The Ultrasonic Measurement of Hydraulic Turbine Discharge

To obtain the basic discharge data necessary for efficient hydroelectric operation, a new ultrasonic flowmeter has been developed and applied to the measurement of flow in large water passages. During the development period, extensive tests under varied conditions of flow were made in a passage, 5 in. × 9 in., using a weighing tank as the absolute standard. Accuracies of 1 per cent or less were achieved regularly with appreciably turbulent and nonuniform flow distributions, using river water of varying turbidity. Installation in a turbine intake, 16 ft × 25 ft, has demonstrated the practicality of the method and equipment.