Sediment Measuring Instruments

Sediment
Measuring
Instruments

Bed Material
Sampler

Tranport
Sediment
Sampler

Bed Load
Sampler
Suspended
Load Sampler

Bed Material Sampler

Bed material
sampler

Grab
sampler

Dredge-type
sampler

Scoop-type
sampler

Core
sampler

Grab Sampler:
Grab Sampler:
Consist of two buckets or jaws which are in an open position during
lowering of the sampler.
After contact with the bed the buckets are closed by using a messenger
system or by pulling the hoisting cable.

Source:
http://www.rickly.com/devwww/as/images/EKMAN.JPG

Dredge-type Sampler:
Dredge-type Sampler:
For coarse and/or firm bed material

Source: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/polychaete/Dredge2.jpg

Scoop-type Sampler:
Scoop-type Sampler:
Consists of a single scoop-type bucket which swings out of the bottom
of the sampler body
The bucket surrounds and encloses the bed material sample.

Source:
http://www.marum.de/Binaries/Binary3689/SS_Scoops_2.jpg

Core Sampler:
Core Sampler:
Consists of driving a tube into the bed material through the use of
manpower, gravity, hydrostatic pressure or vibration

Source: http://www.rickly.com/as/images/CORESAMP.JPG

Bed Load Sampler

Bed load
sampler

Bed load
transportmeter
Arnhem (BTMA)

Helley-Smith
sampler (HS)

Delft Nile
sampler (DNS)

Bed load transportmeter Arnhem

(BTMA)
The instrument is based on the

collection of sediment particles by

means of a basket type sampler.
The basket, consisting of fine wire

mesh and mounted in a frame, is

pressed on the channel bed after
lowering of the frame.
The form of the basket causes a

pressure reduction behind the

instrument so that the water and
sediment particles enter the mouth
of the basket with the same velocity
as that of the ambient flow, provided
that the sediment content, already in
the basket, is relatively small.

Source:
http://www.hoskin.ca/catalog/images/Delft
%20Bottle.jpg

Bed load transportmeter Arnhem

(BTMA)
The bed load transport (in kg/s.m) can
be determined as:

in which:
= calibration factor
p = porosity factor (0.4)
s = density of sediment particles
(2650 kg/m3)
Vs = immersed volume of sediment
catch (m3)
b = width of intake opening (0.085 m)
T = sampling period (s).
Source:
http://www.hoskin.ca/catalog/images/Delft
%20Bottle.jpg

Helley-Smith sampler (HS)

The Helley-Smith bed load sampler

is a modified version of the BTMAsampler.

The Helley-Smith sampler consists of

a nozzle, sample bag and frame.

The sampler has a square entrance

nozzle (0.076 x 0.076 m) and a

sample bag constructed of 250 ummesh polyester.
Larger nozzles are generally used to

sample larger sediment sizes and

heavier samplers become necessary
as deeper and faster rivers are
sampled.

Source:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/Sediment
_Trans/PP1573/HTMLReport/TR2.jpg

Helley-Smith sampler (HS)

The bed-load transport (in kg/s.m)

can be determined as:

in which:
k = calibration factor
p = porosity factor (0.4)
s = density of sediment particles
(2650 kg/m3)
V = immersed volume of sediment
catch (m3)
b = width of intake opening
(0.0762 m)
T = sampling period (s).

Source:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Projects/Sediment
_Trans/PP1573/HTMLReport/TR2.jpg

Delft Nile sampler (DNS)

The bed load sampler is connected to

a swing arm, which can move in the

vertical direction (upward and
downward) over a distance of about
0.15 m with respect to the supporting
frame.
When the frame of the instrument is

placed on the bed, the sampler

nozzle makes contact with the bed
by relaxing the tension in the cable.
When the instrument is raised, first

the nozzle of the bed-load sampler is

raised over 0.15 m and then the frame
is lifted from the bed.

Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5514figur
e2.jpg

Delft Nile sampler (DNS)

The bed load transport (in kg/s.m)

can be determined as:

in which:
k = calibration factor (1 to 1.5)
Gs = dry mass of sediment catch (kg)
Go= dry mass of sediment catch
related to initial
b = width of intake opening (0.096
m for DNS)
T = sampling period (s).
Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5514figur
e2.jpg

Suspended Load Sampler

Suspended
load sampler

Bottle & trap

sampler

Pump
sampler

Optical &
acoustical
sampler

Bottle & Trap Sampler

Bottle Sampler:
The method is based on the filling of a
bottle to determine the silt and/or sand
concentration at a specific point in the
flow.
Usually, the bottle is placed vertically
in a container and lowered to the
sampling point, where the bottle is
opened.
The silt and sand concentrations are
determined as:

in which:
G= dry mass of sediment (mg)
V = volume of water sample (l)

Source:
http://lindorm.com/products/img/NI-02.jpg

Bottle & Trap Sampler

Trap Sampler:
The instantaneous trap sampler
consists of a horizontal cylinder
equipped with end valves which can be
closed suddenly (by a messenger
system) to trap a sample
instantaneously
The water is allowed to flow through
the horizontal cylinder while the
sampler is lowered to the desired
point.
The silt and sand concentrations can be
determined with the same formula as
for bottle samplers.

Source:
http://www.kcdenmark.dk/media/30740/28_500_Sediment
_trap_1.jpg

Pump Sampler
Pump-filter sampler:
The water-sediment sample is pumped
through a filter which separates all
particles larger than the mesh size of
the applied filter material.
After taking a sample, the filter system
is opened and the filter material with
the sand catch is removed and
returned to the laboratory for drying,
weighing and size analysis.
The silt and sand concentrations can be
determined with the same formula as
for bottle samplers.

Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5633figur
e1.jpg

Pump Sampler
Pump-bottle sampler:
This sampler method is based on the
continuous pumping of a watersediment mixture.
On board of the survey vessel a small
part of the pump discharge is used to
fill a 1 liter-bottle or 2 liter-bottle in 3
to 5 minutes by using a small siphon
tube.
Using this method, a relatively long
sampling period and hence a
(statistically) reliable concentration
measurement can be obtained.

Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5635figur
e1.jpg

Pump Sampler
Pump-sedimentation sampler:
The method is based on the filling of a
large calibrated container (= 50 liters),
in which the sand particles can settle
(bottle 1).
A high separation efficiency can be
obtained by using a conical container
and a vibrator to avoid settlement of
the sand particles on the inside of the
container
To determine the silt concentration
(particles smaller than 50 um), a small
water sample (bottle 2) can be tapped
during emptying of the container.

Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5634figur
e1.jpg

Optical & acoustical sampler

Optical and acoustical sampler
methods enable the continuous and
contactless measurement of sediment
concentrations, which is an important
advantage compared to the mechanical
sampling methods.
Although based on different physical
phenomena, optical and acoustical
sampling methods are very similar in a
macroscopic sense.

For both methods the measuring

principles can be classified in:
transmission, scattering, transmissionscattering.
Source:
http://www.vliz.be/wiki/Bestand:H5641figur
e1.jpg