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CIVE 530 - OPEN-CHANNEL HYDRAULICS

LECTURE 8B: GRADUALLY VARIED FLOW II

8.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOW PROFILES

The gradually varied flow equation for hydraulically wide channels is:

Sy/Sc = [(So/Sc) - F2] / (1 - F2)

In the LHS of the gradually varied flow equation, Sc is always positive,

because friction cannot be zero or negative.

Therefore, the sign of the LHS will be that of Sy.

The sign of the LHS can be either of three (3) possibilities:

1. Positive: RETARDED FLOW (BACKWATER).

2. Zero: UNIFORM FLOW (NORMAL).

3. Negative: ACCELERATED FLOW (DRAWDOWN).

In the RHS, there are three (3) possibilities for the numerator:

1. (So/Sc) > F2 -----> SUBNORMAL

2. (So/Sc) = F2 -----> NORMAL

3. (So/Sc) < F2 -----> SUPERNORMAL

In the RHS, there are three (3) possibilities for the denominator:

1. 1 > F2 -----> SUBCRITICAL

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2. 1 = F2 -----> CRITICAL (the equation is undefined)

3. 1 < F2 -----> SUPERCRITICAL

There are three types of families of profiles:

1. Type I: Positive.

Both numerator and denominator are positive ----->

subnormal/subcritical flow -----> RETARDED FLOW.

2. Type II: Negative.

A. Numerator is positive and denominator is negative ----->

subnormal/supercritical flow -----> ACCELERATED FLOW.

B. Numerator is negative and denominator is positive ----->

supernormal/subcritical flow -----> ACCELERATED FLOW.

3. Type III: Positive.

Both numerator and denominator are negative ----->

supernormal/supercritical flow -----> RETARDED FLOW.

In a Type I family (subnormal/subcritical), the rule is:

1 > F2 < (So/Sc)

which is the same as:

(So/Sc) > < 1

(So/Sc can be greater, equal to, or less than 1)

In the Type I family, there are three profiles:

1. M1 -----> So < Sc [1]

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2. C1 -----> So = Sc [2]

3. S1 -----> So > Sc [3]

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In a Type I family, there are not horizontal or adverse profiles because:

(So/Sc) > F2 > 0

Therefore:

So > 0

In a Type IIA family (subnormal/supercritical), the rule is:

1 < F2 < (So/Sc)

which is the same as:

(So/Sc) > 1

(So/Sc can only be greater than 1)

In the Type IIA family, there is one profile:

1. S2 -----> So > Sc [4]

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In a Type IIA family, there are not horizontal or adverse profiles

because:

(So/Sc) > F2 > 0

Therefore:

So > 0

In a Type IIB family (supernormal/subcritical), the rule is:

1 > F2 > (So/Sc)

which is the same as:

(So/Sc) < 1

(So/Sc can only be less than 1)

In the Type IIB family, there are three profiles:

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1. M2 -----> 0 < So < Sc [5]

2. H2 -----> 0 = So < Sc [6]

3. A2 -----> So < 0 < Sc [7]

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In a Type III family (supernormal/supercritical), the rule is:

1 < F2 > (So/Sc)

which is the same as:

(So/Sc) >< 1

(So/Sc can be greater, equal to, or less than 1)

In the Type III family, there are five profiles:

1. S3 -----> So > Sc [8]

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2. C3 -----> So = Sc [9]

3. M3 -----> 0 < So < Sc [10]

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4. H3 -----> 0 = So < Sc [11]

5. A3 -----> So < 0 < Sc [12]

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Table 1. Summary of water surface profiles

So/Sc So/Sc So/Sc So So

Family Character Rule
>1 =1 <1 =0 <0

Retarded 1 > F2 < S1 C1 M1

I - -
(Backwater) (So/Sc)

Accelerated
1 < F2 < S2
IIA - - - -
(So/Sc)
(Drawdown)

Accelerated
1 > F2 > M2 H2 A2
IIB - -
(So/Sc)
(Drawdown)

Retarded 1 < F2 > S3 C3 M3 H3 A3

III
(Backwater) (So/Sc)

8.4 LIMITS TO THE WATER SURFACE PROFILES

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The flow depth gradient is:

dy/dx = (So - Sc F2) / (1 - F2)

Sy = (So - Sc F2) / (1 - F2)

Sy (1 - F2) = So - Sc F2

Sy - Sy F 2 = S o - S c F 2

F2 = (So - Sy) / (Sc - Sy)

For uniform flow: Sy = 0. The previous equation leads to:

So = S c F 2

For gradually varied flow, the equation remains:

F2 = (So - Sy) / (Sc - Sy)

There are three cases:

 I. F2 > 0

 II. F2 = 0

 III. F2 < 0

Case I (F2 > 0) occurs when:

 So > Sy and Sc > Sy

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The following inequality is satisfied: So > Sy < Sc

 So < Sy and Sc < Sy

The following inequality is satisfied: So < Sy > Sc

We conclude that Sy has to be either less than both So and Sc, or

greater than both.

Case II (F2 = 0) leads to So = Sy

So = (z1 - z2)/L

Sy = (y2 - y1)/L

(z1 - z2)/L = (y2 - y1)/L

z 1 + y1 = y2 + z 2

This depicts a reservoir.

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A reservoir.

Case III (F2 < 0) is impossible:

 So > Sy and Sy > Sc

The following inequality is NOT satisfied: So > Sy > Sc

 So < Sy and Sc > Sy

The following inequality is NOT satisfied: So < Sy < Sc

We conclude that Sy cannot be less than one and greater than the
other slope (So and/or Sc).

Sy has to be either less than both So and Sc, or greater than both
(see Case I).

Case I (F2 > 0) can have three subcases:

 F2 < 1 -----> So - Sy < Sc - Sy

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Leads to: So < Sc subcritical flow

 F2 = 1 -----> So - Sy = Sc - Sy

Leads to: So = Sc critical flow

 F2 > 1 -----> So - Sy > Sc - Sy

Leads to: So > Sc supercritical flow

Table 2. Behavior of depth gradient Sy.

Channel RETARDED (BACKWATER), Sy is positive,

Type Name
slope decreasing in the direction of computation

Sy will decrease U/S from So (Horizontal) to 0

So < S c I M1
(Asymptotic to flow)

Sy will decrease U/S from +∞ (Vertical) to Sc

So < S c III M3
(More than horizontal)

Sy will decrease U/S from +∞ (Vertical) to Sc

So < S c III H3
(More than horizontal)

Sy will decrease U/S from +∞ (Vertical) to Sc

So < S c III A3
(More than horizontal)

So = S c Sy will be constant and equal to So I C1

So = S c Sy will be constant and equal to So III C3

Sy will decrease D/S from +∞ (Vertical) to So

So > S c I S1
(Horizontal)

So > S c Sy will decrease D/S from Sc (Less than III S3

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horizontal) to 0 (Asymptotic to flow)

Channel ACCELERATED (DRAWDOWN), Sy is

NEGATIVE, Type Name
slope increasing in the direction of computation

Sy will increase D/S from -∞ (Vertical) to 0

So > S c IIA S2
(Asymptotic to flow)

Sy will increase U/S from -∞ (Vertical) to 0

So < S c IIB M2
(Asymptotic to flow)

Sy will increase U/S from -∞ (Vertical) to So = 0

So < S c IIB H2
(Asymptotic to flow)

Sy will increase U/S from -∞ (Vertical) to So < 0

So < S c IIB A2
(Asymptotic to flow)

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Mild water-surface profiles.

Table 3. (a) Occurrence of Water Surface Profiles: Mild channels

M1 Flow in a mild channel upstream of a reservoir

M2 Flow in a mild channel, upstream of an abrupt change in grade

(or a steep channel carrying supercritical flow)

M3 Flow in a mild channel, downstream of a steep channel carrying

supercritical flow

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Steep water-surface profiles.

Table 3. (b) Occurrence of Water Surface Profiles: Steep channels

S1 Flow in a steep channel upstream of a reservoir

S2 Flow in a steep channel, downstream of a mild channel carrying

subcritical flow

S3 Flow in a steep channel, downstream of a steep channel carrying

supercritical flow

8.5 METHODOLOGIES TO CALCULATE WATER SURFACE

PROFILES

There are two methods to calculate water-surface profiles:

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1. the direct step method,

2. the standard step method.

These are compared in the following table.

Table 4. Comparison between direct step and standard step

methods.

Direct step Standard step

No. Characteristic
method method

Ease of
1 Easy (hours) Difficult (months)
computation

Type of cross any (prismatic or

2 prismatic
section nonprismatic)

Independent
3 flow depth length of channel
variable

Dependent length of
4 flow depth
variable channel

Calculation by iteration (trial and

5 directly
advances -> error)

Accuracy
a smaller flow lesser cross-sectional
6 increases with
depth increment variability
->

one typical
Type of cross- many cross sections
7 cross section
section input (nonprismatic)
(prismatic)

8 Data needs minimal extensive

spread sheet (or

9 Tools HEC-RAS
programming)

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Answer sometimes
not possible
Answer always
10 Reliability (depends on the type
possible
of cross-sectional
data)

The number or required cross sections depends on:

Channel slope: steeper channels may require more cross

sections.

Cross-sectional variability: the cross-sections need to reflect the

longitudinal variability.

Cost and project considerations.

Modeling reality: modeling a three-dimensional flow phenomena

as a one-dimensional (i.e, longitudinal description only) analog.

Go to Chapter 8C.

060320

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