UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA

PROCESS ENGINEERING LABORATORY
(CPE453)

NAME : NURUL AIN BINTI ZULKIFLEE 2013452866

NUR SYAKIRAH BINTI ABD RAHIM 2013892774
NUR IZATI BINTI MAJID 2013207818
NURUL NABILA BINTI 2013833212
ABDULLAH KASSIM
GROUP :4
EXPERIMENT : FLOW OVER WEIRS
DATE PERFORMED : 14TH OCTOBER 2014
SEMESTER :3
PROGRAMME / CODE : EH2213A / CPE453
No.SUBMIT TO Title : ENCIK RUSMI BIN ALIAS
Allocated Marks (%) Marks
1 Abstract/Summary 5
2 Introduction 10
3 Aims 5
4 Theory 10
5 Apparatus 5
6 Methodology/Procedure 10
7 Results 10
8 Calculations 10
9 Discussion 20
10 Conclusion 5
11 Recommendations 5
12 Reference / Appendix 5
TOTAL MARKS 100

Remarks:

Checked by:

---------------------------

Date:

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION

A weir is a barrier across a river designed to alter its flow characteristics. In most cases, weirs
take the form of obstructions smaller than most conventional dams, pooling water behind
them while also allowing it to flow steadily over their tops. Weirs are commonly used to alter
the flow of rivers to prevent flooding, measure discharge, and help render rivers navigable.

Weirs allow hydrologists and engineer a simple method of measuring the volumetric flow rate
in small to medium-sized streams or in industrial discharge locations. Since the geometry of
the top of the weir is known and all water flows over the weir, the depth of water behind the
weir can be converted to a rate of flow. The calculation relies on the fact that fluid will pass
through the critical depth of the flow regime in the vicinity of the crest of the weir. If water is
not carried away from the weir, it can make flow measurement complicated or even
impossible.

The discharge can be summarized as

Q=CL H n

Where;
Q is flow rate of fluid
C is a constant for structure
L is the width of the crest
H is the height of head of water over the crest
3 5
n varies with structure (e.g. for horizontal weir, for v-notch weir)
2 2

When used for flow measurement it is important that the weir crest be kept free of rust or
nicks. Roughness of any form will cause the weir to discharge more water than indicated by
the standard discharge equations or tables. Air must also freely circulate under the nappe as
discharge errors of as much as 25% may occur if the nappe is not adequately ventilated.
[http://www.openchannelflow.com/products/weirs/flow-characteristics/]
A weir may be used to maintain the vertical profile of a stream or channel, and is then
commonly referred to as a grade stabilizer such as the weir in Duffield, Derbyshire. The crest
of an overflow spillway on a large dam is often called a weir.

Weirs, referred to as low head barrier dams in this context, are used in the control of invasive
sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. They serve as a barrier to prevent recolonization by lamprey
above the weir, reducing the area required to be treated with lampricide, and providing a
convenient point to measure water flow (to calculate amount of chemical to be applied).
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weir#cite_note-
Factors_affecting_weir_flow_measurement_accuracy-1]
There are several different types of weirs. A weir may be a simple metal plate with a V-notch
cut into it, or it may be a concrete and steel structure across the bed of a river. A weir that
causes a large change of water level behind it, as compared to the error inherent in the depth
measurement method, will give an accurate indication of the flow rate. Some weirs are used
as bridges for people to walk along. In this experiment a rectangular weir and v-notch weir is
used. [http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/51435-
introduction-to-the-weir-and-flume/]

Rectangular weir
A sharp crested, rectangular weir is simply a flat plate obstruction in an open channel flow
path, with a straight, level opening to allow water flow over the weir, as shown in figure
below. It is used to meter flow of water over the weir (and through the open channel) by
measuring the head of water over the weir crest.
[http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/65880-open-channel-
flow-measurement-5-the-rectangular-weir/#imgn_1]

Figure 1: Rectangular Notch

V-notch weir
The name for a v notch weir is very descriptive, as you can see in figure below. A v notch
weir is simply a 'v notch' in a plate that is placed so that it obstructs an open channel flow,
causing the water to flow over the v notch. It is used to meter flow of water in the channel, by
measuring the head of water over the v notch crest. The v notch weir is especially good for
measuring a low flow rate, because the flow area decreases rapidly as the head over the v
notch gets small. [http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/65701-
open-channel-flow-measurement-4-the-v-notch-weir/#imgn_3]

Figure 2: 90o V-notch

AIMS
THEORY

Weirs are hydraulic structures consisting of an obstruction placed across a water channel with
a specially shaped opening or notch. The weir structure will increase the water level, which
will be measured. Water level-discharge relationships are available for standard-shaped
openings or notches. Two types of weirs are widely used: Rectangular shape opening and (V)
notch are used in experiment of flow over weirs. Stilling baffle is used to ensure minimum
turbulence. The stilling baffle will act as a reservoir to collect water volume and slowly
disperse the water from the opening at the bottom of the stilling baffle

Types of Weir

Rectangular Weir
The rectangular weir is able to measure higher flows than the v-notch weir and over a wider
operating range.

B, 30mm

89mm

3
2
Cd B 2g H 2
3
Q =

Where;
Cd = Coefficient of discharge
B = Width of notch
H = Head above bottom of notch
Q = Flow rate
V-Notch
The V-notch weir is a notch with a V shape opening. V-notch weir typically used to measure
low flows within a narrow operating range.

90
50mm

5
8
Cd 2 g tan H 2
15 2
Q =
Where;
Cd = Coefficient of discharge

2
= Half the enclosed angle the vee.
H = Head above bottom of notch
APPARATUS

1) Stopwatch
2) Hydraulics Bench incorporates a weir channel

Figure 3: Flow over Weirs; V-notch weir (Left) and Rectangular notch weir
(Right)
PROCEDURE
RESULTS
CALCULATIONS
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATIONS

There are some recommendations for this experiment that can be made. First, it is important
that the data that was observed in this experiment which is time gain should be taken twice. .
This can avoid the very wide deviation because of only take once of each observation.
Second, make sure that there is no spillage occur over the plate top adjacent to the notch. If
this happened, it would affect the collection of known volume. Once the data were taken, the
process cannot be repeated to find the value of time collection by adjusting the height. This
would affect the value of height datum. The height datum must be constant and the
observation should be done once again for the little increment of height especially for V-
notch. Next, the readings of height should be taken carefully by avoiding zero error. The time
collection should be taken much appropriately. Lastly, protective clothing should always be
worn throughout the laboratory session, such as, lab coat, shoes, helmet and goggles.

REFERENCES
APPENDICES