Archimedean screw as fish-friendly turbines for harnessing hydropower potential

Abstract

Hydraulic energy is one of the most important sources of renewable energy today. It is also a complementary source to other renewable energy sources, being the only one that offers an important nonpolluting storage capacity (through pump storage facilities). Another essential quality of hydraulic energy is its ability to regulate the energy system to allow the integration of other sources, in which the process of generating energy depends on factors that cannot be controlled (sun, wind, etc.). However, hydropower plants can damage ecosystems, especially by affecting fish within their turbines. Usually, fish cannot pass unharmed through most of the turbines. The main exceptions generally include some low head (below 8 m) turbines, such as the Very Low Head (VLH) turbine and the screw turbine, but lately strategies have also been developed for high head hydropower plants such as: fish passage facilities and fish friendly turbines such as Alden turbine, Minimal Gap Runner turbine (MGR). However, this article only deals with screw-type turbines, low-head fish-friendly turbines and how to implement them in order to obtain sustainable green energy.