Combined hydro turbine and fish passage for environmental shift in Swedish hydropower

Aim of the project is to provide the hydropower industry with equipment for environmental shift (EU directive). With this technology, biodiversity is realized in a cost-effective way while retaining electric production capacity. Funding is requested for building a 1:10 scale model to determine technical performance.

The project is a collaboration between university, engineering industry and hydropower companies.

Basis is a new water-saving technique, a Double Archimedean Screw with two interlocked spiral formed channels having a common axis of rotation.

The channels have opposite twist, which during rotation cause water to move in both directions, thus forming a bi-directional passage path. The downstream stream powers an electric generator. Patented in 10 countries.

The technology makes it feasible to recover 2/3 of the electric energy that otherwise would be lost (1.5 TWh) according to the National Swedish plan for environmental shift in hydropower production.