UNIFORM FLOW IN OPEN

CHANNELS

Dr WCDK Fernando
INTRODUCTION - FLOW PASSAGES

CHANNEL
S

Natural Artificial

Irregular Regular
cross - cross -
section section
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MAHAWELI RIVER

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DUNHINDA FALLS

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AN AQUEDUCT AT MINIPE

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IRRIGATION CANAL AT MINIPE

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 OPEN CHANNEL
 Open channel flow must have a free surface.
 Normally free water surface is subjected to
atmospheric pressure, which remains relatively
constant throughout the entire length of the
channel.
 Flow is not caused by external head but by the
gravity component along the slope of the channel.

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 OPEN CHANNEL ?
 Sewers, tunnels and pipelines that are not
completely filled

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 PARTLY FILLED PIPE
 A partly filled pipe is treated as an open channel,
since the pressure at the surface of the liquid is
…………………..
 Flow ……………………… due to pressure
differences along the channel.
 Flow is caused by differences in the
……………………………………………………
………….

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 CLASSIFICATION

Space Time

Uniform Varied Steady Unsteady

flow flow flow flow

Gradually Rapidly

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 Uniform Flow: Water depth remains same along
the channel length at a given time
 Varied Flow: Water depth or discharge changes
along the length at a given time
 Steady Flow: The discharge and water depth at
any section in the reach do not change with time.
 Unsteady Flow: The discharge and water depth
at any section in the reach change with time.

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 COMPARISON
Full flow in closed conduit Open channel flow
No free surface Existence of free water surface
through out the length of flow in
the channel.
Pressure in the pipe is not Pressure at the free surface
constant remains constant, with value equal
to atmospheric pressure.

Flow cross sectional area Flow cross sectional area may

remains constant and it is change throughout the length
equal to the cross sectional depending on the depth of flow.
area of the conduit (pipe).

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STEADY UNIFORM FLOW
• Flow parameters do not change with respect to
space (position) or time.
• Velocity and cross-sectional area of the stream of
fluid are the same at each cross-section.
• E.g. flow of liquid through a pipe of uniform bore
running completely full at constant velocity.

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STEADY NON-UNIFORM FLOW
 Flow parameters change with respect to space but
remain constant with time.
 Velocity and cross-sectional area of the stream
may vary from cross-section to cross-section, but,
for each cross-section, they will not vary with
time.
 E.g. flow of a liquid at a constant rate through a
tapering pipe running completely full.

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 TYPICAL CROSS-SECTIONS

2.75 m D
900 d
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 TERMINOLOGY

1. Depth of flow – Vertical distance between the lowest

point of the channel section (bed of the channel) to the
free liquid surface
2. Top width – Width of channel section at the free liquid
surface
3. Wetted area – Cross sectional area of the channel normal
to the direction of flow
4. Channel slope – Inclination of the channel bed

h
s  tan  
l
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 Wetted perimeter and hydraulic mean depth
The channel lining which comes in direct contact
with the stream is called the wetted perimeter
 The ratio of the wetted area to the wetted
perimeter is called hydraulic radius

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TOTAL ENERGY LINE FOR FLOW IN OPEN
CHANNEL

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 From the figure :
If Water depth is constant
slope of total energy line = slope of channel
 When velocity and depth of flow in an open
channel change, then non-uniform flow will
occur.

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CONTINUITY EQUATION:
Q1  Q 2
A1v1  A 2 v 2
 For rectangular channel:
Q1  Q2
A1v1  A2 v2
B1 D1v1  B2 D2 v2
 Express as flow per unit width, q:

Q vBD
q  vD
B B
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  A – covers the area where
fluid takes place.
A  BD
 P – total length of sides of
D
the channel cross-section
which is in contact with
the flow.

B P  B  2D
A BD
R 
P B  2D
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FLOW ANALYSIS

Two types of forces are developed in an open

channel.
1. Force which causes the flow due to the slope
provided to the channel
2. Force of resistance which opposes the motion.

The uniform flow will be obtained when the

resistance force equals the force causing the flow.

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CHEZY FORMULA

Assumptions
 Force resisting the flow per unit of wetted area is
proportional to the square of the velocity.
 Force causing the flow must be equal to the force
of resistance.

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 CHEZY FORMULA
Figure shows an element of fluid
of length, l and cross sectional
l area, A in the channel.
The motive force causing a free
surface flow is the gravity force
Q due to a drop in the total head,
often by drop of datum head.
W sin θ Although the actual flow is three-
dimensional, non-uniform and
W unsteady in character, a fair
approximation is possible if the
S0 flow is considered one-
dimensional and uniform over
each X-section & steady with
respect to time. 24
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CHEZY FORMULA
 Resisting force per unit wetted area = kv 2
 Resisting force = k v2 P L
 Force causing flow = W sin θ
= A L ρ g sin θ
= γ A L S0
γ A L S0 = k v2 P L

v  C RS0
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 AVERAGE SHEAR STRESS
Resisting force = Average shear stress x wetted area

gAl sin   0 Pl
A
0   g sin 
P
0  R sin 
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EX 1

A rectangular open channel has a width B of 6.3 m

and a slope of 1 V : 1000 H. Find the mean velocity
of flow, v and the discharge, Q when the depth of
water, y = 1.7 m.
Take C = 49 in SI units.

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EX 2

An open channel is V – shaped, each side being

inclined at 450 to the vertical. If the rate of flow, Q
= 42.5 dm3/s when the depth of water at the centre
is 225 mm, calculate the slope of the channel using
the Chezy formula.
Take C = 49 in SI units.

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EX 3

The x - section of an open channel is a trapezium

with a bottom width B of 3.6 m and side slopes of 1
V : 2 H. Assuming that C = 49 in SI units, what will
be the discharge, Q if the depth of water, y = 1.2 m
and the slope S = 1/1600.

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MANNING’S EQUATION
 In 1889 Irish Engineer, Robert Manning
presented the formula:
1 23 12
v R S
n
v is the flow velocity (m/s)
 n is known as Manning’s n and is a coefficient of
roughness
R is the hydraulic radius (A/P)
S is the channel bed slope as a fraction
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MANNING ROUGHNESS COEFFICIENTS

Channel surface n
Clean, smooth brick, stone 0.010 – 0.017

Rubble masonry 0.017 – 0.03

Earth 0.02 – 0.03

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN C & n

1 1 1 2 3 12
V  CR 2S 2
 R S
n
2 1
1   
3 2
C R
n
1 16
C R
n
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EX 4
 Determine the rate of flow through a 3 m wide
concrete lined rectangular channel having a slope
1 in 10 000 when the depth of flow is 1 m.
Manning’s n = 0.012

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EX 5
 A trapezoidal canal has a bottom width B of 2 m
and sides with a slope of 1.5 H : 1 V. The slope of
the bed is 1 in 4000 and the depth of water, y =
1.4 m. Calculate the rate of discharge if n =
0.018.

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BEST HYDRAULIC SECTION OR
MOST ECONOMIC X-SECTION

 For a given Q, there are many channel shapes.

There is the need to find the best proportions of
B and D which will make discharge a maximum
for a given area, A.
 The most efficient X-section of an open
channel, from hydraulic view-point, is the one
which for a given slope, roughness coefficient
and the area of flow, carries the maximum flow
rate.

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RECTANGULAR CHANNEL
 For a given area A, the channel could be either
broad & shallow or deep & narrow or of any
intermediate shape. Since A, C and the S 0 are fixed.

A
Q  AC RS0  AC S0
P
 Q will be maximum for the proportions which
make P a minimum.

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RECTANGULAR CHANNEL
 For a rectangular channel: P = B +2y
 A = B y and therefore: B = A/y
 P = A/y + 2 y
 P will be minimum for a given value of A when
dP
0
 For maximum discharge,
dy B = 2y

y
R
2
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EX 6
 A canal is rectangular in X – section and conveys
11.3 m3/s of water with a velocity of 1.8 m/s.
Find the gradient required,
a) If the proportions are those for maximum
discharge
b) If the width is three times the depth
Take c = 66 in SI units

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TRAPEZOIDAL CHANNEL
y
A  b  B
2
y
A  b  b  2zy 
2
A  b  zy y
A
b   zy
y
P  b  2 y2  z2 y2
P  b  2y 1  z2
A
P   zy  2 y 1  z 2
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TRAPEZOIDAL CHANNEL
 Using Chezy formula,

 For given A, c and S0, Q will be maximum when

P is a minimum.

b  2zy 2
 y 1 z
 Prove that: 2
y
R
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TRAPEZOIDAL CHANNEL
 AC is perpendicular to OB, it would be tangent to
a semicircle O. Similarly CE and EF are also
tangents to the circle.
 The most efficient section for a trapezoidal
channel is a half-hexagon.

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Best side slope for the most economical
trapezoidal section
 Best side slope will be when the wetted perimeter
is minimum,

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CIRCULAR CHANNEL

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CONDITION FOR MAXIMUM VELOCITY
 Condition for maximum velocity is R maximum.
 dR/dθ = 0
 Prove that tan2θ =2θ

 Solution gives θ = 128.750

= 2.247 radians

Hence, prove that R = 0.3 d

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CONDITION FOR MAXIMUM DISCHARGE

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EX 7
 A concrete lined circular channel of diameter 3 m
has a bed slope of 1 in 500. Work out the
velocity and the flow rate for the conditions of
i. maximum velocity and

ii. maximum discharge

Assume C = 50 in SI units

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