ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Course Name: Open Channel Hydraulics Academic Year: 2024/25
Course Code: CENG 31073 Semester : I
Instructor : Chalchisa M. Section: B & C
Worksheet-I
1. Enumerate the types of open Channel based on boundary characteristics and based on cross section?
2. Differentiate between open channel and Closed (pipe) flow? And, why it is much more difficult to solve
problems of flow in open channels than in pressure pipes?
3. Describe steady, unsteady, uniform and varied flows? And, explain why a uniform flow cannot occur in either
a frictionless or a horizontal channel?
4. Why the velocities in open channel vary at different depths? And, why pressure distribution vary in channel
bed inclination and in curvilinear flows at different depths?
5. List out the important Characteristics of critical state of flow through a channel? And, what phenomenon can be seen if
there is a change of flow from supercritical to subcritical and vise versa?
6. Explain the application of Continuity principle, conservation of energy and Momentum principle to civil
engineering activities? And, under what condition the energy principle is more valid than momentum
principles?
7. From the inflow and outflow to a given channel section, derive the continuity equation for incompressible,
unsteady, non-uniform flow?
y
8. The velocity distribution in a very wide river 3.0m deep is approximately, u  1  2( )1 / 2 where y is measured
3
above the channel bed and u is the velocity at y. Calculate  and  ?
9. A spillway bucket has a radius of curvature R (concave curvature). The velocity at any radial section is same
and the depth of flow is known to be h. Obtain the expression for the pressure distribution at a radial section of
inclination  to the vertical?
10. The section factor of a rectangular channel for uniform flow condition is 92.1m. The discharge and velocity of water
are 250m3/s and 5m/s respectively. What is the hydraulic depth and Conveyance of the channel?

11. A rectangular channel curved in the vertical plane is 2.0 m wide and has a centerline radius of 5.0 m. The
velocity distribution at a radial section can be considered to be an irrotational vortex, i.e. V = C/r. The depth of
flow is 1.50 m and is constant along the channel. For a discharge of 6.0 m2/s, find (a) the velocity distribution,
(b) the average velocity, and (c) the correction factors α and β.
12. A trapezoidal channel with base width B = 6.0 m , Manning’s n =0.02 and side slope of 2H:1V has a
discharge of 17m3/s, calculate the critical velocity, critical depth , critical slope and the corresponding Specific
energy?
13. A 300mm diameter plastic sewer pipe is laid at a gradient of 1 in 100 and has a constant n=0.02. When the
flow is 50 l/s, determine the following.
a) The normal depth?
b) The Froud number and hence state of flow?
c) The critical depth?
d) What would be the flow if the pipe is full?
14. An expansion in a horizontal rectangular channel takes place from a width of 2.0 m to 3.0m. The depths of
flow for a discharge of 7.20m3 /s are 1.20m and 1.40m in the narrower and wider sections respectively. Estimate
the energy loss in the transition?
15. A rectangular channel is 3.0 m wide and carries a discharge of 15.0 m3/s at a depth of 2.0m. At a certain
section of the channel, it is proposed to reduce the width to 2.0 m and to alter the bed elevation by z to obtain
critical flow at the contracted section without altering the upstream depth. What should be the value of z?
16. A rectangular channel 3.0m wide carries a flow at 1.25m depth. At a certain section the width is reduced to
2.5m and the channel bed raised by 0.20m through a streamlined hump.
a) Estimate the discharge in the channel when the water surface drops by 0.15m over the hump.
b) What change in bed elevation at the contracted section would make the water surface have the same
elevation upstream and downstream of the contraction?
17. A concrete-lined trapezoidal channel with bottom width of 10 ft and side slopes of 1 vertical to 2 horizontal
is designed to carry a flow of 3000 cfs. If the slope of the channel is 0.001, what would be the uniform flow
depth of flow in the channel? And, Compute the value of the Chezy C and the Darcy-Weisbach f for the canal?
18. A trapezoidal irrigation canal is to be excavated in soil and lined with coarse gravel. The canal is to be
designed for a discharge of 200 cfs, and it will have slope of 0.0016. What should be the magnitude of the cross-
sectional area and hydraulic radius for the canal if it is to be designed so that erosion of the canal will not occur?
Choose a canal cross section that will satisfy these limitations?
19. Calculate the bottom width of a channel required to carry a discharge of 15m3/s at a critical flow depth of
1.2m, if the channel section is (a) rectangular and (b) trapezoidal with side slope of 1.5 horizontal : 1 vertical?
20. A circular channel with 2.5m in diameter is to be constructed in a concrete pipe with roughness coefficient
of n=0.014 and longitudinal bed slope of 1 in 200. Determine
a) The angle subtended at the center ?
b) The discharge if the normal depth is 1.5m?
c) The depth of flow for a discharge of 15m3/s?
21. What size of concrete pipe (n=0.015) is required to carry a discharge of 2m3/s when depth to diameter ratio
(Yo/D) of 0.90 , when laid on a slope of 0.0002?
22. A triangular channel has an apex angle of 600 and carries a flow with a velocity of 2.0 m/s and depth of
1.25 m. (a) Is the flow subcritical or super-critical? (b) What is the critical depth? (c) what is the specific energy?
(d) What is the alternate depth possible for this specific energy? e) If the bed slope is 0.008, find the roughness
coefficient of the channel?
23. A trapezoidal channel with 5m wide has a side slope of 0.5H:1V. Find the depth of flow which can make the
channel an efficient and economic cross section? If So =0.0002 and n=0.013, find the corresponding discharge?
24. Show that for a trapezoidal channel the minimum specific energy EC is related to critical depth Yc as:
𝐦𝐲𝐜
Where, 𝛆𝐜 =
𝐁

25. In a rectangular channel F1 and F2 are Froude numbers corresponding to the alternate depths y1 and y2 of a
certain discharge. Derive the following expression?

𝐅𝟐 𝟐/𝟑 (𝟐+𝐅𝟐𝟐 )
( ) =
𝐅𝟏 (𝟐+𝐅𝟏𝟐 )
26. A 2.0 m wide rectangular channel carries a discharge of 4.0 m3/s with a depth of flow of 1.0 m. Determine
the momentum-impulse force, the critical depth, and the conjugate depth?
27. A 3.0 m wide rectangular channel has its depth backed-up to a height of 1.2 m by a sharp-edged sluice gate.
If the gate opening is 0.30 m and the downstream flow is free, estimate the discharge through the gate and the
force on the gate?