What is the relationship between the clarity of the water and the SWs ability to measure water velocity?
Doppler sonar instruments such as the SW actually measure the movement of particles in the water, as opposed to measuring the water movement itself. This carries the assumption that the movement of the particles in the water is representative of the movement of the water itself. This actually turns out to be a very safe assumption (on which we have built our business). So if you have a body of water where no particles are present, the physics are such that Doppler current meters will not work. Thankfully, most natural environments almost always have something suspended other than just water molecules (even if it is just tiny air bubbles). What makes the SonTek Doppler system different from most other manufacturers (who service the process control and irrigation customers) is the sensitivity level. SonTeks technology is excellent at deciphering reflected acoustic energy from the background noise. As such, even a small amount of particles in the water is usually good enough for most meas
Related Questions
- Why do we measure clarity out in the middle of the lake, in the "deep hole" where the water is usually clearer and conditions are quite different than most swimming areas?
- What is the relationship between the clarity of the water and the SWs ability to measure water velocity?
- In addition to water velocity, Level and Flow, what else can the SW measure?
