WMO / OMM Autorite du Bassin

du Niger

Niger-HYCOS and Volta-HYCOS Projects

Training programme on flow measurements

2nd part : Flow measurement techniques

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Flow measurements and calculations

Definitions
Volumetric method
Weirs
Chemical dilution
Electromagnetic method
Ultrasonic or acoustic method
Flow measurements with current meter
Flow measurements with floats
uncertainty, errors

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Definitions

global methods : Q is measured directly (volumetric

method, weirs, chemical dilution , electromagnetisme);
incomplete methods : velocity is partialy explored
(ultrasonic, mobile boat, floats);
complete methods : the 3 components Hm, L, U are
measured separately (current meter, ADCP).

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Volumetric measurements

First principle : direct flow

determination from the necessary
time to fill a container of a given
capacity

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Thin plate weirs
Objective : the flows passes through a hydraulic
structure with known geometric characteristics

•Application of hydraulic principles

¾Determination of the rating curve
Principle : to obtain a critical regime
•Unique relation between flow Q and stage h (stage
above control) : Q = K C Hn

With :
K: flow coefficient linked to H;
C and n : parameters depending
on the characteristics of the weir

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Thin plate weirs

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Broad crested weirs

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Weirs : Parshall flume

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Weirs : Parshall flume
Effect of a contraction section

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Chemical dilution
Injection of the solution
with constant flow q
Cross
section 1

abstraction

Cross
section 2

Q : river flow
q : rate of flow of the injected tracer solution
C1 : concentration of the tracer solution injected into the
stream
C2 : concentration of the tracer at the abstraction section

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Global methods
Chemical dilution

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
Ultrasonic method

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
flow measurements with floats : principles

Measurement of surface velocities in the upper surface

(about first 20 centimeters)

Floats can be artificial (plastic bottles) or natural (trees, big branches, etc.).

The horizontal deplacement of a surface float during time t enables the

determination of the surface velocity of flow.

Several measures of float velocity must be carried out.

The mean of these measurements is then multiplied by the appropriate

coefficient to get the average velocity of the section

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
flow measurements with floats : examples of floats
All natural or artificial objects carried by water, partially or totaly immersed
, whose vertical movements indicate the variations of water level and
whose horizontal movements indicate the velocity of flow in the surface or
at different depths.

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
flow measurements with floats : measurement method
Float

Measurement of velocity

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
flow measurements with floats : calculation
Surface velocity

Horizontal distances

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Incomplete methods
flow measurements with floats : calculation of floats velocity

Float trajectory

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with
current meter

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
flow measurement by exploration of velocities

Determination of river flow by measuring, in a cross section, the current velocity

on a number of points. For each point the depth is also measured.

By summing the products of the mean velocity by the applicable elemental

areas

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
the supports of current meter

Wading rod

Reading of
depths

Current meter

Current meter on
wading rod

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
Deplacements of the support of the current meter

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter : Hydrological sextant

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
Hydrological sextant

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
Hydrological sextant

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
Deplacement between verticals

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
Flow measurement sheet
flow
River Station
measurement n°

Date Propellor
Water level surface
Comments Time D ………….. H………….

F …..……… H………….

Position Depth N T m.s-1 Comments

Bottom = 3.25

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
Flow calculation

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
Flow calculation

Great velocities Low velocities Rough and Very rough bottom

Turbulent flow Smooth bottom rocky bottom Aquatic vegetation is important

Velocity curve above Velocity curve above Low surface velocity

a big rock a hole downstream of a rock (immersed branches…)

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with current meter :
Flow calculation

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP

• measurement based on the propagation and the reflection of

acoustic waves by suspended particles in water.
• measure of current velocity using the Doppler effect.
• Suspended particles are used as reflectors.
• Does not work in very clear water (mountain lake, spring,
…)

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP : the Doppler effect

• When the particles move away from the source, they receive
the sound with a lower frequency. If the particles get closer
to the source, they receive the sound with a higher
frequency. The particles reflect the sound wave and behave
like emitters. The Doppler effect is applied 2 times.
• The Doppler lag Fd is given by the following equation :
Fd = 2 Fs(V/C)
where :
Fs is the frequency of emission,
C : celerity of the sound
V : particle velocity perpendicular to the face of the
transducer.

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP : the signal
• 2 pulses are separated by a time Tapart 2 1
• They travel along the beam away from the ADCP Tapart

2 1

2 1
• The suspended particles move towards the ADCP

• When it meets the first pulse, an echo is sent towards the ADCP
1

22 1

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP : the signal
• Particles continue to move along the beam towards the ADCP. When
they meet the 2nd pulse, a 2nd echo is created.
2 1
1 2
• The 2nd echo is closer to the ADCP than the first one.

1 2

1 2
• The echos are detected by the ADCP. The difference between their time
of arrival is lower than the difference between the 2 pulses emitted
Tapart-t
1 2
Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP :
measurement of the current

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Complete methods
flow measurements with ADCP : deplacement

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Flow measurement with ADCP on a catamaran

RiverCat features include:

• Specially designed waterproof electronics housing.
• Available with rugged aluminum hulls or low-profile fiberglass pontoons.
• The Mini-ADP is available in 3.0-MHz (0.3–6 m), 1.5-MHz (0.5–25 m), or 1.0-MHz (1–40 m)
operating frequencies (ranges).
• Completely integrated ADP processor, RS-232 radio-modems, DGPS, and 24-volt power supply.
• Powerful windows-based data-acquisition/post-processing software – features discharge/flow
measurements, and automatic ADP and DGPS setup wizard.
• RiverSurveyor software is compatible with Windows XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98, and 95.
• Comes powered and ready to go -- No wiring, No soldering, No radio-programming!

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Flow measurement with micro current meter

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Flow measurement with a truck

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Sounding weight

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
80 kg sounding weight with cable and support
Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Flow measurement with cable way
Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Gauging truck (France, 1996)

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
Winch and computer for visualising velocity profile
(France, 1999)

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Cable car station (Chili, 1992)

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
 Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie
Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007
uncertainty and errors
uncertainty due to the control section
uncertainty due to the equipment
uncertainty due to calculation
Conclusion

Projets Niger – HYCOS et Volta – HYCOS – Formation en hydrometrie

Mesurage des flows – flow measurement à l’ADCP, Niamey, Fevrier 2007