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W2. HYDROMETRY
(KUL-code: I789)
Lecturer: VERHOEVEN R.
Contact hours: 30 hrs. of practicals
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of hydraulics
Time and place: 2nd semester, 5 sessions of 3 hours each, K.U.Leuven/U.Gent
Course syllabus: Lecture notes
Evaluation: Quotation of the field and laboratory exercises report
Comparable handbook: Herschy, R.W., 1987. Hydrometry. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Herschy, R.W., 1984. Streamflow measurement. E&FN Spon.
Additional information: The workshop consists of 3 x 3 hours of theoretical introduction and 2 full day sessions
of practical training: 1 day laboratory measurements and 1 day field exercises.
Learning objectives:
To familiarize students with different measurement methods and techniques for hydrometric data acquisition.
As data is a first requirement for all matters concerning water systems management, this workshop meets the
fundamental learning objectives of the program.
Course description:
The aim of the workshop is to get the students acquainted with different devices and techniques for flow,
velocity, pressure, waterlevel and sediment transport, measurements in pipes, open channels, rivers and
laboratory.
The following subjects are explained: (L = laboratory exercise; F = Field exercise)
1. The need for data;
2. Water-level determination; (L & F)
- Importance - datum plane
- Instruments for water-level determination (direct stage read off gauges and recording limnimeters)
3. Waterdepth and bottom-level (mechanical and electronic devices; practical stage and depth measurements);
(F)
4. Flow velocity measurement;
- Surface velocity (F)
- Velocity in a single point (propeller type current meter (F), Pitot-tube (L), electromagnetic current meter
(L), hot wire/hot film anemometer, laser Doppler anemometer, acoustic – ultrasonic – velocity meter (L))
- Mean velocity (salt screen (Allan's method), floats, etc.) (F)
5. Measuring discharges;
- Single measurement (methods based on the measurement of volume and time (L&F); volumetric and
chemical methods (F); methods based on the measurement of the main velocity; methods based on the
integration of the velocity field over the cross section (F))
- Continuous discharge measurements (gauging stations with limnimeters (L&F); ultrasonic methods,
electromagnetic methods (L))
- Discharge measurements in laboratory (L)
6. Sediment transport measurements
- Bed load samplers (trap sampling; bed form tracking) (L&F)
- Suspended load samplers (classification of samplers; instruments for concentration, point-integrating
measurements (bottle and trap samplers, pump-samplers, optical and acoustical sampling methods);
instruments for discharge, point-integrating measurements; instruments for concentration, depth-integrating
measurement) (L&F)
- Computation of sediment transport and presentation of results (rivers; estuaries)
Complementary studies in Water Resources Engineering / 18