Tutorial 5: Specific Energy (1) Critical Depth & Humps

Q1. Given b = 1.5 m, y = 0.6 m below sluice opening, and v = 4.5m/s

(a). Supposing the Sp E with y = 0.6m and v = 4.5m/s is the critical E, then
what is the corresponding yc?
i. e . E=Ec =0.6+

2E
4.52
=1.632 m y c = c =1.09 m
2 x 9.81
3

Note: with this critical depth, the corresponding q is

2

q ' = g y c =3.564 m / s
(b). The discharge immediately below sluice is q = vy = 4.5 x 0.6 = 2.7 m 2/s,
The critical depth with this q is

yc=

q2 3 2.72
=
=0.906 m
g
9.81

Note: q = 2.7 m2/s is the actual flow from the sluice. Part (a) is an
artificially created flow condition with a higher q = 3.564 m 2/s. There are
2-q curves on a Sp E Diagram.
(c)

Since y (=0.6m) < yc (=0.906m) hence, supercritical flow regime

Alternate sub-critical depth is

By trial and error, y = 1.457m

1.632= y +

y2
2 x 9.81 y 2

(note: the other root is 0.6m).

Q2. Note 90 corresponds to the best triangular section.

Given, Q = 0.28 m3/s, n = 0.011,
A = y2

P = 2.83y

Rh = A/P = 0.354y

3
Q2 A c
=
g Bc
3
0.282 y c
=
y c =0.437 m
9.81 2 y c

Find critical slope from Mannings Eq.

S c=

[ ][
Qn

AR

2
3
hc

0.28 x 0.011

0.437 ( 0.354 x 0.437 )

2
3

=0.00313

Q3. 2 possible solutions: Case (a) assume the vel of approach relatively far
upstream of sluice to be zero, then
Sp E,

Eo(upstream) = E1(below sluice) -------(1)

For maximum delivery, E1(below sluice) equals the critical Ec in (1)

V 2o
V 2c 3
y o+ = y c + = y c ------------(2)
2g
2g 2
V 2o
=0(2)
2g
qmax = g y 3c =23.2 m2 / s

3
y =5.7 y c =3.8 m
2 c

With

Case (b), if

V 2o
0 ( 2 ) , then
2g

2
3
3 3 qmax
yo +
= y c=
(3)
2
2 g
2 g yo 2

q max

2
5.7=0.7 q0.67
max 0.00157 q max

By trial and error,

qmax = 36.5 m2/s

Q4.

Given rect ch, b = 2m, upstream yo1 =0.8m, Q = 2 m3/s

q = Q/b = 1 m2/s

y c=

q2 3 12
=
=0.467 m
g
9.81

Mean v1 = Q/A = 2/(2x0.8) = 1.25 m/s

v 21
1.25 2
upstream approach S ection 1 E1 = y o 1+ =0.8+
=0.88 m
2g
2 x 9.81
Section 2 = hump location with critical hump ht, z crit, the Sp E here is also
critical, i.e.= E2c
Governing Eq with no losses: E1 = E2 + z
For this case,

E1 = E2c + zcrit

(a) Therefore, if there is no loss at the hump,

zcrit = E1 - E2c = E1 3/2 yc = 0.88 1.5x0.467 = 0.179m
(b) If there is loss at the hump = 0.5 v12/2g = 0.04 m
The governing eq is

E1=E 2c + z crit +losses

zcrit = E1 - E2c losses = 0.88 1.5x0.467 0.04 = 0.139m