Modeling acoustic fields using Open FOAM to determine fish deterrence | W81EWF 22 SOI 0030

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity about?

This Department of Defense funding opportunity, administered through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), supports research and development to improve how non-physical fish deterrent barriers are designed and evaluated in U.S. waterways. The focus is on modeling deterrence approaches that influence fish behavior using stimuli such as acoustics (sound) and potentially electricity, rather than using physical screens or structures.

What problem is the project trying to solve?

The project targets the spread of invasive aquatic species and the challenge of slowing or preventing their movement through complex, real-world waterways. Many of the locations where deterrence is needed are near major infrastructure like locks and dams, where flow conditions, geometry, and operational constraints make deterrent barrier performance difficult to predict and evaluate.

What is meant by "non-physical fish deterrent barriers"?

Non-physical deterrent barriers are systems that do not rely on physical structures (like screens) to block fish movement. Instead, they aim to trigger behavioral responses in fish using environmental stimuli. In this opportunity, the primary examples are acoustic deterrents (sound fields) and, potentially, electric deterrents (electric fields).

Why is OpenFOAM relevant to this opportunity?

Practitioners already use OpenFOAM, an open-source multi-physics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework, to model free-surface hydraulics in waterways near structures such as locks and dams. OpenFOAM can simulate water movement and surface behavior, which is important context for understanding deterrent performance in flowing environments.

What gap is ERDC trying to close with this project?

While OpenFOAM workflows can model hydrodynamics (water flow and free-surface behavior), they do not adequately support modeling the acoustic fields (and potentially electric fields) that fish would experience and that actually drive deterrence. This limits the ability to design, compare, validate, and predict performance of deterrent systems in a rigorous and realistic way.

What is the main technical deliverable expected from the awardee?

The core deliverable is added capability within the OpenFOAM framework to simulate acoustic fields in the same environments where hydraulic variables are computed. The opportunity also notes a possible extension to electric field modeling, but the primary stated focus is acoustic field simulation integrated with hydrodynamic modeling.

What does "integrated modeling approach" mean in this announcement?

It refers to generating hydrodynamics, the sound field, and (if pursued) the electrical field together for a given site. The intent is a unified workflow and richer dataset that allows analysis of how deterrent stimuli propagate and vary spatially in flowing, free-surface environments and around complex structures.

What kinds of environments are emphasized for this work?

The opportunity emphasizes complex, operational aquatic environments, particularly those near major infrastructure such as locks and dams. These settings involve complicated geometry, real-world boundary conditions, and operational constraints that make deterrent barrier behavior and performance hard to predict using simplified approaches.

What role will USACE/ERDC play during the project?

The work is planned as a cooperative agreement with close collaboration between the selected performer and USACE. USACE will provide a field site along with supporting geometry and measured sound data to ground the modeling work in real conditions.

What responsibilities does the awardee have regarding field data?

Beyond implementing and integrating the modeling capability into OpenFOAM, the selected awardee is expected to process acoustic data as needed. This includes handling field measurements, aligning them with model geometry and boundary conditions, and preparing them for calibration and validation of the simulated sound fields.

What is the expected outcome or impact of the work?

The intended outcome is practical, usable modeling enhancements that help engineers and biologists better understand and predict fish deterrence performance in operational waterways. By adding realistic acoustic (and potentially electric) field simulation to hydrodynamic site models, the workflow is expected to support more rigorous design, comparison, calibration, and validation of deterrent systems.

Is this a research project or an implementation/deployment project?

It is described as a research and development effort. The emphasis is on developing and integrating modeling capabilities and producing a usable workflow grounded in field data, rather than deploying a deterrent barrier system itself.

What type of award instrument is anticipated?

The announcement anticipates a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement and collaboration with the government partner (here, USACE/ERDC) during the work.

How many awards are anticipated?

The opportunity anticipates a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling is stated as $140,000.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81EWF 22 SOI 0030.

How is this opportunity categorized?

It is categorized as discretionary funding in the science and technology / research and development area, and it is associated with CFDA 12.630.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. Based on the information provided here, applicants would need to consult the full announcement for the specific eligibility criteria.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The original posting date was June 22, 2022, and the original closing date was August 22, 2022.

What kinds of deterrence stimuli are specifically mentioned?

The opportunity specifically mentions sound (acoustics) as a key stimulus and also notes electricity as a potential additional stimulus area for modeling, if pursued.

What makes predicting deterrent performance difficult at these sites?

The sites are described as complex and operational, often adjacent to infrastructure like locks and dams. Flow conditions, geometry, and operational constraints can all influence how deterrent fields behave and how fish respond, making performance difficult to predict without integrated, site-specific modeling.