OPEN

CHANNEL
FLOW

CHINNU MARIAM NINAN

EKCTC
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OPEN CHANNEL FLOW

 Open Channel - defined as a passage through which water

flows under atmospheric pressure.
i.e., here the liquid flows with a free surface.

 The prime motivating force for open channel flow is gravity.

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OPEN CHANNEL FLOW Contd..

 In engineering practice, activities in the utilization of water

resources involves open channels of varying magnitudes.

 Flow in natural rivers, streams and rivulets, flow in canals for

transmitting water from source to a place of need, such as for
irrigation, water supply, hydropower generation, sewers,
navigation channels etc.
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OPEN CHANNEL FLOW Contd..

 All open channels have a bottom slope and the mechanism of

flow depends on gravity.

 The component of the weight of liquid along the slope -

driving force.

 The boundary resistance at the perimeter - resisting force.

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OPEN CHANNEL FLOW AND PIPE FLOW

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OPEN CHANNEL FLOW AND PIPE

FLOW
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TYPES OF CHANNELS
 On the basis of cross-sectional form of the channel
 Natural channel - irregular sections of varying shape, developed
in a natural way.
Eg: River, stream etc.
 Artificial channel - man-made channels, having sections with
regular geometric shape, remain same throughout the length of
channel. Further classified according to shape of cross section
 Rectangular
 Trapezoidal
 Triangular
 Parabolic
 Circular channels.
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TYPES OF CHANNELS Contd..

 Open channels and Closed channels (Pipes)
 Open channels - channels without any cover at the top.
 Closed channels - channels having cover at the top.
 Running full - pipe
 Running partly with water - closed channels

 Prismatic and non-prismatic

 Prismatic - a channel having the same shape of section along its
length and laid on a constant bottom slope.
 Non-prismatic - if the channel is not on a constant bottom slope or
the cross section varies along the length
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TYPES OF FLOW
 Considering temporal variation
 Steady flow - if the flow characteristics (depth, velocity) does not
vary with time = 0, = 0 or = 0
 Unsteady flow - if the flow parameters changes with time
0, 0 or 0
 Considering spatial variation
 Uniform flow - If the flow characteristics remain constant over a
given length of channel. = 0 or = 0
 Non-uniform flow - if for a given length of channel, the velocity,
depth of flow, slope and cross section of channel does not remain
constant. 0 or 0
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TYPES OF FLOW Contd..

 In non-uniform flow, Considering the variation in depth of
flow along the channel
 Gradually varied flow - if depth changes gradually over length
 Rapidly varied flow - if depth changes rapidly.

 Considering the variation of discharge along the channel

 Spatially varied flow - the discharge through the channel varies
from one section to another due to lateral inflow or outflow
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TYPES OF FLOW Contd..

 Considering the specific energy of flow (total energy above the
bed)
 Critical flow - depth at which specific energy is minimum is the
critical depth, corresponding velocity is critical velocity. Here
Froude number = 1 [Fe = ]
 Sub critical flow - Fe < 1
 Super critical flow - Fe > 1
 Considering the Reynold number
 Laminar flow - Re < 500
 Turbulent flow - Re < 500
Re =
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GEOMETRICAL PROPERTIES OF CHANNEL SECTION

 Depth of flow (y) - vertical distance of the lowest point of a
channel section from the free surface
 Top width (T) - width of the channel section at the free
surface
 Wetted area (A) - c/s area of the flow normal to the direction
of flow
 Wetted perimeter (P) - length of the channel boundary in
contact with the flowing water at any section
 Hydraulic radius/ hydraulic mean depth (R) - ratio of the
wetted area to its wetted perimeter
R=
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GEOMETRICAL PROPERTIES OF CHANNEL SECTION

 Hydraulic depth (D) - ratio of the wetted area to the top width
D=
 Section factor (Z) (for critical flow computations) - product
of the wetted area and the square root of the hydraulic depth
Z=A=A=
 Section factor (Z) (for uniform flow computations) - product
of the wetted area and the hydraulic radius to two-thirds power
Z = AR2/3
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 Geometric prop
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VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION IN A CHANNEL

SECTION
 Velocity at any channel section is not uniformly distributed.

 The non-uniform velocity distribution in an open channel is due to

the presence of a free surface and the frictional resistance along the
channel boundary.
 Factors affecting velocity distribution in a channel
 Shape of the section
 Roughness of the channel
 Presence of bends in the channel alignment

 Measured either with pitot tube or a current meter.

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 Velocity dist
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 In a straight reach of the channel, maximum velocity occurs

below the free surface at a distance of 0.05 to 0.15 of the
depth of flow.

 Mean velocity - can be computed in 2 ways

1. Velocity at (0.6 depth) from the free surface is very close to
mean velocity in the vertical section.
2. A better approximation - take the average of velocities
measured at 0.2 depth and 0.8 depth from the free surface.
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 On account of non-uniform distribution of velocities over a

channel section, correction factors will have to be applied for
computing kinetic energy and momentum.

 Kinetic energy correction factor / Coriolis coefficient ( -

varies from 1.03 to 1.36
 Momentum correction factor / Boussinesq coefficient () -
varies from 1.01 to 1.12

 For simplicity, and are assumed to be unity.

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Uniform flow in channels

 When water flows in an open channel resistance is offered to it,
which results in causing a loss of energy.

 The resistance encountered by the flowing water is generally

counteracted by the components of gravity forces acting on the
body of the water in the direction of motion.

 A uniform flow is developed if the resistance is balanced by the

gravity forces.
 Depth of uniform flow is called normal depth y
n
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Uniform flow formulas

 Chezy’s formula

 Kutters formula

 Manning’s formula

 Bazin’s formula
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Derivation of Chezy’s formula

 Mainfeatures of uniform flow in a channel (Assumptions of
Chezy’s formula)
1. The depth of flow, wetted area, velocity of flow and discharge
are constant at every section along the channel reach.
2. The total energy line, water surface and channel bottom are all
parallel, i.e., their slopes are all equal.
Sf = S w = S 0 = S

where Sf - energy line slope

Sw- water surface slope
So - channel bottom slope
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 Figure Chezy derivation

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 Consider a short reach of prismatic channel having uniform

flow.
Applying Bernoulli’s theorem between sections 1 & 2 L
distance apart,
y1 + + Z1 = y2 + + Z2 + hf
Where hf is the loss of energy between two sections

 Since the flow is uniform,

y1 = y2 and V1 = V2
So, Z1 - Z2 =

 = S0 = = Sf = Sw
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 Here, the sum of components of all external forces in the

direction of flow must be equal to zero.

 The forces acting are:

1. Forces of hydrostatic water pressure F1 and F2 acting on the
two ends of the free body. (As the depth of water at 2
sections are same, they are equal and cancel each other).
2. Component of weight of water in the direction of flow ()
where - specific weight of water, - angle of inclination of
the channel bottom with horizontal.
3. Resistance to flow = PLo where P - wetted perimeter, o -
average shear stress at the channel boundary
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 Applying Newton’s 2nd law of motion, in the direction of flow,

- PLo = 0


o = = RSo

 We know, o =
 So, = Rso
V= . = . ( = g)

 V = C , Chezy’s formula C=
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 Kutter’s formula
C=
n - Kutter’s roughness coefficient

 Manning’s formula
V=
C=
n - Manning’s roughness coefficient (Approximately
equal to Kutter’s coefficient)
 PROBLEM SOLVING…..
MOST ECONOMICAL CHANNEL 27

SECTION / MOST EFFICIENT / BEST

SECTION
 A section is considered to be most economical, when it can
pass a maximum discharge for given cross sectional area,
resistance coefficient and bottom slope.

 Cost of construction is minimum (cost for excavation and

lining should be minimum). To keep the cost down, wetted
perimeter should be minimum
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MOST ECONOMICAL CHANNEL SECTION / MOST

EFFICIENT / BEST SECTION
 Conditions for most economical channel section
(study the derivations also)
 Rectangular section
1. B = 2y
2. R=
 Trapezoidal channel
1. = side slope length, =
2. R=
3. Best slope, z = , θ = 600
4. B=
5. P = 3B side slope length = bottom width = B
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SECTION / MOST EFFICIENT / BEST

SECTION
 Conditions for most economical channel section

 Circular channel (D - diameter of the section)

 Condition for maximum velocity
1. θ = 257.50
2. y = o.81D
3. R = 0.3D
 Condition for maximum discharge

1. θ = 3080
2. y = o.95D
3. R = 0.29D
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COMPUTATION OF UNIFORM FLOW

 Discharge of uniform flow, Q = = K
 Where K = , is known as conveyance of the channel section.
 Conveyance is the measure of carrying capacity of the channel
section. (it is directly proportional to discharge).
 When Manning’s formula is used,

Q= =K
 Or, K=
 In general, K =
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COMPUTATION OF UNIFORM FLOW

 The expression is called the section factor for uniform flow
computation.
 = nK =
 Can be applied only to uniform flow
 Here RHS contains the terms n, Q, S (Flow parameters) and LHS
contains A, R (Geometrical parameters)
 this indicates that for given values of n, Q and S, there is only one
possible depth of flow at which the uniform flow will be maintained,
this depth is known as normal depth (yn)
 For a given n, S and y, there can be only one discharge for maintaining
uniform flow through the channel section, known as normal
discharge (Qn )
 For a given n, Q and y, there can be only one bottom slope for
maintaining uniform flow through the channel section, known as
normal slope (Sn )