FlowTracker Calibrations (In-House)

[Eoin Wynne]

Hi all,

Aside from comparing Flowtrackers for complete Q measurements in the field,  I’m wondering if any agencies run in-house comparisons of Flowtracker velocity readings at a fixed point in flumes, tow tanks or some other type of controlled channels? If so we’d be keen to hear your setup and approach to this.

Thanks

Eoin, OPW Ireland

Topic

[Mikael Lennermark]

Hey Eoin, we at SMHI have done this in the field as a comparison. All FlowTrackers at the same time, last year 2023. Once back in 2013, I drove all of them in a boat on a lake and compared the velocities. I rigged them up in a ladder.

Please also try the new forum at https://forum.internationalhydrometrygroup.org/

if it doesn’t work try http instead of https

http://forum.internationalhydrometrygroup.org/

• This reply was modified 5 months ago by Mikael Lennermark.

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[Eoin Wynne]

Hi Daniel,

I’ve been unable to log in to the new forum but will email you separately about that.

Thanks for the reply. That’s great information – was your 2013 test using the boat successful? That is somthing practical we could try.

Eoin

[Mikael Lennermark]

The FlowTracker part of the test was not too bad. For ADCPs I prefer beam alignment test (distance made good tests).

We had five FTs mounted with wading rods on a ladder. The boat speed was stable using an electric engine with fixed speed posistions. To compare the velocities we drove straight for 300s four times at different speeds.

Compared velocity magnitude since all FTs can’t be oriented perfectly. Vel_magnitude = sqrt ( vel_x^2 + vel_y ^2)

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[Eoin Wynne]

Thanks so much Daniel – that’s great info. Much appreciated

• This reply was modified 5 months ago by Eoin Wynne.

[Mikael Lennermark]

some pictures

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[dave@genesishydrotech.com]

The USGS has a policy where every FlowTracker is tested in a flume at the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility when purchased, returned from repair, and at least once every 3 years.

 

Dave

 

[olly baldwyn]

Hi Eoin, in the Environment Agency we used to send them to Switzerland (METAS) to run through the tow tank ever 3 years to check performance. This facility is due to close very soon and we have been working with Sontek UK to find a solution. they now have a tank that matches the one used in San Diego for initial instrument calibration setup. they can run the Flow trackers through the same test at 1 or 2 speeds (think its 17cm/s to check the instrument is still performing as expected. we have told all our area teams to carry out a 3 yearly performance test by sending the instrument to this tank based in the UK. Lee Pimble or Rob Thompson are the europe sales guys who can sort you out a quote if you want to go that route.

Olly

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