Systems and Methods for Electrified Fish Barriers

Abstract

The inventive subject matter describes an electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish having an electrical barrier with a computer system capable of executing a modified soft-start algorithm, the computer system further having a detector input and a switch output; a bio-electric fish proximity detector, the bio-electric fish proximity detector having a anode-cathode detecting pair input and a signal output, wherein said signal output is connected to the detector input; a time varying voltage source.

We claim: 
     
         1 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish comprising:
 a computer system capable of executing a modified soft-start algorithm, the computer system having a detector input and a switch output;   a fish proximity detector, the fish proximity detector having an anode-cathode detecting pair input and a signal output, wherein said signal output is connected to the detector input;   a time varying voltage source, the time varying current source increasing from a minimum potential to a maximum potential; a time varying current source, the time varying current source increasing from a minimum potential to a maximum potential; a controllable A-B switch having an A electrical path, a B electrical path, a common output, and a control input, such that the control input can select either the A electrical path or the B electrical path to be connected to the common output; the A electrical path electrically coupled to the signal output of the bio-electric fish proximity detector, the B electrical path electrically coupled to the electrode array; whereby the computer system sets the control input of the controllable A-B switch to the A electrical path to connect the bio-electric fish proximity detectors signal out to the detector input; such that when the bio-electric fish proximity detector detects a fish, the computer system the computer system sets the control input of the controllable A-B switch to the B electrical path and initiates the modified soft-start algorithm.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a constant current source;   a time varying voltage source, the time varying voltage source increasing from a minimum potential to a maximum potential; such that the product of the constant current source and the time varying voltage source will transfer increasing amounts of energy to the fish thereby evoking a flight response.   
     
     
         3 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a voltage of a pulse width varying from a minimal value to a maximum value;   such that the energy field is increased over time from a minimal value to a maximal value.   
     
     
         4 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a voltage of a pulse width varying from a minimal value of 11 microseconds to a maximum value of 250 microseconds in 9 microsecond intervals over a 500-microsecond period;   such that the energy field is increased over time from a minimal value to a maximal value.   
     
     
         5 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a voltage of a pulse width of 11 microseconds to yield a 2.2% duty cycle.   
     
     
         6 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a voltage of a pulse width of 20 microseconds to yield a 4.0% duty cycle.   
     
     
         7 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy increasing field further comprises:
 a voltage of a pulse width of 29 microseconds to yield a 5.8% duty cycle.   
     
     
         8 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the time varying voltage source has a sine-like waveform. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the time varying voltage source has a triangle-like waveform. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish according to  claim 1 , wherein the fish proximity detector is a bio-electric fish proximity detector. 
     
     
         11 . An electrical barrier system for the deterrence of fish in a media, comprising:
 a pulsator unit, the pulsator unit generating an electrical field, between an anode and a cathode in the media and the electrical field passing through the fish;   the pulsator unit further comprising:
 a computer system capable of executing a modified soft-start algorithm, the computer system having a central processing unit, a library of waveform inputs and a power output unit. 
   
     
     
         12 . The electrical barrier system for the deterrence of fish in a media according to  claim 11 , wherein during an initiation of soft-start algorithm, the central processing unit is capable of accessing the library of waveform inputs and to programmatically provide one or more parameters to the power output unit. 
     
     
         13 . The electrical barrier system for the deterrence of fish in a media according to  claim 12 , wherein the power output unit creates a time-varying potential difference on the anode and the cathode in the media. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical barrier system for the deterrence of fish in a media according to  claim 11 , wherein the soft-start algorithm can be implemented by a programming language chosen from group comprising of C, Perl or Python.