Estimating the Uncertainty of Streamgauging Techniques Using In Situ Collaborative Interlaboratory Experiments
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 7
Abstract
While the application of uncertainty propagation methods to hydrometry is still challenging, in situ collaborative interlaboratory experiments are a valuable tool for empirically estimating the uncertainty of stream gauging techniques in given measurement conditions. The authors propose a simple procedure for organizing such experiments and processing the results according to the authoritative ISO standards related to interlaboratory experiments, which are of common practice in many metrological fields. Beyond the computation and interpretation of the results, some issues are discussed regarding the estimation of the stream gauging technique bias in the absence of accurate enough discharge references in rivers; the uncertainty of the uncertainty estimates, according to the number of participants and repeated measurements; the criteria related to error sources that are possibly meaningful for categorizing measurement conditions. The interest and limitations of the in situ collaborative interlaboratory experiments are exemplified by an application to the hydro-acoustic profiler (ADCP) stream gauging technique conducted in 2010 at two different sites downstream of Génissiat hydropower plant in the Rhône river, France. Typically, the expanded uncertainty (with a probability level of 95%) of the average discharge over six successive transects varied from at one site with favorable conditions to at the other site due to unstable flow conditions.
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Acknowledgments
This research task was supported by the French national hydrological services (SCHAPI). It would not have been possible without the results of several large-scale ADCP, hand-held radars, and current-meter interlaboratory experiments organized by the Groupe Doppler Hydrométrie, a working group launched in 2005 by French-speaking hydrometry technologists from different agencies. The authors thoughts were enhanced by constructive discussions with the experts of the World Meteorological Organization initiative on the Assessment of the Performance of Flow Measurement Instruments and Techniques. The authors also thank the two reviewers and the editor for their helpful comments on the manuscript.
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© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2014
Accepted: Sep 17, 2015
Published online: Mar 2, 2016
Published in print: Jul 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Aug 2, 2016
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