 Kinds of open channel

Nratural Cross-section is natural

Artificial Cross-section is man-made

Prismatic Constant cross-section and

longitudinal slop
Non-prismatic Cross-section is varying along
length
Rigid-boundary Immovable bed and
side(concrete channel)
Mobile-boundary Boundary moves under the
action of flowing water(loose
sedimentary particles)

Open Channel Flow

 Natural channel

Open Channel Flow

 Artificial channel(trapezoidal)

Open Channel Flow

 Artificial channel trapezoidal)

Open Channel Flow

 Artificial channel(rectangular)

Open Channel Flow

 Geometric elements of channel section:

 1.Depth of flow(h)
 It is the vertical distance of the lowest point of
a channel section from the free surface.
 2.Stage(h+z)
 It is the elevation or vertical distance of the
free surface above a datum.
 3.Top width(T)
 It is the width of channel section at free surface

Open Channel Flow

 Geometric elements of channel section:

 4.Water area(A)
 It is the cross-sectional area of the flow
normal to the direction of flow.
 5.Wetted perimeter(P)
 It is the length of the line of intersection of
the channel wetted with a cross-sectional
plane normal to the flow


Open Channel Flow

 Geometric elements of channel section:

 6.Hydraulic radius(R)
 It is the ratio of the water area to its
𝐴
wetted perimeter.(𝑅 = )
𝑃
 7.Hydraulic depth(D)
 It is the ratio of the water area to the top
𝐴
width(𝐷 = )
𝑇 2
 8.Section for uniform is 𝐴𝑅 3

 9. 8.Section factor for critical flow is 𝑍 = 𝐴 𝐷

Open Channel Flow

 Velocity distribution:
 Due to presence of free surface and
friction along the channel wall , velocity at
the boundary is equal to zero and it
increases with an increase in distance
from the boundary . The maximum
velocity usually appears to occur below
the free surface at a distance of 0.05-o.25
of the depth.

Open Channel Flow

 Velocity distribution:
Such variation in velocity need to be taken into account
in the calculation of kinetic energy and momentum flux in an
open channel.
𝑚𝑈 2
 the kinetic energy of a mass having velocity U is
2
 Considering elementary area dA and velocity u
1
𝐾𝐸 = 𝜌𝑢3 𝑑𝐴 & total 𝐾𝐸 = 𝛼𝜌𝑈 3 𝐴
2
The ratio of KE is 𝛼 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑢3 𝑑𝐴 𝑢3 ∆𝐴
𝛼= =
𝑈 3𝐴 𝑈 3𝐴

Open Channel Flow

 Velocity distribution:

 Thus the energy equation becomes

𝑈12 𝑈22
 ℎ1 +𝛼1 + 𝑧1 = ℎ2 + 𝛼2 + 𝑧2 + 𝐸𝐿 &
2𝑔 2𝑔

𝑈2
 𝐸 =ℎ+ 𝛼
2𝑔

Open Channel Flow

 Velocity distribution:
 the momentum flux of a mass rate of flow m at
a constant velocity U is mU . In case velocity
varies over the cross-section one can write
 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑥 = 𝜌𝑢2 𝑑𝐴
 Ignoring the velocity variation
 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑥 = 𝛽𝜌𝑈 2 𝐴 . 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜
 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝛽 & 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑢2 𝑑𝐴 𝑢2 ∆𝐴
 𝛽= =
𝑈 2𝐴 𝑈 2𝐴
 𝐼𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝛼 > 𝛽 > 1

Open Channel Flow

 Pressure variation in a vertical:
 Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure
variation at any point in a static body of
liquid and is the product of the depth of
the point from the free surface ,
gravitational acceleration and mass
density of the fluid i.e 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔ℎ .
 This prevails when normal acceleration is
zero .

Open Channel Flow

Pressure variation in a
vertical:

 When streamlines are

curved , the pressure
distribution is different
from hydrostatic on
account of the
centrifugal forces
 𝑃 = 𝑘𝜌𝑔ℎ
 𝑘 = 1 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
 𝑘 < 1 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑥 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
 𝑘 > 1 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤

Open Channel Flow