STEADY OPEN-CHANNEL FLOW 3

RIVER MECHANICS (OPEN-CHANNEL HYDRAULICS) (CE5312 AY15/16)

Dr. Yuan Jing,

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Office: E2-05-20
Phone: 65162160
Email: ceeyuan@nus.edu.sg
Sluice gate

Questions:

• How does it control the flow?

• What are the upstream and

downstream surface
profiles?
Flow under a sluice gate
V12 / 2 g

h1 V2 2 / 2 g

q
hG
h2  Cv hG

• Always subcritical upstream and supercritical downstream!

• The flow converges after passing the gate until the a vena contracta is reached.
• Water depth at the vena contracta is fixed: h2=CvhG
• The flow is well behaved at the vena contracta.
Discharge per unit width
V12 / 2 g

h1 V2 2 / 2 g

q
hG
h2  Cv hG

2g
q  Cv h1hG
h1  Cv hG

With fixed h1 (e.g. a big reservoir), we can control discharge by changing hG.
 Upstream surface profiles

M1
mild hn
hn ,conj S1 h1
hc
steep hn
hG
x

Location of the jump: x  ?

Downstream surface profiles: steep slope

hc
S3
h2  hn  hc

hG S2
h2 hn  h2  hc

After the vena contracta:

Water depth increases/decreases to normal depth follows a S3/S2
profile if the normal depths is larger/smaller than h2.
Downstream surface profiles: mild slope
hn ,lim

hc  hn

hc
M3
hn ,conj
hG h2

After the vena contracta:

• Water depth first increases via a M3 profile to hn,conj and then a
hydraulic jump is created to reach the normal depth (subcritical flow).

• The gate becomes submerged if the jump starts at the vena contracta.
 Downstream: submerged vena contracta

hn

h1
h2

hG
hVC hn ,conj

Assume the flow still goes through the vena contracta, but with stagnant water
above it.

For given Q, apply continuity, momentum and energy principle to find h2 and h1.
What if CvhG>hc?

V12 / 2 g

?
q
h1
hG ? hc

No effect on the flow.

 Weir
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. (Wikipedia)

Many kinds of weirs.

Sharp-crested weir
EGL

A
h
H B 2
q » Cd 2gH 3/2
C 3
q
What controls Cd?

W
Broad-crested weir
EGL

V0 H hc

Broad-crested
W weir

8 H
q  Cd g  H 3/2 0.1 < < 0.35
27 L

What controls Cd?

Flow through a channel constrain

Top view h
(1) (2) (3)
(1),(3)

(2)

(1) (2) (3)

Basic principle: conservation of energy E

Draw a vertical line on h-E diagram, the flow “point” must move along
this line
 Critical flow control using a channel constrain
A Venturi flume is a critical-flow open flume, which has a critical flow at the
narrowest point of the constain. It is used in flow measurement of very large
flow rates, usually given in millions of cubic units.
Flow has enough energy to pass
(1) (2) (3) Is it possible to move
from A to B’ or A’ to B?
h

(1),(3) A

B
(2)

(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3)

A A
B B'

B' A'
A' A'
(C) E
Flow is just able to pass
3/2
æ 3ö Q
(1) (2) (3)
bc = ç ÷
è 2ø gE13
h
(1),(3)

(2)

A
(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3) C

A A
C A'

A' A'
E
A’ or A in the
downstream?
Flow cannot pass freely: subcritical
3
incoming flow
(1) (2)
E 
(3)
E 
2
(Q / b ) / g
B C
3
2
2

33
E  EB  E A  (Q / b2 ) 2 / g  E A
2
h
(1),(3)
DE
(2)
B

(1) (2) (3) A

(1) (2) (3) C

B
DE
A C B'

B'
E
 Flow cannot pass freely: supercritical
incoming flow
(1) (2) (3)

h (1),(3)

DE
(2)

D
(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3) C

B
D DE
A'
C B'
A' B'
E
Critical flow control
(1) (2) (3)
• If the constrain is narrow enough, critical
flow will occur at the narrowest point of
the constrain:
b2

Q  b2 gh2 3/2

(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3)
B B
DE D DE
A C
C
h2  hc B' A'
h2  hc B'

Subcritical incoming flow Supercritical incoming flow

Parshall flume
A modified version of the Venturi flume is the Parshall flume. Named after it
creator, Dr. Ralph L. Parshall of the U.S. Soil Conservation Service