Hydraulics Engineering Lec # 6:

Discharge through orifices and over weirs under

varying heads.

Engr. Muhammad Usman

Department of Civil Engineering
Unsteady Flow

◼ Discharge through orifices and over weirs

under varying heads.

◼ Unsteady Flow through pipe lines, Water

hammer. Instantaneous and slow closure
of valves

◼ Surge wave in open channels.

Unsteady Flow
For unsteady flow
Q1
Q1  Q2
let dh be the change in head in A
small time period dt dh
(Q1 − Q2 )dt = Adh h
or
Adh
dt =  Eq.(1) Q2
Q1 − Q2
Eq.(1) is called as continuity equation
for unsteady flow For Steady Flow
Integrating above Eq.(1) Q1 = Q2
Adh i.e.  h =constt
0 dt = 
t h2

h1 Q − Q
1 2
 For Orifice
Adh
t = 
h2

h1 Q − Q
1 2
Qact = cd.a. 2gh
 Discharge Between reservoirs under Varying Heads
◼ Figure shows two reservoirs, of constant area,
interconnected by a pipeline, water transfer occurring
under gravity. Reservoir A receives an inflow I while a
discharge Q2 is withdrawn from B; I and Q2 may be time
variant.
I A1
Let
h = Gross head at any instant dh1
dh1 = Change in level in A
A2 h
during a small time interval dt. A dh2
dh 2 = Change in level in B in dt. Q1
dh= Change in total head
= dh1-dh 2
B Q2

◼ In general case the head h, and hence the transfer

discharge Q1, will vary with time and object is to obtain a
differential equation describing the rate of variation of
head with time, dh/dt.
Discharge Between reservoirs under Varying Heads
I A1

dh
1
A2
A dh
Q1 2

B Q2

dh
Continuity Equation for A: I - Q1 = A 1 1
dt
Discharge in pipleline
dh
Continuity Equation for B: Q1 - Q2 = A2 2  + fL  Q 2
dt hL =  K m
Note that Q1 is the discharge in the pipeline  D  2gAp 2
and hence is the inflow rate into B 2g
Q = K h whereK=A
Hence p
 + fL 
 m D
K
 I − Q1 Q1 − Q2   
dh =  −  dt
 A1 A2 
Unsteady Flow over Weir/Spillway
◼ Figure shows spillway, of varying area with h. Reservoir
receives an inflow I while a discharge Q is withdrawn from
it.
I A

◼ The Computation of time variant in reservoir elevation and

spillway discharge during a flood inflow to the reservoir is
essential in design of the spillway to ensure safety of the
impounding structure.
Unsteady Flow over Weir/Spillway
Now Continuity Equation becomes;
dS dS
I - Q = ;where is the rate of change of storage, or volume.
dt dt
dS dh
= A ;Where A is intantenous plan area of reservoir and
dt dt
dh
is intantenous rate of change of depth.
dt
I A
Since Q for Spillway/Weir is
2 h
Q = Cd 2g BH 3/ 2 = KH 3/ 2
3
Therefore equation becomes
dS dh Q
I - KH 3/ 2 = = A  Eq.(1)
dt dt

◼ I is the known time variant inflow rate. Except in the

special case where A does not vary with depth and I is
constant, eq.1 is not directly integrable and in general
must be evaluated numerically.
Problem
◼ A cylindrical tank with its axis vertical is filled with water and discharges through
an orifice 2.5 cm diameter at the bottom with a Cd=0.623. If the diameter of the
tank is 0.6m; find the time required for water level to drop from 1.8m to 0.6m
above the orifice when supply is cut off.

Given that
diameter of orifice = d= 2.5 cm
Continuity Eq. for unsteady flow is Q1

h2 Adh
t =  1.6m
h1 Q1 − Q2
Here : Q1 = 0 & Q2 =Cd.a. 2gh 0.8m
h2 Adh −A h2
t= =  h1/2 dh
h1 h1
-Cd .a. 2gh Cd .a 2g
Q2
t=
2A
Cd .a 2g
(h− h)
1 2

2 (4 0.62 )
=
0.623 (4 0.025
( 1.8 − )
0.6 = 236.718sec
 2
) 2x9.81
Assignment Problems
◼ Q1: A vertical cylinder tank 1.8 m diameter has at the
bottom a 5cm diameter sharp edge orifice for which
Cd=0.6
 (a) If the water enters the tank at a constant rate of 0.009 cumec. Find
the depth of water above the orifice when the flow becomes steady.
 (b) Find the time for the water level to fall from 2.4m to 0.6m above
orifice if there is no inflow.

◼ Q2: A Reservoir of water surface area 900,000 m2 is provided with

a spillway 30m long which may be treated as rectangular notch
with Cd=0.72
 Find the time in hours for head over the spillway to fall from
0.6m to 0.15m. Neglect inflow.