Difference between revisions of "Current meter"

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=Quick summary=
 
=Quick summary=
[[file:adcp_example_units.png|thumb|250px|Figure 1:]]
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[[file:current_meter_types.png|thumb|250px|Figure 1: Current meter: a) mechanic, b) electromagnetic, c) acoustic (Sources: SEBA hydrométrie, OTT, Sontek).]]
[[file:adcp_qboat.png|thumb|250px|Figure 2: ]]
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[[file:current_meter_section.png|thumb|250px|Figure 2: Flow cross-section with the verticals (in red) and the  points (black dots) for velocity measurement with the current meter]]
[[file:adcp_wse.png|thumb|250px|Figure 3: ]]
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[[file:current_meter_operator.png|thumb|250px|Figure 3: Operator in the downstream migration channel performing measurements with a current meter.]]
[[file:adcp_workflow.png|thumb|250px|Figure 4: ]]
 
[[file:adcp_output.png|thumb|250px|Figure 5: ]]
 
  
Developed by: Various Companies
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Developed by:  
  
 
Date:  
 
Date:  
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Type: [[:Category:Devices|Device]]
 
Type: [[:Category:Devices|Device]]
  
Suitable for the following [[::Category:Measures|measures]]:
 
  
 
=Introduction=
 
=Introduction=
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) allows quick, easy and accurate measurements of 3D velocity time series and bathymetry, and computation of discharges in rivers, estuaries, lakes and reservoirs as well as oceans. ADCP data can be used for calibration of numerical models, hydraulic studies (for example, flow field around hydraulic structures), habitat quality assessment and modelling, hydro-morphologic surveys and sediment studies.
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The first devices to measure flow velocities appeared during the 1780s, with the first mechanical current meter which counts the rotations of a propeller and links it to the flow velocity (by proportionality principle).  
 
The ADCP is equipped with multi-beams (three up to nine beams, Figure 1), which emit acoustic energy at a known frequency and record the frequency of the acoustic energy backscattered by the particles in the water column. The velocity of the water flow along each beam is computed based on the change in the frequency of the emitted and backscattered acoustic energy, i.e. the Doppler shift. Detailed information on the ADCP working principle and its limitations are described by Simpson (2002). The ADCP beams are positioned to 20 or 30 degree away from the vertical axis. By using a simple trigonometry, 3D velocity components are computed from the Doppler shifts measured with three or four sonar beams. In the latter, a redundant, fourth beam is used to compute error
 
velocity, which is the difference between a velocity measured by one set of three beams and a velocity measured by another set of three beams at the same time (Simpson, 2002). The error velocity is used to evaluate the assumption of horizontal homogeneity. The frequency of the ultrasonic sound transmitted by commercially available ADCPs ranges from 30 kHz to 3000 KHz (Simpson, 2002). ADCP can be used at a fixed position, i.e. stationary, or mounted to a tethered boat, manned boat or a remote-controlled boat (Mueller et al., 2013). Non-stationary i.e. moving boat ADCP measurements yield the flow velocity and direction relative to the boat and hence the velocity of the boat should be accounted for by using either bottom tracking or global positioning system (GPS) to determine true flow velocity.  
 
  
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Today there are 3 different techniques to assess the flow velocity: mechanically, electromagnetically, and acoustically (Figure 1). The acoustic current meters using the Doppler Effect are not presented here, as these tools (e.g ADCP, ADV) are presented separately.
  
 
=Application=
 
=Application=
Within the scope of FIThydro, high resolution 3D velocity, as well as bathymetry measurements, have been conducted using an ADCP mounted on a high speed remote-controlled boat at two hydropower plants (HPP) in Switzerland since the beginning of 2018. The models of the ADCP and the boat are River Pro 1200 kHz including piston style four-beam transducer with a 5th, independent 600 kHz vertical beam and Q-Boat purchased from Teledyne Marine, USA, respectively (Figure 2). An external Differential GPS (DGPS) system from A326 AtlasLink (Hemisphere) was used to accurately measure the positions of the ADCP. One set of the battery for the Q-boat allowed us to make measurements for 4 hours up to 10 hours depending on the flow velocity and field conditions i.e. temperature.
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In a mechanical flow meter, the rotation of the propeller produces an electrical impulse detected and recorded by a counter connected to the current meter.  
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The electromagnetic flow meter uses the Faraday law. The sensor creates a magnetic field between two electrodes located at the end of the probe. The flow velocity is deduced from the measurement of the electromagnetic force generated by the passage of water through the magnetic field.  
  
Compass calibration and moving bed tests are conducted before each ADCP measurement at the case study HPPs. The Test Case study HPP Schiffmühle is located on the 35 km long river Limmat between in Untersiggenthal and Turgi near Baden in Switzerland (see the Test Case presentation file for HPP Schiffmühle). Two transects of ADCP at each densely spaced cross-section along the river were enough but high accuracy of altitude data was required for the bathymetry measurements at the HPP and in general. The present DGPS system resulted in ±1m of errors in altitude measurements (Figure 3, black line). Therefore, use of a total station, which is time consuming, or real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS is recommended to accurately determine water surface and hence bathymetry (Figure 3, red line from total station measurements).
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The measurement conditions of discharge through flow velocity fields are regulated by the European standard NF EN ISO 748.
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The velocities are measured along a cross section at verticals. The number of verticals (n) depends on the width of the channel (w):
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* W < 0.5 m, n = 5 or 6
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* W > 0.5 m and < 1 m, n = 6 or 7
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* W > 1 m and < 3 m,   n = 7 or 12
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* W > 3 m and < 5 m,    n = 13 to 16
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* W > 5 m,   n ≥ 22
  
Furthermore, the test results from the HPP Bannwil located on River Aare in canton Bern indicated that averaging of at least 8 transects or even more at each cross-section is needed to obtain robust and smooth velocity field and accurate discharge data at highly turbulent and 3D flows occurring in rivers, turbine inlet and outlets or other hydraulic structures (see the Test Case presentation file for HPP Bannwil).
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One method among others to measure the mean velocity on each vertical is to measure the velocity in one or several measurement points at different water levels on the vertical. The number of measurements points for each vertical depends on the water level. For example, only one point is needed for water level <20 cm at 60% of the water level. If there are only 2 measurement points, they should be at 20 and 80% of the flow depth, and the mean velocity corresponds to the average of the two measured velocities. In the following example, 6 measurements were selected (Figure 2). The example is linked to the velocity profile inside a downstream migration channel, which is not logarithmic.
  
The ADCP data from both HPPs Schiffmühle and Bannwil are post-processed according to the workflow sketched in Figure 4 using the software WinRiver II (Teledyne software) and velocity mapping toolbox (VMT, Matlab based software for processing and visualizing ADCP data provided by U.S. Geological Survey). Figure 5 shows the depth-averaged velocities at the HPP Bannwil plotted with VMT. VMT can be used with the output files from Sontek ADCPs. For further data analysis and presentation on the maps like river bed changes, Q-GIS (free software) or ARC-GIS (Commercial software) are also recommended.
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To do the measurements, the operator needs to be equipped with waders and to be in the stream (Figure 3).
  
The present system based on the remote-controlled boat platform has advantages over the tethered boat ADCP application. These are less man-power needed, faster and more measurements in a shorter time, no flow disturbance and interference with beams and smoother movement of the boat.
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By the method of mean section, the mean velocity between the banks and the closer verticals can be calculated. The mean velocity on each vertical is calculated that way, in the case of 6 measurement points:
  
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<math>V_{mean section}=0.1(V_s+2V_{0.8}+2V_{0.6}+2V_{0.4}+2V_{0.2}>+V_{pf})</math>
  
=Other information=
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Then a mean velocity is calculated for each flow section between the verticals and the closer bank; by making an average for the sections without including the banks, and by applying the following formula:
The total costs for the geophone and accelerometer sensors amount to approx. 885-1'330 €. The costs for the field computer, the analog-digital-converter, and the 3G modem are approx. 5'300-6'200 €. The total costs for the Teledyne RiverPro 1200 kHz, Teledyne Q-boat and DGPS from Hemisphere Atlas link amount to approx. 22’000 €, 21’200 € and 3’340 € respectively. The costs of shipping, VAT, some mounting apparatus and long-range radio modem are excluded. For current costs of the equipment, we recommend to ask the corresponding supplier. Note that Q-boat can also house Sontek RiverSurveyor M9. Furthermore, a rugged laptop for field use is recommended.
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<math>V_{mean section}=\frac{m}{(m+1)}*V_{mean closer vertical}</math>
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where m is a parameter depicting the characteristics of the river bed or of the wall. m is generally comprised between 5 and 7, but can be equal to 10 if the walls are really smooth. If the river bed and the walls are rough, m=4.  
  
=Relevant literature=
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The discharge per section can be calculated according to standard EN ISO 748:2007:  
*Mueller, D.S., Wagner, C.R., Rehmel, M.S., Oberg, K.A., Rainville, F. (2013). Measuring discharge with acoustic Doppler current profilers from a moving boat (ver. 2.0, December 2013), U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 3, chap. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/tm3A22.
 
  
*Simpson, M.R. (2002). Discharge measurements using a broadband acoustic Doppler current profiler. Open-file Report 2001-1, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr011.
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<math>Q_{section}=V_{mean section}*H_{water mean}*W</math>
  
<b>Links to the suppliers of equipment:</b>
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where <math>H_{water mean}</math> is the mean water level and <math>W</math> is the width of the channel.
  
*Teledyne Marine, ADCP RiverPro: http://www.teledynemarine.com/riverpro-adcp?ProductLineID=13
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The total discharge is the sum of all the discharges per section.  
  
*Teledyne Marine, Q-Boat: http://www.teledynemarine.com/Lists/Downloads/Q-Boat_1800_Datasheet.pdf
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The most recent devices have the possibility to directly treat the data and provide the total discharge.
  
*Hemisphere Atlas DPS: https://hemispheregnss.com/Atlas/atlaslinke284a2-gnss-smart-antenna-1226
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=Relevant mitigation measures and test cases=
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{{Suitable measures for Current meter}}
  
*Sontek ADCP M9: https://www.sontek.com/riversurveyor-s5-m9
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=Other information=
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Several companies commercialize these technologies.
  
<b>Software for ADCP data analysis:</b>
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At the French Test Cases an electromagnetic flow meter Marsh McBirney, FLO-MATE 2000 was used.
  
*Velocity Mapping Toolbox: https://hydroacoustics.usgs.gov/movingboat/VMT/VMT.shtml
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=Relevant literature=
  
*Q-GIS: https://qgis.org/en/site/
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*Aurélien Despax, 2016, Incertitude des mesures de débit des cours d’eau au courantomètre, Amélioration desméthodes analytiques et apports des essais interlaboratoires, Ingénierie de l’environnement, UniversitéGrenoble Alpes, 2016
  
*ARC-GIS: https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/about-arcgis/overview
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*Manon Dewitte, Dominique Courret, Fatma Lemkecher, Laurent David, 2019, Presentation of Las Rives Test Case, FIThydro
  
 
=Contact information=
 
=Contact information=

Latest revision as of 16:08, 10 April 2020

Quick summary

Figure 1: Current meter: a) mechanic, b) electromagnetic, c) acoustic (Sources: SEBA hydrométrie, OTT, Sontek).
Figure 2: Flow cross-section with the verticals (in red) and the points (black dots) for velocity measurement with the current meter
Figure 3: Operator in the downstream migration channel performing measurements with a current meter.

Developed by:

Date:

Type: Device


Introduction

The first devices to measure flow velocities appeared during the 1780s, with the first mechanical current meter which counts the rotations of a propeller and links it to the flow velocity (by proportionality principle).

Today there are 3 different techniques to assess the flow velocity: mechanically, electromagnetically, and acoustically (Figure 1). The acoustic current meters using the Doppler Effect are not presented here, as these tools (e.g ADCP, ADV) are presented separately.

Application

In a mechanical flow meter, the rotation of the propeller produces an electrical impulse detected and recorded by a counter connected to the current meter. The electromagnetic flow meter uses the Faraday law. The sensor creates a magnetic field between two electrodes located at the end of the probe. The flow velocity is deduced from the measurement of the electromagnetic force generated by the passage of water through the magnetic field.

The measurement conditions of discharge through flow velocity fields are regulated by the European standard NF EN ISO 748. The velocities are measured along a cross section at verticals. The number of verticals (n) depends on the width of the channel (w):

  • W < 0.5 m, n = 5 or 6
  • W > 0.5 m and < 1 m, n = 6 or 7
  • W > 1 m and < 3 m, n = 7 or 12
  • W > 3 m and < 5 m, n = 13 to 16
  • W > 5 m, n ≥ 22

One method among others to measure the mean velocity on each vertical is to measure the velocity in one or several measurement points at different water levels on the vertical. The number of measurements points for each vertical depends on the water level. For example, only one point is needed for water level <20 cm at 60% of the water level. If there are only 2 measurement points, they should be at 20 and 80% of the flow depth, and the mean velocity corresponds to the average of the two measured velocities. In the following example, 6 measurements were selected (Figure 2). The example is linked to the velocity profile inside a downstream migration channel, which is not logarithmic.

To do the measurements, the operator needs to be equipped with waders and to be in the stream (Figure 3).

By the method of mean section, the mean velocity between the banks and the closer verticals can be calculated. The mean velocity on each vertical is calculated that way, in the case of 6 measurement points:

Then a mean velocity is calculated for each flow section between the verticals and the closer bank; by making an average for the sections without including the banks, and by applying the following formula:

where m is a parameter depicting the characteristics of the river bed or of the wall. m is generally comprised between 5 and 7, but can be equal to 10 if the walls are really smooth. If the river bed and the walls are rough, m=4.

The discharge per section can be calculated according to standard EN ISO 748:2007:

where is the mean water level and is the width of the channel.

The total discharge is the sum of all the discharges per section.

The most recent devices have the possibility to directly treat the data and provide the total discharge.

Relevant mitigation measures and test cases

Relevant measures
Baffle fishways
Bottom-type intakes (Coanda screen, Lepine water intake, etc)
Bypass combined with other solutions
Complete or partial migration barrier removal
Construction of a 'river-in-the-river'
Construction of off-channel habitats
Fish guidance structures with narrow bar spacing
Fish lifts, screws, locks, and others
Fish refuge under hydropeaking conditions
Fishways for eels and lampreys
Mitigating rapid, short-term variations in flow (hydro-peaking operations)
Mitigating reduced annual flow and low flow measures
Mitigating reduced flood peaks, magnitudes, and frequency
Nature-like fishways
Operational measures (turbine operations, spillway passage)
Other types of fine screens
Placement of dead wood and debris
Placement of spawning gravel in the river
Placement of stones in the river
Pool-type fishways
Sensory, behavioural barriers (electricity, light, sound, air-water curtains)
Skimming walls (fixed or floating)
Vertical slot fishways
Relevant test cases Applied in test case?
Altheim test case -
Altusried test case -
Anundsjö test case Yes
Bragado test case Yes
Freudenau test case -
Gotein test case Yes
Guma and Vadocondes test cases Yes
Günz test case Yes
Las Rives test case Yes
Schiffmühle test case Yes
Trois Villes test case Yes

Other information

Several companies commercialize these technologies.

At the French Test Cases an electromagnetic flow meter Marsh McBirney, FLO-MATE 2000 was used.

Relevant literature

  • Aurélien Despax, 2016, Incertitude des mesures de débit des cours d’eau au courantomètre, Amélioration desméthodes analytiques et apports des essais interlaboratoires, Ingénierie de l’environnement, UniversitéGrenoble Alpes, 2016
  • Manon Dewitte, Dominique Courret, Fatma Lemkecher, Laurent David, 2019, Presentation of Las Rives Test Case, FIThydro

Contact information