Issues on Moving Platforms Discharge Measurements using ADCP on Presence of Flow Fluctuations

GARCÍA, C.M.; TARRAB, L.; HERRERO, H.; SZUPIANY, R.N.; RAGESSI, I. M.,; OBERG, K.,

Utah, EEUU

Conferencia; Hydraulic Measurements and Experimental Methods 2012 Conference; 2012

ASCE

The presence of flow fluctuations during discharge measurements made using Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) from moving platforms strongly affects the uncertainty of the measured discharge. This work presents an analysis quantifying the role of flow fluctuations generated by topographic effects (i.e. flow separation in bends) on uncertainties of ADCP discharge measurements from moving platforms. First, a dimensional analysis is performed on the variables controlling the process and then the role of the different dimensional parameters on the discharge uncertainty is evaluated using synthetic water velocity data. Finally water velocity and discharge measurements were performed at a large artificial channel with flow fluctuations generated by topographic effects, in order to find analogies and differences with the previously studied case. The findings of this work are useful tools to define the optimal sampling strategies to perform a good characterization of the flow fields using ADCPs.