A team from ETH Zurich's Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) in Switzerland has devised a solution for guiding fish safely away from turbines at hydropower plants.

The Curved Bar Rack Bypass System (CBR-BS) is a vertical bar rack with specialized bars designed to create local eddies — or circular currents of water — that guide fish toward a bypass and away from turbines.

Developed following a number of tests in the lab and at the site of different hydropower plants, the researchers plan on conducting a series of future pilot tests of the system.

To see how the CBR-BS would function, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of ETH Zurich.