Course: CE 401 (Water Resources Engineering)

Streamflow Measurement

Instructor:
Prof. M. J. Reddy
[email protected]

Streamflow measurement
 Area-Velocity method: It requires finding the cross-sectional area of the
river at a selected section and measuring the velocity through it.
Q = AV {here, Q= discharge (m3/s), A= c/s area (m2), V= flow velocity (m/s)}

 Current meter
 a mechanical device commonly used to measure
the velocity of flow in streams (point velocity).
 It consists of a rotating element which rotates due
to reaction of the stream current, with an angular Horizontal axis current meter
velocity proportional to the stream velocity
 Two types of current meters
• Horizontal axis current meter
• Vertical axis current meter

Vertical axis current meter

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 Calibration of Current meter
• It is performed by towing the instrument in a special tank.
• The towing tank is a long channel containing still water with arrangements
for moving a carriage longitudinally over its surface at constant speed.

• The instrument to be calibrated is immersed to a specified depth.

• Average number of revolutions per seconds (Ns) are determined for a
predetermined constant speed (v). This is repeated over a complete range of
velocities and a best fit linear relationship v = a Ns + b is formed.

Discharge Measurement in Streams

• Criteria for selecting a gauging site
– The stream should have a well-defined cross-section which does not
change in various seasons.
– It should be easily accessible through-out the year.
– The site should be in a straight, stable reach.
– The gauging site should be free from backwater effects in the river/
stream

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 Variation of stream velocity with depth

Variation of stream velocity with depth

Discharge Measurement in Rivers

• Cross-section area is divided into a large number of subsections by verticals.

• The velocity in these subsections are measured by current meter.

• Accuracy of discharge measurement increases with number of subsections.
(but with more expenditure, time and effort)

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 • Guidelines for selection of subsections
– The segment width should be small enough to capture the variability in
velocities (appro. 1/15 to 1/20th of the width of the river).
– The discharge in each segment should be less than 10% of the total
discharge.
– The difference of velocities in adjacent segments should not be more
than 20%.

Steps in finding the discharge

(estimating the area and velocity)
Let qi is discharge in ith elemental area

di is depth at ith vertical qi=ai × vi

Width = (Wi+Wi+1)/2

For segments 2, 3, 4, ….,N-1 (approx. rectangle area)

Total discharge
• Area of element is

ai= di* (Wi+Wi+1)/2 for i = 2, 3, 4, ….,N-1

For segment 1 and N (triangle area)

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 Example
The data for a stream gauging station is as follows. The rating equation
of current meter is given as
(Ns is number of revolutions per second)
Distance from left Depth (m) Number of revolution Duration of
edge (m) of a current meter kept observation (s) Segmental Velocity Segmental
at 0.6 m depth area (m2) (m/s) discharge (m3/s)
0 0 0 0 - - -
1 1.1 39 100 2.2 0.229 0.504
3 2 58 100 4 0.326 1.304
5 2.5 112 150 5 0.411 2.054
7 2 90 150 4 0.336 1.344
9 1.7 45 100 3.4 0.260 0.884
11 1 30 100 2 0.183 0.366
12 0 0 0 - - -

Total Q= 6.456

Moving-Boat Method
• In large rivers, the standard current meter
approach is very time-consuming, and it is
difficult to keep the carriage stationary.

• In the moving-boat method, a special

propeller-type current meter, which is free
to move about its axis is towed in a boat at
a velocity vb at right angles to the stream
flow.

• If Boat velocity is Vb, and

Flow velocity is Vf , then
Resultant velocity is VR
(current meter aligns itself in the direction of
resultant velocity) Moving boat method
vb = vR cosθ and vf =vR sinθ

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 Contd….

• If the time of transit between two verticals is Δt, then the width
between the two verticals
W = vb Δt

• The flow in the sub-area between two verticals i and i+1

(where the depths are yi and yi+1 respectively) is ΔQi = AiVfi

(by assuming the current meter measures

the average velocity in the vertical)

• Stream discharge, Q is
Q = Σ ΔQi

Example
The following data has been obtained from a moving boat.
Let the sections are spaced at a constant distance of 75 m apart.
Determine the discharge in the stream. Assume the mean velocity in a vertical to be
0.95 times the surface velocity measured by the instrument.
Section Resultant Angle made by current Depth (m)
velocity (m/s) meter with the direction of
boat movement (degrees)
0 Right bank - 0
1 1.75 55 1.8
2 1.84 57 2.5
3 2.00 60 3.5
4 2.28 64 3.8
5 2.30 65 4.0
6 2.20 63 3.8
7 2.00 60 3.0
8 1.84 57 2.5
9 1.70 54 2.0
10 Left bank - 0.0

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 Computing segmental discharge and total discharge in the stream
Flow
Resultant Avg. velocity Mean
velocity Ɵ Depth Depth Width Vf = Velcotiy = Seg. Flow
Section VR(m/s) (degrees) Yi (m) (m) (75 m) Area VR Sin(Ɵ) 0.95*Vf ΔQi (m3/s)
0 Right bank - 0
1 1.75 55 1.8 0.9 75 67.5 1.4335 1.36 91.92
2 1.84 57 2.5 2.15 75 161.25 1.5432 1.47 236.39
3 2 60 3.5 3 75 225 1.7321 1.65 370.23
4 2.28 64 3.8 3.65 75 273.75 2.0493 1.95 532.93
5 2.3 65 4 3.9 75 292.5 2.0845 1.98 579.23
6 2.2 63 3.8 3.9 75 292.5 1.9602 1.86 544.69
7 2 60 3 3.4 75 255 1.7321 1.65 419.59
8 1.84 57 2.5 2.75 75 206.25 1.5432 1.47 302.36
9 1.7 54 2 2.25 75 168.75 1.3753 1.31 220.48
10 Left bank - 0
Total= 3297.84

Tracer technique
for streamflow measurement

 It depends upon the continuity principle applied to a tracer, which is

allowed to mix completely with the flow.
 For a constant injection of tracer

Qt C1 + Q Co = (Q +Qt) C2

where
Qt= discharge of tracer
Q = discharge in the stream
Co = small initial concentration of the tracer in the stream-flow
C1 = high tracer concentration at section 1 where tracer is added
C2 = tracer concentration at section 2 where tracer mixes thoroughly with the water
due to the turbulent mixing process

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 Tracer Materials
• Ideal properties of tracer
– It should not be absorbed (& should not chemically react) by the sediment,
channel boundary and vegetation. Also it should not be lost by
evaporation.
– It should be non-toxic.
– It should not be very expensive.
– It should be capable of being detected in a distinctive manner in small
concentrations.

• Types of tracer
– Chemicals (common salt, sodium dichromate )
– Fluorescent dyes (Rhodamine-WT, Sulpho-Rhodamine B Extra )
– Radioactive materials (such as Sodium-24, Bromine-82, Iodine-132)
(radioactive tracers).

Example
A 500 g/l tracer was injected at a constant rate of 4 l/s. At d/s length
the concentration of tracer was measured as 4 ppm. If initial tracer
concentration in the stream was zero. Estimate the stream discharge?
1 milligrams/liter [mg/L] = 1 parts per million [ppm]
1 gram/liter [g/L] = 1001.142303 ppm

Given
Qt =4 L/s ; C1 =500 g/l ; C2= 4 ppm, C0=0;

Discharge Q = ???

Discharge Q = 500.566 m3/s