrete segments. The sensors may be integrated with the precast concrete segments forming the chutes. Smart concrete segments may be employed as transducers to create an electric field in the chutes, with impedance sensors coupled to the transducers being responsive to changes to the electric field in the chutes caused by passing animals.
Claims10
A device for counting animal traffic in an aquatic animal passage system, the device comprising:
- one or more chutes positioned across the aquatic animal passage system, the one or more chutes and the aquatic animal passage system being formed with precast concrete segments, the precast concrete segments adapted to interconnect with adjacent precast concrete segments and including at least base sections and top sections, the top sections defining a waterway of the aquatic animal passage system, wherein the aquatic animal passage system includes at least two horizontal rows of base sections, each base section being horizontally offset from at least one vertically adjacent base section;
- and
- one or more sensors positioned to sense an animal in the aquatic animal passage system, the one or more sensors being responsive to animals moving through the one or more chutes and adapted to sense at least one of:
- a number of animals and a volume of animals traveling through the aquatic animal passage system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.