A Study on the Measurement Characteristics of the Spring-Plate Flow Measurement Device

Abstract

In order to improve the effective utilization of agricultural irrigation water and to reasonably allocate water resources in irrigation areas, it is necessary to use open channel flow measurement devices that are accurate and easy to carry. In this study, a spring-plate flow measurement device with different plate widths was designed. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the measurement characteristics of the device in specific channels under conditions of 20–105 m3/h flow were studied, the relationship between the flow rate and the force acting on the plate surface was fitted, and the hydraulic characteristics of water flow during its use, such as pressure, velocity distribution, and head loss, were analyzed. The results show that in the process of using the spring-plate flow measurement device, the force on the plate surface increases with the increase in the flow rate, and the force on the plate surface is related to the flow rate in the channel by a power of 5/6. The width of the measurement plate impacts the accuracy of flow measurement, and the smaller the plate width, the larger the error in flow measurement. The distribution of pressure on the measurement plate is similar to that of static pressure, and the pressure increases with the increase in the width of the measurement plate. The upstream flow velocity of the device is small, and the water level increases due to obstruction of the measurement plate. When it connects to the downstream water surface, the water level rapidly decreases, and the flow velocity increases. In using the spring-plate flow measurement device to measure flow, head loss will be produced, and the magnitude of this loss increases with the increase in the width of the measurement plate. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the application of spring plate flow-measuring devices in irrigation areas.