Thesis: Site-Specific Tube Fishway for Elver Migration

Vattenfall; Älvkarleby kommun; On-site; SEK 134,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

Vattenfall seeks a MSc student to develop a site-adapted tube fishway for juvenile eel migration near Älvkarleby, Sweden. You will design a site-specific transfer chamber and pipe routing, integrate automation, and perform hydraulic testing with guidance from R&D specialists.

The project aims to reduce manual handling and enable automated operation, contributing to river connectivity and environmental measures within hydropower operations. Start February 2027 or by agreement.

Qualifications

• MSc student in Environmental, Hydraulic, Civil, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Basic knowledge of hydraulics and fluid mechanics.
• Interest in design, automation, and practical engineering solutions.
• Enjoys hands-on experimental work and solving environmental challenges.
• Thesis scope: 30 ECTS (approximately 6 months).
• Intended for one student.
• Start date: February 2027 or by agreement.

Responsibilities

• Support the scanning and assessment of the installation area and the existing floating elver collector.
• Design a site-specific transfer chamber, attachment system, and pipe routing solution.
• Adapt the existing laboratory-scale tube fishway into a site-representative configuration.
• Develop and implement valve control strategies for automated operation.
• Conduct hydraulic and operational testing of the system.
• Evaluate the design and provide recommendations for future field deployment and improvements.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Hydraulics

Automation

Education

MSc in Environmental, Hydraulic, Civil or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Vattenfall seeks a MSc student to develop a site-adapted tube fishway for juvenile eel migration near Älvkarleby, Sweden. You will design a site-specific transfer chamber and pipe routing, integrate automation, and perform hydraulic testing with guidance from R&D specialists.

The project aims to reduce manual handling and enable automated operation, contributing to river connectivity and environmental measures within hydropower operations. Start February 2027 or by agreement.