FLUID FLOW IN OPEN

CHANNELS
 OPEN CHANNEL FLOW
• An open channel is the one in which stream is not complete
enclosed by solid boundaries and therefore has a free surface
subjected only to atmosphere pressure.

• The flow in such channels is not caused by some external head,

but rather only by gravitational component along the slope of
channel. Thus open channel flow is also referred to as free surface
flow or gravity flow.

• Examples of open channel are

Rivers, canals, streams, & sewerage system etc
OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

Thal Canal Indus river

COMPARISON BETWEEN OPEN
CHANNEL FLOW AND PIPE FLOW
Aspect Open Channel
Cause of flow Gravity force (provided
by sloping bottom)
Cross-sectional Open channels may have
shape any shape, e.g., triangular,
rectangular, trapezoidal,
parabolic or circular etc
Surface Varies with depth of flow
roughness
Piezometric (z+h), where h is
head depth of channel
Velocity Maximum velocity occurs
distribution at a little distance below the
water surface.The shape of
4 the velocity profile is
dependent on the channel
roughness.
Pipe flow
Pipes run full and flow takes place
under hydraulic pressure.
Pipes are generally round in
cross-section which is
uniform along length
Varies with type of pipe material
(z+P/γ) where P is the pressure
in pipe
The velocity distribution is
symmetrical about the pipe axis.
Maximum velocity occurs at the
pipe center and velocity at pipe
walls reduced to zero.
TYPES OF CHANNELS
Natural Channels:
It is one with irregular sections of varying shapes, developing in natural
way. .e.g.,rivers, streamsetc

Artificial Channels:
It is the one built artificially for carrying water for various purposes. e.g.,
canals,

Open Channel:
A channel without any cover at the top. e.g.,canals, rivers streams etc

Covered Channels:
A channel having cover at the top. e.g.,partially filled conduits carrying water

Prismatic Channels:
A channel with constant bed slope and cross-section along its length.
DEFINITIONS
Depth of Flow:
It is the vertical distance of the lowest point of a channel section(bed of the channel)
from the free surface.
Depth of Flow Section:
It is depth of flow normal to bed of the channel.
Top Width:
It is the width of channel section at the free surface.
Wetted Area:
It is the cross-sectional area of the flow section of channel.
Wetted Perimeter:
It is the length of channel boundary in contact with the flowing water at any section.
Hydraulic Radius:
It is ratio of cross-sectional area of flow to wetted perimeter.
TYPES OF FLOW IN OPEN CHANNELS
Steady and unsteady flow Same definition
with pipe flows
Uniform and non-uniform flow

Laminar andTurbulent flow

Subcritical, critical and supercriticalflow

Laminar and Turbulent Flow: For open channels, it is defined with Reynolds No. as;

VRh Remember in pipe flows

Re 
 VD
Re 
Therefore, 
For laminar flow: Re < 500
For Turbulent flow: Re >1000 For laminar flow: Re < 2000
For transitional flow: 500 < Re < 1000 For Turbulent flow: Re > 4000
Transitional 2000 < Re < 4000
Where,
A D
Rh = hydraulic radius = ≅
P 4
If width/depth > 10 then R ≅deptℎ
TYPES OF FLOW IN OPEN CHANNELS
Subcritical, Critical and Supercritical Flow:
These are classified with Froude number.
Froude No. (Fr) is ratio of inertial force to gravitational force of flowing fluid.
Mathematically, Froude no.is

V
Fr 
gh

Where, V is average velocity of flow, h is depth of flow and g is gravitational

acceleration

Fr. < 1 Flow is subcriticalflow

Fr. = 1 Flow is criticalflow
Fr. > 1 Flow is supercriticalflow
OPEN CHANNEL FORMULAE FOR
UNIFORM FLOW
For uniform flow in open channels, following formulae are widely used

1.Chezy’s Formula: Antoine de Chezy (1718-1798), a French

bridge and hydraulic expert, proposed his formula in 1775.
Here,
V  C RS o V=Average flowvelocity
R=Hydraulic radius
C= Chezy’sconstant
So=Channel bed slope
2. Manning’s Formula: Rober Manning (An Irish engineer)
proposed the following relation for Chezy’s coefficient
1
R6
C=
n
According to which Chezy’s equation can be written as
1 2/3 1/ 2
V R So
n

n= Manning’s Roughness coefficient

DERIVATION OF CHEZY’S FORMULA
In uniform flow the cross-sectional through which flow occurs is constant along the
channel and so also is the velocity. Thus y1=y2=yo and V1=V2 =V and the channel
bed,water surface and energy line are parallel to one another.

F1= Pressure force at section 1

F2= Pressure force at section 2
W = Weight of fluid between
section 1 and 2= 𝛾𝐴𝐿
So= slope ofchannel
θ= Inclination ofchannel
with horizontal line
τo= shearingstress
P= Wettedperimeter
According to force balance along the direction of flow; we L= length between sections
can write, V=Avg. Flow velocity
yo= depth of flow
F1  F2  ALsin   o PL
 DERIVATION OF CHEZY’S FORMULA

 o  ALsin    A sin   R sin  z1  z2

PL P So 
x
For channels with So<0.1, we can safely assume that z  y  z2  y 2 
Sw  1 1
S o  S w  S  sin x
Therefore; z1  y1 v12 / 2g  z2  y2  v22 / 2g 
S
x
 o  RS o hL
S
x

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 DERIVATION OF CHEZY’S FORMULA
τo (shearing stress) can also be expressed as
2
o  C f  V
2

Comparing both equations of τo weget;

Cf   RSo
2
V
2
2g 8g
V RS o  RS o Cf  f / 4
Cf f
8g
V  C RS o C
f

Where C is Chezy’s Constant whose value depend upon the type of channel surface
As f and C are related, the same consideration
that are present for determination of friction
factor, f, for pipe flows also applies here.
 EMPIRICAL RELATIONS FOR
CHEZY’S CONSTANT, C
Although Chezy’s equation is quite simple, the selection of a correct value of C is rather
difficult. Some of the important formulae developed for Chezy’s Constant C are;

1. Bazin Formula: A French hydraulic engineer H. Bazin (1897)proposed the

following empirical formula for C

157.6 R= HydraulicRadius
C
181 K / R K=Bazin Constant

The value of K
depends upon
the type of
channel surface

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EMPIRICAL RELATIONS FOR
CHEZY’S CONSTANT, C
2. Kutter’s Formula: Two Swiss engineers Ganguillet and Kutter
proposed following formula for determination of C
R= Hydraulic Radius n=Manning’s roughness coefficient

3. Manning’s Formula:Rober Manning (An Irish engineer) proposed

the following relation for Chezy’s coefficient C

• C  1/ n R1/ 6
1 2/3 1/ 2
V R So
n
n= Manning’s Roughness coefficient

The values of n depends upon nature of channel surface

EMPIRICAL RELATIONS FOR
CHEZY’S CONSTANT, C

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CHEZY’S AND MANNING’S EQUATIONS
Chezy’s Equation Manning’s Equation

1 2/3 1/ 2
V  C RS o V  R So
n
Q  CA RS o
 1
Q m / s  AR 2/3 S o
3

n
1/ 2

C = Chezy’sConstant
A = Cross-sectional area offlow A = Cross-sectional area of flow
 MOST ECONOMICAL SECTION
From Manning’s formula, we can write that
1
Q AR h S o
n
For a given channel of slope, So, area of cross-section, A, and roughness, n,
we can simplify above equation as
A 1
Q  Rh  Q   Q 
P P
It emphasis that discharge will be maximum, when Rh is maximum and for a
given cross-section, Rh will be maximum if perimeter isminimum.

Therefore, the most economical section (also called best section or most
efficient section) is the one which gives maximum discharge for a given
area of cross-section.

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 MOST ECONOMICAL RECTANGULAR
SECTION
Let’s consider a rectangular channel as shown in figure in which width of channel
is b and depth of flow is h.
Cross - sectional area of flow  A  bh
h
Wetted Perimeter = P  b  2h  A / h  2h

For most economical section, perimeter should be minimum. i.e

A
dP/dh  0  2
 2  0  A 2h2
h
dP/dh 
d
b  2h d A/ h  2h 0 bh  2h2
dh dh
b  2h or h b/2

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Hence for most economical rectangular section,
width is twice the depth of channel
 MOST ECONOMICAL TRAPEZOIDAL
SECTION
b+2Sh
Let’s consider atrapezoidal channel
having bottom width, b,depth of Sh Sh
flow is d, and side slope, S, as
shown in figure 1 h
s θ
h S 1
2

Cross - sectional area of flow  A  bh  Sh 2 A  bh  Sh 2

Wetted Perimeter  P  b  2h S2  1  A/ h  Sh2h S2  1 b
A
 Sh
h
For most economical section, perimeter should be minimum. i.e.,
dP
0
d
A / h  Sh  2h S  1   0
2

dh dh
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 MOST ECONOMICAL TRAPEZOIDAL
SECTION
d
dh

A / h  Sh  2h S2 1  0  
h
A
2
 S  2 S 2
1  0

A bh  Sh 2
2
 S  2 S 2
1  2
 S  2 S 2
1
h h
b  Sh b  Sh Sh
 S  2 S2 1    2 S2 1
h h h
b  2Sh
 2 S2 1
h
b  2Sh
 h S2 1  b  2Sh  2h S2 1
2

Hence for most economical trapezoidal section, top width is twice the length of one
sloping side or half of top width is equal to length of one sloping side
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 MOST ECONOMICAL TRAPEZOIDAL
SECTION
For given width, b,and depth, h,perimeter becomes only the function of
side slope, S,.So ifwe estimate value of S that provide minimum P then
we have;

dP
dS
0
d
dS
 
A / h  Sh  2 S2 h 2  h 2  0 
d
dS
 
A / h  Sh  2h S2 1  0

  h  2h S 1  2S   0   h  2Sh S2 11/ 2  0

 1 2 1/ 21 
 2 
 
h S2 1  2Sh  S 1 2S
2

Squaring both sides of equation, we get

1 1
S2 1  4S 2  S2 S
3 3
If sloping sides make an angle θ with the horizontal than 1/S=tanθ
tanθS =tan
1/S = 3    60o
1
θ = 60˚ 3

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 PROBLEM # 1
Water is flowing in a 2-m-wide rectangular, brick channel (n=0.016) at a depth of 120 cm.
The bed slope is 0.0012. Estimate the flow rate using the Manning’s equation.

Solution: First, calculate the hydraulicradius

Manning’s equation (for SI units) provides

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 PROBLEM # 2

Solution
y

For SI units 4

Qm / s AR 2/3 S o

3 1 1/ 2

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 PROBLEM # 3

For SI units

Qm3 / s
1 1/ 2
AR 2/ 3 S o
n
Q  Q1  Q2  Q3

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 PROBLEM # 4

Solution: (a)

For SI units

 
Q m3 / s 
1
n
AR 2/3 S o
1/ 2

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 (b)  
Q m3 / s 
1
n
AR 2/3 S o
1/ 2

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