A thick, slanted Restoration Hydro Turbine runner is shown installed in a runner housing.

FishSafe™️ engineering by Natel, manufacturing by trusted industry partners.

High-Performance, FishSafe™

Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) runners can be applied to large and small hydropower plants up to 40 m (130 ft) hydraulic head, with no limit on runner diameter. Available for custom retrofits or new build, RHT designs improve environmental outcomes and reduce costs with no tradeoffs.

High performance

Natel’s runner designs combine through-turbine fish passage with resistance to cavitation and >90% peak hydraulic efficiency. Natel rigorously tests design performance at our IEC 60193-compliant hydraulic test facility. Performance tests measure flow, pressure, torque, and speed of scale-model turbines and are conducted to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers PTC-18 standard.

Exceptional through-turbine fish passage

Natel’s patented FishSafe™ Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) runner designs feature thick, forward-swept blades that have demonstrated 98-100% fish passage survival. This unique shape is informed by laboratory blade strike studies, CFD modeling, and numerous fish passage tests

propeller runner comparison FishSafe™ RHT v conventional

Kaplan-style FishSafe blade vs conventional blade

Retrofit Ready

By enabling effective fish passage at the same speed and power point as conventional turbines, RHT designs allow for straightforward equipment replacements with little to no change in civil works or generator specifications.

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High Economic Value

FishSafe™ turbines offer many economic advantages over conventional turbines with traditional fish passage measures:

Lower Cost
‍Install FishSafe™ RHTs for ~50% CapEx to install fine screening and bypass fishways.
‍
Low Maintenance
RHTs eliminate the need to clean and maintain fine screens and reduce the frequency of runner repair or replacement due to abrasion.
‍
Increased generation
‍Up to 10% more power generation with FishSafe™ RHTs
due to avoided bypass flow and screening head losses. No shutdowns during migration season. Plants maintain operational flexibility.

Read the peer-reviewed study about cost savings

Broadly applicable

FishSafe™ runner designs span a wide operating range. Working with established manufacturing partners, Natel can provide FishSafe™ propeller, Kaplan, or Francis-style RHT runners or turbines of any diameter for sites up to 40 m (130 ft) in head. Learn more about our highly-regarded turbine manufacturing partners.

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Abrasion resistant

The same principles that allow Natel’s runner designs to function as a fish passageway also reduce blade erosion. Tests following the IEC Standard 62364 showed that the unique blade shape that characterizes FishSafe™ RHT designs demonstrated high resistance to abrasion. The testing found that the thickness of FishSafe™ blades produced a stagnation effect on sediment slurry while the blade sweep also decreased the contact velocity of sediment impacting the runner. The outcome of these effects resulted in six times less material loss on an RHT-style blade sample as compared to a conventional propeller blade.

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Natel Energy
2401 Monarch Street
Alameda, CA 94501, USA

info@natelenergy.com
510.342.5269

Natel Energy, Inc.
2401 Monarch Street
Alameda, CA 94501, USA

Tel 510.342.5269
Fax 866.710.5144

FishSafe™️ engineering by Natel, manufacturing by trusted industry partners.

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