Ice Harbor Turbine Replacement Project Designed for Improved Fish Passage Survival

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded a contract in 2010 to Voith Hydro to design and supply replacement turbines for installation at Ice Harbor Dam located on the lower Snake River, Washington, USA. The contract included design and supply of both fixed and adjustable blade turbines. The replacement turbines were primarily designed for “safer” fish passage with increased efficiency as a secondary goal. The USACE Turbine Survival Program developed the design criteria and iterative evaluation process employing computational fluid dynamic model analysis, performance model testing for power and efficiency, and physical hydraulic model testing for evaluation of the turbine passage environment. The hydraulic design of both turbine types, completed in 2014, was a collaborative effort among the USACE’s Walla Walla District, Engineer Research and Development Center, Hydroelectric Design Center, National Marine Fisheries Service and Voith Hydro. An overview of the research, design criteria, and the design and evaluation process will be presented with some brief evaluation results for the fixed runner design illustrating the potential for significant fish passage improvements.