Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal IIB
Smith-Root provided the technology for this permanent barrier to work with Barrier IIA to prevent invasive asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes.- Location: Romeoville, Illinois
- Commissioned: 2011
- Type: Waterway
Project description
In order that Barrier IIA could be shut down for maintenance, a third barrier IIB was commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 2009. Smith-Root completed the design of the specialty pulsator, switching, and control systems in early 2010. USACE contracted out the civil engineering, building construction, and the cooling systems to other suppliers. Smith-Root completed installation and testing, and Barrier IIB came on line in February 2011.
The electrodes for IIB were already installed in the IIA contract. The pulsators are identical to IIA, but the cooling and control systems are much upgraded. Monitoring and control is though a fiber-optic network with numerous redundant paths.
Water cooling is provided by an evaporative system designed by USACE.
Services provided
- Coordination with owner U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District
- Coordination with fish researchers
- Electrical and electronic design of the pulsator and power supply systems
- Installation and commissioning of Smith-Root specialty items
- Continued monitoring of electrical barrier remotely to ensure system integrity
- Complete annual maintenance of electrical barrier
Site characteristics
- Pulsators: Custom
- Pulsator Qty: 3
- Power Output: 1850kW max.
- Water Depth: 25 feet
- Waterway Width: 160 feet
- Water Velocity: (-1)-3 ft./s
- Conductivity: 3500 µs/cm max.