PARSHALL FLUME

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
FOR

PARSHALL FLUME

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 PARSHALL FLUME

WARRANTY CERTIFICATE
Supply of PARSHALL FLUME

The above instrument is warranted to be free from defects in workmanship and material and if it
proves so defective within 15 (Fifteen months) calendar months from the date of shipment to the
original purchaser, named above it shall be repaired or replaced free of. charge provided
The Purchaser sends promptly to M/s. SCI-TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED
102, Regency, New Link Road, Dahisar (West), Mumbai 400 068. INDIA. , notice of defect and
satisfactory proof thereof as abolishing that the instrument has been properly maintained and operated
within the limits of rated capacity and normal usages, and
 Assumes the obligation of all expenses of returning the defective instrument, properly packed
to the Factory at the address given in (a) above, if required.
 On parts of products incorporated in the instrument but not manufactured by M/s. SCI-
TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED, this warranty is limited to extending to
the purchaser the same warranty as given by the supplier of such part or products.
This guarantee dose not covers consumable parts such as Bulbs, Fuses, and Rubber Seals etc.
Under the circumstances shall M/s SCI-TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED , have any
liability whatsoever for loss of use or for any indirect or consequential damages.
We can only undertake to send our men to a distance to investigate and put right alleged defects on
the distinct understanding that we are paid for their time and expenses in every case.
M/s. SCI-TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED decision about repairing or replacing the
equipment or its parts will be final and binding on all concerned parties.
Unless superseded or in contractual form, this warranty is made expressly in lieu of all the other
liabilities and obligations on our part.
For SCI-TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED
Place: Mumbai/INDIA

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INDEX

Sr. No. Description Page no.

1. PHOTOGRAPH 4
2. COMPONENT LIST 5
3. PRECAUTIONS 6
4. INSTALLATION PROCEDURE 7
5. THEORY 9
6 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 15
7 EXPERIMENT NO.1 16

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 PARSHALL FLUME

RUBBER
GASKET

PARSHALL
FLUME

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 PARSHALL FLUME

COMPONENT LIST
After unpacking the consignment, you will find the following items:

1. Parshall flume

2. Rubber sealing lip

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 PARSHALL FLUME

PRECAUTIONS
1. Place the trainer on a leveled even surface, at least 1 meter away from

walls.

2. Use Single Phase 230 V AC, 50 Hz, 5 Amp electric supply with Neutral

and proper earthing.

3. Before staring the pump on Hydraulic Bench make sure that inlet and

outlet Valves are Open.

4. Do not close the flow control valve fully, may result in damage to the

trainer.

5. For pipes with small diameters adjust the flow to lower rates.

6. Clean the equipment before and after the experiment with dry cloths.

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 PARSHALL FLUME

INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

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 PARSHALL FLUME

1. Open the package.

2. Clean the equipment with dry cloth.

3. Ensure that there are no damages.

4. Confirm that all the material is in place as shown in the figure.

5. Keep the equipment on a horizontal plane surface table as height same as

hydraulic bench.

6. Make connections of inlet and outlet pipes with the Hydraulic Bench

FM100.

7. Make sure that outlet flow control valve is open.

8. Switch on Mains Switch.

9. Start the pump on Hydraulic Bench. Adjust the flow to lower flow rate.

10.Run the system for few minutes.

11.Check the system for leakages if any.

12.Stop the pump.

13.In this way apparatus is successfully installed.

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 PARSHALL FLUME

THEORY

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 PARSHALL FLUME

The Parshall flume is a fixed hydraulic structure used to measure the flow of

sub-critical waters in open channels. Although originally developed to measure

irrigation / water rights flow, the use of the flume has been expanded and now

includes:

• Cooling water discharge

• Dam seepage

• Industrial effluent

• Irrigation / water rights

• Landfill leachate

• Mine discharge / dewatering

• Sanitary sewage (piped and treatment plant)

• Storm water

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 PARSHALL FLUME
Sub-critical flumes like the Parshall flume operate by accelerating slow, sub-

critical flow (Fr1) by restricting the flow as it passes through the flume. The

Parshall flume accomplishes this restriction by contracting the side walls and

dropping the floor.

Under controlled, laboratory conditions, Parshall flumes have been observed to

accurate to within +/-2%. However, the free-flow accuracy of Parshall flumes

under field conditions is usually within +/- 5% when practical considerations

such as approach flow, installation, and dimensional tolerance accounted.

The Parshall flume is an open channel flow metering device that was developed

to measure the flow of surface waters and irrigation flows. The Parshall flume is

a fixed hydraulic structure. It is used to measure volumetric flow rate in

industrial discharges, municipal sewer lines, and influent/effluent flows in

wastewater treatment plants. The Parshall flume accelerates flow through a

contraction of both the parallel sidewalls and a drop in the floor at the flume

throat. Under free-flow conditions the depth of water at specified location

upstream of the flume throat can be converted to a rate of flow. Some states

specify the use of Parshall flumes, by law, for certain situations (commonly

water rights)

Although Parshall flumes are in extensive use in many western irrigation

projects, they are no longer generally recommended because of the advantages

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 PARSHALL FLUME
of long-throated flumes previously cited and the disadvantages of Parshall

flumes to be subsequently discussed. Some states specify the use of Parshall

flumes by law for certain situations.

In the past, it was common to size and set flumes for 95-percent submergence to

reduce approach flow depths 4 to 6 in. The 1976 second edition of this manual

gives detailed examples of selecting size and setting crest elevation for free flow

and intended submergence. Although correction methods for determining

submerged discharge exist, designing flumes for submerged flow measurement

is no longer considered good design practice because it compromises accuracy.

For example, imprecision of head measure-ment increases discharge error by 4

to 20 percent over the primary free-flow accuracy of 3 to 5 percent. In addition,

a recent study (Peck, 1988) found a 12-percent discontinuity in the submergence

correction function for a 1-ft flume depending upon whether downstream

measuring head results from a falling or rising water surface.

Designing and setting Parshall flumes for submerged flow measurement is not

usually recommended because less expensive, long-throated flumes can be

designed that approach or exceed 90 percent submergence limits with a single

upstream head measurement. Moreover, the absolute required drop in water

surface is usually less for the long-throated flumes, particularly the modified

broad-crested weir styles.

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Because so many Parshall flumes are currently in use, the remaining part of this

section is concerned mainly with structural dimensions for checking existing

flumes, equations for computing discharges, free-flow discharge tables for each

size flume, plots for submerged discharge measurement corrections, and head

loss curves for assessing upstream depth changes caused by downstream

delivery depth changes.

UPSTREAM OF THE FLUME

• Flow entering the Parshall flume MUST be sub-critical.

• The Froude number (Fr) for flow entering a flume should not exceed 0.5 and

should never exceed 0.99. Surface turbulence may be encountered for Froude

numbers above 0.5. for a flume to accurately measure flow, that flow must be

sub-critical (Fr 1.0), then a hydraulic jump must be formed at least 30 times the

maximum anticipated head upstream of the entrance to the flume.

• The flow entering the flume should be smooth, tranquil, and well distributed

across the channel.

• If the flow is super-critical approaching the flume a hydraulic jump must be

formed well upstream of the flume or upstream energy absorbers and

tranquilizing racks must be used).

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• Should a hydraulic jump need to be formed to slow the flow, it should be

forced to occur at least 30 Ha upstream of the flume

. • The approaching channel should be straight so that the velocity profile is

uniform. Surging, turbulent, or unbalanced flows must be conditioned before the

flow enters the flume

. • Any bends, dips, elbows, or flow junctions upstream of the flume must be

sufficiently far upstream so that the flow has is well distributed and no

turbulent.

• EPA recommendations for upstream channel runs are conservatively the same

as for long throated flume – 25 throat widths. While ASTM D1941 indicates

that 10 to 20 times the throat with usually will meet the necessary inlet

conditions.

• While corrections can be made for improper installations or flume settlement,

they should be avoided where at all possible.

• Parshall flumes have been successfully used in applications where the flow

rises up a uniform vertical column and then enters the flume.

• Where the channel is wider than the inlet of the Parshall flume, wing walls

should be formed to smoothly direct the flow into the flume. The inlet wing

walls should be of a constant radius and should end tangent to the inlet walls of

the flume.

• Open channel (non-full pipe) flow must be present under all flow conditions

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 Flume Location

• The flume must be able to be set so that the flat converging section is level

from front-to-back and from side-to-side.

• When Parshall flumes are installed in earthen channels and furrows, care

should be taken to ensure that a stable bottom elevation is present and that the

elevation does not change during dry / wet seasons or low-flow periods.

• The flume must be centered in the flow stream.

• Where a Parshall flume must be set above the floor of a channel, a 1:4

(rise:run) slope should be formed into the flume. Slopes greater than this should

be avoided as they can cause turbulence as the flow separates at the junction of

the ramp and the inlet of the flume.

• All of the flow must go through the flume – there should be no bypass.

DOWNSTREAM OF THE FLUME

For a Parshall flume to operate under free-flow conditions, the downstream

channel must be of a sufficient size / configuration so that flow does not back up

into the flume – slowing discharge out of the flume.

• When flow out of the Parshall flume is returning to a channel or pipe, the EPA

recommends that the channel be straight and unobstructed for 5-20 throat widths

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– although flow spilling freely off the end of the flume can eliminate this

requirement.

• To transition the flow out of a Parshall flume, wing walls should be used.

These walls can be flat or perpendicular to the flume (to save space or money)

or they can extend from the flume’s discharge at some angle or radius sufficient

to transition the flow as desired. Transitions to earthen or natural channels

should be as gradual as practical to minimize downstream scour.

• The downstream channel should be armored (riprap) or otherwise protected so

that scour does not occur.

• The downstream channel must be clear of vegetative growth or the collection

of debris so that flow does not back up in to the flume.

FLOW INSPECTION

• Flow entering the flume should be tranquil and well distributed. • Turbulence,

poor velocity profile, or surging should not be present.

• The Froude (Fr) number should, ideally, be 0.5.

• As the Froude number increases so does surface turbulence.

• Flumes accelerate sub-critical flow (Fr < 1) to a supercritical state (Fr 1>) .

• Flumes experiencing flows greater than unit (Fr = 1) will not accurately

measure flow.

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FLUME INSPECTION:

 Flumes must be level from front-to-back and from side-to-side

 Flow surfaces are to be kept clean of surface buildup or algal growth.

Scrubbing or a mild detergent can be used.

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 PARSHALL FLUME

SCI-TECH ENGINEERING PRIVATE LIMITED

102, Regency, New Link Road, Dahisar (West),
Mumbai 400 068. INDIA. Tel: ++9122 2891 2519 / 2891 3124
Fax: ++ 9122 2891 0566 Website: www.sci-tech.biz
E-mail: sci-tech@sci-tech.biz ; scitechenggpvtltd@yahoo.com

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