Measuring Flows
SAFL has a strong legacy of researching, designing, and developing technology and methodologies to collect data and measure fluid flows. We are continually developing new methods and techniques for observing, measuring, logging, and communicating data, such as remote measurement of water flow and chemistry, development of innovative imaging techniques to capture the wake behind a full scale wind turbine, using satellites to determine what proportion of precipitation falls as rain versus snow, detecting and measuring microplastics in rivers and lakes, or tracking wave energy as it moves across a lake or ocean.
SAFL Affiliated Faculty
Ardeshir Ebtehaj
John Gulliver
Jiarong Hong
Andrew Wickert
SAFL Researchers
Ben Erickson
Christopher Feist
Matt Hernick
Ben Janke
Jessica Kozarek
Matt Lueker
Jeff Marr
Chris Milliren
Read more about SAFL sensor development related projects/research:
(filter "measuring flows" if needed)
Evaluating the effectiveness of pretreatment practices for rain gardens
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The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of different pretreatment devices in Minnesota. The objective was to gather quantitative data using a common method that will allow for comparisons across devices.
Evaluating permeable pavement as an alternative to road salt application
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The Minnesota Department of Transportation tasked SAFL researchers with evaluating the use of unsalted permeable pavement in comparison to traditional impermeable salted pavement. Permeable pavement refers to a surface where water can infiltrate into pavement and ultimately become groundwater, rather than running off pavement into the stormwater system.
Broadway Pump Station Physical Model
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After a 2011 flood caused extensive damage in Minot, North Dakota, MWH Americas, Inc. was hired to design a pumping station as part of the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan, to pump stormwater over the river levee during flood events. The applied engineering team at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory was then tasked to build a physical model of the proposed pumping station to identify and mitigate unanticipated/unacceptable flow patterns prior to construction.
Long-throated U-flume study
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SAFL researchers built a scale model of a round-bottomed long-throated flume, in order to validate Winflume software for this specific flume geometry.