Specialized sonar system to provide early warning of jellyfish intrusion
Seattle-based BioSonics, Inc. has been awarded a contract to provide automated sonar technology to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP). The purpose of the project is to develop a sonar-based early warning system to automatically alert plant operators of impending jellyfish intrusions. Ultimately, several buoy-mounted sonar devices will be deployed at a KHNP power plant as part of a major research project in conjunction with Chonnam National University and GeoSystem Research Corporation (GeoSR).
Events where vast swarms of jellyfish appear unexpectedly, overwhelm intake screens, and clog cooling water intakes are increasing in frequency. In extreme cases, jellyfish swarming events cause costly power plant shutdowns, resulting in extensive cleanup and recovery efforts. Such shutdowns are extremely costly, with millions in lost revenue for each day the shutdown continues.
The use of sonar for jellyfish detection is well-documented, and BioSonics DT-X AMS technology offers long-range detection capabilities coupled with automated processing functionality for real-time alerts/reporting. An effective early warning system will help avoid shutdown events by notifying plant operators to take preemptive action, such as actuating a diversion system to guide jellyfish away from the intake before they reach the screens.
The KNHP contact award was announced at the 2022 Asian Fisheries Acoustics Society (AFAS) meeting in Busan, Korea. At the AFAS meeting, BioSonics Scientist, JB Jung met with lead researcher Dr. Doojin Hwang from Chonnam National University to discuss final details. Dr. Hwang has published extensively on the use of scientific sonar for studying jellyfish, and is a long-time user of BioSonics DT-X echosounder systems.
From the 2022 AFAS Meeting, Busan, Korea. Pictured from left: Hyunn-Ok Shin (Pukyung University),
JB Jung (BioSonics, Inc.), Doojin Hwang (Chonnam National University) and Sung Jin Park (GeoSR)
For more information about BioSonics Automated Monitoring Systems for cooling water intakes or other applications, please call direct at 855-SUBSEA1 or contact us via email at the links below: