Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD) of Washington, US, has successfully completed tests using the AQFlow Acoustic scintillation flow meter (ASFM) system to measure flow through a large Kaplan turbine.
The application was at Unit 3 of the Wells dam, on the Columbia river north of Wenatchee, Washington.
Douglas County PUD wanted to compare the ASFM system to other types of flow measurement to ensure that results were comparable before applying this technology in other units at Wells. Initial review of the test results shows good correlation with a fixed time-of-flight flow meter and with a Winter-Kennedy system on the same turbine.
‘The ASFM technology is a promising technology for measuring large flows through short intakes,’ said Ken Pflueger of Douglas County PUD. ‘Preliminary test results show that the technology works well. It also has the advantage that one set of frames can be moved from unit to unit for index tests instead of having to be permanently installed.’
ASFM technology is manufactured by ASL AQFlow of Sidney, British Columbia, Canada and is in use at several sites in the US.