HYDRAULICS/WATER

ENGINEERING 3

PARTIAL FLOW IN PIPES

FLOW IN PIPES (Partial flow)
 Flow capacity of half full or partially full circular pipes
may be calculated from Manning’s formula.
 Partially full means flow depth that is less than half full or
flow depth that is more than half full.
 Manning’s formula is used where uniform flow prevails.
 Uniform flow occurs where depth, width, velocity, slope,
and surface roughness remain constant along the pipe.
 Manning’s equation requires cross-sectional area, wetted
perimeter, hydraulic radius and roughness coefficient for
flow of specified depth in the pipe of known size.
 These are easier to calculate in full pipe flow however for
pipes flowing half full and partially full different set of
equations are used.

McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
 FLOW IN PIPES (Manning’s
formula)
1 2 3 12
V R S ………………..1
n
A 2 3 12
Q R S ………………..2
n
V is velocity of flow (m/s);
Q is volumetric flow rate passing through channel reach (m3/s);
n is roughness coefficient/friction factor (dimensionless);
R is hydraulic radius (A/P) (m);
A is cross-sectional area normal to flow direction (m2);
P wetted perimeter of cross-sectional area of flow; &
S is the slope of hydraulic slope line (m/m).

McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
FLOW IN PIPES (Half full flow)

π 2
A D
8
π
P D
2

RA
P

McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
FLOW IN PIPES (Less than half full
flow)
h  y y is flow depth
D
r 
2
rh
; radians 
1
θ  2cos 
 r 
r 2 θ  sinθ 
A
2
P  rθ
RA
P
McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
FLOW IN PIPES (More than half full
flow)
h  2r  y y is flow depth
D
r 
2
rh
; radians 
1
θ  2cos 
 r 

A  πr 
2 r 2
θ  sinθ 
2
P  2r  rθ
RA
P
McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
FLOW IN PIPES (roughness
coefficient n)
 The published Manning’s n values in the literature are for
full pipe flow.
 When TR Camp,1946 used these values nfull to calculate
flow rate for partially full pipes using Manning’s formula, he
found that Qpartial calculated are not the same as Qpartial
measured.
 He subsequently developed a method to improve
correlation between measured Qpartial values to calculated
Qpartial values using Manning’s formula.
 He did this by using Manning’s roughness coefficient with
depth of flow in the pipe as a fraction of the pipe diameter.
 That is, he used variation in n/nfull as function of y/D.
 He developed a graph showing variations of Q/Qfull; V/Vfull;
and n/nfull.

McGhee, T.J., 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. 6th ed. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
FLOW IN PIPES (roughness
coefficient n)
0  y D 1

0  y D  0.03 : n/n full  1  (y/D)/(0.3)

0.03  y D  0.1 : n/n full  1.1  (y/D  0.03)(12/7)

0.1  y D  0.2 : n/n full  1.22  (y/D  0.1)(0.6)

0.2  y D  0.3 : n/n full  1.29

0.3  y D  0.5 : n/n full  1.29  (y/D  0.3)(0.2)

0.5  y D  1 : n/n full  1.25  (y/D  0.5)(0.5)

FLOW IN PIPES (Normal
depth yn)
 For constant flow rate flowing through the
channel/pipe with constant slope, roughness
coefficient, cross-sectional area, the depth of the
flow will be constant at a depth called normal
depth.
 This normal depth in gravity flow through partially
full pipes is calculated the same as it is in open
channel flow.
 The normal depth can be calculated by rearranging
Manning’s formula to:
Qn
 12
2
AR 3