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FishSafe™ design & feasibility studies
Natel develops detailed hydraulic designs to install new and upgrade existing hydropower plants with high-performance, FishSafe™ turbine runners. Our designs preserve or enhance turbine performance, ensure effective fish passage, and support environmental compliance. We offer:
- Hydraulic modeling to meet desired cavitation and efficiency targets at rated and part flow
- Fish passage survival estimates based on proprietary simulation tools and experimental data
- Barotrauma risk assessment
- Analysis of how FishSafe™ runners integrate with or compare to alternative mitigations
- Consultation & stakeholder engagement support, including direct engagement with federal and state resource agencies on fish passage requirements
- Grant application assistance
Our process begins with understanding client goals, followed by developing and analyzing preliminary designs, collaborating with clients to discuss findings, and delivering a concise report summarizing results and recommendations. Initial feasibility studies can be completed in 3-6 months.
Where fish passage requirements are still being defined, we routinely support clients through the agency consultation process, including FERC relicensing and discussions with USFWS and NOAA Fisheries.
Design testing and validation
Natel’s pumped hydraulic test facility in Alameda, California enables physical testing to complement our CFD modeling and analysis. The facility supports:
- Comprehensive testing with scale (55 cm (22-inch) diameter) axial turbine runner models to optimize hydraulic designs to meet fish passage requirements—validating critical design criteria efficiently and cost-effectively.
- Long-duration tests at up to 1 cms (35 cfs) of flow and varying head setpoints, with precise pump and turbine control systems to manage test conditions and record data.
- Through-turbine fish passage testing, with fish introduced into the pressurized pipeline upstream of the turbine and recaptured and evaluated after passage. A transparent runner housing enables high-speed video capture of fish passing through the runner, contributing to a detailed understanding of passage impacts on fish.
Design execution & project commissioning
Once a feasibility study confirms the design path, Natel works with our manufacturing partners to finalize turbine specifications, coordinate commissioning, and validate hydraulic performance and fish passage outcomes at the installed project. We offer:
- Turbine supply, in partnership with our network of established turbine manufacturers
- Warranty and performance guarantees. With our partners, we can support verification through IEC 60193 / ASME PTC-18 model testing and IEC 62006 Class A field performance testing
- Support of validating fish passage performance at the installed project, including field test coordination
Working with our manufacturing partners, Natel can target turbine delivery in as little as 18-24 months.
