Calibration and Verification of Operation Parameters for an Array of Vectrino Profilers Configured for Turbulent Flow Field Measurement around Bridge Piers—Part I

Abstract

Flow mapping around bridge piers is crucial in estimating scour development potential under different flow conditions. The reliable measurement of turbulence and the estimation of Reynolds stress can be achieved on scaled models under controlled laboratory experiments using high-frequency Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter Profilers (ADVP) for flow measurement. The aim of this paper was to obtain operation parameters for an array of Vectrino Profilers for turbulent flow field measurement to reliably measure the flow field around bridge piers. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a scaled river model set up in an open channel hydraulic flume. Flow field data were measured on three characteristic profiles, each containing five measurement points collected by ADVPs configured as an array of two instruments. The determination of the operation parameters was done as a two-step process—calibration through the flume’s pump flow rate and verification with Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler RioGrande field data. Based on the results, the following setup for ADVPs’ operation parameters can be used to obtain reliable flow data in the scour hole next to the bridge pier: adaptive Ping Algorithm, Transmit Pulse Size of 4 mm and Cell Size of 1 mm.