Velocity fields within sewers: An experimental study

Measuring the flow rate through sewer networks is necessary for a number of reasons. To achieve such measurements, precise knowledge of the hydrodynamic conditions of each potential measurement location proves critical. A research project is currently being conducted to improve the representativeness of flow rate measurements recorded in man-entry sewers. Three objectives are being pursued as part of this project: ∘assisting with the selection of a suitable measurement section;∘designing for proper sensor implementation in a given section; and∘setting up an appropriate system for processing the raw data provided by sensors. This project relies upon numerical simulations; moreover, experimental devices have been developed and utilized to collect measurement data for purposes of model validation. This paper will describe such experimental devices and presents the results obtained after several months of investigation.