Author(s): S. Cipolla; M. Nones; M. Maglionico

Linked Author(s): Marco Maglionico, Michael Nones

Keywords: Flow discharge; Water surface velocity; Reclamation canals; ADCP

Abstract: The paper presents the application of different approaches to derive water discharge in reclamation canals from the measure of surface velocity. The results are compared with direct measurements made with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Reclamation canals are frequently characterized by low flow velocities and small water depths, and therefore the water discharge cannot be easily measured with devices like Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), requiring a sufficient water depth to provide reliable results. To overcome these problems, different methods were proposed, some of which based on a derivation of the flow discharge via a direct measurement of the surface flow velocity and knowing the cross-section geometry. This latter approach, although further refined recently, has been known since decades. Using two canals located in the Emilia Romagna Region, Italy, the paper compares four approaches available in literature with data taken with a Teledyne RDI StreamPro ADCP 2MHz, which is essentially an area velocity method with the average velocity measured by ultrasonic signals. The main goal of the research is to identify the more reliable, simpler and cheaper method to estimate the flow rate in reclamation canals.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_034-cd

Year: 2018