Name: Herstellung von Silikonstopfen für die Ballon-Tag-Montage
Uploaded: 2023-10-13T12:10:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Manufacturing Silicone Stopper for Balloon Tag Assembly at JoVE.com

manufacturing silicone stopper for balloon tag assembly

Optimierung der Montage von Ballon-Tags zur Bergung von Sensorfischen und lebenden Fischen

Hydropower is a significant renewable energy resource worldwide. In the United States, hydropower contributes an estimated 38% or 274 TWh of electricity generated from renewable sources1 and has the potential to add approximately 460 TWh per year2. However, as hydropower development increases, concerns about fish injury and mortality during hydraulic passage have become paramount3. Various mechanisms contribute to fish injuries during passage, including rapid decompression (barotrauma), shear stress, turbulence, strikes, cavitation, and grinding4. Although these injury mechanisms may not have an immediate impact on the overall condition of the fish, they can render them more vulnerable to diseases, fungal infections, parasites, and predation5. Additionally, direct physical injuries resulting from collisions with turbines or other hydraulic structures can lead to significant mortality, emphasizing the importance of mitigating these risks in hydropower development.
One of the most common methods for evaluating fish passage conditions is releasing Sensor Fish and live fish through hydraulic structures6,7. The Sensor Fish is an autonomous device designed to study the physical conditions that fish experience during passage through hydraulic structures, including turbines, spillways, and dam bypass alternatives8,9. Equipped with a 3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, temperature sensor, and pressure sensor9, the Sensor Fish provides valuable data on fish passage conditions.
Balloon tags, which are self-inflating balloons attached externally to Sensor Fish and live fish, assist in their recovery after passing through hydraulic structures. The balloon tags consist of dissolvable capsules filled with gas-generating chemicals (e.g., oxalic acid and sodium bicarbonate), a silicone stopper, and a fishing line. Prior to deployment, water is injected through the silicone stopper into the balloon. The water dissolves the vegetable-based capsules, triggering a chemical reaction that produces gas&#160;inflating the balloon. In this neutralization reaction, sodium bicarbonate, a weak base, and oxalic acid, a weak acid, react to form carbon dioxide, water, and sodium oxalate10. The chemical reaction is provided below:
2NaHCO3+ H2C2O4 &#8594; 2CO2 + 2H2O + Na2C2O4
The inflated balloon increases the buoyancy of the Sensor Fish and live fish, enabling them to float on&#160;the water surface for easier recovery.
The number of balloon tags required to achieve flotation and facilitate the retrieval of a sample (e.g., Sensor Fish or live fish) may vary based on the volume and mass characteristics of the sample. The duration of balloon tag inflation can be adjusted by injecting water at different temperatures. Colder water will increase the inflation time, while warmer water will decrease it. Balloon tags have been successfully employed in various locations, including the Farmers Screen, a unique horizontal, flat-plate fish and debris screen structure in Hood River, Oregon11, and a Francis turbine at Nam Ngum Dam in the Lao People&#39;s Democratic Republic12. Another commercially available balloon tag example is the Hi-Z Turb&#39;N Tag13,14. The Hi-Z Turb&#39;N Tag allows inflation time to be adjusted between 2 min and 60 min, depending on the injected water temperature13. This technology has been used in fish studies at many field sites, including studies involving Chinook salmon smolts released at Rocky Reach Dam on the Columbia River and juvenile American shad at Hadley Falls Dam on the Connecticut River15,16. Both technologies utilize acid-base&#160;chemical reactions to inflate the balloon tags for recovery.
This method offers cost-effectiveness and simplicity in manufacturing, with an estimated material cost of only $0.50 per balloon. As described here, the manufacturing process is easy to follow, making balloon tag production accessible to anyone.

Autor im Rampenlicht: Entwicklung kostengünstiger und anpassbarer Ballon-Tags für Fischpassagenstudien 

Ballon-Tag-Herstellungstechnik für die Bergung von Sensorfischen und lebenden Fischen

This research focuses on developing and evaluating cost-effective balloon tags for fish passage studies and hydraulic structures. Our aim is to assess the effectiveness of different balloon tag configurations for the recovery of sensor fish and live fish after they pass through these hydraulic structures. The balloon tag protocol we developed offer a cost effectiveness, customizability, and adjustable inflation times.It is a low-cost solution for large scale studies with limited budgets. It helps to understand the impact of hydraulic structures on fish and can be tailored to different species and environments. We have developed a cost-effective balloon tag manufacturing process.This will enhance our understanding of balloon tag performances under different conditions, enabling tailored testing and facilitating environmental impact assessments for developing and operating fish-friendly hydropower systems.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Manufacturing Silicone Stopper for Balloon Tag Assembly at JoVE.com

Herstellung von Silikonstopfen für die Ballon-Tag-Montage

Mischen Sie zunächst beide handelsüblichen Silikonformstoffkomponenten in einem Mischbecher und halten Sie dabei ein Gewichtsverhältnis von eins zu eins ein. Mit einem Einweglöffel etwa fünf Minuten lang gründlich umrühren, bis die Mischung gleichmäßig aussieht. Positionieren Sie dann die mit Packband versehene 3D-gedruckte Formplatte über einem Blatt Papier.Gießen Sie die Silikonmischung in jedes Stopfenloch und stellen Sie sicher, dass alle Löcher gefüllt sind. Verteilen Sie das Silikon mit einem Gummirakel gleichmäßig in jedem Stopperloch, bevor Sie Silikonreste entfernen. Lassen Sie die Gummistopfen vier Stunden trocknen.Sobald die Stopfen vollständig ausgehärtet sind, wie durch die vollständige Trocknung und Aushärtung der Silikonmischung angezeigt, entfernen Sie das Klebeband von der Rückseite der Formplatte und ziehen Sie die Stopfen aus der Form. Reinigen Sie zum Schluss überschüssiges Silikon, das an den Stopfen befestigt ist.

Research

JoVE Journal

Engineering

Manufacturing Silicone Stopper for Balloon Tag Assembly

Balloon Tag Manufacturing Technique for Sensor Fish and Live Fish Recovery

Fish may experience injuries and mortality when they pass through hydraulic conveyances at hydropower dams, even if these conveyances are designed to be ...