The Chicago Electric Fish Barrier project is a crucial federal project, under the auspices of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, aimed at preventing the migration of non-native fish species, particularly Asian Carp, from the Mississippi River into the Great Lakes. This project is essential for preserving the ecosystem and game fish populations in the Great Lakes, requiring a comprehensive approach to electrical engineering and construction.
The engagement included eight separate projects of varying complexity, commencing with the construction of the 2A building, a pre-engineered metal structure that was implemented alongside concurrent work in the canal to establish an electric barrier that would utilize power converted by ComEd through transformers and rectifiers. To deliver this power underwater, electrodes were laid along the canal floor in multiple rows, allowing for effective operation. These electrodes involved extensive on-site fabrication of steel components to create the electrode logs. Additional parasitic arrays were integrated to focus the electrical output directly on the electrodes. These projects also required a cooling system, leading to the installation of a custom heat exchanger that utilizes canal water to improve efficiency.
Following the successful completion of the 2A project, the 2B phase expanded upon this foundation, featuring a cast-in-place concrete building and enhanced electrical systems, including larger power capabilities and additional underwater arrays. A robust backup power system was essential, requiring the installation of two large generators designed to maintain consistent operation during any sort of outage. These generators, which produce distinct waveforms for clean power supply, relied upon specialized paralleling gear that was to be housed within separate dedicated structures. Doyle provided design-build services for the standalone structures that house the paralleling gear.
Our involvement was pivotal throughout the eight projects. We collaborated closely with the design team to ensure the constructability and budget adherence of the world's largest electric fish barrier, which boasts ten times the size and power of other installations.