Sommer uses contactless measurement methods to monitor water flow

Founded in 1987, Sommer is specialized in the development and marketing of sensors and environmental monitoring equipment, including system solutions for data logging, data transmission and analysis. With over 30 years of technical expertise, Sommer is a true measurement specialist and reliable partner for applications in hydrology, meteorology, industrial and water management, wastewater and geotechnical engineering.

Sommer's innovative Doppler radar sensors with high performance water flow, water level hydrology, water resources, wastewater monitoring, unique snow and snow water equivalent, meteorological monitoring technology and user-friendly systems for data management and telemetry are proof of the company's unique innovative spirit. Far from any infrastructure and remote and harsh environments, Sommer's equipment enables sensing and monitoring systems for environmental parameters, such as environmental monitoring weather stations in alpine regions, are a reliable reflection of Sommer's reliable products and superb technology.



SQ-R Flow Measurement System

The SQ-R sensor is a continuous measuring device for the contactless determination of the water volume in open or closed channels. It combines two sensors in one system. The former determines the water level by measuring the passage time of the radar signal and the latter simultaneously measures the flow rate at the water surface by means of a Doppler frequency shift. After each measurement, the sensors apply an advanced hydraulic model to calculate the average flow velocity, which in turn is used to calculate the water volume.


Thanks to the contactless measurement method, the SQ-R can be mounted on an extension arm without the need for expensive structural measures in the water or wastewater treatment channel. This has the added advantage that the sensor is located outside the flood hazard area and requires little maintenance for many years.


Features and Benefits
Non-contact measurement, maintenance-free system
Flow calculation by continuous measurement of flow rate and water level
No need for construction in sewers
Waterproof and durable housing, also suitable for corrosive environments
Wide measuring range from a few liters to several cubic meters per minute
High data availability even at high turbidity and high solids content
Easy integration into existing measurement and control systems
Self-check function supports correct installation and high data quality
Versatile measurement outputs via RS-485, Modbus, SDI-12, pulse and analog signals
Integrated hydraulic model for accurate flow calculations
Easy configuration with SQ-R Commander software





Application Scenarios
The SQ-R is designed for municipal and industrial applications in wastewater treatment plants, sewer and process water circuits. For example, the volume of wastewater entering a treatment plant can be monitored to control the facility and allocate wastewater costs. In addition, the duration and frequency of rainfall and flood events can be recorded, which is critical for plant operators and utilities for sewer management.


Ecosystem monitoring of fish ladders

A new hydroelectric plant has been built in the Dolomite Mountains near Cortina. The plant uses water from the Piauva River to generate electricity for the surrounding communities. In order to comply with the applicable regulations, a fish ladder was built on the right bank of the river in accordance with the European regulations on ecological flows, which stipulate minimum discharges for a thriving river ecosystem.


The fish ladder had to continuously monitor the water flow and because of the fast alternating flow and foam on the water surface, flow monitoring by classical methods was very challenging. The Sommer SQ-R flow meter provided a solution with a customized integrated hydraulic model, the SQ-R can determine the flow even in complex flow regimes and it does so by using state-of-the-art radar sensors to contactlessly measure water level and flow velocity to provide accurate data.


In the current situation, because the hydrological test conditions of the fishway plunge ladder are difficult to meet the normal test section setting requirements, the plunge water disturbance flow pattern is obvious, very unfavorable to the work of SQ-R radar flow measurement system, so the need to use SOMMER to get TQ-S tracer flow measurement system to verify the rate of validation. Verification results show that the difference between SQ-R and TQ-S flow measurement results is not large, the error is less than 5%, reflecting the excellent flow measurement performance of SQ-R.