Chapter 7 – Steady Flow in Open Channels (Part I)

Lecturer: Engr. Kimjay Lamar

Outline
 Introduction
 Uniform Flow
 Non-erodible Canals
 Erodible Canals
 Gradually Varied Flow
 Rapidly Varied Flow
Introduction
PIPE FLOW VS OPEN CHANNEL FLOW
Introduction
 Open Channels
 Rivers, Canals, Sewers (not flowing full)
 Characterized by a free water surface (gage pressure = 0)
 Energy per unit width (H):

𝛼𝑉 2
𝐻 = 𝑧 + 𝑦𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 +
2𝑔
Introduction
 Types of Flow
 Unsteady (e.g. floods)
 Steady
 Uniform
 Non-uniform (varied)

 Gradual (e.g. backwater curve)

 Rapid (e.g. hydraulic jump)

Introduction
 Flow profiles
Introduction
 Channel Geometry
 Depth (d)
 Top Width (B)
 Wetted Perimeter (P)
 Area (A)
 Hydraulic Radius (A/P)
 Hydraulic Depth (A/T)
 Side slope (z)
 Bottom slope (S)
Introduction
 Channel Geometry
Introduction
 Channel Geometry
 Rectangle
 A = by
 P = b + 2y
 B=b

 Trapezoid
 𝐴 = 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑧𝑦2
 𝑃 = 𝑏 + 2𝑦 𝑧 2 + 1
 𝐵 = 𝑏 + 2𝑦𝑧
Introduction
 Typical open channel cross-sections
 Circle
2 1
 𝐴 = 𝑅 (𝜃 − sin 2𝜃)
2
 P = 2𝑅𝜃
𝑅 sin 2𝜃
 𝑅ℎ = (1 − )
2 2𝜃
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Occurs when the motivating forces and drag forces are
exactly balanced over the reach under consideration

𝑀𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠 = 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠

 Thus,
 If Channel geometry is constant over the reach
 Then Liquid surface is parallel to the bed
Steady, Uniform Flow
 The following equations are available for steady,
uniform flow:
 Darcy-Weisbach
 Colebrook-White
 Combining both equations,
𝑘 1.255ν
𝑉 = − 32𝑔𝑅𝑆 log +
14.8𝑅 𝑅 32𝑔𝑅𝑆
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Chezy Equation

𝑉 = 𝐶 𝑅𝑆𝑜

 Assumptions:
 depth and velocity are constant
 channel slope (So) = energy gradient (Sf )
 bottom slope is very small
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Formulas for C in Chezy Equation
 Manning equation
1 1/6
𝐶= 𝑅
𝑛
 Kutter formula (Mississipi River)
0.00155 1
23 + +
𝑆𝑜 𝑛
𝐶= SI
𝑛 0.00155
1+ (23 + )
𝑅 𝑆 𝑜
 Bazin formula
157.6
𝐶= 𝑚 English Units
1+
𝑅
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Notes on C
 Roughness coefficient
 Supposedly dependent only on nature of stream bed
 Assumed to be constant for a given type of lining for
all depths of flow and width of channel
 Comparison of C formulas
 Manning – widely used in open channel flow
calculations
 Kutter – 10-15% error

 Bazin – problematic in smooth channels

Steady, Uniform Flow
 Manning equation

1 2/3 1/2
𝑉= 𝑅 𝑆
𝑛

1 2/3 1/2
𝑄 = 𝐴𝑅 𝑆
𝑛

𝑄𝑛 𝐴5/3
= 2/3
𝑆 𝑃
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Manning’s n
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Example 7.1. Determine the discharge of a
concrete lined (n=0.015) trapezoidal canal
with a bottom width of 2 m, depth of flow of
2 m, side slopes of 1.5H:1V, and bed slope of
3 meters per kilometre.
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Example 7.2. A concrete-lined trapezoidal
channel has a bed width of 3.5 m, side
slopes at 45o to the horizontal, a bed slope of
1 in 1000 and Manning roughness coefficient
of 0.015. Calculate the depth of uniform flow
when the discharge is 20 m3/s.
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Channels of composite roughness
 Horton and Einstein - Assumed that each sub-area has a
velocity equal to the mean velocity
3/2 2/3
σ(𝑃𝑛 )𝑖
𝑛=
𝑃
 Pavlovskij - Equated the sum of the component resisting
forces to the total resisting forces
2 1/2
σ(𝑃𝑛 )𝑖
𝑛=
𝑃
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Channels of composite roughness
 Lotter – applied the Manning equation to sub-areas and
equated the sum of the individual discharge equation to
the total discharge

𝑃𝑅5/3
𝑛=
𝑃𝑅5/3
σ
𝑛 𝑖
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Example 7.3. A trapezoidal channel with side
slopes 1:1 and bed slope 1:1000 has a 3 m wide
bed composed of sand (n=0.02) and sides of
concrete (n=0.014). Estimate the discharge
when the depth of flow is 2.0 m using (a)
Horton and Einstein, (b) Pavlovskij and (c)
Lotter for the calculation of roughness
coefficient.
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Channels of compound section
 Example: river channel with flood plains

𝐴𝑅2/3 𝐴𝑅2/3 𝐴𝑅2/3

𝑄= ( )1 +( )2 +( )3 𝑆𝑜
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
 Example 7.4. The cross-section of the flow in a
river during a flood was shown in the figure.
Assuming roughness coefficients for the side
channel and main channel to be 0.04 and 0.03
respectively, estimate the discharge.
 Area of main channel (bank full) = 280 m2
 Wetted Perimeter of main channel = 54 m
 Area of flow in side channel = 152.25 m2
 Bed slope = 0.005
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Channel Design
 Selection of suitable sectional dimensions to convey
maximum discharge within the section
 Equations used: Darcy or Chezy or Manning

 Types of channels
 Rigid-boundary (non-erodible) canals
 Mobile-boundary (erodible) canals
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Design of non-erodible canals
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Example 7.5. Design a trapezoidal concrete
canal (n= 0.014, S=0.5%, z = 2, b/d = 2) to
accommodate a discharge of 4 cumecs. Add
a freeboard to accommodate 20% additional
discharge.
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Design of Non-erodible Canals
 Most efficient section – section which yields the
maximum discharge (minimum wetted perimeter)
 Consider: trapezoidal canal
𝐴 = 𝑏 + 𝑧𝑦 𝑦
𝑃 = 𝑏 + 2𝑦 𝑧 2 + 1
For a given area A,
𝐴
𝑃 = − 𝑧𝑦 + 2𝑦 𝑧 2 + 1
𝑦
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Design of Non-erodible Canals
For maximum Q,
𝑑𝑃 𝐴
= − 2 − 𝑧 + 2 𝑧 2 + 1 = 0; 𝐴 = 𝑏 + 𝑧𝑦 𝑦
𝑑𝑦 𝑦
𝑑𝑃
→ =− 𝑏 + 𝑧𝑦 − 𝑧𝑦 + 2𝑦 𝑧 2 + 1 = 0 or
𝑑𝑦
𝑏+2𝑧𝑦
=𝑦 𝑧 2 + 1 (half of top width = side slope
2
distance)

B =x1 + x2
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Design of Non-erodible Canals
 Most efficient sections
Steady, Uniform Flow
 Example 7.6. Design the best hydraulic
trapezoidal section to carry a velocity of 1.5
m/s (n = 0.015, S=0.005).