TECHNICAL FISH LOCK

• US 20190323192A1
• Filed: 04/19/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.J. Van Boxel Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: J.J. Van Boxel Holding B.V.
• Inventors: VAN BOXEL, Jan Jacobus
• Granted Patent: US 10,655,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/10 of fish
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 8/085 Devices allowing fish migration, e.g. fish traps arresting or diverting fish exclusively E02B1/006
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/60 Ecological corridors or buffer zones

Abstract

Migrating fish often want to travel between different bodies of water, which may be positioned at different heights. To overcome these heights, water passages may be used that provide a water path at a slope over which a fish is able to swim up. A compact housing is provided by allowing a water guide over which the water flow flows to rotate around an axis parallel to gravity in a helical shape. The fish lock may be provided with a resting chamber which comprises a volume of water with a low flow velocity. Sensors and a controller may be provided to control a flow rate of the water through the fish lock according to for example the type of fish passing through the fish lock and an administrator may monitor the fish lock at a distance and may be contacted in case of malfunction.

Claims

1. An arrangement for guiding fish between a first lower situated body of water and a second higher situated body of water, the arrangement comprising a housing comprising:

a first opening and a second opening, wherein in use the second opening is situated higher than the first opening; and

a water guide which connects the first opening to the second opening for guiding a flow of water from the second opening to the first opening;

wherein the water guide in use provides a flow trajectory for the flow of water around an axis parallel to the gravity vector.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first opening in use is provided in a plane perpendicular to the gravity vector.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base, arranged to in use be provided under a water level of the first body of water, and wherein the first opening is provided in the base.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the housing and the base define a basin arranged to contain a volume of water between the first opening and the water guide adjacent to the flow of water, wherein substantially no water flows in or out of the contained volume of water.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the water guide predominantly comprises curved surfaces.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing in use is arranged to provided light of a pre-determined interval of wavelengths to at least a part of an inner space of the arrangement and preferably to at least a part of the flow of water.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first opening and the second opening is provided with a control mechanism arranged to control a flow through surface of the flow of water through at least one of the first opening and the second opening.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first opening is provided with at least one sensor arranged to determine one or more of:

a water level;

a quality of water flowing through the first opening;

a pH value of water flowing through the first opening;

a temperature of the water flowing through the first opening;

a temperature of the ambient air;

a flow rate of the flow of water flowing through the first opening;

an oxygen level of the water flowing through the first opening;

a pollution level of the water flowing through the first opening;

an amount of fish swimming through the first opening in a pre-determined period of time; and

a species of the fish swimming through the first opening.

9. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the control mechanism is connected to at least one sensor, and is arranged to based on a received output of the sensor control the flow through surface of the flow of water through the second opening.

10. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the flow trajectory rotates more than 180 degrees around the axis parallel to the gravity vector.

11. The arrangement according to claim 7, further comprising a memory module for storing fish migration data, wherein the memory module is readable by the control mechanism, and the control mechanism is arranged to control the flow through surface of the flow of water through the second opening based on the read fish migration data.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the control mechanism is arranged for adjusting fish migration data stored on the memory module based on the received output from the at least one sensor.

13. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein

the water guide is provided with one or more panels substantially perpendicular to a flow trajectory defined by the water guide, the panels comprising gates defined in the panels for passing a flow of water.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein:

the one or more gates are provided with a resilient member, wherein the resilient member at least partially defines a flow through area within the gate for the flow of water; and

the resilient member is arranged to resiliently deform under influence of a pressure provided by the flow of water.

15. The arrangement according to claim 13, comprising at least a first panel comprising a first gate and a second panel comprising a second gate, wherein

the first gate is provided at or near an inner radius of the water guide;

and

the second gate is provided at or near an outer radius of the water guide.

16. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first opening and the second opening is provided with a control mechanism for controlling a flow through surface for the flow of water through the opening, wherein the control mechanism is arranged to control a width of the flow through surface.

17. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a bypass trajectory arranged to provide an additional flow path parallel to the water guide between the inlet end and the outlet end through the first opening, wherein the bypass trajectory comprises a bypass flow control mechanism for controlling the flow through at least part of the bypass trajectory.

18. An assembly of at least two arrangements according to claim 1, wherein the second opening of a first arrangement is connected to a first opening of a second arrangement, such that a flow of water is provided from the second opening of the second arrangement to the first opening of the first arrangement.