Water Resources Engineering 1

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CE 320 - Water Resources Laboratory

Experiment 1 – Hydraulic Flume Turbine Flow-Meter Calibration

Name:

Experiment Date:

Report Due Date:

Date Report Submitted:

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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................

Background Theory ...............................................................................................................

Methods..................................................................................................................................

List of figures

Figure 1 sluice gate diagram ..................................................................................................

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Introduction

A hydraulic turbine is a device used to convert potential energy of water at a higher elevation

into rotational energy. Water getting into the turbine blades at high pressure induces rotation,

which then produces torque onto the attached shaft.

The objective of this experiment was to validate the accuracy of the hydraulic flume turbine

meter.

Background Theory

A theoretical relationship based on the energy equation is used to calibrate the turbine meter.

The sluice gate causes a gradual change in flow thus making it suitable to apply the Bernoulli

(energy) equation. The following derivations can be used to compute the flow rate.

Figure 1. Sluice gate diagram

Specific Energy Equation:

2 2

y1 v1
 y2 v2
……(i)
2g 2g
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Where: V = velocity

g = gravitational acceleration

Continuity Equation:

Q = VA

Where: Q = flowrate

A = area of channel

Then V = Q/A = Q/By for a rectangular channel

2 2
Q Q
Substituting for V gives y1   y2 
2g B2 y12 2g B2 y22

2 2
Q Q
2
 2  (y 2  y1)2 g B2
y1 y2

y1 y2 ( y2  y1)2 g B2
2 2

Q 
2

y2  y1
2 2

2 2
2 g B2 y1 y2
Q 
2

y2  y1

1/ 2
 2g 
Qtheoretical  B y1 y2  
 y1  y2 
However, due to frictional loss Qmeter was found to be slightly less than Qtheoretical.

The discharge coefficient is given by:

Qmeter
C where 0.95  C  1.00
Qtheoretical

Algebraic manipulation of the theoretical equation for Q permits it to be written in several forms
such as
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1/ 2 1/ 2
B y1 (2g y 2) B y 2 (2g y1)
Qtheoretical  1/ 2
or Q theoretical  1/ 2
 y1   y2 
  1   1
 y2   y1 

Method

a. The slope of the flume was set to zero slope

b. The tailgate was lowered

c. The sluice gate was installed and the opening adjusted to approximately one inch above

the channel bottom.

d. Values of y1 and y2 were recorded at Qmeter equal to 30, 40, and 50 gpm, after the depths

had stabilized. Care was taken to ensure that the flumes did not overflow.

e. The sluice gates were opened two inches above the channel bottom and y1 and y2

readings recorded at Qmeter equal to 60, 70, and 85 gpm.

References

1. Replogle, John A. "Flow meters for water resource management." JAWRA Journal of the

American Water Resources Association 6.3 (1970): 345-374.

2. Yoder, Jesse. "Flow Measurement." Handbook of Measurement in Science and

Engineering (2005).
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