Workbook Contents

Click on tabs at the bottom of the screen to access the following:

Tab 1. Contents (current tab)
Tab 2. Q Less Than half Full
Tab 3. Q More Than Half Full
Tab 4. Normal Depth Less Than Half full
Tab 5. Normal Depth More Than Half Full
Tab 6. Rationale for Variable n
This workbook is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or
implied.
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
Partially Full Pipe Flow Calculations - U.S. Units
I. Calculation of Discharge, Q, and average velocity, V
for pipes less than half full
Instructions: Enter values in blue boxes. Spreadsheet calculates values in yellow boxes
Inputs Calculations
Pipe Diameter, D =
21 in
Pipe Diameter, D =
1.75 ft
Depth of flow, y =
6 in
Pipe Radius, r =
0.875 ft
(must have y < D/2)
Circ. Segment Height, h =
0.5 ft
Manning
roughness, n
full
= 0.022
Central Angle, q =
2.26 radians
Channel bottom
Cross-Sect. Area, A =
0.57
ft
2
slope, S =
0.0085 ft/ft
Wetted Perimeter, P =
2.0 ft
y/D =
0.286
Hydraulic Radius, R =
0.29 ft
n/n
full
=
1.29
Discharge, Q =
1.195 cfs
n =
0.028
Ave. Velocity, V =
2.11 ft/sec
pipe % full [(A/A
full
)*100%] =
23.58%
Calculations
If 0 < y/D < 0.03, then n/n
full
=
1.95
If 0.03 < y/D < 0.1, then n/n
full
=
1.54
If 0.1 < y/D < 0.2, then n/n
full
=
1.33
If 0.2 < y/D < 0.3, then n/n
full
=
1.29
If 0.3 < y/D < 0.5, then n/n
full
=
1.29
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
Equations used for calculations:
r = D/2
h = y
R = A/P (hydraulic radius)
Q = (1.49/n)(A)(R
2/3
)(S
1/2
)
(Manning Equation)
V = Q/A
Equations used to calculate n/n
full
:
0 < y/D < 0.03
n/n
full
=
1 + (y/D)(1/0.3)
0.03 < y/D < 0.1
n/n
full
=
1.1 + (y/D - 0.03)(12/7)
0.1 < y/D < 0.2
n/n
full
=
1.22 + (y/D - 0.1)(0.6)
0.2 < y/D < 0.3
n/n
full
=
1.29
0.3 < y/D < 0.5
n/n
full
=
1.29 - (y/D - 0.3)(0.2)
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
Partially Full Pipe Flow Calculations - U.S. Units
II. Calculation of Discharge, Q, and average velocity, V
for pipes more than half full
Instructions: Enter values in blue boxes. Spreadsheet calculates values in yellow boxes
Inputs Calculations
Pipe Diameter, D =
36 in
Pipe Diameter, D =
3 ft
Depth of flow, y =
26 in
Pipe Radius, r =
1.5 ft
(must have y > D/2)
Circ. Segment Height, h =
0.833 ft
Full Pipe Manning
roughness, n
full
= 0.012
Central Angle, q =
2.22 radians
Channel bottom
Cross-Sect. Area, A =
5.47
ft
2
slope, S =
0.0003 ft/ft
Wetted Perimeter, P =
6.1 ft
Calculations
Hydraulic Radius, R =
0.90 ft
n/n
full
=
1.138889
Discharge, Q =
9.60 cfs
Partially Full Manning
Ave. Velocity, V =
1.76 ft/sec
roughness, n =
0.014
pipe % full [(A/A
full
)*100%] =
77.3%
Equation used for n/n
full
: n/n
full
= 1.25 - (y/D -0.5)*0.5 (for 0.5 < y/D < 1)
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
Equations used for calculations:
r = D/2
h = 2r - y
R = A/P (hydraulic radius)
Q = (1.49/n)(A)(R
2/3
)(S
1/2
)
(Manning Equation)
V = Q/A P
Partially Full Pipe Flow Calculations - U.S. Units
III. Calculation of Normal Depth for Pipes Less Than Half Full
Instructions: Enter values in blue boxes. Spreadsheet calculates values in yellow boxes
Inputs Calculations
Pipe Diameter, D =
24 in
Pipe Diameter, D =
2 ft
Manning roughness, n
full
= 0.013
Pipe radius, r =
1.0 ft
Channel bottom slope, S =
0.0072 ft/ft The Manning equation can be rearranged to:
Volumetric Flow Rate, Q = 1 cfs Q/(1.49*S
1/2
) = (A*R
2/3
)/n
Iterative (trial & error) Solution: Q/(1.49*S
1/2
) = 7.909 = target value
( Select values of y
o
, to find the value of y
o
that makes
for (A*R
2/3
)/n
(A*R
2/3
)/n as close to the target value as possible)
difference from
y
o
,ft y
o
/D
q, radians A, ft
2
n P, ft
(A*R
2/3
)/n
target value
0.5 0.250 2.094 0.61 0.0168 2.09 16.166 8.256
0.4 0.200 1.855 0.45 0.0168 1.85 10.335 2.425
0.3 0.150 1.591 0.30 0.0163 1.59 5.920 -1.989
0.35 0.175 1.726 0.37 0.0164 1.73 8.031 0.121
0.34 0.170 1.700 0.35 0.0164 1.70 7.586 -0.324
0.36 0.180 1.753 0.38 0.0165 1.75 8.486 0.577
NOTE: For Q = 1 cfs, this set of calculations shows that y
o
= 0.35 ft (accurate to 2 signif. Figures)
because the "difference from target value" is less for y
o
= 0.35 than for y
o
= 0.34 or 0.36.
Equations used to calculate n/n
full
:
0 < y/D < 0.03
n/n
full
= 1 + (y/D)(1/0.3)
0.03 < y/D < 0.1
n/n
full
= 1.1 + (y/D - 0.03)(12/7)
0.1 < y/D < 0.2
n/n
full
= 1.22 + (y/D - 0.1)(0.6)
0.2 < y/D < 0.3
n/n
full
= 1.29
0.3 < y/D < 0.5
n/n
full
= 1.29 - (y/D - 0.3)(0.2)
Equations used for calculations:
r = D/2
h = y
R = A/P (hydraulic radius)
Q = (1.49/n)(A)(R
2/3
)(S
1/2
)
(Manning Equation)
V = Q/A
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
Partially Full Pipe Flow Calculations - U.S. Units
IV. Calculation of Normal Depth for Pipes More Than Half Full
Instructions: Enter values in blue boxes. Spreadsheet calculates values in yellow boxes
Inputs Calculations
Pipe Diameter, D =
48 in
Pipe Diameter, D =
4
Manning roughness, n
full
= 0.011
Pipe radius, r =
2.0
Channel bottom slope, S =
0.0003 ft/ft The Manning equation can be rearranged to:
Volumetric Flow Rate, Q =
18 cfs
Q/(1.49*S
1/2
) = (A*R
2/3
)/n
Iterative (trial & error) Solution:
Q/(1.49*S
1/2
) =
697.5
( Select values of y
o
, to find the value of y
o
that makes
(A*R
2/3
)/n as close to the target value as possible)
y
o
,ft h, ft
q, radians A, ft
2
n P, ft
(A*R
2/3
)/n
3 1.00 2.094 10.11 0.0124 8.38 926.0
2 2.00 3.142 6.28 0.0138 6.28 457.0
2.5 1.50 2.636 8.26 0.0131 7.29 687.3
2.51 1.49 2.626 8.30 0.0130 7.31 692.1
2.52 1.48 2.616 8.34 0.0130 7.34 696.9
2.53 1.47 2.605 8.38 0.0130 7.36 701.7
NOTE: For Q = 18 cfs, this set of calculations shows that y
o
= 2.52 ft
(accurate to 3 significant figures)
NOTE: For 0.5 < y/D < 1 : n/n
full
= 1.25 - (y/D - 0.5)*0.5 (see graph below)
Equations used for calculations:
Instructions: Enter values in blue boxes. Spreadsheet calculates values in yellow boxes
r = D/2
h = 2r - y
ft
ft
The Manning equation can be rearranged to:
= target value
for (A*R
2/3
)/n
difference from
target value R = A/P (hydraulic radius)
228.5
-240.5
Q = (1.49/n)(A)(R
2/3
)(S
1/2
)
(Manning Equation)
-10.2
-5.4 V = Q/A
-0.6
4.2
Copyright 2011 Harlan H. Bengtson. All Rights Reserved.
NOTE: For 0.5 < y/D < 1 : n/n
full
= 1.25 - (y/D - 0.5)*0.5 (see graph below)
F
(Manning Equation)
Why use a model with variable Manning roughness, n, for partially full pipe flow?
The cross-sectional area, wetted perimeter, and hydraulic radius for partially full pipe flow can be
calculated using the geometric/trigonometric equations that are shown on the accompanying
worksheets. It seems logical that the cross-sectional area and hydraulic radius calculated in
this way could be used in the Manning equation to calculate flow rate, velocity and/or normal
depth for partially full pipe flow, using a Manning roughness value that has been determined for
full pipe flow for the given pipe material. This method is, in fact, used in some online calculators
and it is presented as the approach to use for this type of calculation by various sources.
Unfortunately, by the mid twentieth century, it had been observed that measured flow rates in
partially full pipe flow don't agree with those calculated using the method described above.
In his 1946 article [ "Design of Sewers to Facilitate Flow," Sewage Works Journal , 18 (3) ],
T.R. Camp developed a method for improving the agreement partially full pipe flow calculations
with measured values, by using a variation in Manning roughness coefficient with depth of flow.
The work of T.R. Camp led to the partially full pipe flow graph shown below, which shows the
the variation in n/n
full
, Q/Q
full
, and V/V
full
with the ratio of depth of flow to pipe diameter (y/D).
This graph has been used in several publications of the American Society of Civil Engineers,
the Water Pollution Control Federation, and the Water Environment Federation from 1969 through
1992. The n/nfull variation shown in this graph is used in the partially full pipe flow calculations
in this spreadsheet.