Natel Energy provides data‑driven hydraulic engineering to design FishSafe™ turbines that enable high downstream fish survival while improving hydraulic efficiency. Its CFD‑based platform and full‑scale testing deliver turbines with up to 94% peak efficiency, up to 10% additional power output, and blade life extended up to five times, offered as turnkey solutions for new builds and retrofits.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Hydropower turbines often cause high downstream fish mortality and experience accelerated blade erosion, leading to regulatory challenges and increased operational costs for plant owners. Traditional turbine designs also suffer from flow losses that reduce overall generation efficiency. These issues limit the economic and environmental viability of both new and retrofit hydro projects.
Solution
Natel Energy applies data‑driven hydraulic engineering to create FishSafe™ turbine designs that maximize downstream fish passage survival while enhancing turbine performance. Using proprietary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models combined with high‑fidelity scale‑model testing, the company predicts fish survival rates and blade wear for Kaplan, Francis, and propeller‑style turbines. The engineered turbines achieve up to 94% peak hydraulic efficiency and demonstrated 98‑100% fish passage survival, extending blade life by up to five times in sediment‑laden conditions. By reducing the need for bypass channels and fine screens, the designs can increase plant output by up to 10% and lower both capital and operating expenditures, delivering faster return on investment for hydro operators.
Target Audience
The primary customers are hydroelectric plant owners and operators, turbine manufacturers, and engineering firms undertaking new construction or retrofit projects that require fish‑friendly, high‑efficiency turbine solutions. Regulatory bodies overseeing aquatic ecosystem protection also benefit from the validated fish passage data.
Features
- Proprietary CFD and hydraulic optimization platform that simulates flow fields, pressure gradients, and fish trajectories for turbine geometries.
- Full‑scale physical testing facility that validates model predictions of fish survival and blade erosion under realistic operating conditions.
- FishSafe™ turbine families (Kaplan, Francis, propeller) engineered for 98‑100% demonstrated through‑turbine fish passage survival.
- Blade design enhancements that provide up to 5× longer service life in high‑sediment environments, reducing maintenance frequency.
- Hydraulic performance improvements delivering up to 94% peak efficiency and up to 10% additional power output by minimizing bypass and screen losses.
- Turnkey engineering services for integration of FishSafe™ designs into new builds or retrofits, including custom CFD studies, prototype testing, and certification support.
- Partnerships with turbine manufacturers to embed FishSafe™ technology directly into production lines, ensuring scalability across project sizes.
- Compliance documentation and data packages that satisfy regulatory fish passage requirements for federal and state agencies.