Classification or Types of Notches and Weirs |

Fluid Mechanics
Classification or Types of Notches and Weirs in Fluid Mechanics.
A notch means an opening provided in the side of a tank, such that the opening extends
even above the free surface of the liquid in the tank. It is in a way, a large orifice having no
upper edge. A notch is generally meant to measure the flow of water from a tank. A weir is
also a notch but it is made on a large scale. The weir is a notch cut in a dam to discharge
the surplus quantity of water.
Water flows over a notch or weir while water passes through an orifice. While the stream of
water discharged by an orifice is called a jet, the sheet of water discharged by a notch or
weir is called a nappe or vein. The upper surface of the notch or weir over which the water
flows is called the Crest or Sill.
A notch or a weir is a convenient device for the measurement of discharge in an open
channel. A notch or a weir is an obstruction provided in a channel that causes the water to
rise behind it so that the water is made to flow through it or over it. The rate of flow can be
determined by measuring the height of the upstream water level.
Basically there is no difference between a notch and a weir, except that a notch is of small
size while a weir is of large size. A notch is usually made of metal plate whereas a weir is
made of masonry or concrete.
The bottom edge over which the water flows is called the sill or the crest of water the notch.
The common shapes of weirs are, rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, composite, parabolic
and proportional. The sheet of water which springs free from the crest is called the nappe.
If the sheet of water springs free as it leaves the crest, the weir is called a sharp crestel
weir. In the case of a broad crested weir, there is a support for the falling nappe over the
crest in the direction of flow. As the water approaches the crest there is a fall in the water
surface forming a convex curve called the draw down. The draw down at the weir crest is
about 0.15H where H is the head of water surface above the crest.
Weirs may be classified in many ways. They can be classified as rectangular, triangular and
trapezoidal weirs based on the geometry of flow section. They can be classified into sharp
crested and broad-crested weirs based on the sharpness of the crest. They can be
classified into straight and curved weirs based on their shape in plan. They can be classified
into waste weirs and gauging weirs based on the purpose for which they are provided.
A waste weir is provided for discharging the surplus quantity of discharge from a reservoir.
A gauging weir is meant for gauging the rate of flow of water. Weirs may also be classified
into suppressed weirs and weirs with lateral contraction.
Classification of Notches:
1. The Rectangular Notch:

2. The Triangular Notch or V-Notch:

3. The Trapezoidal Notch:

Consider a trapezoidal notch whose crest length is l and the sides are at θ with the vertical.
Let H be the head of water over the crest.
In this case the notch may be taken to consist of a rectangular notch of length l and a
triangular notch subtending an angle 2θ.

Advantages of a Triangular Notch over Rectangular Notch:

A triangular notch has certain advantages over the rectangular notch when used as a
gauging device in a hydraulic laboratory.
The advantages are:
(i) The coefficient of discharge for a triangular notch is practically independent of the head.
This is because, for all heads the ratio of the head to the wetted length or crest is constant.
But in a rectangular notch the ratio of the head to the wetted length crest is not constant.
Hence for a rectangular notch the coefficient of discharge is not actually a constant but is a
function of the head over the notch.
(ii) When the discharge rate is small a triangular notch provides a greater head than the
rectangular notch. Hence head measurement can be done more accurately over the
triangular notch than over the rectangular notch.
(iii) When the discharge rate is small, there are chances of a clinging nappe to be formed
when a rectangular notch is used. But for the same discharge over the triangular notch the
head will be greater and the clinging nappe will be avoided.
(iv) When a triangular notch is provided, there will be no need for any special arrangement
for ventilating the nappe.