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10-09-2009 (KnowHow
article):
In
collaboration with FishFlow Innovations Pentair Nijhuis has
developed a fish-friendly pump which, according to the latest tests
supervised by VisAdvies BV, allows more than 97 percent of the fish
to get through unharmed. And even 100% of the eel in various lengths,
in the wild a species almost endangered, gets through this pump
unscathed. This is a major sustainable innovation, which Pentair
Nijhuis and FishFlow can present to the market.
A large part of The Netherlands is below flood level. In the past,
pumping stations, dikes, dams and sluices were built to control the
water level and protect inhabitants against floods. A number of fish
species migrate from salt to fresh water in order to spawn. Water
management measures taken by Dutch district water boards interfere
with this innate migration of fish. What’s more, each year great
quantities of fish die as they get injured inside the pumps
operating in the pumping stations. This has an adverse effect on
fish stock. The water boards employ fish-friendly methods to help
the fish cross the Dutch waters. Until now, however, there was no
sustainable solution for the pumps used in the pumping stations.
The fish-friendly pump features a special impeller and guide vanes
that have a special shape, which will create a specific flow,
allowing the fish to get through the pumping station safely.
On June 15, VisAdvies BV conducted an independent investigation by
means of a practical test with live fish and this new fish-friendly
pump. It proved the pump was safe for more than 97 percent of the
fish. Pump performance is not affected by this remarkable result.
The fish-friendly pump has an efficiency of more than 80 percent.
To update a pumping station Pentair Nijhuis customizes the pump,
which guarantees its fish-friendliness and also optimizes efficiency.
Thanks to this feature, the electrical system in most existing
pumping stations does not need to be upgraded, when renovated. This
means that considerably less costs have to be made when adapting an
existing system into a fish-friendly one.
The new fish-friendly pump can be made to fit into the existing
pumping station. Depending on the situation, it is even possible to
just replace the hydraulic components and still realize a fish-friendly
pump. If possible, the pump housing and drive motor can be re-used.
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