Multiple sensor fish surrogate for acoustic and hydraulic data collection

Abstract

The apparatus of this invention are multiple fish surrogates that each have plurality of piezoelectric and triaxial accelerometer sensors for emulating sensory organs of a particular fish. The multiple fish surrogates are immersed in flowing water intakes of a hydraulic structure such as: intakes, intake bypasses, and diversion structures; or also natural geological formation such as riffles, shoal areas, and pools. The invention is used for acquisition of acoustic and fluid dynamic data in or near these hydraulic structures and natural formations. To accomplish this, multiple sensors in multiple fish-shaped physical enclosures are deployed at the same time to describe a fish's aquatic environment at locations such as in proximity to a dam's intake. Since such an intake exhibits turbulent and high energy flow fields that cannot be characterized by a single sensor, many sensor bodies are required for a complete characterization of the environment. Similar deployment of the multiple sensor fish bodies can be made in complex natural channels to describe their acoustic fields and hydrodynamic fields. Such data are correlated with fish behavior for the purpose of developing methods of diverting fish from such areas of danger of a water intake or to attract them to a water bypass entrance system.