Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

CONTENTS : PAGES :
INTRODUCTION 2
OBJECTIVE 3
THEORY 3-4
APPARATUS 5
PROCEDURE 5
RESULT 6-10
CALCULATION 11-13
DISCUSSION 14
CONCLUSION 14
RECOMMENDATION 15
REFERENCE 15
APPENDIX 16

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

 Introduction

A weir is usually or commonly used in open channel for controlling upstream water levels and
measuring discharge. For both task it acts as an obstruction which promotes a condition of
minimum specific energy in sub-critical flow. When used for the latter purpose all weirs must be
calibrated because theoretical predictions of discharge are rendered inadequate by the effect of
viscosity and the variations of flow geometry with upstream depth. Broad crested weirs are
generally constructed from reinforced concrete and are widely used for flow measurement and
regulation of water depth in river, canals, and the other natural open channel.

Objective
To study the behaviour of non uniform and the use of a broad-crested weir to measure the
discharge in a rectangular open channel.

Theory
A weir in generally can take on many shapes, however broad crested weir operate more
effectively than their sharp crested counterparts under higher downstream water levels, and can
be used to measure the discharge of river since the parallel flow caused by the weir allows it to be
accurately analyzed by the use of energy principles and critical depth relationships.

It works on the principle that subcritical flow upstream flow upstream of the weir moves over the
obstruction and this height of the weir causes critical flow, accelerating the liquid which then
transition into supercritical flow napped after the weir is crossed downstream. This critical depth
required to cause critical flow is not easily measured because it is exact location is not easy to
determine and may vary with the flow rate. However, the upstream depth can be used to
determine the flow rate through mass conservation which is a more reliable measurement.

Experimentally, broad crested weirs can be used as a flow rate measuring device and has the
advantage that is simple to be constructed and has no edge that can wear and thus after the
coefficient.

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

Apparatus

1. Open channel flume

2. Broad – Crested weir
3. Flow meter for measuring flow rate ( or any other method )
4. Point gauge for measuring depth

Procedure

1. The dimensions of the channel were recorded.

2. Then, the channel width was adjusted to a mild slope.
3. The Broad-Crested Weir installed and let the water flow over the weir.
4. Ensured the chocking occurs and the water behind the weir increases in depth.
5. After that the flow rate in the channel was measured by using the flow rate meter.
6. Then the height of the broad-crested weir was measured.
7. Measured the depth behind the weir and deduce the value of H.
8. Finally, the discharge is calculated by using the Broad-Crested weir equation.
9. Repeated for the different flow rates.

Result
Dimension:

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

Lw = 0.345 m
Pw = 0.1 m
Breadh, B = 0.077 m
Recorded table :
Experiment water Critical Velocity, Weir Discharge, Q Discharge, Q
No : depth Depth, V (m/s) Discharge (Taking from Experiment
behind Y c (m) Coefficient, flow rate meter) * Higher weir in
weir, H C wd broad ( x10⁻ᶟ mᶟ/s ) case.
(m) ( x10⁻ᶟ mᶟ/s )
1 0.050 0.0340 0.5775 0.531 1.250 0.779
2 0.049 0.0320 0.5603 0.533 1.150 0.759
3 0.048 0.0315 0.5559 0.534 1.100 0.737
4 0.047 0.0300 0.5425 0.536 1.050 0.717
5 0.044 0.0288 0.5315 0.542 1.000 0.657
6 0.043 0.0282 0.5260 0.544 0.950 0.637
7 0.042 0.0265 0.5099 0.545 0.900 0.616
8 0.040 0.0265 0.5099 0.549 0.850 0.577
9 0.039 0.0252 0.4972 0.551 0.800 0.557
10 0.037 0.0240 0.4852 0.555 0.750 0.519

# Sample calculation for reading 1.

Parameter Formula Calculate

Velocity , vc Vc = √gyc
= √ 9.81 x 0.034
= 0.5775 m/s

Weir Discharge Coefficient, C wd broad = 0.65

C wd broad √(1+H/Pw) = 0.65
√(1+0.50/0.1)
= 0.531

Discharge, Q Q = C wd broad B√g(2/3)ᶟ̷ ² H ᶟ̷ ²

* Higher weir in = 0.531 X 0.077 √9.81 X з√ 2/3 X
case. з√ 0.050

= 0.779 X 10 ⁻ᶟ mᶟ/s

Discussion

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

Based on the experiment that was carried out by our group, the magnitude of the flow rate, Q and
the effect on the weir discharge coefficient Cwd broad founded that as the magnitude of the flow
rate increased, so did the discharge coefficient. Moreover, this may have been due to the the
shape of the weir which had a rectangular control section. Since the height of the water increased
with the increased flow, so more friction are losses may have occurred.

Furthermore, as we can see the relationship between Cwd broad increased with increasing the
flow rate, Q. Meanwhile, the relation between the magnitude of the flow rate, Q and the effect on
the velocity coefficient Cv was founded that as the flow rate increased, so did was the velocity
coefficient. Experiment data also showed that Cv increased with increasing the flow rate.

Conclusion

Recommendation / Precaution

This experiment must have several precautions to avoid error, so much more accuracy can be
obtained from this experiment:

1) Error due to the parallax in reading the vernier scale and tank.
2) The flow may not have been fully stabilized when the reading were taken.
3) It was assumed that the density was for pure water however it should be noted the water
in the experiment was brown indicating it may have contain other substance and
impurities which may have caused erroneous momentum and energy values.

Reference

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

WEBSITE:

Bernoulli’s Equation.(n.d). Retrieved March,30,

2013,fromhttp://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=115

Aerodynamic Principlesn.d).
RetrievedMarch,30,2013,http://library.thinkquest.org/18033/aerodyn.html

Bernoulli’s Theorem.(n.d). Retrieved March,23, 2013, from,

http://www.nistepkscience.com/Physics/8Bernoullistheorem.pdf

BOOK :

Suhaimi Abdul Talib,Hamidon Ahmad,Turahim Abdul Hamid,Junaidah Ariffin. ( 1997). Fluid

Mechanics 2nd Edition.
Norashikin Ahmad Kamal, Hamidon Ahmad, Wardah Tahir, Irma Noorazurah Mohamad,
Fauzi Baharuddin. ( 2011). Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics Laboratory Manual (OBE).

Appendix

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

1. OPEN CHANNEL FLUME

2. WATER JUMP INTO 3. FLOW METER TO

MEASURE FLOW RATE

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.

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Faculty Of Civil Engineering ECW 421 – Hydraulics laboratory.