Comparison of a Vibrational Gage and a Plummet for Continuously Measuring Fluvial-Sediment Concentrations

by Donald E. Warren, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, United States,
Jimmie W. Hamby, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Hydraulic Engineering

Abstract:

Obtaining sediment records for small, remote streams is difficult not only because of the logistical problems, but also because of the rapid changes in concentration that accompany the onset and recession of storm flows. A U-shaped metal tube maintained in a state of continuous vibration has been used as a means of repetitively gaging concentrations. The instrument has proven successful at sites where water temperatures are stable or change slowly, but it has been inaccurate at sites where temperatures shift rapidly. To solve the temperature problem, another instrument is currently under development. It consists of a sealed glass bulb suspended on a thin wire. Sediment in river water surrounding the bulb produces a buoyant force that is sensed by an electronic scale and then stored in a removable solid-state memory cartridge.

Subject Headings: Temperature effects | Sediment | Flow measurement | Vibration | Water temperature | Water storage | Suspended sediment

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