REPORT NUMBER BUREAU OF HECLAMATTG~ ·.~. :,·: ,; HYDRAULIC LABORA'l'ORY Rf.:· ISOTOPES-INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY TID-4500 (19th ED] DO NOT REMOVE FROM THIS FILE '. lWa$([M]£OO@rn ~ rn£$l!!JOOrn~ rn[rolf lW$a[ro@ OO£lWa@a$@1r@rPrn$ a[ro [M]a@[M] [M]rn£lW 1r l!!J oo ~ a[ro rn $ £ [ro @ rP l!!J ~ rP $ .,, .. ., .............. "-0:.. ... , ... - Prepared by Bureau of Reclamation for Division of Isotopes Development United States Atomic Energy Commission Covering Work for Fiscal Year 1966 , September 30, 1966 PRINTED IN U.S.A. PRICE AVAILABLE FROM THE OFFICE OF TECHNICAL SERVICES. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. WASHINGTON, D .C. 20201 I' LEGAL NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of Government sponsored work. Neither the United States, nor the Commission, nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission: A. Makes any warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that the use of any informa­ tion, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may " not infringe privately owned rights; or B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of any information, apparatus, method, . or process disclosed in this report. As used in the above, "person acting on behalf of the Commission" includes any employee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor, to the extent that such employee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor prepares, dissemi­ nates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employ­ ment or contract with the Commission, or his employment with such contractor. i FOREWORD This report, a product of the Research Division, is issued as part of a contract between the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the Bureau of Reclam~tion. Writing of the report was accomplished by R. L. Hansen and J. C. Schuster, under the supervision of W. Y . .. Holland and A. J. Peterka. The work was cooperatively done for the Hydraulics and Chemical Engineering Branches directed by Messrs. H. M. Martin and L. 0. Timblin. The research effort was materially assisted by the analytical work of Professor E. R. Holley, Resident Faculty Engineer, and the experimental work of G. A. Teter, U. J. Palde, and R. B. Dexter. iii CONTENTS Page Legal Notice i Foreword . • iii Synopsis . 1 Introduction 3 Program Coordination and Evaluation. 3 Outside Contracts . 4 Literature Search . 4 Hydraulics. 4 Radioisotopes . 5 Systems Development . 5 Hydraulics Investigations 7 Tracer-water Diffusion for Turbulent Flows. 7 Radial Diffusion Coefficients for Turbulent Flows 7 The 8-inch Pipe Model . 16 Reduction of Datao . 22 Analysis of Concentration Data. 23 Experimental Determination of Diffusion Coefficients. 25 Diffusion Measurements--Contract with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado . 31 Radioisotope Investigations. 33 Selection of Tracer . 33 Radioisotope Counting System . 33 Method of Computing Discharge 35 Counting System Calibration. 38 Tracer Handling Procedures .. 41 Error Analysis. o . 41 Radio-release Technique for Turbine Discharge Measurement .......... 42 • Flaming Gorge Powerplant Field Tests . 45 Preparations. 45 Test Facilities and Equipment . 45 Performance of Radioisotope Discharge Measurements . 46 Discussion of Results . 47 Future Tests. 50 References ..... 51 Tables and Figures . 53 V CONTENTS--Continued Appendix 1. International Atomic Energy Agency, Isotope Technique in Hydrology, Working Group Meeting Appendix 2. A Literature Survey of Radioisotopes Suitable as Tracers for Measuring Flow Rates of Water in High-head Turbines and Pumps, University of Denver, Denver Research Institute Appendix 3. Development of Radio-release Technique for Measurement 0£ Turbine Discharge LIST OF TABLES Table Range of Parameters for Diffusion Measurements in 8-inch Pipe . 1 Salt Diffusion Test Statistical Data 2A Salt Diffusion Test Statistical Data 2B Summary of Diffusion Coefficients . 3 Salt Concentration . 4 Results of Isotope Discharge Measurements 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure •- Tracer Pattern Downstream from Centerline Injection. 1 " Laboratory Pipeline . 2 Details of 8-inch Pipeline. 3 Injection and Sampling Locations 8-inch Pipe Model . 4 Tracer Injection System 8-inch Pipeline . 5 vi LIST OF FIGURES--Continued Figure Sampling Probes . 6 Conductance Probe Installation and Data Recording Instruments for 8-inch Pipeline. 7 Coefficient of Variance of Concentration Distribution as a Function of Distance Between Injection and Sampling Stations . 8 Concentration Distribution at Sampling Station for Various Injector Positions Along the Horizontal Diameter at Stations 90D, lOOD, and llOD . 9 Radial Concentration Distributions (USBR Tests). 10 Radial Diffusion Coefficients for Pipe Flow . 11 Variation of Dimensionless Diffusion Coefficient with Spread of Tracer . 12 Outside View of the Mobile· Nuclear Laboratory . 13 Arrangement of the Electronic, Rack-mounted Instruments within the Mobile Nuclear Laboratory . 14 Components of Radiation Detection Probe . 16 Sample Tank Assembled for Discharge Measurements 18 Sample Tank Assembled for System Calibration . 17 Volume of H20 vs Temperature--Sample Tank * 1 18 Tracer Mixing Evaluation--Sample Tank# 1·-Count Rate vs Mixing Time . 19 Automatic Burel . 20 Flaming Gorge Dam and Powerplant Section. 21 Radioisotope Injection and Sampling Pumps, Flaming Gorge Dam . 22 Radioisotope Sampling Tanks and Mobile Laboratory, Flaming Gorge Dam . 23 vii DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS USING RADIOISOTOPES IN HIGH-HEAD TURBINES AND PUMPS (Fiscal Year 1966) SYNOPSIS The Atomic Energy Commission and Bureau of Reclamation are coop­ erating in a research program to establish feasibility and develop pro­ cedures for measuring the waterflow through high-head turbines and other hydraulic machines using radioactive tracers. The program, planned to develop techniques for making precision discharge meas­ urements quickly and with a minimum of equipment to be installed in the pipeline or conduit is being accomplished in several divisions described herein. An extensive search of foreign and domestic literature produced about 300 references related to the measurement of flow using radioisotopes and chemical tracers and on radioisotopes suitable for making pipeline discharge measurements. An annotated bibliography will be included as a part of the report on contract work being done by Colorado State University. Theoretical studies were made to define and evaluate the hydraulic parameters that affect and control diffusion of the tracer with the flowing water. A 36-inch-diameter pipeline 825 feet long was used to study the diffusion of fluorescent dye in flows ranging to 62 cfs. The measurements resulted in approximately 1, 000 analog records of dye concentration in the pipeline for mixing lengths of from 27 to 184 pipe diameters. An 8-inch-diameter transparent plastic pipeline about 85 feet long was used to measure the diffusion of a sodium chloride solu­ tion in the pipe flow for eight mixing distances ranging from 12 to 110 pipe diameters. A conductivity probe and electronic circuitry were developed to measure the concentration of the salt solution. The experi­ mental phases included the investigation of tracer injection and sampling techniques and of establishing basic requirements for accuracy of the equipment. The studies resulted in the development of preliminary methods for determining diffusion coefficients and pipeline lengths required for tracer water mixing. Equations K/v • 0.0188 .ft Re for computing the diffusion coefficient K, and Lid= 9.25/../f for com­ puting the mixing distance L, were derived for preliminary computa­ tions as a result of the study. Radioisotope calibration, counting, and sampling procedures were applied to a sample tank designed and fabricated in the laboratory. The check of procedures included the evaluation of the total error that might result from each operation. The maximum probable error at this stage of the program is ±0. 73% based on the results of preliminary tests. Improved methods were developed for radioiso­ tope dilution and volume measurement. A mobile muclear laboratory was designed, purchased, and assembled using USER funds provided specifically for that purpose and not a part of the research funds. The laboratory is being used for performing field tests using radioisotopes in ground-water tracer studies and flow measurement in open chan­ nels and closed conduits. A field test was performed in a 320-foot-long, 10-foot-diameter, high­ head turbine penstock of Flaming Gorge Dam near Vernal, Utah. Tracered water samples for discharge calculations were withdrawn from the penstock both upstream and downstream of the turbine. The planned objectives of the Flaming Gorge Dam turbine discharge meas­ urements were achieved. Much was learned about the injection, sam­ pling, and general procedures necessary for making radioisotope dis­ charge measurements in a high-head installation. These tests showed that good mixing does not occur in a pipeline length of about 30 diam­ eters for a single jet of isotope introduced at 0. 8" of the radius from the pipe wall. Continuation of the program calls for field tests of the prototype tracer injection and measurement systems. · Field conditions such as mixing length, hydraulic head, discharge rate, radiation measurement pro­ cedures, injection techniques, and tracer concentrations will be varied in making flow measurements at high-head turbine installations. In­ house