STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT

Discharge (Ft3./ Sec.)

This is a product of mean velocity by the cross-section area of flow
Mean Velocity
It is the average of velocities at the two segments.
Stage
It is the vertical depth of water at the gauging point. The stage is
permanently fixed at the gauging point and should not be disturbed
during the metering process.
Control
The control is a cross-section a reach of river channel that
determines the relationship between stage and discharge` at the
section and fall some distance up stream.
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Metering Section
the metering section is the cross-section of the stream where the
discharge is measured. the Discharge measured is plotted against
the stage recorded.
Velocity variation over depth
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT

Discharge Measurement Methods

 Float Method

 Area Velocity Method.

 Special Methods of Discharge Measurement (Dilution

Gauging)

 Empirical Formulae

 Hydraulic Model Studies

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Float Method
 It is the most simple and quick method of surface velocity
measurements. The distance travelled during the specific time by
the surface flow is measured. If L is the distance moved by the
float in T seconds. Then;

VS = L/T m/sec

 This surface velocity is multiply by reeducation factor (varies

from 0.79 to 0.95) for calculating the average velocity of river.

 This method gives batter results where the flow is stream lined
having impervious channel prism.

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 TREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Area Velocity Method
Location of Gauge/ Stage
i. Gauge should be installed upstream of the control, but within the
range of its influence.
ii. The base or support should be rigid and immovable, so that the
elevation of the datum is unlikely to change. The section should be
stable and uniform.
iii. It should be located where the greatest range of fluctuations in stage
could occur.
iv. It should be located in a protected spot, where it may not be
damaged by floating ice or debris.
v. It should be easily accessible. Preferably the stream should flow in
one channel only at the gauging site.
vi. The gauge should not be located upstream of the confluence with an
other stream near enough to be affected by the back water level from
that stream.
vii. The gauge should also not be located within the influence of back
water of a dam or power plant, bridge etc. and the reach should 5be
straight.
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Requirement of Metering Station
 The accuracy, ease and cost of discharge measurement depend upon the
proper selection of measurement site. Therefore, selection of site is very
important. A good metering section should fulfill the following
requirements.
i. The river reach should be fairly straight, on upstream and down-
stream of the selected cross-section upto at least 4 times the normal
width of the river during floods or 0.8 Km, whichever is lesser.
ii. The river bed and banks must be reasonably stable and free of
vegetable, boulders.
iii. The reach of the river both upstream and downstream over a distance
of 0.8 Km or 4 times of normal width during floods should be fairly
uniform in cross-section at and below the high flood level and bed
slops should not be subject to sudden changes.
iv. The site should preferably be away from bridges and other structures.
Which are likely to affect the flow of water.

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Requirement of Metering Station
v. When a site is situated upstream of a confluence, its distance from
the confluence should not be less than three times the maximum
width of the channel or 0.8 Km whichever is greater. In case the site
is situated downstream of the confluence the minimum distance be
the same as on upstream.
vi. Such site which is subjected to tidal influence, vortices formation,
return flow, or any other local disturbances should be avoided.
vii. The site should be easily accessible at all time of the year.
viii. The site should not be unduly exposed to wind.
ix. At the selected site, water should flow in a single channel. It should
not overflow the banks.
x. The velocity should be greater than 0.3 m/s and less than 1.2 m/s.

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Discharge Measurement by Area Velocity Method
 This is a direct method of computing the discharge in a stream
by measuring the velocity of flow and area of cross-section.
 As the depth and velocity of flow varies along the entire cross-
section of the river, therefore the stream section is divided into a
number parts.
 For each part, its area and velocity of flow through it is
determined and discharge computed separately. By adding these
partial discharges, the total discharge of the river is obtained.
 In certain cases the stage may vary over time therefore, the
stager measurement before and after the discharge
measurement is inevitable.

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Picture of Current Meter

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River flow measurement

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Measurement of Velocity with current meter (The Procedure)
 The width of the river is divided into about 20 sub-sections so
that no sub-section has more than 10% of the flow.
 At each of the selected sub-division points, the water depth is
measured by sounding and the current meter operated at
selected points in the vertical to find the mean velocity in the
vertical, e.g. at 0.6 depth (one-point method) or at 0.2 and 0.8
depths (two-point method).
 For each velocity measurement, the number of complete
revolutions of the current meter over a measured time period
(about 60 s) is recorded using a stopwatch.
 The velocity in a sub section is calculated V = a + bN
 When velocities at all the sub-division points across the river
have been measured, the stage is read again.
 Should their have been a difference in stage reading over period
of the gauging a mean of the two stages is taken for discharge
calculation. 11
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Mean Section Method

 In the mean section method, averages of the mean velocities

in the verticals and of the depths at the boundaries of a
section sub-division are taken and multiplied by the width of
the sub-division, or segment.

Q = ∑qi = ∑V.a = ∑n i=1 (Vi-1 + Vi)/ (di-1 + di)/ (bi – bi-1)

2 2
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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT

Mid Section Method

 In the mid section method, the mean velocity and depth

measurement at a sun-division point are multiplied by the
segment width measured between the mid points of
neighboring segments.

Q = ∑qi = ∑V.a = ∑n i=1 Vi.di (bi + 1– bi-1)/2

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT

Problems in Gauging
i. Small Stream
The depth of flow may be insufficient to cover the ordinary
current meter operation.
ii. Mountain Torrent

Stream with steep gradient and high velocities can not be

gauged satisfactory by this method and alternatives means be
adopted (Dilatation Gauges).
iii. Large Rivers
Across wide rivers there is difficulties in locating instrument
accurately at the sampling points and in-accuracies may occurs.
Problem in locating the bed of the river may also arise in deep
and fast flows.
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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Example of Velocity – Area Discharge Calculations
Distance Depth Velocity Mean Section method Mid Section Method
bi (m) di (m) Vi (m s-1) (Ūi-1+Ūi)/2 (di-1+di)/2 bi - bi-1 qi bi+1 – bi+1 Qi

4.0 0.000 0.000 0.0 0.000

0.165 0.565 5.0 0.466
9.0 1.131 0.300 4.0 1.493
0.343 1.435 3.0 1.477
12.0 1.740 0.357 3.0 1.864
0.358 1.867 3.0 2.005
15.0 1.993 0.358 3.0 2.140
0.356 2.025 3.0 2.163
18.0 2.057 0.353 3.0 2.178
0.347 2.057 3.0 2.141
21.0 2.057 0.340 3.0 2.098
0.343 1.981 3.0 2.038
24.0 1.905 0.346 3.0 1.977
0.343 1.829 3.0 1.882
27.0 1.753 0.341 3.0 1.793
Continued…. 15
0.327 1.753 3.0 1.720
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Example of Velocity – Area Discharge Calculations
Distance Depth Velocity Vi Mean Section method Mid Section Method
bi (m) di (m) (m s-1) (Ūi-1+Ūi)/2 (di-1+di)/2 bi - bi-1 qi bi+1 – bi+1 Qi

30.0 1.753 0.314 3.0 1.651

0.318 1.676 3.0 1.599
33.0 1.600 0.322 3.0 1.546
0.320 1.447 3.0 1.389
36.0 1.295 0.318 3.0 1.235
0.283 1.365 3.0 1.159
39.0 1.436 0.247 3.0 1.064
0.214 1.372 3.0 0.881
42.0 1.308 0.181 3.0 0.710
0.143 1.474 3.0 0.632
45.0 1.640 0.104 3.0 0.512
0.085 1.576 3.0 0.402
48.0 1.512 0.066 3.0 0.349
0.033 0.756 4.0 0.100
52.0 0.000 0.000 0.0 0.000
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∑qi = 20.054 ∑qi = 20.610 m3 s-1
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Picture of Dilution Gauging

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Dilution Gauging
 Constant Rate Injection Method
 This method of measuring the discharge in a stream or
pipe is made by adding a chemical solution or tracer of
known concentration to the flow and then measuring the
concentration of the solution downstream where the
chemical is completely mixed with the stream water.
 Let c0, c1 and c2 are chemical concentrations (e.g. g litre-1);
c0 is the ‘background’ concentration already present in the
water (and may be negligible),
 c1 is the known concentration of tracer added to the stream
at a constant rate q, and c2 is a sustained final
concentration of the chemical in the well mixed flow.
 Thus Qc0+qc1=(Q + q) c2, whence:

Q = (c1 – c2) / (c2 – c0) q 18

 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT

Dilution Gauging
 Gulp Injection
 An alternative to this constant rate injection method is the
‘gulp’ injection, or integration method.

 A known volume of the tracer V of concentration c1 is

added in bulk to the stream and, at the sampling point, the

varying concentration, c2, is measured regularly during the

passage of the tracer cloud.

Q = Vc1 / ∫t2t1 (c2 – c0) dt

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 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENT
Discharge Calculation (Empirical Formulae)
i) Rectangular Weir
Q = ⅔ cdL √2g H3/2 – With out Velocity of approach

ii) For Triangular notch

Q=8/15 cd √2g tan θ/2 H5/2
L = Length of weir
H = head of water
Va = velocity of approach
cd = Coefficient of discharge

iii) Broad crested weirs

Q=CLH3/2
C is coefficient of discharge and its values have to be
determined for the range of head over the crest.
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