EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES--Use of Bubble Gage Manometers in high sediment concentrations
In Reply Refer To: May 8, 1981
EGS-Mail Stop 415
SURFACE WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 81.04
Subject: EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES--Use of Bubble Gage Manometers in high
sediment concentrations
Recent experience with the use of bubbler manometers in heavily sediment-
laden flows resulting from the Mount St. Helens eruption has provided
knowledge of the possibility of very large errors in recorded gage heights.
Under these conditions, the recorded gage heights are always too large.
Conversion of the pressure of the column of fluid above the orifice to a
depth of flow is based on the specific weight of the fluid. This is about
62.4 lbs. per ft3 at 60`F for water, and is relatively insensitive to changes
in temperature. The specific weight of a water-sediment mixture, however,
can be quite different and depends on the sediment concentration. The
indicated depth of flow could then be significantly in error. The error may
best be expressed in terms of the ratio of the specific weight of the
water-sediment mixture to the specific weight of water, or wws/ww. The
value of this ratio, C, with respect to the concentration of the water-
sediment mixture in ppm by weight is shown in figure 1.
The magnitude of error is illustrated in the following table, in which
the values of a true depth over the orifice of 5.0 feet are shown as they
would be indicated by the manometer for various sediment concentrations.
For example, a true depth of 5.0 feet over the orifice for a concentration
of 200,000 ppm will register as 5.71 ft; this is an error of about 14%.
Such an error in gage height will translate to an even larger error in
discharge.
Concentration C = wws/ww Indicated depth Percent
in ppm by weight (from of flow, Error
_____ppm______ figure1) _______ft._____ ___%___
0 1.000 5.0 0
50,000 1.032 5.15 3.2
75,000 1.049 5.24 4.9
100,000 1.066 5.33 6.6
125,000 1.084 5.42 8.4
150,000 1.103 5.52 10.3
175,000 1.122 5.61 12.2
200,000 1.142 5.71 14.2
2
225,000 1.163 5.82 16.3
250,000 1.184 5.92 18.4
300,000 1.230 6.15 23.0
400,000 1.332 6.66 33.2
500,000 1.452 7.26 45.2
600,000 1.596 7.98 59.6
700,000 1.773 8.86 77.3
800,000 1.993 9.96 99.3
900,000 2.275 11.38 127.5
1,000,000 2.651 13.26 165.1
It is evident that as concentrations vary throughout a flood event, the
percent difference in actual and recorded depth over the orifice will vary
accordingly.
Personnel servicing manometers in streams with high sediment concentrations
should therefore keep the following in mind:
(1) The concentration of sediment must be known in order to compute
an accurate gage-height correction. At sites where automatic
pump samples are not installed, every effort should be made to
obtain enough sediment samples to define a concentration hydrograph
for the flood event that may be used to correct recorded stages.
(2) Manometers and the gages they drive should not be reset during
rises. Where outside-inside gage differences are large, and
sediment variations are the suspected cause, arrangements for
periodic outside gage readings during floods would be advisable.
(3) The need to determine the actual outside peak stage should be
apparent and emphasizes the need to obtain a reliable outside
high-water mark after all significant rises.
Donald M. Thomas
Acting Chief, Surface Water Branch
WRD Distribution: A, B, S, FO, PO