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Prepared in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute

Evaluation of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to Measure Discharge at New York Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project, Niagara Falls, New York

By Henry J. Zajd, Jr.

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1187

The body of the report is available in PDF Format (2,500 KB)

This report is available online only

Abstract

The need for accurate real-time discharge in the International Niagara River hydro power system requires reliable, accurate and reproducible data. The U.S. Geological Survey has been widely using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) to accurately measure discharge in riverine channels since the mid-1990s. The use of the ADCP to measure discharge has remained largely untested at hydroelectric-generation facilities such as the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) Niagara Power Project in Niagara Falls, N.Y. This facility has a large, engineered diversion channel with the capacity of high volume discharges in excess of 100,000 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). Facilities such as this could benefit from the use of an ADCP, if the ADCP discharge measurements prove to be more time effective and accurate than those obtained from the flow-calculation techniques that are currently used.
Measurements of diversion flow by an ADCP in the “Pant Leg” diversion channel at the Niagara Power Project were made on November 6, 7, and 8, 2006, and compared favorably (within 1 percent) with those obtained concurrently by a conventional Price-AA current-meter measurement during one of the ADCP measurement sessions. The mean discharge recorded during each 2-hour individual ADCP measurement session compared favorably with (3.5 to 6.8 percent greater than) the discharge values computed by the flow-calculation method presently in use by NYPA. The use of ADCP technology to measure discharge could ultimately permit increased power-generation efficiency at the NYPA Niagara Falls Power Project by providing improved predictions of the amount of water (and thus the power output) available.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Physical Setting

Purpose and Scope

Methods

Instrumentation

Measurement Procedures

New York Power Authority Method of Calculating Water Diversion

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler Measurements in Relation to New York Power Authority Calculations

Summary and Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Appendix. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler transect start and end times and durations, recorded channel velocities, flow directions, and total discharges, at New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y., November 6–8, 2006

Figures

1. Map showing location of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and relation to study area near New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
2. Map showing location of Lewiston Reservoir, Forebay Canal, Robert Moses Power Plant, and “Pant Leg” diversion channel area near New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
3. Map showing location of “Pant Leg” diversion channel and walkway discharge measuring section at the New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
4. Photographs showing: (A) Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) mounted on a tethered trimaran platform that floats on the water surface to measure water velocity and (B) ADCP floating in “Pant Leg” diversion channel downstream from walkway bridge at New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
5. Graphs showing examples of graphical output (profiles) from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) showing measured water velocity magnitude, in feet per second (ft/s), and direction, in degrees (°), based on raw ADCP data collected at “Pant Leg” diversion channel near New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y., November 7, 2006.
6. Photographs showing measurement setup: Price-AA current meter and sounding weight, E-reel, and E-crane used for standard U.S. Geological Survey current-meter discharge measurement from bridges and used at the “Pant Leg” diversion channel near New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
7. Vertical section of water column showing locations of individual Price-AA current-meter measurements from bridge walkway near the end of Niagara Power Authority “Pant Leg” diversion channel, November 7, 2006, 10:30–12:05 Eastern Standard Time.
8. Plots showing Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler discharge measurements and New York Power Authority (NYPA)-calculated discharges obtained during the four measurement sessions at “Pant Leg” diversion channel near NYPA Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y., November 6–8, 2006.
9. Niagara River Diversion histogram showing 2005–2006 calendar year and discharge rates during Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler measurements in “Pant Leg” diversion channel on November 6, 7, and 8, 2006, near New York Power Authority Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
10. Vertical section of “Pant Leg” diversion channel showing area for which discharge could be measured, edge zone for which discharge must be calculated, and area in which discharge could theoretically be measured as a function of water depth at channel wall.

Tables

1. Data from comparison of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler discharge measurements with discharge calculations by New York Power Authority at Niagara Power Project generation facility, Niagara Falls, N.Y., November 6–8, 2006.

Suggested Citation

Zajd, H.J., Jr., 2007, Evaluation of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure discharge at New York Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project, Niagara Falls, New York: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007–1187, 21 p.

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For further information, contact:

Director
U.S. Geological Survey
New York Water Science Center
425 Jordan Road
Troy, NY 12180

dc_ny@usgs.gov

(518)285-5600

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