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TQ-S Tracer
Mobile Discharge Measurement System Based on the Tracer Dilution Method
User Manual Manual version: V03
2014-12-09
Sommer GmbH | Strassenhäuser 27 | AT-6842 Koblach | Austria | +43 5523/55989
All rights reserved.
Table of contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1
2. Contents of assortment .......................................................................................................................... 1
2.1. TQ-Commander Versions .................................................................................................................. 1 2.2. Scope of delivery ............................................................................................................................... 2 2.3. USB Bluetooth adapter ...................................................................................................................... 6
3. Technical specifications ......................................................................................................................... 7
4. Charging and operation of the TQ-Amp ................................................................................................ 8
5. Tracer dilution method ............................................................................................................................ 9
5.1. Measurement principle ...................................................................................................................... 9 5.2. Requirements .................................................................................................................................. 10 5.3. Selection of the measurement location ........................................................................................... 10
6. Before you start ..................................................................................................................................... 13
6.1. Installation of the TQ-Commander .................................................................................................. 13 6.2. Setting the menu language .............................................................................................................. 13 6.3. First-time setup of TQ-Amps via Bluetooth ...................................................................................... 13 6.4. Removing a sensor .......................................................................................................................... 15
7. Measurements with TQ-Commander ................................................................................................... 17
7.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 17 7.2. Connection of the conductivity sensors ........................................................................................... 19 7.3. Input of the measurement site information ...................................................................................... 19 7.4. Calibration of the conductivity sensors ............................................................................................ 20 7.5. Measurement and discharge calculation ......................................................................................... 24 7.6. Post processing ............................................................................................................................... 28
8. Import / Export of data .......................................................................................................................... 31
8.1. Export Data ...................................................................................................................................... 31 8.2. Import data ....................................................................................................................................... 31
9. Appendix................................................................................................................................................. 33
9.1. No internal Bluetooth adapter found ................................................................................................ 33 9.2. Optimizing the Bluetooth range ....................................................................................................... 33 9.3. Deactivating the internal Bluetooth module and enabling the Bluetooth dongle ............................. 34 9.4. Mixing the calibration solution ......................................................................................................... 36 9.5. Tables .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Safety information Please read this entire manual before setting up or operating this equipment. The non-compliance of this manual could result in damage to the equipment. Also in the case of non-compliance injuries of individuals cannot be excluded totally. Do not use this equipment in any manner other than that specified in this manual.
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1. Introduction
The TQ-S System consists of at least one conductivity sensor and the software TQ-Commander. The TQ-Amp is a measuring device with Bluetooth data transmission to which a conductivity probe can be connected. It is possible to use up to four conductivity sensors at the same time when using TQ-Commander. This software supports you in conducting a measurement and when performing post processing of measured data. TQ-Commander is available for Microsoft Windows PCs and Laptops as well as for Windows Mobile devices.
2. Contents of assortment
2.1. TQ-Commander Versions
o Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP:
- Microsoft .net Framework 2.0 or higher
- Microsoft Installer 3.0 or higher
o Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8: No additional installations required
Mobile version:
o Windows Mobile 5 to 6.5, required:
- Microsoft.net Compact-Framework 2.0 or higher
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2.2. Scope of delivery
TQ-S Tracer for conductivity measurement - Versions:
o Conductivity sensor(s) and accessories separated in two cases
o Conductivity sensor(s) and accessories together in one case (execution for normal base conductivity)
o Conductivity sensor(s) with heavy armor and 25 m cable spool
2.2.1. Conductivity measurement
Black transport case (conductivity sensors):
Conductivity Case:
Conductivity sensors: 1-3 conductivity sensors with one TQ-Amp each
Black transport case with 2 conductivity sensors (2 case version)
Conductivity sensor
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Conductivity probe with heavy armor on cable spool:
Cable spool for conductivity measurement:
Conductivity sensors
One piece conductivity sensor with heavy armor and one TQ.Amp each per cable spool.
Cable spool with one conductivity sensor with heavy armor
Conductivity probe with heavy armor (unscrewed)
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Blue transport case (accessories):
Conductivity Case:
Pipette: 500 µl Pipette with additional replacement tips
Jars: Volumetric flask 250 ml for calibration purposes
Measuring cup with handle 500 ml
Vessel for calibration solution
Measuring cup without handle 600 ml
Other: USB flash drive (documentation and software)
USB Bluetooth adapter class 1
Charger for every TQ-Amp
Quick start guide
Letter stickers for individual labeling of the conductivity sensors
Blue transport case with accessories (2 case version)
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2.2.2. Conductivity measurement
Blue transport case (conductivity sensors and accessories):
Conductivity case
Number of TQ-Amps:
2 pieces
Sensors: 1 conductivity sensor per TQ-Amp
Other: Letter stickers for individual TQ-Amp labeling / determination
Pipette: 500 µl pipette with additional reserve tips
Jars: Vessel for calibration solution
Stainless steel measuring cup
Volumetric flask 250 ml
Measuring cup with handle 600 ml
Other: USB flash drive (documentation + software)
USB Bluetooth dongle (Class 1)
Chargers for every TQ-Amp
Quick start guide
Blue transport case with conductivity sensors and accessories (1 case version)
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2.3. USB Bluetooth adapter
The supplied USB Bluetooth dongle can be used to establish a connection with the conductivity sensors with a computer that has no integrated Bluetooth module or to increase the maximum transmission distance.
The supplied class 1 Bluetooth dongle provides a connectivity reach of up to 100 m (see chapter 9.2).
The USB Bluetooth dongle is normally installed automatically and does not require a manual driver installation. If you are asked to manually choose a driver during the automatic installation, select “automatically search for drivers online”.
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3. Technical specifications
Conductivity
General
Measurement principle Tracer dilution method (slug injection)
Application Discharge up to 10 m³/s
Probes
Conductivity probes
Measure range 0 … 5000 µS/cm
Resolution 0.1 µS/cm
Working temperature -20 °C … +60 °C
Other properties Integrated temperature compensation
Measurement value linearization according to EN 27888: 1993 for natural waters
TQ-Amp (data acquisition with Bluetooth)
Interval of saving 1 s
Data transfer Bluetooth class 1
Working temperature -20 °C … +60 °C
Energy supply 3 x 1.5 V batteries size AA or
3 x 1.2 V / 2500 mAh NiMH accumulators size AA
Operation time with 3 x 2500 mAh accumulators
50 h
Recharge time ca. 10 h
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4. Charging and operation of the TQ-Amp
The TQ-Amp (measurement value acquisition / Bluetooth transmission):
The TQ-Amp is delivered with 3 pieces of NiMH accumulators with 2500 mAh each. From the full charge condition an operational duration of up to 50 hours can be reached until the battery voltage falls below 3.45 V at which point it is recommended to recharge or replace the batteries.
After connecting the 12 V power supply the accumulators are charged controlled by the TQ-Amp.
The 12 V power supply can remain connected to the TQ-Amp also if the charging process is completed.
The accumulator status is shown permanently in TQ-Commander:
Meaning of the Charge LED:
LED Charge/Error Color Meaning
off 12 V power supply not connected or charging process completed
yellow Charging process active
red An error occurred during the charging process, charging aborted.
orange An error occurred during the charging process, the charging
process nevertheless is continued.
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5. Tracer dilution method
5.1. Measurement principle
The tracer dilution method requires a slug injection of a defined amount of tracer substance (in this case salt) into the water body to be measured. Prior to the injection at least one conductivity probe has to be placed in the water body downstream of the injection site. The conductivity sensor is used to measure and record the concentration of the tracer substance in the water.
The conductivity sensor outputs the currently measured conductivity of the water. To define a relation of the measured values with the actual concentration the probes need to be calibrated to determine the calibration factor (k). This calibration factor is not only depending on the used tracer substance and the probes but also on the river’s or canal’s water. Therefore Sommer Messtechnik strongly recommends performing a calibration of the probes prior to every measurement.
The calibration of the probes is of equal importance as the absolute accuracy of the used probes with regards to the accuracy of the discharge determination. Accordingly Sommer Messtechnik suggests using tracer solutions with a concentration of 10 g/l, which can be carefully and thoroughly prepared by the end user (for more information see chapter 9.4).
The maximum deflection must be at least 200 µS/cm and/or 100% higher than the base value.
The discharge calculation is based on the injection amount (m), the previously determined calibration factor (k) and the measured values during the passage of the tracer substance in the form of the area between the curve and the base value (A).
Q … Discharge
m … Amount of tracer substance
k ... Calibration factor
A … Area covered by the curve (measured values)
µS / cm
Base value
Maxim
um
defl
ecti
on
> 2
00 µ
S/c
m a
nd
/or
10
0%
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The supplied software TQ-Commander guides the user through the complete measurement procedure, starting from the calibration through to issuing the measurement report. The necessary steps and requirements are described in this manual.
5.2. Requirements
The following requirements have to be fulfilled to get good and correct measurement results:
o Constant water flow during the measurement
o Constant base value during the measurement
o Even distribution of the tracer in the whole river cross section (vertical and horizontal) at the position of the conductivity sensor(s).
o The whole tracer has to pass the sensors completely (no backwater…) meaning that after the tracer substance passed the sensor the measured value should be very close to the base value (see above diagram).
5.3. Selection of the measurement location
To ensure a sufficient mixing of the tracer substance the following topographic aspects should be considered.
Positive:
o Varying cross sections
o High roughness
o Stones and rocks
Negative:
o Backwater areas (pools, rollers, dead water zones …)
o Low turbulence
o High vegetation
Especially consider the following points:
1. Suitable tracer injection site
2. Sufficient mixing distance
3. Appropriate location for placing the conductivity sensors in the river
Ad 1: Tracer input
The goal is to input the complete tracer substance (injection amount) as fast and as completely as possible in one single impulse (with swift rinsing of tracer remains) into the main stream. There should be not vegetation present at the injection site.
Important: Always take care of your own safety at the tracer input location
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Input form:
The tracer injection has to be carried out in dissolved form.
Input quantity:
The input quantity depends on the total discharge, the base value and the mixing distance.
The more tracer substance is injected, the greater the maximum deflection of the measured values.
The goal is to achieve a maximum deflection of at least 200 µS/cm respectively 100% of the base value (see above diagram).
The rule of thumb to approximate the amount of tracer substance needed is 5 kg per m³/s of total discharge. In case the resulting measurement curve shows that the maximum deflection is well below the aforementioned minimum increase the measurement can be easily repeated with a higher amount of tracer substance. In such a case the previous measurement result can be used to more accurately estimate the total discharge of the river.
If the measured values exceed the probe’s detection limit of 5000 µS/cm the measurement result is invalid. In such a case the measurement should be repeated with i.e. half the amount of tracer used in the first attempt.
Ad 2: Selection of the mixing distance
The goal is a complete vertical and lateral distribution of the tracer substance at the measurement location.
Rule of thumb: Mixing distance = 50-times the width of the water body to be measured (for low turbulences)
Attention: The longer the mixing distance the better the mixing, but at the same time the lower the maximum deflection and the longer it takes for the complete tracer to pass the measurement location (this can be compensated for by using a higher amount of tracer substance, i.e. > 5 kg per m³/s).
A shorter mixing distance (reduced down to 20-times the width of the water body) can be chosen when the following preconditions are fulfilled:
o High turbulences
o Changing cross sections
o High roughness
o Presence of stones and rocks
Ad 3: Positioning of the probes
The goals are:
o Good circulation of water around the probes
o Stable position of the probes
o Probes have to lie on the bottom of the river bed in high turbulent flows or hang in the water in low tortuous flows.
Attention: Safety and accessibility at the measurement location must be considered!
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Attention: Avoid placing the sensors in mud or high vegetation, prevent the sensors from floating in the water and avoid positions where air bubbles are present.
Abstract:
The tracer substance has to be mixed up completely. For this purpose, choosing longer mixing distances is better than shorter ones and using bigger amounts of tracer substance is preferred to using smaller amounts. Tracer flowing through the sensors has to be clearly visible in the measurement results and the maximum deflection must fulfill the minimum requirement (> 200 µS/cm and/or 100% of the base value). After the tracer passage the measured values should decrease to the base value.
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6. Before you start
6.1. Installation of the TQ-Commander
The software TQ-Commander is available on the supplied USB flash drive in the folders ”Software PC“ for the PC/Laptop version and ”Software Mobile“ for the Windows Mobile version.
6.2. Setting the menu language
The menu language can be selected by clicking on the ”Earth“-symbol in the main menu bar.
6.3. First-time setup of TQ-Amps via Bluetooth
Attention: Before you plug in the supplied USB Bluetooth dongle (from now on called “BT dongle”) please follow the steps listed below and check if an internal Bluetooth module is available. Sommer Messtechnik strongly suggests not to use an internal BT module and the supplied BT dongle at the same time to avoid problems caused by incompatibilities. For further information please see chapter 9.3.
o Start TQ-Commander.
o Power on all TQ-Amps, that will be used for the measurement and proceed by clicking on Measurement (F9)
o If a compatible internal BT module is available, it will be automatically detected and chosen for the measurement. The user will be informed about the chosen BT stack via a pop-up dialog.
If the following message is displayed, no active BT module has been detected. Please proceed with chapter Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden..
If the above dialog is not shown, an active and compatible BT module has been found by the TQ-Commander and the system is ready to perform a measurement. It is possible, that the connectivity reach of an internal BT module is not sufficient. In this case please proceed with chapter 9.2.
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o Click New Sensors (F6) and wait until the search for the sensors is completed.
In the example shown on the right side three sensors were found but not yet connected and initialized.
If three devices are active this is exactly what the screen should look like.
To identify the sensors please note the last four digits of the sensor name, which show the TQ-Amp ID.
The first part of the TQ-Amp ID may be different to the ones shown in this example. This part of the ID can be disregarded.
Every TQ-Amp is labeled with its ID.
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o Click on one of the listed sensors.
By clicking one of the sensors it will be connected. The first time a sensor is connected the dialog shown right will pop up.
o The input of a description is only necessary, if more than one conductivity sensor is used for the TQ-Amp.
o As ID the use of a capital letter is recommended. An assortment of letter stickers is included and can be placed on the TQ-Amp.
o Repeat this process for all sensors, then ...
After establishing the connection and setting up the sensor they are listed as green entries.
To check the connection status on the TQ-Amp please consult the “Connect”-LED, which will now be switched on (green).
o As soon as all sensors necessary for the measurement are connected, proceed by clicking Ok (F2).
o The sensor setup is now complete and a measurement can be started by clicking Next (F2).
6.4. Removing a sensor
If a sensor is not needed any more, it can be disconnected by deactivating “Autoconnect” (see above screenshot). To remove a sensor, please proceed as described below:
Menu Data (F10) Sensor
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Select the sensor to be removed.
On the right side of the program window the sensor details are listed.
To deactivate the “Autoconnect” this feature will be disabled for the selected sensor.
To delete the sensor click the waste bin symbol.
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7. Measurements with TQ-Commander
7.1. Introduction
The measurement procedure contains the following steps:
1. Switch on the TQ-Amps
2. Establish the Bluetooth-connection
3. Input information about the measuring site or station
4. Perform a calibration for the compensation of the local water characteristics (temperature and chemical composition)
5. Perform the measurement of the conductivity (Fluorescein / Rhodamine WT) while the tracer passes the sensors and the discharge is automatically calculated
The software TQ-Commander guides the user through all necessary steps of a complete measurement after clicking on Measurement (F9) in the menu:
o Connecting the TQ-Amp ( 7.2) and if necessary performing the first-time sensor setup ( Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.)
o Placing the probes in the water body to be measured to get them to the same temperature.
o Input of information for the report ( Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.)
o Calibrating the sensors ( Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.)
o Estimation of the tracer amount needed and injection of the tracer solution into the river.
It is important that the complete tracer amount is injected. In most cases the tracer solution is prepared in a bucket for an easy and complete injection.
o Placing the sensors in the water body ( 5.3)
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o Injecting the tracer solution, performing the measurement and report issuing ( Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.)
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7.2. Connection of the conductivity sensors
o Switch on the TQ-Amps
o Start TQ-Commander
o Click Measurement (F9)
o Check the connection status (Autoconnect)
Depending on the used operating system it can happen that Windows recognizes the sensor as a Bluetooth device and asks the user to input a password to establish the connection. If this prompt is displayed please press “Cancel” because it is not necessary to register the device with the operating system to perform measurements.
7.3. Input of the measurement site information
Defining a measurement site:
The measurement site information is saved automatically for every measurement and calibration.
Either choose a previously defined measurement site:
Select an ID from the drop down menu.
The listed IDs can be filtered by choosing a “Location” and/ or “Site”.
Or define a new measurement site New Station:
Click New Station (F5)
Input the station information and Save (F2)
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Next (F2)
7.4. Calibration of the conductivity sensors
Either load a previously performed calibration or Perform calibration (F5) like described in the following
Execution of the calibration
The accessories to perform a calibration are included in the supplied assortment.
Input the calibration parameters:
The correct values for the included accessories are set by default. The standard values can be changed in the Options (F12) menu.
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Recommended calibration parameters:
Salt
(standard)
Salt
(low base conductivity: < 200 µS)
Initial volume 250 ml 500 ml
Addition volume 0.50 ml 0.50 ml
Addition concentration 10 g/l 10 g/l
Extract water from the river and gauge exactly 250 ml with the supplied volumetric flask. Then pour these 250 ml into the measurement cup (500 ml).*
Place the probes in the measurement cup.
Confirm the first calibration point without (!) adding any calibration solution.
* In case the base conductivity is lower than 200 µS/cm use a bigger measurement cup and add exactly 500 ml of river water.
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When taking up 0.5 ml of calibration solution with the pipette make certain to use the first pressure point.
Operating button not pressed: No taking up of liquid when released
Press the operating button to the first stop and dip the tip into the solution to a depth of 1 cm, and slowly release the operating button.
Operating button pressed to the second stop: When released an undefined amout of solution is picked up.
Dispense the liquid into the receiving vessel by gently pressing the operating button to the first stop and then press the operating button to the second stop.
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Add calibration solution to the calibration cup and stir up the content. After that let the probes rest until the measurement values have stabilized.
Repeat this procedure and confirm (F5) every addition.
With an expected maximum deviation of 200 µS/cm ( 5.1) during the discharge measurement the calibration should at least cover the expected range of measured values.
Example: Base value = 400 µS/cm Maximum deviation = 200 µS/cm
The calibration should cover at least the range from 400 µS/cm to 600 µS/cm.
The result of the calibration is displayed.
For a good calibration all calibration points are connected by a straight line with a correlation of 0.9998 or higher.
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7.5. Measurement and discharge calculation
Every discharge measurement with the TQ-F system requires preparatory operations like placing the probes in the water and preparing the tracer solution. These operations are explained in this section of the manual.
Click on Next (F2)
In the following form descriptions of the measurement to be performed can be inputted. The input of the amount of tracer substance ( 5.3) is mandatory. The other input fields are used for documentation purposes only.
With Next (F2) the measured values are already displayed:
If the measurement is performed by one single operator only, recording the measured data should be started at this point. Afterwards the prepared tracer solution is injected.
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If two or more operators are present, both tasks can be performed at the same time.
The time it takes the tracer substance to reach the probes can be used to approximate the flow velocity.
Attention: Start (F2) has to be clicked to start the measurement:
Only from this moment on the measured values are recorded!
During the measurement the course of the measured values is displayed and refreshed continuously. The (blinking) green dot in the sensor window indicates a good connection. Especially at the beginning and end of a measurement the connection with the sensor must be good.
If instead of a green dot a red dot is blinking, there is a problem with the connection. For further information please refer to chapter 9.2.
If the connection is temporarily interrupted and then reestablished during a measurement the missing measurement values are read and transmitted from a buffer in the sensor. If this happens the green dot will be displayed for a few seconds until all buffered values are received.
In addition, the percentage of successfully transmitted measurement values is displayed. This value should be 100% by the end of the measurement. If this is not the case, please check if all the relevant points were transmitted successfully. Especially points on the rising slope and at or near the maximum are important for a good measurement quality.
Attention: Click Stop (F2) to finish the measurement. As soon as the complete tracer has passed the probes and the measured values have dropped to the base value the measurement can be stopped. The resulting curves and discharges will be displayed in a
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new window.
By clicking Quit (F2) the measurement is saved and completed. By clicking Back (F1) all data will be saved and you are going back to the Measurement parameters menu. There you can input all parameters again (optionally) and repeat the measurement.
By clicking Quit (F2) the measurement is saved and completed. By clicking Back (F1) all data will be saved and you are going back to the Measurement parameters menu. There you can input all parameters again (optionally) and repeat the measurement.
By clicking on Stop (F2) the measurement will be saved automatically. You can view the results by clicking on Data (F10) and Measurement.
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First depict with Data (F10) Measurement the available data sets.
Then change into the tab Report, where a printable report is shown:
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7.6. Post processing
In some cases it makes sense to post process the measured data for correction of e.g. fluctuating base values.
Choose a data set by selecting Data (F10) Measurement.
Then choose the tab Measurement on the right side, which will make a set of tools available:
Calculation begin
In following situation the measurement was started too early (the position of a the sensor had been changed, which caused the downward peak):
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To exclude the peak from the discharge calculation click on the ”Set calculation begin“ symbol:
In the diagram a cursor appears. By clicking on any point in the diagram the “calculation begin” can be changed.
Changing the course of the base value
If the measured values do not reach their start values, maybe the base values have changed during the measurement:
This can be considered with the change of the base line. First choose a measurement curve by a click on the field with its discharge value. Then click on the symbol ”Define base line“ and move the end point with the mouse:
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Result:
The use of the zoom tools is recommended:
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8. Import / Export of data
8.1. Export Data
Menu bar Synchronization (F11)
By clicking on Export the measurement data can be exported. The following formats are available for the export of the measurement data:
o XML
o CSV
o Excel
o Biber-XML
8.2. Import data
In the menu bar click on Synchronization (F11)
Choose the file with the data you want to import and click on Open
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Click on the green arrow to import the selected data set.
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9. Appendix
9.1. No internal Bluetooth adapter found
If this message is displayed after clicking on Measurement (F9) there are two possible reasons:
o There is no internal Bluetooth Radio available.
o The internal Bluetooth Radio is deactivated (hardware switch, FN-shortcut; please refer to the laptop manual).
In both cases Sommer Messtechnik suggests using the supplied Class 1 Bluetooth dongle with a range of up to 100 meters.
Plug in the supplied Bluetooth dongle in an available USB port and wait until the automatic installation process is completed.
o Again click Measurement (F9)
Attention: Please note that the internal Bluetooth module must not be active when new measurements are performed to ensure that the supplied BT dongle is used for establishing the connection with the TQ-Amp (see chapter 0).
9.2. Optimizing the Bluetooth range
Under the following conditions a Bluetooth range of up to 100 m can be achieved:
o Bluetooth needs a clear line of sight! Consider any obstacles between the laptop and the TQ-Amps.
o The connection is established with the supplied class 1 Bluetooth dongle. For information on how to (permanently) enable the Bluetooth dongle please refer to chapter 9.3.
o Position the TQ-Amp perpendicular to the line of sight.
Attention: Please note that the internal Bluetooth module must not be active when new measurements are performed to ensure that the supplied BT dongle is used for establishing the connection with the TQ-Amp (see chapter 0).
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9.3. Deactivating the internal Bluetooth module and enabling the Bluetooth dongle
The following steps ensure that the supplied Bluetooth dongle will always be used for the connection with the TQ-Amp.
o Deactivate the internal BT module (three options):
o With a hardware switch (see laptop manual)
o With a FN-shortcut (see laptop manual)
o Via the Windows control panel (see below)
o Plugin the supplied BT dongle in an available USB port and wait until the automatic installation is completed.
o Click Measurement (F9)
Attention: Please note that the internal Bluetooth module must not be active when new measurements are performed to ensure that the supplied BT dongle is used for establishing the connection with the TQ-Amp (see chapter 0).
9.3.1. Deactivating an internal Bluetooth module via Windows Control Panel
o Ensure that only the internal BT module is active and no external BT dongles are connected.
o Open the Windows Device manager find the entry ”Generic Bluetooth Adapter“ respectively
”Generic Bluetooth Radio“:
In case Microsoft Bluetooth Stack is not used the name and color of the entry may vary from above
screenshot. In that case please look for similar entries.
o By performing a right-click on the entry a menu is displayed via which the BT module can be
deactivated.
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o After deactivating the BT adapter the entry should look like this:
The entry „Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator“ disappears from the list after the BT module was
deactivated.
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o Now insert the supplied BT dongle and wait until the automatic installation is finished.
o Because the supplied BT dongle by default works with the Microsoft BT Stack a new entry named
”Generic Bluetooth Adapter“ respectively ”Generic Bluetooth Radio” is created:
o The supplied BT dongle is now installed and ready to be used.
9.4. Mixing the calibration solution
The calibration solution with a concentration of 10 g/liter is made of salt (if possible the same salt that will be used for the slug injection) and distilled water.
Important: The salt has to be stored under dry conditions! (Salt has the tendency to absorb water and so increases its weight)
Important: Use distilled water! A base conductivity in the range of 0 … 1 µS/cm is recommended.
a) Use distilled water to rinse the container which will be used to store the calibration solution.
b) Fill the container with 1 kg of distilled water.
c) Lie down a sheet of paper on the precision scale and adjust the offset so that the scale shows a zero for the weight.
d) Dump the salt on the sheet of paper and weigh 10 g
Important: Use a precision scale with an absolute error of +/- 0.1 g or less.
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e) Take the sheet of paper with the salt from the scale and dump the salt into the reservoir with the distilled water.
Shake the distilled water to mix it with the salt.
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9.5. Tables
9.5.1. Minimum mixture length for the conductivity measurement
Rule of thumb: L ≈ 50 ∙ b
L … minimum mixture distance; b … width of the river
river width length of the mixture distance [m]
[m] little turbulent very turbulent
1 75 50
2 150 100
5 300 250
10 500 300
For limits with dilution of salt and other continuative information we recommend the book MORGENSCHWEIS, G. (2010): Hydrometrie. 2010. XIV, 582 pp., Springer
9.5.2. Salt requirement
To estimate the necessary salt requirement, first the amount of discharge has to be estimated. With short mixture lengths and low background conductivity normally 5 kg for an estimated discharge of 1000 liters/s are sufficient (rule of thumb).
With high background conductivities the notice of following table can increase the quality of the measurement result:
Salt requirement [kg]
Estimated discharge [l/s]
< 250 µS/cm
< 500 µS/cm
<1000 µS/cm
≥ 1000µS/cm
50 0,25 0,5 1 2
100 0,5 1 2 4
200 1 2 4 8
500 2,5 5 10 20
800 4 8 16 32
1000 5 10 20 40
Table: Salt amount in kg in dependence of the base conductance and the estimated discharge
