Reliable Open River Discharge Monitoring

When it comes to non-contact, continuous discharge monitoring for wide, open and natural rivers or streams the RQ-30 sensor, from SOMMER Messtechnik (Austria), is the first choice. It measures accurately and reliably even if there are complex cross-section geometries or extreme water levels, from very little flow up to flood situations.

Same as with SOMMER’s new SQ sensor for discharge monitoring in wastewater and for sewer systems, non-contact measurement technology is the key: using innovative radar technology, the RQ-30, just like the SQ sensor, can be mounted above the water on a bridge or any other cross-sectional superstructure. It therefore remains free from deposits, it is safe from flood-water and basically needs no maintenance. Due to two separate, continuous measurements of both, water level and flow velocity, the sensor is able to automatically determine the exact discharge rate at any time. All this is done based on an integrated hydraulic model and with the help of the specifically developed and intelligent sensor software Q-Commander.

The system is well suited for solar powered applications because of its extremely low power consumption. Recognition of flow direction, hysteresis effects and measurements in tidal waters are further valuable benefits of the RQ-30.