Flow Format

Format Name: Flow

File Name: Flow.zip

Source: EDP Standalone and EQuIS Professional

Export(s): Not applicable

Enumeration File: Not applicable

Description: The Flow format is used to load open channel flow data into EQuIS.

Installation Instructions: The Flow format is included in the installation of EDP Standalone and EQuIS Professional in the \Formats\EarthSoft folder. This format is not included with the installation of EQuIS Enterprise but can be added and configured to be available in the Enterprise EDP EDD Upload widget. If the format will be configured for EQuIS Enterprise, an administrator will need to define the commit type and other EDP Enterprise elements as defined in the Workflow Widget and Add or Modify Enterprise EDP Formats articles.

Overview: The Flow format contains two sections: Flow and Flow Measurement. The Flow section can be used to load data to the DT_FLOW table, as well as the DT_SAMPLE table. The Flow Measurement section maps data to the DT_FLOW_MEASUREMENT table.

Limitations/Assumptions:

•As this format does not map to the DT_TEST table, there are no relevant Test Alternate Keys (TAKs).

•The interval, depth, and gauge units may be measured in metric or imperial units.

•The velocity units must always be reported in interval units per second (s).

•Flow Section

•If left unpopulated, a parent record will be created in the Flow section for each set of location_code values in the Flow Measurement section.

•Flow Measurement Section

•If left unpopulated, the sys_sample_code value will be populated with a concatenation of the location_code, an underscore, and the measurement_date_time in YYYYMMDD format (e.g., Station1_20240322).

•Culvert Flow Method

•The Flow Measurement.flow_method value must contain ‘culvert’.

•The value in the Flow Measurement.interval_unit field must equal the value in the depth_unit field, and the value in the velocity_unit field must equal the value in the interval_unit field + “/s”. If any of these three fields are left blank or do not adhere to this nomenclature, a “Units do not match” error will occur in the interval_flow_unit field.

•Flow.velocity calculation: The average of the Flow Measurement.velocity values for a given location_code.

•Flow.velocity units: Copied directly from Flow Measurement.velocity_unit.

•Flow.instant_flow calculation: For the instant_flow calculation to occur for a given location, there must be a Flow record in the EDD where the sys_sample_code, flow_method, depth, and width fields are populated. The following calculations are performed to determine the instant_flow value:

Instant_flow = Area * Velocity

Area = (r2 (Ø - sin Ø)) / 2

Ø = 2 * arcos ((r-h)/r)

where:

h = height of water in the culvert

r = radius of culvert (or width/2)

•Flow.instant_flow_units: Flow.depth_unit + ‘3/s’.

•Flow Curve Method

•The Flow Measurement.flow_method value must contain ‘flow curve’.

•The Flow Measurement.interval_flow value is automatically calculated by multiplying the interval by the velocity by the depth. Any value manually populated in interval_flow will be overwritten by the product of the calculation when the EDD is loaded into EDP.

•The interval_flow_unit field will be populated with a concatenation of the interval_unit field value and the string “3/s”.

•Flow.velocity calculation: The average of the Flow Measurement.velocity values for a given location_code.

•Flow.velocity units: Copied directly from Flow Measurement.velocity_unit.

•Flow.instant_flow calculation: For the instant_flow calculation to occur for a given location, there must be a Flow record in the EDD where the gauge and gauge_unit fields are populated. There are two possible calculations for the instant_flow value:

Standard Method: x = (gauge/a)^(1/b)

Intercept Method: x = a * (gauge-c)^b

where:

x = instant flow

a = dt_flow.power_coefficient_a

b = dt_flow.power_coefficient_b

c = dt_flow.y_intercept_c (this is the field gauge reading at 'zero' flow, i.e. ground level) (m)

gauge = Flow.gauge (m)

Note: The presence or absence of a dt_flow.y_intercept_c value in the database will determine which instant flow equation is used.

•Flow.instant_flow_units: Flow.depth_unit + ‘3/s’.

•Streamflow Method

•The Flow Measurement.flow_method value must contain ‘streamflow’.

•The interval_flow_unit field will be populated with a concatenation of the interval_unit field value and the string “3/s”.

•Flow.velocity calculation: The average of the Flow Measurement.velocity values for a given location_code.

•Flow.velocity units: Copied directly from Flow Measurement.velocity_unit.

•Flow.instant_flow calculation: The sum of all Flow Measurement.interval_flow values for a given location_code. The instant_flow calculation for the Streamflow method does not require that a parent record already exists in the Flow section of the EDD.

•Flow.instant_flow_units: Flow.depth_unit + ‘3/s’.

•Volumetric Flow Method

•The Flow Measurement.flow_method value must contain ‘volumetric’.

•Flow Measurement.interval: The time (in seconds) taken to fill or collect the interval_flow volume.

•Flow Measurement.interval_unit: Should be populated with ‘s’ for seconds.

•Flow Measurement.interval_flow: Should be populated with the volume filled/collected. This field requires manual population when using the Volumetric Flow method.

•Flow Measurement.interval_flow_unit: May be populated with either a metric or imperial unit of volume (e.g., L, m3, gal, etc.).

•Flow.velocity calculation: The average of the Flow Measurement.velocity values for a given location_code.

•Flow.velocity units: Copied directly from Flow Measurement.velocity_unit.

•Flow.instant_flow calculation: The instant flow of each record for a given location and time is calculated by dividing the Flow Measurement.interval_flow value by the interval value. The average of all the resulting instant flow values is then populated in Flow.instant_flow. The instant_flow calculation for the Volumetric Flow method does not require that a parent record already exists in the Flow section of the EDD.

•Flow.instant_flow_units: interval_flow_unit/interval_unit.

EQuIS Table Mappings:

•DT_FLOW

•DT_FLOW_MEASUREMENT

•DT_SAMPLE