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Measuring storm water presents difficulties that other applications don’t usually experience.

In our blogs, we frequently highlight our abilities as a manufacturer of primary devices, including Parshall flumes, for the devices for the measurement, conditioning, and control of water in open channels. But what does it mean to be a manufacturer? What does it mean to be a…

While it is desirable for a flume to have free, unimpeded discharge, it can be difficult to guarantee this under all flow conditions. H Flumes have particularly low resistance to submergence, with submergence transitions of only 25-30%. The submergence transition of an H flume is…

While generally self-cleaning, flumes do require periodic maintenance and those measuring surface waters or in earthen channel installations usually requiring more than those in treatment plant settings. There are, however, no moving parts to wear out or replace.

H Flumes are a versatile and accurate way to measure open channel flows. They provide low end accuracy while at the same time providing large turn down ratios. They also pass granular solids well.

In edge-of-field / runoff monitoring sites it is not uncommon to have flow running in ill-defined channels (versus creeks or small streams). The problem then becomes how to capture and direct the flow into a flume or weir to quantify and measure the flow. Here wing walls are a…

As man’s need to use and measure water has increased, a number of different and varied methods have been developed to measure the flow of water in open channels. Open channels are those natural and man-made structures through which water flows with a free surface. Examples of…

Depending upon how the level-to-flow relationship is developed, flow measurement flumes can be divided into two types: short-throated (i.e. Parshall, Cutthroat, etc.) and long-throated (i.e. Palmer Bowlus, RBC, etc.). Flumes that are short-throated develop the flow relationship…

When we think of steel flumes - whether they be Parshall, Cutthroat, or H type – we are concerned with both the high (stainless) and low (galvanized) end of the market. While fabrication techniques are identical, the applications for steel flumes differ.

UPDATE: On May 2nd, 2016 Teledyne-ISCO released their 8th edtion of the handbook. You can request a copy from Teledyne or you can purchase a copy from Amazon here. On September 1st, 2014 Teledyne-ISCO released their 7th edition of the Teledyne ISCO Open Channel Flow Measurement…

The 120-inch Parshall Flume is the second largest of the prefabricated Parshall flumes available. The flume is used to measure larger surface water flows, primary water rights channels, and flows at larger wastewater treatment plants. The size of the flume is such that it must…

The primary uses of the 96-inch Parshall Flume are to either measure surface waters (watersheds / catchments / water rights) or sewage flows at wastewater treatment plants. Like the other large Parshalls, the 96-inch Parshall Flume ships in two pieces for field assembly.

At industrial sites where a Packaged Metering Manhole has been installed it is quite common to see a Parshall flume integrated into the manhole. As part of a site visit to assist a local customer, Openchannelflow personnel took the video below to help visualize what a Parshall…

As Parshall Flumes get larger there are fewer applications that they fit beyond measuring surface waters and treatment plant flows. Even then, the 84-inch Parshall Flume is not frequently used - the flow rates for these applications are usually smaller or larger than the 84-inch…

Depending on what the constituents make up an industry's flow stream, a sewer system's owner (city / county) may require pre-treatment and metering before the industry is allowed to discharge to the sewer. For many industries, plant downtime is a major concern when installing a…

The Small 60º V Trapezoidal Flume is smallest of the Trapezoidal Flume family. Due to its size, the flume is primarily used to measure the flow in furrows, ditches, and small channels. The flume has good low-end resolution and passes solids well. The Small 60º V Trapezoidal…

Of the various methods Openchannelflow has developed for conditioning flow for flumes, Tranquilizing Racks are the most common. Tranquilizing Racks are vertical "fingers" that extend down into the flow to break up poor velocity profiles and develop uniform, straight line flow…

For industries required to measure and / or sample their effluents prior to discharging to a municipal sewer system or surface water, finding sufficient area to install a primary device can be a struggle. In many instances, it is difficult to find a site that provides sufficient…

Most fiberglass manholes are installed in locations where neither foot or vehicular traffic is present. For those applications a fiberglass domes top is provided to aid in operator access. But what do you do when the manhole has to be placed where foot traffic will be present?

Of all of Openchannelflow's products, our Weir Boxes receive the most calls for customization; more so than our flumes, manholes, or even equipment shelters.