Unit 1.

C
Stream gauging

T.E. Civil
HWRE

Department of Civil Engg.,

DVVPCOE Ahmednagar
Stream flow measurement

• measures run-off/ discharge

• Part of Hydrometry
 Methods
A. Direct Method
1. Area velocity method
2. Dilution Technique
3. Electromagnetic method
4. Ultrasonic method

B. Indirect Method
1. Using Hydraulic structures (weirs, flumes)
2. Slope area method
Measurement of Discharge:
Step I: Find relation between discharge through
stream with stage (water elevation)
prepare ‘Stage- Discharge curve’.

Step II: In normal practice, measure stage and find

discharge using stage-discharge curve.
Use of Stage Hydrograph (State- Discharge Curve):
• Find stream discharge

• Find peak flood value

• To construct hydraulic structure like bridges,

weirs etc.
Equipments to measure stage:
water surface elevation above datum i.e. M.S.L.
A. Staff gauge:
• Manual reading
• Fixed on bridge abutment, piers
• Types:
1.Simple gauge
2.Sectional gauge
Fig: vertical staff gauge (Simple gauge)
Fig: sectional staff gauge
B. Wire gauge:
• weight attached to wire is lowered to reach
water surface.
• Then length of wire is measured.
• measures depth upto 25 m
C. Automatic stage recorder:
• Provides continuous record of elevation
• Reduces manual error
• Types:
1.Float gauge
2.Bubble gauge
Float gauge recorder:

• Float in stilling well is balanced by counter weight

going over pulley of recorder.

• Vertical displacement of float due to change in water

level causes angular displacement of pulley

• Pulley suitably connected to pen records linear

displacement on revolving drum

• Stilling well is provided to reduce wave effects

Fig: Float Gauge
Fig:
Bubble gauge:
• Compressed air passed at small rate from
bottom.
• Pressure gauge measures water column ‘H’
above outlet.
• Increase/ decrease in water level requires
altering compressed air valve to bleed at same
rate.
• It changes pressure gauge reading and is
recorded on recorder as new depth
• Costly stilling well not required
• Recorder placed away from bleeding point on
bank
Fig: Bubbler Gauge
Equipments to measure flow velocity:
A. Current meter:
• It measures velocity at a point in cross section
of stream
• Rotating element rotates due to stream current
and angular velocity is related to stream
velocity
 Types
1. Vertical axis meter:
• It consists of series of conical cup mounted
around vertical axis.
• In 1868 Henry made cup type current meter
with electrical make and brake mechanism
• Counting mechanism measures number of
revolutions in fixed time interval.
• E.g.: Prince current meter & Gurley current
meter.
• Velocity range measured in range of 0.15 to
4.0 m/sec.
• Disadvantage: unsuitable when stream has
vertical components of flow.
Fig: Prince current meter
2. Horizontal axis current meter:
• It has propeller at end of horizontal shaft
• Developed in 1663 by Robert Hooke
• Velocity range measured in range of 0.15 to 4.0 m/sec
• Readings are not affected by oblique flow upto 150
• It measures number of revolutions for fixed interval of
time (generally for 100 sec.)
• E.g.: Ott, Neyrtec & Watt type meter
• Calibration of current meter:
V = a x Ns + b
Where,
V = Stream velocity
Ns = Revolutions per second
a = 0.65 & b = 0.03 for 12.5 cm Φ Price meter
Fig: propeller current meter
B. Floats:
Used to measure flow velocity.
1. Surface Float:
• 7 to 15 cm Φ wooden disc, takes time ‘t’ to travel ‘L’
distance.
• Surface velocity = Vs = L/ t
• Mean velocity = V = 0.85 Vs
2. Sub surface or double float:
Hollow, metallic, cylindrical submerged weight
attached to surface float
3. Velocity Rod:
• Square or round wooden rod.
• Lead weight attached at bottom
• Length = 0.9 x d ( where, d = depth of river)
• Measures mean velocity of flow
Fig: Types of float
Measurement of discharge:
1. Area velocity method:
• Q=AxV
• Mean velocity of flow - floats, velocity rods
or current meter.
• c/s area of flow- sounding & plotting profile
of c/s.
• c/s of stream is divided into strips of equal
width ‘b’.
• Discharge calculated in elementary strips
and added together to get discharge through
stream.
A. Mid section method:
• faster method
• Commonly used
• c/s area divided into number of elementary strips of
width ‘b’.
• End triangular areas ‘M’ & ‘N’ are not included in
computation of discharge
• Velocity is found by one point or two point method.
• Mean depth of strip ‘d’ found by soundings
• V0.2d , V0.6d and V0.8d velocities measured at depth
(0.6 x d) from top, where ‘d’ is the depth of water
One point method: (for shallow depth)
ΔQ = (b x d) V0.6d

Two point method: ( for deep depth)

ΔQ = (b x d) x (V0.2d + V0.8d )/2

Total discharge = Q = Σ ΔQ
B. Mean section method:
• accurate method
• Time consuming
• c/s area divided into strips
• Ends of each elementary strip are called verticals
• Mean depth (dm) is average of depths of two verticals
• Width of strip is ‘b’ between two verticals
• Velocity of strip is average mean velocity on two
verticals
E.g.: Consider discharge between verticals 3 & 4,
ΔQ = (b x dm) x Vm
Where, dm= (d3 + d4)/2
and Vm = (V3 + V4)/2
Total discharge = Q = Σ ΔQ

For shallow depth, velocities are measured as

V0.6d on V3 & V4 verticals
For deep depth, velocities are measured as (V0.2d +
V0.8d )/2 on V3 & V4 verticals
Fig:
2. Dilution Technique:
• Also called salt concentration method
• Common salt injected at constant rate
and then find its concentration at section
downstream of addition point
• suitable in turbulent streams
• Costly method
Total discharge = Q = [(C – C2)/ (C2 – C1)] x q
Where,
q = quantity of dosing solution ( cc/ sec)
C = amount of salt in dosing solution (gm/ cc)
C1 = Concentration of salt in water originally
before dosing ( gm/cc)
C2 = Concentration of salt in sample collected
downstream of addition point ( gm/cc)
Fig:
B. Indirect methods for discharge
measurement:
1. Using Hydraulic structures:
a. Venturi-flumes or standing wave flume:
Suitable for small channels
b. Weirs:
Q = C x L X H3/2
Where, Q = stream discharge
C = coefficient of discharge
L = Length of weir
H = depth of weir
Fig:
2. Slope area method:
Used to estimate peak floods
Q=AxV
Value of velocity by Chezy formula,
V = C (R x S)1/2
by Manning’s formula, V = (1/n) R2/3 S1/2
Where,
A = c/s area of flow
P = wetted perimeter
S = bed slope
n = Manning’s roughness coefficient
R = A/P = Hydraulic radius
C = (1/n) R1/6 = Chezy constant
Criteria for selection of gauge site:

• No eddy formation near site

• Provision of access should be available

• No variable back water effect

• Avoid weeds growth near site

• Above water level throughout year

Advanced Techniques used in measurement of
stream discharge:
1. Radar level gauge:
• Measures water level
• Uses Radar water level sensors
• Radar antenna generates short one nano second
microwave pulses every second.
• Time taken between transmitted and received signal
used to find depth
• Signals are not affected by steam, gas, pressure and
temperature changes
2. Shaft encoders:
• Consists float and wheel system in well

• Movement of float causes rotation of wheel

• Light/ laser encoder detects wheel movement

and recorded automatically.
Fig: Shaft Encoders
3. Bubbler system:
• Ideal method where debris, foam or turbulence is
present
• Air bubbles released at constant rate from bottom
• Air pressure kept slightly greater than max.
hydrostatic pressure of water.
• The amount of pressure required to force air bubble
out of bottom of pipe is equal to the hydrostatic
pressure at that point
H = P/ Sg
Where,
H = fluid height/ level in cm or meter
P = Pressure in cm of water
Sg = Specific gravity of water
Fig: Bubbler gauge
4. Acoustic Doppler Current Meter Profiler
(ADCP) technology:
• Fast measurement
• Accurate
• Cost effective
• Suitable for shallow water
• Provides velocity & bed profile simultaneously
• Provides stage-discharge curve
• Also measures peak floods
• With GPS link, provides entire river profile
Fig:
Fig:
5. Ultrasonic Method:
• Area-velocity method
• Average velocity is measured by ultrasonic method
• Advantages of ultrasonic system:
1.Rapid method
2.Highly accurate
3.Automatic Reading
4.Handles rapid variation in flow
• Let ‘A’ and ‘B’ are two transducer on two banks at
height ‘h’ above bed
• ‘A’ sends ultrasonic signal to ‘B’ and it reaches
after time ‘t1’
• Similarly time taken by signal from ‘B’ to ‘A’ is ‘t2’
• If C = velocity of sound in water

t1 = L / (C + Vp)

Where,
L = Length of path from ‘A’ to ‘B’
Vp = Component of flow velocity along
sound path AB
= V cosθ
 t2 = L / (C - Vp)
Now,
1/ t1 – 1/ t2 = 2 Vp / L
= 2 V cosθ / L
Or, V = (L / 2 cosθ ) x (1/ t1 – 1/ t2 )
= Average velocity of flow at
height ‘h’ above bed

Then discharge through stream is product of

c/s area and average velocity of flow
Fig: ultrasonic method
Fig:
6. Electromagnetic Method:
• Large coils are buried underground to develop
controlled vertical magnetic field

• Electrodes provided at side of channel measure

small voltage produced due to flow of water in
channel

• Sophisticated method

• Needs expensive instruments

• Suitable for tidal rivers

Fig: